章 99: Unexpected Encounter
The 14th round of the Bundesliga saw Werder Bremen face the challenge of hosting Bayer Leverkusen at their home ground.
This was the toughest opponent Werder Bremen had faced since the absence of De Bruyne.
Bayer Leverkusen currently ranks fourth in the points table, trailing Werder Bremen by 5 points.
For Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen is a direct competitor in their quest to qualify for the Champions League.
In the fiercely competitive battle for the Champions League berths, Werder Bremen didn't want their opponents to widen the gap too much.
Meanwhile, for Werder Bremen, Leverkusen was in hot form, boasting significant strength on their own, and with the absence of a key player, winning against them at home wasn't going to be easy.
Since defeating Bayern Munich in the 9th round of the league, Leverkusen seemed to have undergone a transformation, turning from a mid-table team into a strong opponent almost overnight.
Prior to visiting the Weser Stadium, they had already secured five consecutive wins in the Bundesliga, making them the second-highest team in terms of consecutive wins in the league.
Sitting at the top of the table was their opponent for this match, Werder Bremen, who had achieved an impressive six consecutive wins.
As the game commenced, Werder Bremen's players realized that it was even more challenging than they had anticipated.
Leverkusen played with a specific focus, not only strengthening the defense against Werder Bremen's attacking and organizing core Lin but also deploying a strategy to mark their forward and limit his receptions.
Carvajal, who came through the ranks of Real Madrid's youth academy, displayed an outstanding performance in the match, disrupting Werder Bremen's attacks on multiple occasions and also making several high-quality crosses from his team's penalty area to the opponent's penalty area.
With a strong attacking force, including Schwaab, Schürrle, and Castro, Leverkusen had gained a two-goal advantage over Werder Bremen before the first half ended.
This was the first time in the current season that Werder Bremen had fallen behind by such a margin. Even when Bayern Munich visited, they hadn't faced such a large deficit.
At halftime, Werder Bremen's players appeared visibly disheartened. Even though Leverkusen hadn't demonstrated significantly stronger abilities, the feeling of being unable to overcome their opponents troubled them.
Coach Schaaf also realized this and identified that Leverkusen was employing a 4-3-2-1 formation, a typical Christmas tree formation. This formation was known for its strong control in the midfield, an area that Werder Bremen struggled with.
Although Lin could play in midfield, he was an organizer-type midfielder, not a defensive one. His defensive capabilities were insufficient, leading to a lack of control in Werder Bremen's midfield.
Furthermore, Werder Bremen's formation, a 4-1-4-1 that they were accustomed to, was unable to cope with the pressure from Leverkusen's two full-backs assisting in attacks.
Changes had to be made in the formation and tactics.
In the second half, Werder Bremen made a tactical adjustment, changing their formation to a 4-2-3-1, substituting one midfielder for a defensive midfielder.
While this adjustment improved their defensive capabilities, it failed to resolve their issues in the attacking department.
With only one forward up front, they were easily surrounded by their opponents, and their counter-attacks lacked targets, which diminished their threat in the opponent's half.
Despite the disadvantage, Werder Bremen showed resilience and continued to exert pressure.
"Werder Bremen is in trouble!"
Inside the CCTV studio, Focuzo sounded concerned, "Moving Lin to a deeper position has significantly reduced their attacking threat."
"Werder Bremen does have some attacking talents in their lineup, but these players cannot replace Lin's role in the forward line," Hussk Baker echoed.
"Indeed, but now they can't pull him away from the midfield. Werder Bremen also heavily relies on him in midfield. If he goes to play as a forward, the midfield cannot function properly. We can't expect him to dribble through the opponent's three defensive lines from the half-line every time, can we?"
Although the two had witnessed Lin's miraculous performances before, these feats were considered rare. Under prepared defenses, expecting him to weave through the entire defensive system was possible but highly difficult, with a low success rate.
The spectators became anxious, missing De Bruyne. With him on the field, the game would have been much easier for them.
Lin was being burdened with too much responsibility, having to organize the midfield while also participating in the attacks up front. It was as if he had to do the work of two people.
Sixty-five minutes into the game, Werder Bremen was still trailing.
Lin saw the situation and knew he had to step up at that moment.
If the team didn't score soon, they would definitely lose the game.
In the 55th minute, substitute player Junuzović bravely snatched the ball in a tackle, ignoring the risk of getting hurt.
"Lin!"
Before being pulled by the opponent, he passed the ball to Lin.
When Lin received the ball, a Leverkusen defender was already behind him, blocking his way to turn easily.
Another Leverkusen player rushed toward him from the side, trying to tackle the ball from him.
Lin, reacting quickly, used a skillful move to spin 180 degrees with the ball stuck to his inner foot, eluding the defenders around him.
This move not only got past the one behind him but also shielded him from the Leverkusen player trying to intercept.
The Leverkusen players were astonished, wondering if anyone could spin like that. They had seen Messi's magic spins, but this was entirely different!
As Lin evaded them, he adjusted his direction with subtle body movements, showcasing a unique dribbling skill of passing opponents without running or changing direction.
This skill was unprecedented on the field, as most players had never even considered attempting such a move.
Inspired by Antony's unique spinning abilities, Lin combined spinning and dribbling, mastering a 180-degree turn without unnecessary twirls that could slow down the team's counterattack.
Antony's spinning was for show, while Lin's swift, precise spin served a practical purpose of outmaneuvering opponents and creating opportunities.
