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"...So, in summary, the coaching staff and management have decided to forgo the DFB-Pokal and focus entirely on securing the Bundesliga title. Any objections, everyone?"
"None!"
After the Champions League semifinals, Bayer Leverkusen needed to quickly recover and rebuild their morale. However, they still faced a very challenging schedule.
Bundesliga Matchday 33: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Dortmund; DFB-Pokal Semifinals: SV Werder Bremen vs. Bayer Leverkusen; Bundesliga Matchday 34 (Final Match): Bayer Leverkusen vs. SV Werder Bremen.
With two matches in one week, the DFB-Pokal semifinal was scheduled just three days after Bundesliga Matchday 33. Considering that everyone needed to quickly adjust their form and prepare fully for the Bundesliga, coupled with the increased risk of injuries late in the season and insufficient physical reserves for the entire squad, the coaching staff and club, after discussion, unanimously decided to abandon the DFB-Pokal.
If they were to be distracted by preparing for the DFB-Pokal, leading to a mishap in the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich overturning them, and ultimately failing to win the DFB-Pokal, Bayer Leverkusen would be more embarrassed than a bear trying to pick corn.
It was better to go all out for one championship. After all, it was just the DFB-Pokal; they would still have a chance to compete for it next season after strengthening the squad.
The Bayer Leverkusen players did not have many objections to the decision of the coaching staff and management. Lance, however, did want to contend for the DFB-Pokal; he didn't want to miss any opportunity to win a championship.
But his own recovery speed being fast enough didn't mean his teammates could keep up. After playing the two-leg Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen's starting lineup was actually barely holding on.
Both full-backs had muscle strains, and others were equally exhausted. The main striker, Stefan Kiessling, even twisted his knee in training and was out for the rest of the season, leaving only Eren Derdiyok to step in.
Bayer Leverkusen could no longer field a second set of substitutes. This was the awkward reality for teams that consistently hover in the upper-middle ranks of the Bundesliga.
After clarifying their goal, Lance and his teammates entered the mode of preparing for Borussia Dortmund and going all out for the championship in the following days of training. Even Julian Brandt, who was always cynical, and Andrés Guardado, who often went to nightclubs and lacked enthusiasm for training, uncharacteristically began to train seriously.
It was evident that the regrettable exit from the Champions League semifinals instead made the entire Bayer Leverkusen team more cohesive and more determined to win the championship!
...
The few days of training passed quickly, and in a blink, it was the most crucial match day! Bundesliga Matchday 33: Bayer Leverkusen hosted the Bundesliga powerhouse, last season's Champions League runner-up and Bundesliga runner-up, the Black and Yellows, Borussia Dortmund!
In the first leg, the two teams faced off at Westfalenstadion. Borussia Dortmund led 2-0 at home, but due to Lance's explosion, they conceded 3 goals in a row, leading to an astonishing comeback.
Before the match, Jürgen Klopp appeared aggressive at the press conference. A ferocious smile squeezed out from the corner of his scruffy mouth.
"Bayer Leverkusen is undoubtedly an underestimated strong team. With both us and Bayern Munich suffering defeats, Bayer Leverkusen was able to represent the Bundesliga and reach the semifinals, and they fought Real Madrid to a standstill, almost eliminating the giants."
"I personally have great respect for Bayer Leverkusen; they played a very spirited match. But from a preference standpoint, I hope Bayer Leverkusen can win this Bundesliga title."
"However, first and foremost, I am the coach of Borussia Dortmund, and it is necessary for me to declare war on Bayer Leverkusen on behalf of the team. Excuse me, we also have reasons we must win."
"Having been reversed at home in the first leg, Borussia Dortmund also wants revenge on Bayer Leverkusen. Every player of the Black and Yellows will give their all to try and defeat Bayer Leverkusen!"
"So... if Bayer Leverkusen truly has the strength to win the Bundesliga, then they must step over us!"
Klopp's bold words made Sascha feel like he had met his match. At the press conference, Sascha Lewandowski also stated:
"Borussia Dortmund is a very passionate team, and their players like Robert Lewandowski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Reus, and İlkay Gündoğan are all world-class superstars. I know this confrontation might be the toughest battle."
"Bayer Leverkusen's path to the Bundesliga title will certainly not be easy. But I believe! After facing Real Madrid, the entire team has adjusted to their best form!"
"We have experienced loss before, and we don't want to lose anything more! Bayer Leverkusen is determined to win this championship!"
...
Match Day. CCTV5 broadcasted this Bundesliga focus match live at 10 PM during prime time. A crucial battle concerning the ownership of this season's Bundesliga title naturally attracted the attention of fans nationwide.
Duan Xuan and Xu Yang partnered as commentators.
"The last Champions League match was thrilling, the process was exciting, but the result was a bit regrettable."
"Yes, but with Bayer Leverkusen's strength, reaching this stage is enough to earn respect from the whole world."
"Exactly! As you can see from the footage, the Bayer Leverkusen lads adjusted very quickly. Their morale looks quite good, especially Lance; he delivered world-class performances in both legs against Real Madrid."
"It's truly hard to believe he's only 16 years old this year and it's only his first professional season!"
Xu Yang secretly gasped in amazement every time he thought about this. Generally, players who make a name for themselves before the age of 25 in professional football are considered promising stars with a bright future. Lionel Messi achieving fame at 22 was already considered a young prodigy.
16 years old? Most players are still unknown in youth academies. It wasn't until many years later, when FC Barcelona's prodigy Lamine Yamal gained renown, that Xu Yang no longer felt surprised or envious. Because Lance existed!
"Let's first look at the starting lineups for both teams. Due to various injuries to Stefan Kiessling and full-back Giulio Donati, Bayer Leverkusen's starting lineup today has undergone some adjustments."
"The goalkeeper is still Bernd Leno; the four defenders line up across: Tin Jedvaj, Emir Spahić, Ömer Toprak, Sebastian Boenisch; the midfield consists of Julian Brandt, captain Simon Rolfes, Lars Bender, Son Heung-min; and the two strikers, Eren Derdiyok leading the line, with Bayer Leverkusen's current best-performing 16-year-old Chinese-German player, Lance, behind him! Whether they can defeat Borussia Dortmund today, Lance's performance will be crucial!"
"Now let's look at the Borussia Dortmund lineup. Jürgen Klopp still fields a 4-3-3 formation."
"The goalkeeper is Roman Weidenfeller. The four defenders are Łukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotić, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer; the three midfielders are Sebastian Kehl, Sven Bender, İlkay Gündoğan; and the attacking trident consists of Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan."
"Borussia Dortmund is playing with their full strength; they also need to secure their third-place position in the Bundesliga to ensure direct qualification for the Champions League group stage next season. Bayer Leverkusen's battle today will not be easy."
"Alright, this battle, which concerns the Bundesliga title, has begun!"
"Oh... Lance!!! Beautiful!!!"
"The match has just started, less than 1 minute in, Lance's shot—"
"That's a goal!!!"
Duan Xuan hadn't even had time to warm up, and Lance had already scored first? It left both Duan Xuan and the fans stunned.
In the camera, Lance's eyes, full of killing intent after scoring, made people tremble! After the big battle with Real Madrid, had Lance evolved again?