Football singularity

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[Time 19:30 | BayArena | Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 1 Borussia Dortmund]

[46]

Bosz kept the faith in his starting XI to begin the second period, but Lucien Favre made one tweak straight out of the interval: Thorgan Hazard replaced Achraf Hakimi, sliding Sancho to the right and Hazard to the left in a bid to pin back Daley Sinkgraven.

The substitution had immediate effects as Hazard got his first touches of the ball in the 48th minute. He immediately got to work confidently, dragging the ball along the line with a smooth Cruyff turn that left Bellarabi briefly off-balance before whipping a cross into the box. Haaland rose highest to meet it, but Hrádecký pre-empted him, jumping up to punch the ball out of his box.

The punch only carried as far as Witsel, who cushioned the ball on his chest at the edge of the "D". With the crowd holding its collective breath, he unleashed a volley, but expectations seemed to have been too high as the ball harmlessly sailed into the stands. "That is one he'll want to quickly forget."

"One could argue that Bender was closing him down, but a bit of composure is expected from a player of calibre," Robson commented as play continued to unfold below.

[52]

Leverkusen responded with venom. Diaby picked up the ball on the left touchline, his electric pace immediately putting Akanji on the back foot. The French winger drove forward, cutting inside onto his stronger right foot as the Swiss defender scrambled to keep up. Diaby's feint sent Akanji sliding past him courtesy of the now-damp turf.

With Hummels rushing across to cover, Diaby had a split second to make his decision. He chose to pass whipping in a wicked curling cross, bending away from Bürki's desperate dive. Volland, arriving like a man possessed, threw himself at the ball with a diving header that thundered off the underside of the crossbar. The entire BayArena erupted in anguish as the ball bounced down onto the goal line, kissing the turf by mere millimetres before being smothered by Burki.

"Oh, my word! How did that stay out?" The commentator's voice cracked with disbelief. "Volland was certain he'd scored there!"

The striker lay sprawled on the turf, head in his hands, as Bürki remained on top of the ball, his yellow jersey drenched in sweat and relief. The Swiss keeper knew he'd been beaten, but he thanked his lucky stars that the post managed to save him.

[54]

Dortmund wasn't rattled by the almost goal, as a matter of fact, they were invigorated to attack more. For the next few moments, the battle for possession intensified with both sides launching quick attacks. It was in one of these attacks that they managed to create a goal-scoring opportunity, catching the home side off guard.

They built from the back with surgical precision, Hummels switching play to Guerreiro, who pushed forward with space. A quick one-two with Can bypassed Bellarabi, and suddenly the Portuguese full-back was racing toward the final third. He slid the ball to Hazard, whose sharp movement inside drew two defenders like moths to flame.

Hazard didn't hesitate. With a deft flick of his boot, he laid it off for Haaland at the edge of the box. The Norwegian didn't hold onto it but merely flicked it onto Sancho at the left edge of the box. The Englishman's first touch was a thing of beauty, controlling the ball as he skipped across Dragovic.

Sinkgraven, who had been chasing him, tried to tug his jersey, but his momentum was too strong. With the shooting angle now open, he fired a low shot toward the far post across Hardeckey's body, who was rapidly shuffling across to cover the near post. Hrádecký reacted at blitzing pace, diving full-stretch to his left—but he couldn't reach it.

The ball agonizingly curved around his reach, piercing his goal for a second time in this match. The net rippled, and Sancho sprinted to the corner flag with a maddened expression, joy overflowing. Arriving at the corner flag, he spread his arms wide in celebration as the away section detonated in a frenzy of black and yellow.

"He's done it again! Jadon Sancho with a finish of pure class!" Derek Rae shouted over the noise.

"Pinpoint precision," Steward Robson added. "You give him half a yard and it's curtains. This 19-year-old might just be the real deal."

[Score: 2–2 | 55th Minute: Jordan Sancho 7]

[59]

Off the restart, Leverkusen looked to answer instantly, but the match quickly entered a quagmire. Both teams pressed furiously, causing the lines between defenders and midfielders to blur as bodies collided in the middle third. It quickly became a game of inches, with Bender and Can trading crunching tackles, as they killed attacks from their opponents before they could get dangerous.

However, this situation did not last long, as in the 62nd minute, the dam burst again. Can received the ball just inside Dortmund's half after a turnover. Brushing off an attempted shoulder barge from Amiri with a shrug that sent the Leverkusen midfielder stumbling.

The former Liverpool man drove forward, his low centre of gravity and powerful strides giving him momentum that was hard to stop. Witsel ran parallel to his right, Sancho hugged the touchline on the far side, and Haaland ghosted between Tah and Bender, lightly tussling with them, just waiting to pounce.

Can delayed just long enough for Leverkusen's backline to step up—then slipped a through ball between the lines with surgical precision. Haaland darted onto it, beating the offside trap by a whisker. The stadium gasped as Haaland stretched out his left foot to touch it down.

He angled his body in the next moment as he used his arms to hold off Tah on his right. Dragovic came sliding across, but too late the Norwegian unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike from just inside the box. (Boom) The shot cannoned into the roof of the net with such force it seemed to lift the frame. Hrádecký stood frozen, arms out, eyes wide. He hadn't even managed to twitch, let alone move.

"HAALAND!" Rae screamed. "Absolute carnage! Dortmund leads for the first time tonight!"

"Just lethal. That's what you're dealing with," Robson said. "He only needs one look."

As the Dortmund players mobbed their new wonderkid, the Leverkusen crowd quieted to a stunned murmur—except for the small section of black and yellow supporters, now a blur of limbs and roaring voices.

[Score: 2–3 | 62nd Minute: Erling Haaland 17]

[67]

Peter Bosz finally made his move. With urgency written across his face, he turned toward the bench. "Rakim, Leon, Edmond —up," he barked. His shout prompted the 3 who had been warming up for a while to jog over, ready to take the field. Rakim jogged over to the bench, taking off his tracksuit, he adjusted his shorts as he jogged over to the coach to listen to final instructions.

Moments later, the fourth official raised his board, causing a ripple of anticipation to stir among the home fans. The number 22 flashed in neon green—Rakim Rex was coming on. Off went Karim Bellarabi, who offered a weary high-five before collapsing onto the bench, chest heaving after having just chased Sancho back for 60 meters.

Seconds later, Leon Bailey adjusted his shin pads as he came on for Diaby, and Edmond Tapsoba stripped off his bib, Dragovic. The crowd roared in fresh anticipation as the substitutions were confirmed. "Well, here we go," Derek Rae remarked, voice tinged with excitement. "Three bold changes from Bosz: Tapsoba for Dragovic to freshen the backline, Bailey replacing the tireless Diaby, and the young starlet Rakim Rex entering the fray on the right wing."

"Bosz isn't sitting back," Robson added. "He knows Dortmund has momentum now, and he's bringing on pace, power, and unpredictability."

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To Be continued...