Football singularity

Chapter 780 780 Pep's Man City

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[2021-05-29 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto | 22:00 WEST]

[46']

(FWEEEEEET!)

City in sky blue kicked off to the whistle of referee Antonio Lahoz as Kevin De Bruyne knocked the ball back to Silva. He squared it across to Gündogan, who immediately scanned the area that the Leverkusen side vacated as they dropped back into their defensive shape. Pep stood in his technical area, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the pitch, watching how his halftime adjustment would affect this match.

Walker had just picked up the ball, easily slipping Rakim's marking, which was more focused on position rather than actively trying to win the ball. The 31-year-old full-back picked up speed, charging at Daley, who firmly guarded the inside as Mahrez cut inside. Demirbay moved outside, covering the space, doing his best to guide the full back wide, but the Englishman slotted the ball into Foden's feet.

The midfielder's first touch moved the ball forward to De Bruny at the edge of the box, who slotted it sideways to the incoming Mahrez. The forward tried to wiggle around Tah, but the German came out sliding, moving with a nimble grace that belied his stature. His tackle was clean, hitting the ball first, sending it into midfield, right into Silva's path.

The Portuguese superstar picked the ball up at the edge of the final third and tried to make something happen. However, Lars latched onto him from the side, forcing him to turn away as he played it wide to Sterling. Raz or Razza, as he was known by teammates and fans, controlled the ball on the left touchline, immediately facing up Frimpong, who had been given strict instructions at halftime.

The young Dutch fullback stayed compact, refusing to commit, body angled to force Sterling toward the byline rather than inside. The winger tried to make things happen, but the fullback kept a healthy distance, keeping him at bay. Normally, a player of Sterling's calibre would be grateful for the respect shown to him as the defender gave his all to stop him, but right now, the Englishman was annoyed.

Still, Sterling was Sterling, and Frimpong could only hold him off for so long until the winger used Lars, who moved to back up as a hindrance. Causing slight confusion between the two, he exploded to the byline and broke into the box. Before Edmond could close him down, he sent a weighted ball across the face of the goal.

De Bruyne had made his run into the box, arriving just ahead of the penalty spot with Tah a step behind. The Belgian stretched out his right leg, trying to redirect it toward goal, but Tah threw his body in front, sliding a cross and blocking the shot with his shin.

"SO CLOSE!" Drury exclaimed. "Sterling's delivery was perfect, but Tapsoba with a vital block!"

[52']

City continued to probe, working the ball patiently around Leverkusen's defensive block. Zinchenko had tucked into central midfield alongside Gündogan, forming that box structure Pep favoured this season. It consisted of Walker and Zinchenko moving next to Bernardo in midfield, forming a flat three.

Foden and Gündogan joined De Bruyne in the attacking midfield role, forming a front five. The formation deformed to a make-shift 2-3-5 when in possession, allowing them to apply more pressure in their Tiki taka playstyle.

"Look at City's shape," Tyldesley observed as Walker pinged a sequence of one-two passes in triangles, slowly dissecting the Leverkusen midfield. "Both full-backs, despite moving up, are adding surprising defensive stability to this ultra-attacking shape."

The ball moved fluidly in their midst, forcing Leverkusen's midfield trio of Demirbay, Lars, and Amiri to work overtime trying to close down passing lanes, but City's numerical advantage in the middle third was beginning to compound. Rakim and Diaby essentially played as extra midfielders, often acting as inverted wingbacks as they hunkered down in their own third.

This situation was bound to break, and in the 57th minute, Mahrez got moving on the right flank following a period of back-and-forth passes. Escaping Rakim's pressure, the Algerian winger faked out Daley with a drop of the shoulder and a step over, creating enough room to cut inside. Piercing into the area, he faced the approaching Lars head-on as Tah stepped up to stop him.

The Algerian's feet danced over the ball, shoulders swaying left then right, selling the feint. Lars committed slightly, shifting his weight, and that was all Mahrez needed. The winger dragged the ball back with his left foot, then pushed it diagonally with the outside of his right, creating a yard of space. He shaped to shoot, drawing both defenders toward him, then slipped it sideways to the arriving Foden at the top of the box.

