Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 363: 363. The Champions League Quarter-Finalists Are Quite Strong

Check out advanced Chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

Only after burning enough energy in the gym did Lance manage to push down the restless feeling from earlier.

Logically speaking, with so much of that sort of content floating around online, he should have been completely desensitised by now. But because it was Chloe who had sent it, and done so of her own accord, Lance felt genuinely unsettled.

If he weren’t preparing for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, he would have seriously considered flying back to Munich just to ask her out properly.

As expected, the Genk squad had already arrived in Madrid. Having won the first leg away 3-0 with three away goals in the bank, Atlético Madrid were as good as through. The only way Genk could overturn it would be to win 4-0, and that would be nothing short of a miracle.

On top of that, with the bruising Madrid Derby having been played just two days prior, it was impossible for the first-team regulars to feature. Most of them hadn’t even made the squad list. The second leg would largely be handed to the academy and reserve players, giving the youngsters a taste of knockout football at the highest level.

To make sure there were no surprises, Lance was named on the bench as a precaution. On one hand, he served as Atlético’s deterrent, keeping Genk from getting too ambitious. On the other hand, just knowing Lance was there would give the younger players that extra bit of confidence. Whatever happened, he had their backs.

”Will I get bored sitting on the bench for ninety minutes?”

”Not at all. I can watch the game properly, read what’s happening, and sharpen my football brain.”

Lance wasn’t the sort who needed to be in the spotlight. He could get just as much out of the game from the sidelines. It had become a habit of his whenever he wasn’t playing. He’d put himself in the shoes of whoever had the ball, thinking about what he’d do in that moment, how he’d break a deadlock if the game got stuck. He’d even put himself in the opposition’s position, working through how they might get out of a difficult spell.

It was precisely because he watched games this way, always asking questions and thinking it through, that whenever he came on as a substitute, the impact was immediate. That was a big part of why he had moved so quickly from the bench to the starting eleven.

”Right, we’re about to warm up. I’ll speak to you later.”

”Okay...” The reluctance in the girl’s voice was hard to miss.

Ever since she had sent that photo, Chloe had felt a little shy around Lance. She was quietly relieved he never brought it up directly. If he had, she would have wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

Sometimes she genuinely envied her roommate Laila, who could express herself so openly, boldly going in for a kiss with someone she liked, even taking a guy to a hotel on the first date. Shaped by her Catholic upbringing and her years at a Catholic school, Chloe felt she was closer in nature to the traditional values Lance had once mentioned. Those sorts of things were for after marriage.

Because of that, she always felt quietly lucky that Lance wasn’t like the typical footballer, chasing easy thrills and short-lived satisfaction. If anyone else had Lance’s status, wealth, physique and looks, they would have been through hundreds of girlfriends by now.

But what if he eventually lost patience?

Should she be more proactive?

The thought made her anxious.

”What’s wrong? You sound a bit flat.” Lance had noticed the shift in her tone.

”You’re not playing today, so I won’t get to watch you.”

Lance’s chest gave a small flutter. She didn’t usually say things like that. He could almost picture her expression, that slight pout, a little coy.

So you’re being direct now too, are you?

”Then I’ll come to Munich after the match. You’ll see me soon enough.”

”Really!” The excitement in her voice flared up instantly, then just as quickly dimmed. ”But you’ve still got loads of games coming up. The schedule looks mad. Focus on playing first!”

A few days earlier, after finishing her exams and starting her holiday, Chloe had returned to Leverkusen only for her parents to whisk her off to her grandmother’s to keep the elderly company. She hadn’t had the chance to come to Madrid. Lance’s calendar was equally packed, with no room to slip back to Germany for even a day off.

The last time they had actually seen each other was on New Year’s Eve.

With a new semester looming, neither of them knew when they would next be in the same place at the same time. In a way it was a relief that they hadn’t officially confirmed anything yet. If they had, the Madrid tabloids would have had a field day, linking Lance to a Spanish model one week and an Eastern journalist the next. Chloe would never have been able to focus on her studies, and the strain of a long-distance relationship would have been a lot to carry.

”Don’t overthink it.”

There was a silence on her end. Lance understood immediately. She was doing exactly that.

”Look, as soon as there’s a week without two games back to back, I’ll find a way to come over.”

”And when I’m not too busy, I’ll come to Madrid.”

”Missing your mate that much, are you?” Lance couldn’t help himself, teasing her gently as her voice softened.

”Go and warm up!” She let out an indignant yelp and hung up immediately.

He had done that on purpose. She just knew it.

Their relationship was hovering right at the edge of something official, separated by the thinnest possible line. But crossing it would probably take every last bit of courage Chloe had.

She was almost certain Lance would choose her. Ninety-nine per cent certain. But that remaining one per cent, the small, nagging possibility that it might all just be a bit of fun on his end, was enough to make her hesitate. If it went wrong, she feared she would lose even the friendship. And that she could not bear.

Back on the training pitch, Lance pocketed his phone to find Griezmann watching him with a knowing grin.

”Chatting with your girlfriend?”

”Just a friend.” Their relationship wasn’t confirmed, so Lance kept it deliberately vague.

”That German girl the press was going on about a while back, right? You jammy thing.”

Griezmann knew exactly who Chloe was. She had been picked up by the media once and had briefly trended on Twitter. Instagram was growing fast these days, and if she ever became a blogger on there, she would probably build a massive following without even trying. Honestly, the two of them suited each other well. He just couldn’t understand what they were waiting for.

Lance was ruthless and decisive on the pitch. So why was he so cautious when it came to his own feelings?

”Right, listen, I can give you a few pointers if you want. Romance is something I know a thing or two about.”

Griezmann was French, after all.

”I’ll pass. Your approach wouldn’t work for me. Go and warm up.”

Lance could see plainly that he just wanted something to gossip about.

Torres, by contrast, gave Lance a quiet pat on the shoulder.

”Just go at your own pace. I believe in you.”

Lance let out a dry laugh.

The game, lads. Shouldn’t we be thinking about the match first?

As it turned out, the first-team regulars had very little to concern themselves with.

The academy and reserve lineup was more than enough to see off Genk, winning the second leg 2-0 at home with ease and advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals on a 5-0 aggregate scoreline.

ángel Correa, at his peak, might not rank among the elite at world level, but for games like this he was perfect. Two sharp, decisive runs and shots from the edge of the box cut straight through Genk’s defence. He was everywhere on the pitch and earned a 9.4 rating after the match.

”The two goals I scored today, the runs and the breakthroughs, all of that came from what Lance taught me.

Before, I used to rely purely on my pace and physicality to force my way through. But watching Lance made me realise that dribbling is more of a mental battle with your opponent, a blend of brain and body working together.

Feints, misdirection, the muscle memory you build up over months of practice, all of it matters when it counts.

After six months of working on it, I genuinely feel more creative going forward, so I really do have to thank Lance...”

ángel Correa’s post-match interview left Lance slightly embarrassed.

You were the man of the match. Why do you keep bringing me into it?

Right, well. Keep talking like that and I won’t stop you.

The Atlético Madrid versus Genk tie was the last of the Champions League Round of 16. With it concluded, the quarter-final line-up was officially confirmed.

Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Chelsea

Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Zenit Saint Petersburg

Barcelona 5-1 Arsenal

Atlético Madrid 5-0 Genk

Manchester City 3-1 Porto

Real Madrid 4-1 Manchester United

Wolfsburg 3-2 Roma

Juventus 4-4 (Bayern Munich win 4-3 on penalties) Bayern Munich

Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich.

Eight teams. From this round, there was no seeding protection.

Lance could draw any one of them.