If you’re enjoying the story, consider voting to show your support. Feel free to join on Discord to chat and share your thoughts: sdiscord.gg/hTQJtj2K9U.
#More than 10 Chapters ahead on my Patreon: spatreon/c/TrikoRex. If you have a mont, leaving a review would an a lot to and help see who’s interested in the story’s future.
~~~
[2021-05-01 | Weserstadion, Bren, Germany | 20:35 CET]
[DFB Pokal Semi-Final: Werder Bren 0-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]
*(FWEEET!)*
[46’]
Leverkusen kicked off the second half, with Paulinho tapping it back to Palacios. The Chilean midfielder imdiately played it square to Lars Bender, who knocked it across to Sven Bender. The twin brothers exchanged a quick one-two, bypassing Möhwald’s press, before Lars drove forward five yards.
He spotted Gray making a run down the left flank and threaded a pass into the channel. The English winger controlled it with his first touch, then accelerated at Gebre Selassie. Gray perford a quick stepover, dropped his shoulder to feint inside, then pushed the ball outside with his left foot.
The Bren right-back recovered quickly, staying tight, shepherding Gray wide toward the byline. Grey drove inside, dribbling along the line as he fought his marker. He tried to cut it back across the penalty spot upon reaching the edge of the box. Toprak read it, lunging across to intercept, clearing the ball out for a corner.
"Gray trying to make it happen early in the second half!" Rae noted. "But Bren’s defence is holding firm."
"Toprak’s experience showing there," Robson added. "He read that cutback perfectly."
[54’]
Bren responded with a quick counter in the 54th when Eggestein won a header in midfield, nodding it down to Bittencourt at the edge of the centre circle. The German playmaker turned sharply, spotting Rashica making a diagonal run from the left, cutting inside toward the centre.
Bittencourt threaded a pass between Jedvaj and Arias, splitting the defence. Rashica latched onto it, his first touch taking him into the final third. Dragovic stepped up to close him down, but the Kosovo winger had already shaped to shoot from twenty yards. He struck it with his right foot, curling it toward the top left corner. Grill tracked it all the way, launching himself across his goal. His fingertips brushed the ball, just enough to send it spinning wide of the post.
"RASHICA!" Rae roared. "Grill denies him again! What a save!"
"Brilliant save now from the young keeper," Robson said. "He’s putting on a showcase."
A couple of minutes later, on the touchline of the Leverkusen technical area, Bosz turned to his bench, gesturing to Alario and Amiri. The two players imdiately stripped off their training jackets and began warming up more intensely. In the 59th minute, the substitution board went up:
OFF: Palacios, Bellarabi
ON: Lucas Alario, Nadiem Amiri
Alario jogged onto the pitch, exchanging a quick handshake with Bellarabi before slotting in as the striker. Amiri took up a position in the attacking midfield role, pushing Paulinho wide to the right.
[62’]
The fresh legs brought so energy for the league leaders. In the 65th, Lars Bender won the ball in midfield with a crunching tackle on Möhwald, and imdiately played it forward to Amiri. The German playmaker took one touch, his head already up, scanning the pitch.
He spotted Gray making a run down the left, dragging Gebre Selassie with him. Amiri threaded a pass into the channel, weighted perfectly. Gray controlled it on the run, his pace taking him clear of the Bren right-back. Gray drove to the edge of the box, then cut it back sharply to Alario, who had positioned himself at the penalty spot.
The Argentine striker controlled it with his first touch, turning away from Toprak’s challenge. He shaped to shoot with his right foot, drawing Friedl across. Instead of shooting, Alario slipped a pass to Paulinho on the right, who had drifted inside unmarked. The Brazilian winger struck it first-ti with his left foot from twelve yards, aiming for the bottom right corner. Pavlenka dove, but his effort was unnecessary as the ball hit the outside netting harmlessly, leaving the field.
"PAULINHO!" Rae exclaid. "Oh, so close!"
"They need to put chances like that away, or they will co back to punish them," Robson noted, mirroring the frustration of the views.
[68’]
They seed to take his words to heart, as in the next 10 minutes of dominance, Leverkusen continued to probe the Bren defence. Around the 70th minute, Sven Bender won the ball in midfield, driving forward before playing it wide to Gray on the left. The English winger took one touch, then whipped in a cross toward the penalty spot with pace.
Alario, who had tid his lunge ahead of his marker, leapt into the air like salmon leaping out of the water. He made a great connection with the ball, curling it into the box, guiding it downward toward the near post. Toprak tried to interfere, but the striker remained composed in the air, guiding it all the way. The ball fell perfectly to the bottom left corner of the goal, out of the grasp of Pevlenka, smashing into the back of the net.
