Chương 36: Pep Guardiola's pride
Hurry up! Retreat! and defend!
Seeing the opponent's quick counterattack, Bayern's captain, Lahm, rushed towards Lucas and shouted to his teammates.
He only had Boateng by his side as his teammate, and the two didn't need to communicate at all.
One of them chose to advance, while the other choose to hold back and provide cover.
Although Lahm called for his teammates to support him, he didn't take Lucas seriously.
The opponent is still young, and facing the intense pressure from the defenders, he is definitely likely to make a mistake in pressured situation.
Lahm yelled loudly not only to called for his teammates for support but also to exert psychological pressure on Lucas.
He wanted him to know that if he slowed down with the ball, the Bayern players would overtake him.
Therefore, Lucas needed to shake him off quickly.
And in this state of eagerness, the opponent's intentions would become very apparent.
Lahm, being a small defender, possessed greater physical agility compared to tall and bulky defenders.
So, as soon as the opponent will show some signs of breaking through, Lahm is confident he could dispossess him.
"So, young boy, what will you choose?" Lucas didn't even look at Lahm, as if the person in front of him didn't exist.
He glanced toward the direction of the goal, where Neuer had retreated to the penalty area.
Directly shooting at the goal isn't a guaranteed option. With Neuer's exceptional goalkeeping skills, he could save it.
Boateng, positioned behind Lahm, maintained a reasonable distance.
Even if Lucas bypassed Lahm, he will definitely lose speed and gap.
At that moment, Boateng could easily steal the ball from his feet or disrupt his play.
Hence, Lucas had no choice but to get past these two players.
With this in mind, Lucas adjusted his pace and made a breakthrough to the right.
As a right winger, he dribbled the ball with his right foot which is unusual.
Observing his movements, Lahm decisively attempted a steal, confident that he could steal the ball.
But the ball vanished from his feet!
Lucas used La croqueta and bypassed Lahm easily. (Iniesta uses this move mostly)
"What?" Lahm was stunned!
It was a fake move!
At that moment, Lucas had already switched to dribbling the ball with his left foot and sprinted towards Boateng.
Although Boateng couldn't clearly see how his teammate was bypassed, he saw the ball coming towards him.
Instinctively, he tried to reach out and kick it, but Lucas's other foot swiftly changed the ball's direction.
Boateng is grateful that he didn't make a rash move. This opponent's ball control speed is astonishingly fast, and he couldn't guarantee he would touch the ball first.
This boy is not easy!
Alarm bells rang in Boateng's mind. He realized that he and his teammates had underestimated the young striker.
He is more threatening than he appeared, and Boateng even felt a hint of familiarity.
It was like facing Barcelona's No. 10!
With this thought, Boateng became more cautious.
He fixed his gaze on the ball and sidestepped, denying Lucas any opportunity to break through.
Though Lahm is left behind, he isn't completely beaten. His short stature and low center of gravity allowed him to quickly turn around and chase Lucas.
If he persisted for a few more seconds, Lahm, who is chasing back, could double-team the opponent with him.
Even if it were Messi, he would trouble finding breaking through both of them at the same time.
Lucas also understood this, so he started closing in on Boateng actively.
Observing the opponent closing in, Boateng felt a sense of foreboding.
He didn't know what the other party's plan was, but it didn't seem favorable.
At that moment, both players crossed the penalty area line.
Seeing the white line on the ground, Boateng instantly grasped the opponent's intention.
Is he trying to draw a foul and cheat for a penalty?
Don't let his plan succeed!
Boateng immediately positioned his hands behind his back to avoid a handball.
Simultaneously, he tried to maintain a suitable distance to prevent the other party from diving.
Witnessing Boateng's actions, Lucas smiled.
He feinted to the left, swiftly shifted the ball back to the right as Boateng's weight shifted in that direction.
What a player Boateng is, adjusting his center of gravity back with his excellent physical fitness.
However, Lucas didn't stop there. He flicked the ball to the left once again, while also changing direction, increasing the distance between him and Boateng.
Boateng grew anxious and attempted to turn around and follow, but unexpectedly, he hadn't adjusted his center of gravity, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Wow!
The audience erupted in astonishment. The defender is knocked down without any physical contact?
Are you kidding?
That guy is only sixteen years old!
Not only the fans unable to accept it, even the Bayern players on the field is taken aback.
Lahm, who was closest to the scene, realized he couldn't catch up with the opponent after Lucas bypassed Boateng. He could only pin his hopes on the goalkeeper.
"Neuer, it's up to you!"
Neuer looked at Lucas resolutely. He didn't choose to stand still but immediately rushed towards him.
Neuer's tall stature and outstretched arms provided substantial coverage.
His decisive decision to attack made it difficult for many forwards to beat him.
However, Lucas isn't intimidated by him.
Seeing Neuer charging, he quickly changed direction with a quick feint, moving diagonally to create space, and then took a step forward, successfully evading Neuer.
With Neuer's center of gravity lowered, his ability to move his feet significantly decreased. He had no chance of catching up with Lucas.
All he could do is now watch helplessly as the opponent passed him and kicked the ball into the empty goal.
In the eighth minute of the game, Werder Bremen capitalized on a counterattack, and Lucas scored a goal, rewriting the score to 1:0!
The Allianz Arena fell into silence, with 50,000 fans in a state of shock.
Only the 2,000 Werder Bremen fans in the away section burst into loud cheers after a brief moment of silence.
Their team had taken the lead!
It truly surprised them.
In a Vip box at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich's club chairman and manager were entertaining a guest from afar, the former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola.
The two engaged in conversation while watching the game.
After discussing various topics, Rummenigge greatly admired Guardiola's coaching philosophy and concluded that he is the most suitable person for Bayern.
Hence, he wanted to ask Guardiola's opinion on Bayern:
"Hehe, Guardiola, what is your thoughts on Bayern's current lineup?"
As a guest, Guardiola believed he should say something positive about the hosts.
He replied, "Bayern's lineup is exceptional, with a balanced offense and defense.
Both their attacking players and their midfielder and defensive players belong to the top level in European football."
Hearing Guardiola's high praise for Bayern, Rummenigge is even more pleased.
But we didn't win a major trophy in last two years said Rummenigge.
Guardiola shook his head and said, "It's normal for any team to experience ups and downs in their record.
Bayern's ability to reach the Champions League final last year is enough to prove their strength!"
"I heard that your son is playing in the Bundesliga, Guardiola?" Hoeness, who was beside them, noticed that the chairman is pleased with Guardiola's remarks.
He attempted to foster a closer relationship between them and naturally invited Guardiola to coach Bayern. "Well, he's actually on the opposing team.
"Oh? What a coincidence! So, Guardiola, what do you think about the outcome of this game? Who will win?" asked Rummenigge.
Guardiola pondered for a moment and replied seriously, "In theory, of course, Bayern should win. But football is unpredictable, and no one knows the result until the final whistle."
Before he could finish his statement, Werder Bremen launched a counterattack. Lucas sprinted with the ball and scored the goal by passing 3 players, Guardiola said with pride "See, football is unpredictable! Anything can happen".
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