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"What exactly did I come to Bayern for?"
"We could have dominated the league, we could have built a dynasty, so what happened?"
"Was my choice really the right one?"
Pep Guardiola sat at the press conference table, facing the sea of reporters below, and suddenly his mind wandered.
The Bayern press officer next to him quickly reminded him.
"Pep! Hey! Pep!"
"Sorry, what was the question again?"
The reporters below were speechless.
How could losing a League Cup match make Guardiola's brain go bad?
"Mr Guardiola, what was the biggest reason for Bayern's loss in today's match? And in the upcoming Bundesliga, does Bayern Munich still have a chance to contend for the title?"
He brought up exactly what they didn't want to talk about!
Guardiola bit the bullet and replied:
"To be honest, today, whether it was our tactical execution or the players' performance, there weren't many major mistakes. I can only say that the opponent was too lucky."
"Lance's shots today felt terrifyingly accurate, which caught us by surprise. Theoretically, one person can't always be this lucky."
"Next time we meet in the league, Bayern still has a chance to defeat Bayer Leverkusen. And there's still some time before a direct confrontation."
"Whether Bayer Leverkusen can maintain stability whilst competing on three fronts, and whether they can avoid falling behind in the league, are also questions."
"The advantage is ours, and I believe Bayern will reclaim the throne that rightfully belongs to us."
If they had won this match, whatever Guardiola said would have been fine.
But he was clearly thrashed by Bayer Leverkusen and still talked tough, no wonder the media mocked him after the match.
"Bayern Arrested by Bayer Leverkusen Again, Nemesis Lance's Brace Secures Comeback, Leads Team to League Cup Semi-finals!"
"God of War Lance! Two Goals Complete Comeback Against Bayern, The Magical Player Receives Highest Rating of the Match Again!"
"2-1! Bayer Leverkusen Eliminates Bayern Munich in League Cup Comeback, Set to Compete with Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg for the Title!"
"Is Bayer Leverkusen on Track for a Treble This Season? Returning to Their 2002 Peak!"
If last season's championship was just a fluke, Bayer Leverkusen's sustained competitiveness on three fronts in the new season shocked all of Germany once again.
But from the content of the match, Bayern Munich was not in a slump.
They played with intense pressure.
Any other Bundesliga team would have struggled against them; Bayern's performance in this match certainly made them title favourites.
Facing such a perfectly performing Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen played even more aggressively!
They didn't just sit back and score opportunistic goals.
Both of Lance's goals were direct confrontations, especially the second goal, where Bayer Leverkusen executed a textbook defensive counterattack, Lance took on multiple defenders, almost dribbling past the entire Bayern team, and finally scored with a precise shot.
Guardiola was right, the biggest reason Bayer Leverkusen advanced was Lance!
His form in the recent matches has been unbelievable.
A hat-trick against Atlético Madrid, a brace against Bayern, whether playing against strong teams or weak teams, he has managed to score in many difficult situations, his long-range shooting ability has greatly improved!
"Before the season, everyone said that player Lance would encounter the so-called 'sophomore slump',"
"The second year of professional league play would be a tough challenge for him."
"Facts have proven that the sophomore slump does not exist for Lance."
"Perhaps at the beginning of the season, various clubs intensified their defence against Lance, causing him to have a very difficult time in matches."
"But player Lance has successively developed his dribbling, passing, and now his shooting and long-range shooting skills. His evolution speed has exceeded our imagination."
"Last season, many of Lance's goals still occurred inside the penalty area, finding opportunities through clever ball control, coupled with the fact that teams didn't pay enough attention to marking him, which gave him many opportunities."
"This season, although Lance may not break the 42-goal record, many of his shots were scored whilst being double- or triple-teamed, and there were many ultra-long-range shots, or solo runs."
"This is enough to prove that Lance has not only not regressed, but has become even more unstoppable, with no more weaknesses."
"His only weakness is probably still his physicality, after all, his physical disadvantage still exists, even though he is almost 18, it is still difficult for him to gain an advantage against physically strong defenders."
"But Lance can avoid his weaknesses through calm thinking and brilliant footwork, he has indeed raised Bayer Leverkusen's ceiling, we have reason to expect how Bayer Leverkusen will perform in the Champions League against title contenders like Real Madrid and Barcelona…"
Bild's columnist, a familiar face to Bayer Leverkusen fans, German legend Matthäus, was once again writing articles praising Lance.
In the comments section of his Twitter, besides praise from Bayer Leverkusen fans, there were also many Borussia Dortmund fans scolding him for betraying the Black and Yellows, for betraying Borussia Dortmund's nurturing.
But Matthäus didn't care and retorted:
"I am just a neutral commentator who appreciates beautiful football, Lance plays really well, why can't I comment on him?"
"Lance, you bloke, you're no longer on the same level as us players."
"Yeah, he's a real superstar, we're just ordinary Bundesliga players."
"Lance, sign an autograph for me."
"You bunch of idiots, fuck off! Assholes!"
Lance couldn't help but roll his eyes at his teammates.
After defeating Bayern, it was inevitable that they would dominate Twitter's trending topics and the headlines of major newspaper football sections.
This was no longer news to Lance, but his teammates were all teasing him about it.
It was like being the top student in school, and all your friends clamouring for a treat, making sarcastic jokes.
Of course, they were envious of Lance's achievements, but they were also happy for their friend's performance.
"Today's match, we're counting on you guys.!"
The team's changing room atmosphere was good, and morale was high.
For today's 28th round of the Bundesliga, substitute player Lance was not worried at all.
With two matches in a week, Lance, who had played the full match and carried the team three days ago, was temporarily on the bench.
The rotated squad was about to face Mainz, a mid-table Bundesliga team, away from home.
Bayer Leverkusen was second in the league, two points behind leaders Bayern, Mainz was ranked 11th, so theoretically, the rotated squad should be able to win easily.
However, Lance was still thinking too simply...
"Oh oh oh oh! Unbelievable!! A Mainz player has fallen in the penalty area! Bayer Leverkusen's defence has a huge problem!"
"How is it you again! Toprak!!"
"Less than 10 minutes into the match, home team Mainz gets a penalty opportunity!"
Van Dijk's injury had just recovered, and he had not yet made it into the main squad.
Maguire and Antonio Rüdiger had expended a lot of energy and were also on the bench resting.
Today's starting centre-back pairing was last season's centre-back duo, Spahić and Toprak.
Spahić was already 35 years old, and his physical condition and form had declined severely.
Toprak's mentality had collapsed ever since he conceded a penalty to Real Madrid in the knockout stage last season, just when they were about to advance.
His form had been declining rapidly, like a river flowing downhill.
Today, in an important league battle, he once again made a fatal marking error, leading to him pulling down the opposing striker whilst attempting to cover, conceding a penalty with a low-level foul in the box.
Mainz calmly converted the penalty, taking a 1-0 lead against Bayer Leverkusen.
On the live standings, Bayern Munich had just defeated Frankfurt 3-0, extending their lead to 5 points!
The match had only been going on for 10 minutes, the director's close-up shot went to the handsome young man from the East on the bench.
Commentator Scholl smiled wryly:
"What's going on, has it already come to the point of trusting Lance, even though the match has just begun?"