"GOOOOOAL!" Rae roared. "LUCAS ALARIO! Leverkusen finally break the deadlock!"
[Werder Bren 0-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Lucas Alario 70’]
Alario sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide, performing a knee slide celebration. "What a mont!" Robson exclaid. "Seventy minutes of frustration, and finally, the breakthrough! Alario with the clinical finish!"
"Pavlenka had no chance with that one," Rae added. "Too close, too well-placed. Bren’s resistance is finally broken."
On the touchline, Bosz pumped his fist once, then imdiately turned back to the pitch, clapping his hands. "Stay focused!" he shouted toward his players. "It’s not over!"
[74’]
Bren tried to respond imdiately, throwing bodies forward desperately. Bittencourt collected the ball in midfield, driving forward with speed. He played it wide to Rashica on the left, who took one touch before cutting inside onto his right foot. The Kosovo winger was at the top of the box now, Arias closing him down. Rashica struck it from twenty yards, aiming for the top right corner. The shot was well-struck, rising, but the aim was off, missing the fra of the goal by a ter.
"Rashica tries to respond!" Rae called out. "But couldn’t put it away"
"Bren need a goal quickly," Robson said. "Ti is running out."
[80’]
Bren made a desperate change, bringing on Davie Selke for Sargent and Yuya Osako for Möhwald. The substitutions shifted their formation to a more aggressive 3-4-3, with Toprak, Friedl, and Gebre Selassie forming the back three. In the 82nd minute, Eggestein won the ball in midfield with an aggressive tackle on Sven Bender.
The referee allowed play to continue as Eggestein imdiately drove forward, his head up, looking for options. He played it wide to Osako on the right, who had fresh legs and pace. The Japanese midfielder took one touch, then accelerated down the flank, forcing Sinkgraven to backpedal desperately. Osako cut inside onto his left foot at the edge of the box, drawing Jedvaj toward him.
He slipped a pass to Füllkrug in the centre, who controlled it with his back to goal, Dragovic pressing against him. The German striker used his strength to hold off the defender, then laid it off to Bittencourt at the top of the box. The German playmaker struck it first-ti with his right foot from eighteen yards, aiming for the bottom left corner. Lars Bender slid in from the side, managing to get his foot in the way, deflecting it wide from almost point-blank range.
"Lars Bender with the stop!" Rae exclaid. "And what a stop it is!"
"Desperation from Bren," Robson noted. "And even more desperate defending from Leverkusen."
[84’]
The corner was delivered by Bittencourt with pace, curling toward the near post. Füllkrug attacked it, rising above Jedvaj, but his header was directed straight at Grill. The young keeper caught it cleanly, then imdiately rolled it out to Arias on the right.
The Colombian fullback took one touch, then drove forward at speed, looking to launch a counter. He played it inside to Lars Bender, who turned sharply away from Eggestein’s challenge. The German midfielder spotted Gray making a run down the left, already accelerating into space. Lars Bender threaded a pass into the channel, weighted perfectly.
The winger latched onto it, his first touch taking him clear of Augustinsson, who had pushed forward and was now caught out of position. He drove into the final third, with Toprak the only defender back. The English winger cut inside onto his right foot, drawing the Turkish defender toward him. Instead of shooting, Gray slipped a pass to Alario, who had made a diagonal run from the right.
The Argentine striker was now one-on-one with Pavlenka, entering the box from the right side. The Czech keeper rushed out, trying to narrow the angle, but Alario calmly slotted it past him with his right foot, placing it into the bottom left corner—the ball nestled into the net. Alario sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees, arms spread wide. Gray reached him first, jumping on his back.
"GOOOOOAL!" Rae roared. "LUCAS ALARIO WITH HIS SECOND! And It’s Ga over!"
[Werder Bren 0-2 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Lucas Alario 84’]
"Clinical finishing from Alario!" Robson exclaid. "That’s a brace for the Argentine! He’s put this tie to bed!"
"Perfect counter-attack," Rae added. "Bren pushed too many bodies forward, and Leverkusen punished them with ruthless efficiency."
[87’]
Bren were deflated after conceding the second, so soon after the first, their belief drained from them. The final minutes of the ga were more of an exhibition of possession keeping than a competitive contest. It was only in the 90th minute that Bren showed a spark of inspiration when Rashica collected the ball on the left, driving at a tired Arias.
The Kosovo winger tried a quick stepover, then cut inside onto his right foot, but Dragovic was there, stepping across to intercept. The Serbian defender won the ball cleanly, then played it forward to Amiri. The German midfielder turned upfield but didn’t get far as the referee blew his whistle, ending the proceedings with a two-nil score.
.
.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED...
User Comments
0 comments from readers