Football singularity

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[Match Summary – Freiburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen | 29/05/2020]

The late May evening air clung heavy over the Schwarzwald-Stadion, where shadows of the nearby Black Forest crept across the roofless stands. For Bayer Leverkusen, this trip to Freiburg carried a subtle tension as they couldn't leave with nothing but victory. The league had once again been reshuffled following their 1:4 defeat three days ago.

Bayenr pulled ahead with 67 points, and they fell behind to second place with 65 points. However, both Dortmund and RB chased them with 63 and 61 points respectively, so Bosz's men absolutely needed a win to keep their hopes of the Bundesliga title alive. However, they were currently fighting a three-horse title race and although they had just been playing league matches since the restart, they felt the pressure.

Rakim once again made it onto the starting line-up after missing the last match with a reshuffling of starting players. Feeling well rested, he felt excited at being able to play again, his eyes scanning the green expanse, awaiting the referee's start signals.

[1]

Derek Rae's voice cracked crisply over the live broadcast feed as the whistle went. "Here we go then, matchday 29 in the Bundesliga. Freiburg against Bayer Leverkusen at the Schwarzwald-Stadion. The stakes are high—can Bosz's side put Tuesday night's disaster behind them?"

Stewart Robson, measured as always, interjected: "Yes, Derek, this is a test of mentality as much as quality. Freiburg are compact, disciplined, and they thrive on making life difficult for visitors. Leverkusen need composure tonight, especially after what happened against Wolfsburg."

The opening exchanges reflected exactly that. Freiburg sat in their 4-4-2 shape, the lines of defence tight as a drum. Leverkusen dominated the ball, in the opening exchange, Aránguiz and Baumgartlinger stitched passes through the midfield. They firmly controlled possession, trying to find an early breakthrough, but the Freiburg side seemed to have expected this and sat back to absorb the pressure.

[7]

Leverkusen probed with patience, Havertz dropping between the opposing midfield lines to open up an option. On the left, Rakim drifted wide to stretch Kübler, calling insistently for the ball. Baumgartlinger obliged, clipping a diagonal into his stride. The teenager cushioned it well, pushed off with a burst of pace and squared up his man.

"Here's Rex, and he goes right back to business," Rae announced. "We know he can make things happen in one-on-one situations."

But luck today seemed rather fickle as after beating his man with a silky elastico, his first attempted cross ricocheted off Kübler's outstretched shin and spun back into play for Höfler to mop up. Shaking his head in annoyance, he quickly jogged back into shape, not lingering long. "Good idea, but even better defending from the Freiburg right back," Robson noted. "Close down space, deflect crosses, make every duel a battle. Rex needs to stay patient—he won't beat them with one wave of the wand."

[12]

Freiburg grew in confidence with their first foray forward. Günter overlapped down the left, Grifo slipping him in behind Amiri. The low cross skidded through the box, just a boot away from Petersen's lunge. The warning was clear, but the home side acted as if it was nothing and simply jogged back into position.

Leverkusen regained composure, ageing through possession, choosing to play out the back. Tah and Dragović played across the back three, Sinkgraven advanced cautiously, and Aránguiz acted as the metronome. Yet the cutting edge was missing. Wirtz tried to thread passes, but Koch and Hofler kept stepping up, snapping into tackles before any rhythm could form.

They seemed to give their opponents just enough room to hang themselves in possession play. They would let them build up play and win the ball at crucial moments in their own third. When they did hold possession, they made use of their wingers, sending high balls into the box or long shots outside the box.

[18]

Rakim's first real chance came in the 18th minute after Havertz dropped into the space between the Freiburg double pivot, pushing him and Wirtz out Wide. Kai received Baumgartling's pass, dropping it back wide to the on-rushing Sinkgraven on the flank. The wing back surged upfield, drawing a fair share of attention from the home side players.

A short pass to Rakim, who had moved slightly centrally, a couple of steps ahead of the box, he overlapped at pace. Rakim obliged, flicking the ball onto his path, forcing both Kubler and Lienhart to latch onto him, one to press him and the other to mark the area.

The wingback did not panic through as he touched the ball down at the side of the box and lifted his head to scan the area. His eyes darted quickly—Havertz loitered near the penalty spot, Wirtz was peeling into a pocket just outside, and Rakim had drifted to the edge of the box moving toward the D.

Sinkgraven didn't hesitate as he drew his marker in and fizzed a weighted pass sharply into Rakim's feet. The teenager flicked it across his body, shimmying as if to strike, but nudged the ball further onto his right. Lienhart bit, lunging to block the shot, only for Rakim to move beyond him and open a slender shooting angle. "Brilliant feet from Rex!" Derek Rae's voice rose with anticipation.

The strike followed—low and fierce—but Schwolow was equal to it. The keeper flung himself down, strong palms pushing the ball away at full stretch. The rebound popped loose toward Havertz, yet Koch reacted fastest, hacking it clear before the forward could pounce.

Stewart Robson was quick with his analysis: "That's better from Leverkusen. Good build-up, Rakim sharp in the box. But look at the recovery from Koch—that's Freiburg in a nutshell, Derek."

[25]

The home side responded in kind when Höfler pinched possession from Wirtz and immediately switched to Grifo, whose curling cross from the left had menace written all over it. Petersen rose above Dragović and thumped a header goalward.

Hrádecký, however, proved equal to the task. He shuffled his feet quickly, leapt high, and clawed the effort away from under the bar with one hand. The ball fell loose, chaos erupting inside the six-yard box as Höler and Bender lunged in a tangle of legs before Tah eventually hoofed clear.

"Freiburg will be encouraged by that," Rae remarked, his voice carrying a certain edge. "They're not going to allow this to be one-way traffic."

"Exactly," Robson added. "They know just how dangerous their opponents can get once they get going and plan to stop them early. Sit deep, spring forward, and make Leverkusen uncomfortable in the air. It's clever, simple, and dangerous."

[33]

As the half wore on, Leverkusen monopolised possession but with little joy. Rakim continued to drift left, testing Kübler relentlessly. He jinked past him twice, only for his final crosses to cannon off Heintz or land safely in Schwolow's gloves.

In the 35th minute, he had perhaps his best chance yet. Havertz threaded him into the inside-left channel, and Rakim surged forward, cutting across the line of defenders. A deft step-over opened a window, and he whipped a curling strike toward the far post. It had Schwolow beaten—completely beaten—but fortune was cruel. The ball kissed the outside of the upright and fizzed away behind the goal.

"Oh, that's inches away!" Rae exclaimed. "Rex did everything right—power, curl, placement—but the post denies him!"

Robson, ever the pragmatist, offered: "He's unlucky, Derek, but he'll know those are the moments he must convert. At this level, you might only get one or two of those in a match."

That proved to be his last meaningful chance in the first as the game became rather balanced with neither team finding the answer. Both teams had a few good chances, like the Freiburg freekick in the 40th minute, but Hofler couldn't get the ball to drop in time, and it sailed over the goal.

A long-range attempt in the final minute from Baumgartlinger banged off the top of the bar. The referee did not bother adding extra time and decided to blow his whistle to end the first half.

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To Be Continued...