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4-3! With just one more goal, Bayer Leverkusen can reach the Champions League Final! BayArena erupted like a volcano, completely boiling over. Bayer Leverkusen has created one miracle after another this season. Now, they're going for something even bigger!
All of Germany cheered for Lance's goal, falling into a frenzy! Real Madrid, who had been confident of victory, was inevitably affected at this moment. From a 4-1 lead in the first leg to 4-3 now, Real Madrid went from being the favorite to win the Champions League, seemingly guaranteed a spot in the final, to now hanging by a thread, almost facing elimination.
Just Bayer Leverkusen, a Bundesliga minnow, how could this be? Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić, Ángel Di María, and many other Real Madrid superstars couldn't understand. What on earth is going on!
Fortunately, Carlo Ancelotti is a Champions League-winning coach with rich experience, arguably the only one in the team who could remain calm. He quickly shouted instructions from the sidelines, telling the Real Madrid players to temporarily retreat, not to be impulsive, and to hold the score. Bayer Leverkusen had just scored, and their momentum was soaring; they had to let this surge pass.
Carlo Ancelotti had personally experienced the Miracle of Istanbul back then, however, he was the backdrop to the miracle, leading AC Milan to pop champagne at halftime only to be overturned by Liverpool and lose the championship. Even in 2007, when Carlo Ancelotti led his team back to the Champions League Final and successfully lifted the Champions League trophy, people would only remember Istanbul.
Carlo Ancelotti also couldn't forget that sleepless night. At this moment, leading Real Madrid, favored by the whole world, and being one step away from the Champions League Final, now, 16-year-old Chinese-German player Lance, his mental strength is so powerful, he is clearly the Steven Gerrard of that year.
With just one goal needed to turn the tide, Carlo Ancelotti's timely adjustments were swift and decisive. Bayer Leverkusen truly launched a fierce offensive, with a full morale boost, they dared to fight and play on the field, at one point pressing Real Madrid so hard that they were powerless to resist.
"Bayer Leverkusen controls the ball in the front, passes to Lars Bender... tries to split the wing, Son Heung-min!! A shot from outside the box--"
"That shot didn't go in!"
"Oh!! Lance!!"
"The rebound shot was just a bit off!! A stylish volley! Saved by Iker Casillas's flying dive!"
"He's too calm; with so many players in the box, Lance can still skillfully trap the ball, bypass Sergio Ramos, and find a shooting opportunity."
What a pity! Lance also felt a bit of regret. Just now, facing a potential game-winning shot, he deliberately adjusted his shooting motion to aim for the dead corner, in pursuit of perfection.
However, in the highest level of competition in the world, you won't get such opportunities. Iker Casillas had already anticipated Lance's movement, moved early, and still saved the shot.
If he had been more decisive at that moment, shooting instinctively, the angle might not have been as tricky, and it might still have been saved, but it's possible Iker Casillas wouldn't have reacted in time, and it could have been a goal.
In short, many times, the outcome of a match, and even the final championship, can change the entire timeline due to that brief moment of thought.
Beep-- After Lance scored in the 37th minute of the first half, Bayer Leverkusen's fierce attack continued for nearly 10 minutes. Real Madrid withstood Bayer Leverkusen's offensive, and the two teams temporarily entered halftime with a 1-0 score. The aggregate score was still 4-3, with Real Madrid holding a precarious narrow lead.
...
"We need to calm down! Remember, you are 9-time champions, Champions League overlords, the best team in the world!"
In the away team's locker room, Carlo Ancelotti, usually a good-natured person, became agitated. Tactics no longer mattered; the most crucial thing was to boost Real Madrid's morale, to keep them from being affected, and to help them perform at their full potential.
"The opponent is not a weak team, but they are not an unbeatable team either. We must face our opponents squarely and play with the spirit of Madrid! Every one of you is the best player in the world; show your confidence. No matter how dangerous the score is, we are at least still leading!"
"Whatever happens in the second half, I believe you can win this damned game! We will definitely make it to the final! Hala Madrid!"
"Hala Madrid!!!"
After Carlo Ancelotti's rallying, the Real Madrid players finally recovered some morale. They had indeed been stunned by Lance's exaggerated goal in the first half. Thinking about it carefully, Bayer Leverkusen's defense is so weak; in the second half, they just need to push harder to break through. Isn't winning simple?
...
Home team locker room. Sascha Lewandowski, the atmosphere-setting coach who was always responsible for motivating, was instead silent. Sami Hyypiä saw his legs trembling, clearly overly nervous.
If Bayer Leverkusen had been completely helpless and easily eliminated by Real Madrid, everyone wouldn't be so nervous. The closer they got to a miracle, the more people inevitably became anxious.
