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2-1!
With Lance's brace, Bayer Leverkusen defeated VfB Stuttgart, continuing their relentless pursuit of Bayern Munich!
At the post-match press conference, VfB Stuttgart's coach, Roberto Di Matteo, also looked helpless.
"Actually, we had made comprehensive arrangements specifically for Lance. But football is round, no matter how well you prepare before the game, unexpected situations always happen on the field. Lance is that kind of player; you can never predict his performance in advance. But what you can predict is that he will definitely deliver a dominant performance on the field. VfB Stuttgart didn't make too many mistakes today; we just needed to do better."
Roberto Di Matteo knew very well what a big-hearted star player meant to a team.
Just like the Champions League final in 2012, when Bayern Munich had the upper hand on the field and were leading 1-0, everyone thought Bayern Munich was about to win the championship.
But!
Didier Drogba stepped up, scoring a crucial header in the box to equalize, and then in extra time and the penalty shootout, Chelsea gradually gained a mental advantage.
Any coach would be at a loss when facing such a star player.
Compared to Roberto Di Matteo's bitter face, the duo of Sascha and Hyypiä were practically beaming, unable to suppress their smiles.
"Yes, today's victory was beautiful, and we are still in pursuit of the championship."
"That's right, Lance is a reliable player. At his age, to be able to perform consistently and score goals consistently in the Bundesliga, we really found a treasure this season…"
"Next up against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and in the DFB-Pokal and Champions League against Arsenal, we will be even more confident in winning."
The reporter quickly continued with a question:
"May I ask if Bayer Leverkusen, currently fighting on three fronts, has considered abandoning any of them?"
In the eyes of reporters and the public, Bayer Leverkusen only had one effective starting lineup.
Their substitute rotation lineup was at best mid-to-lower Bundesliga level, simply not enough to support them fighting on three fronts.
Even powerhouses like Bayern Munich would have to weigh their options when fighting on three fronts.
Bayer Leverkusen should just forget about it.
But Sascha was very defiant:
"Since we can compete on all three fronts, we definitely won't give up on any of them, whether it's the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, or the Champions League, we will try our best to go all the way!"
These words after the match were also widely discussed by the German media.
Especially Bayern Munich fans, they were making sarcastic remarks on Twitter.
"Bayer Leverkusen wants to fight on three fronts? Do they want to win a treble? Hahaha!"
"Don't forget, Bayer Leverkusen has a tradition of fighting on three fronts, only that year it was three runner-up finishes!"
"So, Sascha Lewandowski wasn't lying, their pursuit of three runner-up finishes might actually have a chance."
In the 2001-2002 season, Bayer Leverkusen was Bundesliga runner-up, DFB-Pokal runner-up, and Champions League runner-up.
They were just one step away from a treble, a single word difference.
In contrast, "three runner-up finishes" was an endless regret, still a pain in the hearts of Bayer Leverkusen fans to this day.
Do they really not deserve a championship?
In the past, fans certainly wouldn't have hoped for it.
But this year, they have Son Heung-min, Stefan Kiessling, Lars Bender, and the talented prodigy Lance!
They should at least get one championship trophy, right?
Bayer Leverkusen fans didn't argue with others on Twitter, they had long been accustomed to being mocked.
But no one is willing to be the object of ridicule, and who can endure a lifetime without a championship?
Fans could only secretly bide their time, placing all their hopes on this team, and on a few young players!
Perhaps, this year they can really give them a big surprise!
…
Bundesliga Matchday 20, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Zhan Jun of Sina Sports finally sat in the Bundesliga commentary box after a long absence.
Before, he was busy commentating on the Premier League's Boxing Day matches and recording Premier League highlights.
He couldn't attend to the Bundesliga and missed several of Lance's major performances.
Today, he finally requested permission from his superiors to add a Bundesliga commentary.
So much so that Chen Tong, the editor-in-chief of Sina Sports, was amused:
"Everyone else wishes they could ditch work and collect their salary while lying down. You don't get paid much for one commentary, and your work has been so intense recently, why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
"It's only right that I commentate more games while I'm young."
After returning from ESPN, Zhan Jun had accumulated a certain reputation and fan base.
At 41 years old this year, he was considered to be in his prime.
If he didn't work hard now, he would be the same age as Zhang Lu and Li Yuankui later, and then he wouldn't be able to commentate anymore.
Coincidentally, Lance was also his favorite player.
Compared to stories of traditional powerhouses dominating the league, Zhan Jun preferred to see stories of underrated teams quietly working hard, and a group of players who were not top superstars being able to defeat powerhouses as underdogs.
This year's Premier League new rich, Manchester City, were built with capital, while La Liga's Atlético Madrid and Bundesliga's Bayer Leverkusen were undoubtedly representatives of grassroots teams!
It was precisely because of them, and those emerging young players, that the entire world of football could become even more exciting!
Moreover, the content of Lance's matches themselves was a pleasure!
His decision-making for every pass was extremely reasonable, coupled with his handsome and tall appearance, and his flamboyant and stylish playing style.
And the bloodline of the Yanhuang descendants!
How could one not like him?
"After the match began, both Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen were very cautious. Both teams are quite efficient in counter-attacks, and there is no situation where one side is completely dominating the other for now. Both sides created several quick attacks. For Bayer Leverkusen, Lance, who scored a brace in the previous match, was once again in the starting lineup. A 16-year-old player cementing a starting spot, Lance God has become Bayer Leverkusen's main man… Let's watch this ball first!"
As Zhan Jun was speaking, Lance on the field seemed to be confirming Zhan Jun's point.
A long pass from Lars Bender, Lance feigned preparing to control the ball with his chest, Borussia Mönchengladbach's two defensive midfielders prepared to close in, seemingly about to use their bodies to block Lance.
At the crucial moment, Lance's terrifying on-the-spot reaction came into play!
He surprisingly didn't chest the ball down, but deliberately turned and controlled it with his back!
This caught Borussia Mönchengladbach's two defensive midfielders by surprise!
Lance's back control perfectly bypassed Borussia Mönchengladbach's defensive midfielder Christoph Kramer, and he even slyly used Kramer to screen off the other defensive midfielder, Raffael!
The moment Brazilian midfielder Raffael tried to get in front to defend, before the ball landed from above Lance's head, Lance once again unleashed the power of his perfect touch, his right foot subtly flicking the ball through Raffael's legs!
Changing direction to the right while dribbling past two players!
"Lance God is making his move!! He's dribbled past two players outside the box and gone straight in!! A powerful shot!!"
The brilliant dribble just now caught Borussia Mönchengladbach's defense off guard, so much so that when Lance burst into the box, there was no one to stop his shot!
Even without a cheat, he had a great chance!
Bang—
A powerful shot from the edge of the box, giving Borussia Mönchengladbach's goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, a chilling shock!
Years later, when Marc-André ter Stegen became FC Barcelona's starting goalkeeper, he would still recall that moment when he was beaten by the young player!