Football singularity

Chapter 783 Extra Time

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[2021-05-29 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto | 23:15 WEST]

[Manchester City 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - Extra Time]

(FWEEET!)

[91’]

Leverkusen kicked off to restart, with Schick tapping it back to Baumgartlinger. The Austrian immediately looked up, assessing City’s press as Jesus and Agüero charged forward aggressively. Baumgartlinger played it back to Tah, who shifted it across to Tapsoba.

The Burkinabé defender took two touches, drawing the attackers toward him, then struck a diagonal ball toward Bailey on the right. The Jamaican controlled it on his chest, Zinchenko already closing the distance. Bailey’s first touch took him inside, away from the touchline, but Rodri was there, cutting off the passing lane to Demirbay.

Bailey checked back, his right foot dragging the ball, then suddenly accelerated forward, using his shoulder to bump Zinchenko off balance. He drove into space, reaching the edge of the final third before playing it inside to Schick. The Czech striker had dropped deep, pulling Dias out of position.

Schick spun away with his first touch, escaping the Portuguese defender’s challenge. He played it wide to Rakim on the left, who had drifted inside calling for the ball. He collected it, facing his own goal, with Walker immediately on his back, applying pressure.

The winger’s body swivelled, his right foot rolling the ball to his left, as he resisted the push, then back to his right, trying to create separation. Walker stayed compact, though, refusing to bite on the feints. Noticing Rodri closing in and not wanting to lose possession in a precarious area, he played it back to Baumgartlinger, who had continued his run forward from deep.

The Austrian’s first touch took him past Gündogan’s press, then he threaded a ball through to Demirbay on the edge of the box. The German midfielder took one touch, then immediately fired from twenty-two yards out, his right boot connecting cleanly.

"Demirbay Strikes!" Drury’s voice rose.

The ball sailed toward the top left corner, dipping late, but Ederson was already moving, his positioning excellent. He leapt, right hand stretching up, fingertips cleanly connecting with the ball, pushing it over the bar. "EDERSON AGAIN!" Tyldesley roared. "How many times must he save City tonight?!"

[96’]

The corner was cleared by Dias, who headed it out to Mahrez on the right flank. The Algerian immediately drove forward, his acceleration explosive as Sinkgraven backpedalled, trying to shepherd him wide. Mahrez had other ideas, though, and cut inside sharply onto his left foot, after crossing into the Leverkusen half.

He cut the ball inside to Agüero in the centre, who laid it back to the surging Gündogan. The German international sent a first-time pass, time defence splitting through the ball forward, finding Gabriel Jesus charging into the box unmarked. The striker latched onto the ball a couple of paces in front of the outrushing Hradecky, nudging it wide.

Rounding the lunging keeper, he buried the ball into the back of the empty net to the exclamation of the City fans. "GOOOOAL—Wait a minute, the flags are up." Drury, who had been ready to celebrate with the City fans, stopped himself as the linesman stood resolutely with his flag raised.

(FWEEET) Sure enough, a second later, the referee blew his whistle, signalling offside, which was met by fierce protest from the English side. "He will want to get this one right," Tydsley noted as Lahoz signalled for a VAR check. "Let’s have a look at the replay."

The referee stood with his finger to his earpiece, the stadium suspended in anxious silence. On the big screen, the replay rolled, and it was clear that the Brazilian was offside by a wide margin as Tah, the last man, had stepped up just before Gündogan decided to ping the ball forward. The lines appeared on screen showing an arms’ length of space between Tah and Jesus, showing that the forward was clearly offside.

"Brilliant line management from the German Defender," Drury commented, sounding genuinely impressed. "Heart of ice to attempt an offside plan so late with these kinds of stakes."

"The right call, no matter how you twist it, turn it, or flip it," Tyldesley said. "He will be kicking himself for getting caught out so easily."

City players protested briefly, but the decision stood. Hradecky took his time with the free-kick, letting precious seconds tick away, then rolled it to Tah, who immediately launched it long toward Schick.

[100’]

Walker drove forward with pace, forcing Sinkgraven to get physical to keep him at bay. The English fullback tried to play it inside to Foden, but the fullback pirouetted it away, sending it out for a throw. The Englishman took the throw quickly, finding Rodri in the middle, who immediately played it to Foden after feeling Baumgartlinger’s press from behind.

Foden drove forward three yards, then slipped a pass through to Agüero, who had drifted into the channel between Tah and Tapsoba. The Argentine legend cushioned the ball as he turned toward the goal, but Tah immediately stepped across, blocking his path. Agüero’s feet were already moving, performing a stepover to the right, followed by a chop left, the ball dancing between his boots.

Despite his moves, Tah, who was used to dealing with Rakim in training, remained unmoving as the distance closed. The striker tried to nudge the ball past him following a feint, but the defender saw it all the way. Sticking out his boot, he cleanly blocked the ball, sending the striker off balance. Not caring about the attacker’s circumstance, he immediately cleared the ball with a massive boot up the right flank.

"Tah, clearing his box with authority," Drury commented as the Germans cheered at the actions below. "He never looked in doubt when making that tackle."

"Well, when you train with technical players like Wirtz and Rakim, acting cute in front of him is bound to backfire," Tydsley noted as the camera panned to Gabriel talking with Agüero animatedly. "Though I’m sure Jesus would have rather received a pass than watched his teammates being denied at the door."

[105’]

The first half of extra time was winding down, and both teams were visibly exhausted. Hradecky took his time with a goal-kick, then launched it long toward Schick. The striker challenged Stones, but the English defender won this aerial duel, heading it clear to Gündogan.

The German midfielder immediately looked up, spotting Mahrez making a diagonal run from right to left. Gündogan threaded a pass into space, but Baumgartlinger read it, stepping across to make the interception. The Austrian fullback’s clearance was powerful but aimless, flying out for a throw-in deep in City’s half.

Zinchenko took it quickly, finding Foden near the touchline. The young midfielder’s first touch took him inside, away from Bailey’s press. He drove forward, exchanging a couple of passes, working it to Agüero at the top of the box. The Argentine laid it off to Rodri, who had pushed up from deep.

Rodri struck it first-time from twenty-five yards, a thunderous effort that rose toward the top right corner. The ball was arrowing toward goal, dipping late, and Hradecky stood rooted to his line, late to react. Lady luck seemed to still favour him, though, as the next moment the bar rattled loudly as the ball bounced off.

"OH, so close," Tyldesley roared. "The bar denies Rodri! What a strike that was!"

The ball bounced back into play, dropping toward the penalty area where three players converged: Tapsoba, Agüero, and Tah. The Burkinabé defender got there first, but his clearance was rushed, cannoning off Agüero’s shin. The ball spun wildly toward the right side of the box, where Mahrez was arriving.

The Algerian’s eyes lit up, his right foot already cocking back, but Sinkgraven threw himself in the way. The block deflecting the ball out for a corner, as the referee checked his watch a final time before blowing his whistle, signalling the end of the first half of extra time.

(FWEEET! FWEEET!)

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TO BE CONTINUED...