Hyypiä, after all, was a former professional player who had experienced many major world competitions, so his mindset was relatively more stable. He looked around at the young players in the locker room. Only Lance's expression was relatively normal, chatting and laughing easily with Julian Brandt next to him.
"Guys!"
Hyypiä clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone has worked hard in the recent matches. Actually, there's no need to worry too much about the results. We've made it this far, and no matter the outcome, this season has been a very successful one. The last 45 minutes, just treat it as a reward for this season."
"I hope everyone can fully enjoy this stadium, enjoy the match against the strongest team in the world, and try your best to take them down at home! Whatever happens in the second half, remember, you have over 50,000 fans here in the stadium behind you, and millions of Bayer Leverkusen fans supporting you on television."
"Moreover, there are over a billion fans in distant China supporting you!"
At this point, the Bayer Leverkusen players finally smiled; they knew the coach was joking. But what he said made sense. Thanks to Lance, Bayer Leverkusen's support rate, jersey sales, ticket, and merchandise sales had seen a significant increase. The purchasing power of fans from China was evident.
Everyone knew this.
"Go for it! Come on!!"
"Bayer Leverkusen Alleeeezzzz--"
Bayer Leverkusen's players' morale was also at its peak! When both teams returned to the field, each one looked like an angry bull, snorting heavily. The most intense life-and-death battle of the second half officially began!
...
"Real Madrid adjusted their state and launched a furious siege on Bayer Leverkusen in the second half!"
"For a time, Bayer Leverkusen had no chance to counterattack; Real Madrid's high press in the front was very effective!"
Real Madrid's sudden change in tempo, adopting a high press, disrupted Bayer Leverkusen's counter-attacking rhythm. Moreover, they were in a three-defensive-midfielder formation, making it difficult for anyone to deliver passes to Lance, causing Lance to frequently withdraw from the penalty area to participate in receiving the ball.
Passing the ball to Son Heung-min and Julian Brandt. The problem was that Real Madrid's "Two Billion Wingers" (Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale) exerted too much pressure, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale had returned to their peak form, Son Heung-min and Julian Brandt had no choice but to drop back and help the full-backs defend.
Lance was almost fighting alone in the front. His Mirror Learning skill was still on cooldown, the Nagi Seishiro template did not support Lance's long dribbling runs, for a while, Lance also found it difficult to create counter-attacking threat, and the area in front of Bayer Leverkusen's goal was under constant threat, with a breakthrough possible at any moment!
In the 70th minute of the second half, Bayer Leverkusen's clearance was not kicked far enough. When Sami Khedira went for a header, he was interfered with by Lars Bender, turning his header into a flick-on.
Lance calmly trapped the ball with his knee in the center circle, letting it go over his head, and then elegantly dribbled past Modrić!
"A chance?!"
Ahead was only Real Madrid's defensive line, and then a clear path! Lance suddenly realized this was a golden opportunity!
Bachira Meguru's assistance activated!
100% full rage state!
In an instant, the whole world saw a crazy and fearless young man charging forward, sounding the counter-attack horn all by himself!
"Lance, beautiful!! Dribbling past Modrić... Oh!! What a play!! Accelerating, doing a step-over and changing direction, a Maradona turn to break past Raphaël Varane!!"
"So fast!! His ball control is so clever! Good!! Keep pushing forward!"
"Sergio Ramos and Fábio Coentrão come forward to assist in defense--"
"Oi!!! He's past them!! He's past them! Lance--"
He Wei's voice was already cracking with excitement! He still couldn't help but roar!
Lance dribbled past 4 players!! Charging into the penalty area! He was simply unstoppable!
Dani Carvajal was completely flustered, losing his composure and directly sliding in at the edge of the box, determined to take Lance down no matter what! But at the crucial moment, Lance miraculously trapped the ball between his feet!
"Here it comes!! Lance's Rainbow Flick appears on the field again!! He's completely putting on a show!!"
The moment Lance's Rainbow Flick leaped over Carvajal, BayArena turned into a volcano, erupting instantly!
"Lance, one-on-one with Iker Casillas..."
The ferocious Lance was like a demon from hell; even Saint Iker Casillas couldn't avoid his sharpness! In the moment he frantically dove to save the ball, Lance saw through him, Beast Dribbling's wild intuition!
In the last second of Bachira Meguru's 100% full-state assistance, Lance used the outside of his foot to push the ball and change direction, shaking off Iker Casillas! To the astonishment of the entire world, he powerfully shot into the empty net!
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Real Madrid! Aggregate score 4-4! Bayer Leverkusen took the lead in the Champions League Final race due to away goals advantage!