Football singularity

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"Welcome back to the Weser-Stadion, where the second half is almost upon us," Derek Rae's voice rolled through the empty bowl as the players jogged out from the tunnel, breath clouding faintly in the cool Bremen air. "Leverkusen with a narrow 1–0 lead thanks to Mitchell Weiser's guided volley, and Stewart, it finished with a real edge before the interval."

"It did, Derek," Robson replied, the camera sweeping across masked staff and disinfected benches. "Tackles flew, cards flashed, and Tobias Stieler gave both captains a proper lecture. I suspect that if the next big challenge comes at the wrong time, it will lead to a booking, possibly worse. Keep your timing right, or you won't finish this game."

Down on the touchline, Peter Bosz could be seen whispering something in the ear of assistant Fredrick Bauer as they watched the players move into position. He did not look happy despite his team leading, and that showed in the fact that he had subbed Aranguiz out for Baumgartlinger to act as the defensive pivot, urging Demirbay to play box to box. Not to be outdone, Florian Kohfeldt had also made two substitutions, looking to strengthen the right wing and midfield.

Bargfrede left the stage for Eggestein, and Bittencourt was subbed out for 18-year-old Woltemade. It didn't take long for the match to resume as Bremen kicked off another 45 minutes of football. Bremen didn't start off slow; they literally stormed into the second half following a pass back to their defenders.

Veljkovic clipped the ball to the side, dogging Havertz's attempt to pressure him as he slotted the ball a couple of yards forward to Vogt. The midfield pivot calmly collected the ball using a quick heel flick to turn past the eager Wirtz. Without bothering to play it safe, he looked up and zipped a crisp pass feeding Rashica, who sprinted past the halfway line on the left flank.

The winger latched onto the ball with a deft piece of control, directly circumventing Amiri, who tried to get in his way. Without breaking stride, he quickly started eating up yards, closing the distance between him and Weiser as he crossed into the final third. Weiser backpedalled palms out, waiting for help as he showed the winger wide, but help didn't come.

The Kosovan dropped a shoulder wide, before abruptly pulling right, cutting across in one fluid movement, sending the right back skidding. Not hesitating, he whipped his laces through the ball before it could roll past his reach. Tapsoba couldn't get close and could only watch as it arrowed for the near post in a low, rainbow-like arc.

Hradecky sprang, fists first, beating it clear as Selke crashed the six-yard box with Bender shoulder to shoulder. The rebound zipped away to the corner flag, and the echo of studs and shouts rolled around the empty tiers. "Rashica looks a menace, Derek," Robson's voice clipped in, the cameras catching Kohfeldt's clap and a barked "Weiter!"

[50]

Bremen smelled blood and stayed on it, attacking the visiting side in waves. From the clearance, Friedl threw quickly down the line, Selke bullied Bender just enough to lay it back, to the subbed on Johannes Eggestein. He arrived on the half-volley, snapping his leg forward as his boot connected with the ball in the next second.

His shot skidded off the ground around the penalty spot before bouncing upward, taking an awkward angle. Hrádecký, who had been going low to block the shot, read it late, but somehow he managed to get there. He sprang late, performing an awkward jump as he sent his glove to the ball, managing to kiss the underside of the ball with his glove.

It clanged, on the underside of the ball and spat down with force, but before anyone could get any ideas, he smothered it. "World-class reactions from Hrádecký!" Derek Rae's voice ricocheted around the studio.

"That's pure instinct," Robson agreed. "Bremen are hammering at the door."

[53]

Friedl's corner arced to the penalty spot; Moisander battled through bodies to fight for positioning, only for Tapsoba to rise even higher and thud clear. The ball broke to Vogt thirty yards out, and he touched it down before smashing it forward, but Bender's ribcage blocked it, the veteran gasping for breath as he crashed to the ground.

Baumgartlinger cleared the loose ball out for a throw-in before checking in his teammate. "Looks like he had the wind knocked out of him," Derek commented as the referee allowed the medical team to come and check on Bender. Luckily, nothing major was wrong, and he simply needed a moment to catch his breath.

[56']

The throw-in fell to Woltemade on the right touchline, the young substitute showing no nerves as he collected the ball with his back to goal. Sinkgraven closed him down quickly, but the teenager's first touch was sublime, cushioning the ball before spinning away from the challenge. His pace carried him past the halfway line as he looked to link up with the overlapping run of Gebre Selassie.

The pass was perfect, rolling along the touchline just ahead of the advancing fullback. Gebre Selassie collected it in stride, as he glided down the right flank. Diaby tracked back desperately, his lungs burning as he tried to match the older defender's surprising burst of pace.

The Bremen captain spotted the run of Selke peeling away from Tapsoba in the penalty area and whipped in a dangerous cross that curled toward the near post. The German striker timed his leap perfectly, but just as he prepared to make contact, Bender lightly nudged his shoulder, doing just enough to put him off balance. The ball sailed harmlessly over the crossbar, as Bremen failed to convert yet another chance.

[60]

Around the 60th minute, Bremen's moment noticeably slowed as Leverkusen settled into the second half. It became harder for the home side to break them down with sheer momentum. Amiri once again got to work with Demirbay, fully taking control of the midfield as he pinged passes everywhere.

Bosz used this moment to call for two players who had been warming up to get ready to come on. "Who are you thinking of bringing on?" Fredrick asked with a concerned smile, knowing that their next change could drastically impact the outcome of the match.

The manager furrowed his brows as he watched Amiri ping a ball down the left flank into the path of Diaby. The winger would usually look to get by him, but for some odd reason, he seemed to be playing it safe. "Leon and Rakim, our wings are sluggish." He said as he watched Gebre muscle the French man off the ball after he took a heavy touch trying to turn back after failing to sell a feint.

"Are you sure, Rakim's performances have been, how do I put it, all over the place following his break?" Fredrick commented with clear apprehension as this had been something the coaching staff had been dealing with since the resumption of training. "One moment, he performs like the wunderkind who tore apart Juventus, and in the next moment, he makes basic mistakes, failing to connect passes or taking a heavy touch when dribbling."

"Hmmm, you know how worried I was when I heard he was in the hospital for COVID a couple of weeks ago, Fredrick?" Peter asked with a light from, causing him to remember the hundreds of calls they had with the club. It especially became serious when the players' side went radio silent, and they only later found out that he had been in a coma-like state.

"How could I not remember? My wife kicked me out of the bedroom after the fifth 2 am call," he responded with a wry smile.

"I'm not sure what he went through, but the way I see it, he is redeveloping his entire playstyle," Bosz commented with a contemplative gaze as he rubbed his chin. "Have you noticed that he makes more passes than before, playing less selfishly, which is major considering that what he did before was enough to boost our attacking force by 15%."

He could see that his assistant manager wasn't convinced. "My friend, let's just see how he transforms within the game. I still believe that he has that kind of potential and was not far off from seeing him fully showcase it."

[63']

The substitution board went up, and Derek Rae's voice cut through the stadium silence. "Here comes the changes for Leverkusen. Leon Bailey and Rakim Rex are being introduced, with Diaby and Wirtz making way."

As the two wingers jogged toward the touchline, Bosz grabbed Bailey's arm and whispered something urgent in his ear. The Jamaican nodded sharply, his eyes already scanning the pitch as he prepared to enter the fray.

Rakim bounced on his toes, shaking out his legs as he waited for Wirtz to reach the sideline. The young German looked disappointed to be withdrawn, but he elbowed tapped his replacement with professional grace before heading to the bench.

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To be Continued...