บท 94: De Bruyne's Injury and Lin's Revenge!
After Werder Bremen adjusted their tactics, the midfield battle became particularly intense. In the fierce competition, the players' movements became increasingly exaggerated.
In the 77th minute, Neustädter and De Bruyne grappled for the ball but couldn't get it. Furious, Neustädter kicked De Bruyne from behind, knocking him to the ground.
The referee immediately showed Neustädter a yellow card. Unfazed, Neustädter taunted De Bruyne as he walked by, "Watch your legs, kid, you won't be so lucky next time!"
Werder Bremen's players were enraged and confronted Neustädter, while others gathered around De Bruyne, checking on his injury. De Bruyne, the team's crucial midfielder, was in agony, writhing on the ground and holding his ankle.
Lin tried to help him up but saw large beads of sweat pouring down De Bruyne's forehead and his pale face. He realized De Bruyne's injury might be severe and called for the team doctor.
The coach and staff anxiously watched from the sidelines. De Bruyne's departure would significantly impact Werder Bremen, potentially rendering their attack ineffective.
As De Bruyne was carried off the field, Coach Schaaf muttered a curse. He reluctantly called for Ekici, preparing to bring him on.
Ekici, 22, was a reserve from Bayern's youth academy but had never played for their first team. This season, he had few opportunities at Werder Bremen due to De Bruyne's excellent performance, leaving him on the bench.
Reluctant to use an inexperienced young player, especially in a tough away game, Coach Schaaf had no other choice due to their limited bench depth.
Meanwhile, Lin approached the coach, suggesting, "Coach, bring on a forward and let me play midfield!"
Coach Schaaf was taken aback, having always seen Lin as a winger, never considering him for midfield. He seemed to have forgotten Lin was loaned from Barcelona as a defensive midfielder.
With determination in his voice, Lin reiterated, "Yes, I'll play offensive midfield! This game is for De Bruyne, we have to win, no tie, and no loss!"
Trusting in Lin's past performance, Coach Schaaf agreed. Lin, tasked with organizing the attack, turned to his teammates on the bench, "Who do you want to play with?"
Philipp Bargfrede and Neils Petersen looked at Lin, eager to join the game. Having been benched since their loss to Augsburg, Petersen was particularly enthusiastic.
Determined to prove himself after being benched, he approached Lin, "Lin, choose me. I'm fast, strong, perfect for our counter-attacking tactics!"
Lin looked at Petersen and hesitated, considering his relationship with Bargfrede and Petersen. He would typically choose Bargfrede first, but the German defensive midfielder wasn't ideal for Werder Bremen's quick, aggressive play.
Instead, Lin needed a player who was mobile, could shoot, and had technique to complement his style. Despite Petersen's recent struggles, he fit Lin's needs better. Nodding in agreement, Lin addressed Petersen, "Alright, get ready. When I have the ball, run forward immediately, even if I can't pass to you. As long as you run, it's fine if I can't pass. If you don't receive the ball, that's your problem!"
Lin's stern tone showed he was still upset about Petersen's poor performance in their last game. Unbothered by Lin's attitude, Petersen understood and eagerly prepared to enter the game.
Determined to make up for his previous mistakes, he would seize any opportunity to score!
On the commentary booth, several commentators expressed their regret when they saw De Bruyne sub off due to injury.
"De Bruyne is an excellent midfield player, he's the brain of Werder Bremen, without him, the attacking threat of Werder Bremen will drop a level."
"Yes, without De Bruyne's threat to pass the ball, Schalke's defense can breathe easy now, as long as they pay attention to mark Lin."
"Let's see what kind of personnel adjustments Werder Bremen will make, as their substitute bench is now left with just Ekici."
"Wait, Werder Bremen brought on a forward? This isn't a position-for-position substitution; they should be bringing on a midfielder!"
"Wait, what am I seeing? Why did Lin move to the defensive midfielder position? Is Werder Bremen planning to replace De Bruyne with Lin?"
The commentators were surprised by Werder Bremen's substitution. They brought on a forward who doesn't appear often and moved their main striker to the defensive midfielder position. What are they up to?
"Is this self-destruction? Or is the new player on the front line more threatening than Lin?"
The commentators couldn't understand Werder Bremen's thought process. Soon after the match resumed, Werder Bremen quickly took the lead when Lin fouled and brought down Nastasic, resulting in a free kick.
The referee gave Lin a verbal warning but no yellow card, only reminding him to control the intensity of his actions. Strictly speaking, it was a good challenge since Lin's foot connected with the ball first, but he intended to take down Nastasic.
Maybe Werder Bremen's players had learned from Lin's intensity, as they took turns marking Nastasic in the subsequent exchanges. Within ten minutes, Nastasic had been brought down four times.
The most ruthless one was the team's forward, Huntelaar. This player from Werder Bremen's youth academy has a fierce character and, sensing the opportunity, fouled Nastasic for the fifth time.
Nastasic rolled on the ground in pain, holding his leg. The referee finally showed Huntelaar a yellow card, but he shrugged it off and spat at the injured Nastasic, walking away satisfied.
Passing by Lin, the latter signaled his appreciation with a thumbs-up, and they exchanged glances, understanding the agreement:
"We'll get him back later; I can still take one more yellow card."
But Schalke's coach didn't allow Nastasic to stay on the pitch and replaced him with Hilbert to avoid more injuries. Seeing the butcher leave the pitch, Werder Bremen's players focused their attention on the game.
With Schalke's individual players taken care of, the entire team was their next target!
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