Witnessing this impeccable display, the Leverkusen players were dumbfounded, marveling at Lin's proficiency on the field.
After getting past the opponents, Lin swiftly dribbled towards Leverkusen's penalty area, flanked by his teammates racing alongside him.
The Leverkusen defenders were wary of Lin's threat; his precise passing and curve shots were unmatched.
Unable to leave the wings unattended, the Leverkusen defenders assigned more men to mark the wingers, attempting to deny them ball reception.
Faced with only two central defenders after the fullbacks were occupied, Lin faced a double press from Toprak and his teammate, aiming to stop him outside the penalty box.
With a brilliant move, Lin tricked past Toprak, followed by a swift turn that left his other pursuer, Walshaide, trailing behind.
His explosive speed, agility, and exceptional dribbling skills were on full display as he outclassed the defenders with deceptive feints and rhythmic changes, leaving them clueless about his next move.
The Leverkusen goalkeeper was stunned; how could one player perform such high-level skills and maneuvers at such speed?
His exceptional ball control left the defenders bewildered, showcasing two challenging moves in rapid succession within a tight space and time frame.
In the last minutes of the match, Lin's late goal raised his team's morale, inspiring Bremen to launch a series of attacks, pressuring Leverkusen to defend in their own half.
However, Leverkusen's defense was very solid and managed to withstand Bremen's aggressive efforts.
The game quickly approached the 80th minute, nearing its end. After a series of attacks, Bremen's players were preparing to take a breather and regroup.
But at that moment, their opponents launched a sudden counterattack. Leverkusen's substitute forward, Hegeler, received a pass from Schürrle in the penalty area and scored a goal with a header, making the score 3:1. This setback undid Bremen's hard work to equalize the score.
To make matters worse, during a subsequent counterattack by Bremen after conceding the goal, Castro was brought down by Bremen's defender in the 85th minute. The referee immediately showed a red card to Prödl for the foul, and awarded Leverkusen a penalty kick. Leverkusen's captain, Rolfes, confidently converted the penalty, extending the lead to 4:1.
With less than five minutes remaining and trailing by three goals, Bremen seemed powerless to turn the tide. In the final minutes of stoppage time, despite having only ten players on the field, they continued to mount attacks on Leverkusen's penalty area.
During the last minute of injury time, Petersen, who had played the entire match without scoring, unleashed a powerful shot that flew into Leverkusen's goal like a cannonball. Unfortunately, this goal came too late.
After the restart, the referee blew the final whistle, marking the end of the match. Leverkusen's players celebrated wildly at the Weser Stadium, having broken Bremen's six-game winning streak and secured their own six-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, Bremen's players looked visibly dejected, gazing at the ground in silence. They had given their all in the match but still couldn't secure a victory. The two sudden goals scored by the opponents in the second half had caught them off guard, capitalizing on their defensive lapses.
The team had been targeted throughout the match, and their attacking system struggled to perform effectively, failing to unleash their front-line firepower.
Although Lin had led the team to score two goals single-handedly, it wasn't enough.
If only De Bruyne was there! The players once again longed for De Bruyne; with him, Lin would surely have scored more goals and been freed up in the forward line.
After the match, the media expressed doubts about Bremen, pointing out the weakness of relying solely on Lin to lead the team. If this issue is not addressed quickly, they could face defeats against other teams in the future.
"I admit that Lin is strong, but Bremen cannot let him fight alone in the front. His teammates need to step up and support him!" In the post-match analysis, Gaid Müller, serving as a guest commentator, expressed his regret.
"I think it's time for Lin to consider joining a different team. Bremen's stage is too small, and the strength of his teammates limits his performance, burying his talent," he added.
The host and another commentator exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging their guest's opinion. Then, for the sake of showmanship, the host asked, "So, in your opinion, where should Lin go to fully unleash his potential?"
Without hesitation, Müller replied, "That would certainly be Bayern Munich! In Bayern, he would have a group of talented teammates like Ribéry, Robben, Müller, Kroos, and Schweinsteiger to support him and share the pressure. If he adds his creativity and finishing ability in the midfield and front line, Bayern can not only win in the league but also succeed in the Champions League. This would be a win-win collaboration for both the team and him, don't you think?"
The host, unusually, did not refute Müller's opinion, indicating his approval of the idea.
If Lin really went to Bayern, it would indeed greatly strengthen the club's abilities and be a good opportunity for him personally. At least, winning matches and earning honors would be easier.
Bremen's strength was simply insufficient!
"I disagree. Bayern's dominance in the Bundesliga is already difficult to challenge. Now that a team that can threaten them has finally appeared, if Bayern uses a steamroller approach to poach Bremen's core players, their dominant position is likely to become even more solid. In the future, who else could challenge them?"
The Bundesliga has been criticized for Bayern's overwhelming dominance, unlike other leagues where there are numerous strong teams. Last season, even a last-second miracle occurred in the Premier League with Manchester City winning the title.
While La Liga is nicknamed the "Spanish Super Cup," the strengths of Barcelona and Real Madrid surpass the other Spanish teams by a large margin. Nevertheless, they only have two strong teams competing, unlike the Bundesliga, with Bayern's sole dominance.
Borussia Dortmund managed to win two championships after a long wait, but this season they quickly fell from grace, which was particularly disappointing for those who had high hopes for them!
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