Football singularity

Chapter 781 Heating-Up

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[2021-05-29 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto | 22:23 WEST]

[Manchester City 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

[68’]

In the VIP box, May and the Rexes were on their feet, eagerly watching the action in the box. They held their breath as the Czech striker shaped to shoot with his right foot, his body language selling it perfectly. Ederson committed, dropped low, and spread his arms to cover the near post.

"SCHICK ONE-ON-ONE!" Drury’s voice climbed to a fever pitch.

But at the last moment, Schick’s foot rolled over the ball, dragging it to his left. The goalkeeper was already diving right, his momentum taking him out of position. Schick’s touch took him around Ederson’s outstretched leg, the ball now on his weaker left foot, the goal gaping open in front of him—but Rúben Dias had never stopped running.

The Portuguese defender came sliding in from Schick’s right, his long legs eating up the ground, closing the gap. Schick struck the ball with his left foot, aiming for the open net from six yards out. Dias’s boot stretched out, fully horizontal now, his studs reaching desperately for the ball’s path. The ball deflected off Dias’s boot, spinning wildly, looping up and over the goal, missing the crossbar by inches before sailing into the crowd behind.

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Tyldesley roared. "Rúben Dias with a goal-saving tackle! How did he get there?!"

The Portuguese defender lay on the turf, chest heaving, before Ederson pulled him to his feet, gripping his head in gratitude. "VAMOS! VAMOS!"

Schick, on the other hand, stood with his hands on his head, staring at the sky in disbelief. "That," Drury said, his voice still elevated, "World-class defending from Rúben Dias. Just that one block made his €68 million fee in September worth it."

Leverkusen’s corner kick was cleared by Stones, headed away to midfield, where Bernardo Silva collected it. City immediately transitioned, the Portuguese midfielder driving forward before playing it wide to Walker. The English fullback accelerated down the right flank, his pace causing Sinkgraven to backpedal frantically.

Walker played it inside to Mahrez, who took one touch before cutting it back to Gündogan at the edge of the box. The German midfielder struck it first-time, a crisp shot aimed at the bottom right corner. Hradecky reacted quickly, dropping low to palm it wide for another corner.

"City responding immediately!" Drury called. "The momentum has shifted!"

[70’]

Pep made his move, the fourth official raising the board: #9 Gabriel Jesus ON | #20 Bernardo Silva OFF

"Guardiola is bringing on a natural striker," Tyldesley observed. "Gabriel Jesus replaces Bernardo Silva as City retains their 4-3-3 shape now."

Gabriel jogged on, exchanging quick words with De Bruyne before taking up position as the central striker. De Bruyne dropped deeper, returning to his natural playmaking role just behind the forward. Like a fish in water, the Belgem playmaker got to work leading the attacking front.

Gündogan, who had fewer attacking duties, is now fully focused on stabilising the midfield with Foden. This proved effective in keeping Amiri and Demirbay at bay, allowing them to settle into their passing play easily. In the 74th, Jesus peeled wide to the right as Sterling drifted inside from the left, and Foden was making a late run from midfield.

The Belgian held the ball, drawing Baumgartlinger toward him, then threaded a pass between Tapsoba and Sinkgraven, finding Jesus in the channel. The Brazilian forward controlled it on his chest, his first touch taking him away from Tapsoba’s challenge. He drove into the box, cutting onto his left foot, but Tah was there, stepping across to block the shooting angle. Jesus checked back, then played it square to the arriving Foden at the penalty spot.

"FODEN!" Tyldesley’s roared.

The young midfielder struck it first-time with his right foot, but Tah’s boot got in the way. The ball bounced off his boot, shooting out of the box towards the left. Gündogan and Rakim raced towards the ball; the winger got there first, sending a first-time pass to Baumgartlinger. He raced back to the left wing looking for the return pass, which came a second later.

However, he had to quickly jump out of the way after spotting an angry Walker tearing up the turf with a slide. The English winger swept away the ball, passing underneath Rakim’s leap. Walker’s sliding tackle sent the ball rolling out of the pitch, and the two immediately exchanged a few choice words.

"Rakim is not happy with that challenge," Drury noted as Walker could be seen stepping back as he sarcastically clapped his hands. The referee, Antonio Lahoz, quickly stopped them, telling them to play on as Rakim picked up the ball at the side of the field. Daley quickly shooed him, though.

[79’]

In the 79th, Leverkusen received a prime opportunity to be at the edge of the City eighteen-yard box after Gündogan took down Amiri with a rough tackle. The German midfielder had mistimed his tackle, catching the side of the Leverkusen midfielder’s foot.

Antonio Lahoz had no choice but to reach inside his pocket and add the German international name to his little black book. Medical staff rushed on and checked Amiri over until eventually deciding it would be better for him to come off. The playmaker tried to protest, but it was of no use, and Bosz immediately called Charles Aránguiz to replace him.

Moments later, Charles and Rakim stood over the ball that was placed centrally just a couple of paces from the D. The location was prime territory for sharpshooters to take a pop regardless of preference. The stadium held its breath as it stared at the City wall being assembled.

Ederson barked instructions, organising five players consisting of Jesus, Gündogan, Mahrez, Foden, and Sterling into a defensive barrier twenty-three yards from goal. Charles leaned toward Rakim, speaking low enough that only the winger could hear. "You want it?"

"Sure, but didn’t you come on for this?" Rakim replied, eyes fixed on Ederson’s positioning. "I’ll try and bend it to the bottom left."

"I’ll go for the dummy run then, try to pull someone out of the wall." Charles countered with a slight smile. "You’ve scored sixty-five goals this season. What’s one more?"

Rakim smiled at this, his left foot kneading the turf in front of the ball before taking five steps back. Charles did the same, taking steps to the left for a right-footed curler. The referee checked the wall a final time after giving some rowdy players a talking to before his whistle pierced the Porto night.

(FWEEET!)

Charles began his run first, angling toward the ball from the left, selling the idea of a right-footed curler. At the same time, Rakim began side-stepping to the right and began closing in on the ball. Who would strike the ball caused confusion in the five-man all, and two players in the wall shifted instinctively, leaning right to cover the angle for a Charles strike.

In the stands, everyone held their breath as Charles’s foot swung over the ball, but he merely skipped over it. Still, he managed to sell the dummy enough that when Rakim’s boot made contact a second later, the wall was late to react. The ball exploded off his laces with controlled violence, but did not rise above hip height as it curled around Mahrez at tehe nd of the wall.

Ederson, between the sticks, had stood centrally in his goal ready to react, but was only able to see it when it curled past Mahrez. Shuffling across, he leapt it across the goal as the ball dipped late, his right hand stretching desperately. His fingertips connected with the ball, barely, but enough to deflect it away, grazing the post, spinning out for a corner.

"WHAT A SAVE!" Drury roared. "Ederson denies Rakim Rex! Somehow, some way, the Brazilian has kept it out!"

The Brazilian keeper landed heavily, immediately scrambling to his feet, pumping his fists. "VAMOS! VAMOS!" The City fans in attendance erupted in relief, their section of the Estádio do Dragão suddenly the loudest part of the stadium.

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TO BE CONTINUED...