"FODEN!" Drury's voice rose.

The young Englishman took one touch to set himself, then struck it with his left foot, aiming low toward the bottom left corner. The ball skipped goalward, barely rising above knee height, dipping slightly, looping over Tapsoba's leg. Hradecky, in between the sticks, shuffled across desperately, throwing himself into the ball's path.

However, no matter how much he stretched, he couldn't reach the ball that wedged itself into the inside post. "GOOOOOAL Phil Foden!" Drury's voice resounded once again as the stadium erupted in jubilation. "They have done it equaliser in the 57th minute."

"They have been knocking on the German wall, and finally they have been answered," Tyldesley added as Foden celebrated his goal at the corner flag with the rest of the English contingent. "They will breathe a sigh of relief at finally getting that all so coveted goal. One-all with everything is up for grabs."

[Manchester City 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - Phil Foden 57']

Bosz, on the sidelines, was having a headache as he watched his team restart the game. Knowing they couldn't just defend anymore, they now actively attacked, moving the ball methodically up the flanks. He could see it working as Rakim and Diaby began breaking down the flanks.

Still, he could see a pattern settle in the moment City won back the ball. De Bruyne, who played as a false nine, suddenly became much more effective at attracting the attention of central defenders and holding midfielders. In the 60th minute, Rakim attempted a pop from outside the box after leaving Walker lacking with a shoulder drop and a sharp cut inwards.

Ederson showcased why he earned £65,000 a week, leaping across his goal to palm the ball away. Dias muscled Schick away, reaching the loose ball first, promptly clearing the danger.

[64']

"Looks like Bosz has seen enough," Drury commented as the fourth official raised his board in the air, signalling a Leverkusen change. "Lars is coming off for Baumgartlinger, Diaby is also coming off for the Jamaican Leon Bailey."

"They needed a change both in the middle and the right flank," Tydsley commented as the two players jogged onto the field. "The change is much needed. Diaby and the right wing's form of attack was becoming too one-dimensional. Silva and Zinchenko had a far too easy time dealing with them."

The German side's formation changed from two holding midfielders to a single pivot, Baumgartlinger. When defending, it became a 5-4-1 with Julian dropping back to add stability, and a 4-1-2-3 when attacking. The change in playstyle showed immediate effect in the centre channel, where City, who had managed to overload with their numbers, found it harder to do so.

Kevin De Bruyne's false nine role became especially awkward as Baumgartlinger didn't bother chasing him. The Austrian simply covered the space vacated, playing zonal defence, holding the Belgian playmaker off long enough for his midfield partners to clamp down on him. This proved effective, as Sterling and Mahrez found it hard to make runs inside from the flanks.

[67']

In the 67th, Baumgartlinger intercepted a pass from Silva meant for the retreating De Bruyne. The Defensive midfielder immediately pinged a ball up the right flank, splitting Gündogan and Silva, finding Bailey at the halfway line. The Jamaican collected the ball with a flick off his foot, turning up the wing, charging straight at Zinchenko's.

The City fullback rapidly retreated, trying to show him wide as he waited for backup. However, the winger did not let him do that, slipping the ball inside to the feet of Schick. The striker did not bother controlling the ball; he knocked it back with his heel, finding Demirbay.

The German midfielder bumped shoulders with Foden, slightly losing his balance but retaining control of the ball. He steadied himself with a stutter, his right foot dragging the ball along as Bernardo Silva closed in from his left. Demirbay took one more touch, drawing Silva closer, then threaded a pass between, finding Amiri in the pocket of space at the top of the box.

The playmaker's first touch was silk, sending a first-time ball into the goal, splitting Stones and Dias. "THROUGH BALL!" Tyldesley roared as the Czech striker had timed his run perfectly, staying onside by a fraction as the ball rolled into the space behind City's backline.

Stones tried to recover, but Schick's first step took him clear, his second touch taking him into the box. Ederson immediately saw the danger charging out of his goal, arms spread wide, making his 6'2" frame as imposing as possible, cutting down the angle with every stride.

"SCHICK ONE-ON-ONE!" Drury's voice climbed to a fever pitch.

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TO BE CONTINUED...