Become A Football Legend

"I won't wanna have it any other way, hon. I know you're a Bayern fan, but don't forget to support me today."

"Don't worry. I have the jersey ready. I wish I could come see you live, though."

"I wish so too. But it's gonna end late and you've got school tomorrow. You can come to Frankfurt next week for Leverkusen's game."

"Alright babe. Make sure to score a goal for me today. You promised me last time and didn't score."

"Not for lack of trying... It's gonna be even harder today, but I'll try to get something for you."

"I will be watching."

"I gotta go now. Bye."

"Byee.."

Lukas ended the call... He was ready for a tough match. But at this moment, he couldn't imagine how this match would put him on the radar of some of the biggest clubs around the world.

* * *

"Allianz Arena... It's always an experience to come here as an opponent," Götze said as he passed the ball to Lukas just a couple meters away from him.

"That's right, you spent a few seasons here, right?" Lukas asked as he passed the ball to Uzun by his right.

"Yeah I did. Three seasons. Absolute mad club. The pressure is unbelievable."

"But really, though, the atmosphere is suffocating," Uzun said while sending the ball to Larsson. He was trying his best not to look around in amazement.

"Today's your first time here for the three of you, right?" Götze asked.

"Both of them, yeah, I was here for last season's game, though. Even came on as a sub," Larsson responded.

"Yeah today's my first time. And just listen to the crowd, it's insane," Uzun said.

"I have never seen anything like this before. I can barely hear myself speak," Lukas added as he trapped a pass from Larsson under his feet and looked around.

The roar of the Allianz Arena pressed down from every side, a packed wall of red and white that seemed to close in the moment he lifted his head. His eyes swept across the tiers of seats, banners hanging, flags waving, and a restless sea of Bayern supporters shifting with anticipation. For a second, the pass, the warm-up, even the ball at his feet faded into the background — what filled him instead was the sheer weight of the place, the immensity of playing here.

Then the ball rolled forward again, tugging him back to the pitch, to the rhythm of the game as he sent a pass to Götze.

"I know it can be intimidating, but don't think about it too much. Play your game as you usually would, Lukas, and I promise they will absolutely hate you here."

"Then I've gotta try extra hard to earn their hatred. I can't exactly let them down."

The players laughed as they continued their warm-up session.

Meanwhile in the other part of the pitch, Sané, Muller, Olise, and Musiala were passing two balls across the four of them as a few other players stretched and jogged for a light warm-up.

"Is that him? The youngest goalscorer in the Bundesliga?" Muller asked as he trapped a ball and used a nod to gesture towards Lukas who had his back facing their direction.

"Not just that, he's both the youngest debutant, and the youngest player of the month winner," Sané responded.

"Is he really that good?" Musiala asked.

"I guess we'll find out today. He plays down the middle so I'm sure Joshua will have him covered."

Olise just played the ball silently, rarely one to talk, but he occasionally glanced towards Lukas's direction.

"I watched some of his compilations. He's really calm on the ball, and able to both start and finish attacking play. He has had a goal contribution in every single match he's featured in since his debut about seven weeks ago," Pavlovic said, joining in the conversation as he stretched behind the group.

"It's time for that streak to come to an end, then," Laimer replied.

"Huh... Seeing him in person, he does look really familiar. Where have I met him before?" Musiala said as he saw Lukas turn around to receive a lobbed pass from Ekitike from the other side of the pitch.

"You've met him? Maybe in the youth level with Germany or something?" Muller asked.

"Hmmm... I don't think so. I haven't played at the youth level for a while now, but I think I've seen him somewhere a lot more recently."

"No need to think about it too much, just ask him after the match, no?"

"Yeah yeah you're right."

"Alright boys, let's go in!" Kimmich said as he clapped his hands to draw their attention.

They had to wrap up their warm-ups and go prepare for last minute pep talks from Kompany. The crowd cheered them as they stepped back into the tunnel and headed to the dressing room.

* * *

"Good evening to you all and welcome to undoubtedly, one of the matches of this season. Bayern Munich host Eintracht Frankfurt in a clash of two teams at the top end of the table. I am James Thorogood, and I am joined here by Steffen Freund."

"Yes this is poised to be a tough game. Obviously you'll expect Bayern to win it, you expect Bayern to win every single game they play here, but this feels like a fixture they will have to work that bit harder to get the win."

"That's right Steffen. Three all draw when both teams met a few months ago at the Deutsche Bank Park and there are some changes in both teams to the players who started that game. Omar Marmoush, with two goals and an assist for Frankfurt in that game is now a Manchester City player, but his absence hasn't really been felt as much as we thought it would, has it?"

"You're right, it really hasn't. And it's due to the inclusion of the 16-year-old Lukas Brandt unsurprisingly in the starting lineup today. Toppmöller will hope the kid could continue his heroics. But this is Bayern Munich, this is undoubtedly the toughest opposition Brandt would have faced in his short career. His potential cannot be defined by just this match."

"A good performance won't hurt, though, would it?"

"That never hurts."

As Lukas stepped out of the tunnel for the second time that evening, the energy was even more intensified. The sea of red and white seemed ready to drown him.

A sold out Allianz Arena with 75,000 people all dawned in a combination of red and white. It also didn't help that even majority of the away supporters had on the same red and white jersey as the home fans.

Lukas mindlessly completed the pre kick-off routines and a few minutes later, Thomas Muller was ready for kick off.

FWEEE

As soon as the referee's whistle blew to kick-off the match, Lukas's attention was drawn back to the pitch. It was like a feeling that still surprised him no matter how many times it happens. Once he hears the referee's whistle to begin a game, it's like his brain shuts off any outside distractions that's not helping on the pitch and his whole attention is redirected to the match.

"And off we go. Kick-off for Matchday 23, Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt. Kompany deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation he so frequently uses with Neuer in goal. A back four of Laimer, Dier, Kim, and Ito. Pavlovic and Kimmich as the double pivot just in front of the defense. Olise, Musiala, and Sané in attack, and Thomas Muller leading the line. No Harry Kane today as he starts on the bench.

Eintracht Frankfurt with a 3-4-1-2 formation. A quite interesting choice with Trapp in goal. Theate, Tuta, and Kristensen, as in defense in the absence of Koch. Hojlund and Larsson, in the center of the park with Knauff and Collins as wing backs. Ekitike and Bahoya as a front two, with Brandt sitting just behind them."

"It seems Toppmöller is giving the title of chief orchestrator to his wonderkid for this game. Will he buckle under the immense pressure that is the Allianz Arena? Or will he rise to the occasion, we will see in exactly 90 minutes."

From kick-off, Eintracht pressed conservatively. Bayern passed the ball around their defense and Neuer. Ekitike and Bahoya led the press with Lukas sitting almost at the centerline for when the ball was inevitably brought to their own half.

It didn't take too long for him to get his first sniff of the ball, neither did it take as long to notice the caliber of the players he was up against.

In the third minute, Collins intercepted a pass from Ito to Sané down the right flank. His first pass, sent the ball to Lukas.

Lukas received the ball on a half-turn down the centerline and tried to drive at the backline.

He raised his head to look at the position of his forward players, and when he looked back down, the ball was gone — poked away by Kimmich.

He tried to challenge for the ball back but Kimmich had already sent a pass to Pavlovic, who found Musiala at the edge of the Frankfurt penalty area.

Musiala took one touch before hitting a ground shot that was only inches off target.

"This is gonna be a very long night," Lukas muttered as he jogged back to help his defense.