"Goal!"
"Bayern Munich has broken the deadlock first!"
"Arjen~~~Robben!!!"
"This world-class superstar used a signature curling shot to take the lead for the home team!"
After scoring, Robben excitedly rushed towards the corner flag and performed a stylish knee slide!
It must be known that due to the World Cup this season, he only played a few minutes for Bayern during the preseason.
It could be said that he is not in his best condition right now.
However, this is the individual ability of a superstar!
Even if his condition isn't optimal, and even if the opponent is pressing, all it takes is a flash of brilliance to score!
The Wolfsburg players were somewhat helpless about the situation where they pressed the opponent but conceded first.
Frankly speaking, this kind of goal is a'superstar goal.'
A goal scored from a chance that wasn't really a chance!
Of course, as the Bundesliga hegemon, such a performance was expected.
Hecking, on the sideline, did not scold them, but instead applauded and encouraged his players: "It's alright!"
"Keep your spirits up!"
"We still have opportunities!"
Playing away from home is inherently difficult.
The Wolfsburg players quickly collected themselves and continued the fight.
After the restart, Wolfsburg continued to press forward like a pack of wolves.
Bayern, having secured a goal, strengthened their defense.
Specifically, they implemented a zonal defense strategy against Mark Lane, the explosive strong point.
Once Mark Lane got the ball on the left, Robben would immediately go to intercept, and then the right defensive midfielder Gaudino would also go over to assist the defense, blocking Mark Lane's cutting path.
Clearly, this was a defensive strategy Guardiola specifically prepared for Mark Lane.
Facing the zonal defense of several players, Mark Lane did not recklessly attempt a direct breakthrough, but instead passed the ball to De Bruyne in the center, who then distributed it to Perišić on the weak side.
In Wolfsburg's tactical system, attacking simultaneously on both wings is a very important part of the offense.
Essentially, the two wingers draw the defense by taking the ball, and once a strong side is formed, they immediately pass the ball to De Bruyne, who is waiting in the center.
Then De Bruyne distributes the ball to the wings or delivers a threatening pass.
If the opponent doesn't employ multiple players to assist the defense, then they break through directly, tearing open the defense!
Although they were trailing, Wolfsburg played with great patience.
Mark Lane repeatedly used his threat to draw Bayern's defense to the left flank.
As the formation was constantly stretched horizontally, Bayern's two central midfielders, Götze and Müller, were repeatedly dragged out wide, creating space in the center.
In the thirty-seventh minute, Mark Lane received the ball on the left, drew the defense, and then passed the ball across to De Bruyne in the middle.
The latter took the ball, feigned a pass to the right wing, but suddenly paused, deceiving the defensive midfielder Alaba who reached out to intercept, and then delivered a highly penetrating through ball!
The ball found the surging Olić, who used a feint to open up an angle and shot directly!
However, the shooting angle was too central, and Neuer collected it directly.
Immediately, Neuer threw the ball out to Lahm on the right.
Facing the pressure from Olić, Lahm passed the ball to Gaudino, who came over to receive it.
Gaudino, receiving the ball with his back turned, was just about to swing his leg to pass when he heard a sound behind him.
He was only half a beat too slow; a long leg stretched out from the side and behind him, gently poking the ball away!
"What?!" Just as Gaudino was stunned, a green figure flashed past him!
The number on his back was the most striking number ten!
"Stolen!" "Mark Lane advances with the ball, like a fearless knight!"
Amidst the sudden chorus of boos erupting in the Allianz Arena, the black-haired young man's determined pace was completely unaffected.
However, Mark Lane, having won the ball, wasn't selfish; after two steps, he immediately knocked the ball to De Bruyne in the center and continued his run forward!
"K!" Following Mark Lane's shout, De Bruyne controlled the ball with one touch and pushed it forward with the next, delivering a perfectly weighted surgical through pass!
Mark Lane, cutting into the box from the half-space, shot with a direct swing of his leg without taking a touch!
This time, with no one interfering, his technique was perfectly executed.
The ball curved in a beautiful arc through the air, sailing past Neuer's outstretched fingers, hitting the inside of the far post with a 'Duang' sound, and bouncing into the back of the net!
The next second, the boos ceased abruptly!
Replacing them was an astonishing roar of cheers from the away fans!
After scoring, Mark Lane also ran to the corner flag, spread his arms, and executed a silky-smooth knee slide!
You think only you, Robben, can curl one into the far corner?!
"GOAL!!!" "Mark Lane has pierced the goal guarded by his National Team teammate Neuer with a spectacular strike!"
"Wolfsburg has equalized the score!" "This goal perfectly demonstrates the chemistry between Lane and De Bruyne!"
"However, seventy percent of the credit for this goal belongs to Mark Lane!"
"From the tackle, the pass, the run, to the shot, the entire sequence was completed in one smooth motion!"
Strictly speaking, this Bayern team is not the strongest Bayern.
Injuries to multiple key players made Guardiola's team selection difficult.
Especially the position occupied by Gaudino; he was a visible weakness!
Gaudino, playing as a defensive midfielder, only made backward passes or simple, safe passes.
Moreover, he sometimes liked to show off his footwork when passing.
But his physique is extremely weak; once he engages in physical confrontation, he almost certainly loses possession or misplaces a pass.
Under Hecking's pre-match instructions, both Olić and Mark Lane deliberately allowed him to take the ball, then targeted him for the tackle.
This is why Mark Lane immediately sprinted towards Gaudino at full Speed when Olić was pressing Lahm!
And Gaudino hadn't anticipated that Mark Lane would arrive so quickly.
Watching Gaudino, whom he personally promoted, cause the team to concede due to a mistake, Guardiola frowned on the sideline, beginning to internally reassess Gaudino's place in the team.
In the last Super Cup, Gaudino was completely unable to utilize his short passing and control skills under the siege of Wolfsburg's defensive midfielders.
For this match, he specifically placed Gaudino as a deep-lying playmaker, responsible for organizing possession in the central and defensive midfield areas.
Yet, unexpectedly, just because he was half a beat slow in handling the ball, Mark Lane seized the opportunity and scored.
Looking at the silent Gaudino, and then at Mark Lane, who was being embraced by his teammates near the corner flag, Guardiola couldn't help but sigh:
Though they are only one year apart in age, why is the difference between Gaudino and Mark Lane so vast!
"Luca (Gaudino)!" "Look up early!" "Release the ball faster!"
After being tackled and conceding a goal, Gaudino played much more cautiously afterward.
For every ball passed to him by a teammate, he checked the situation behind him beforehand, and then attempted to release the ball with one touch whenever possible.
Fortunately, in non-contact situations, his passing was decent and he could always find a teammate.
However, while such meaningless, safe passes ensured possession wasn't lost.
They failed to help the team transition possession effectively, let alone switch from defense to offense.
Wolfsburg, having equalized, had high morale and continued to press Bayern's central and defensive midfield high up the pitch.
The aggressive pressing from all four players—Olić, Perišić, Mark Lane, and De Bruyne—made it difficult for Bayern to play out from the back.
Consequently, they were forced to resort to long balls forward; finding a teammate was ideal.
Even if they failed to connect, they could use the brief moment the ball was airborne to catch their breath.
Soon, the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half.
Although this Bayern team is not the strongest Bayern.
However, for Wolfsburg to be evenly matched with the Bundesliga hegemon at the Allianz Arena is something worth celebrating.
This indicates that they have begun to possess the strength to compete with Bayern!
Back in the locker room, Hecking highly praised his players' performance.
"You guys did great!"
"I saw a team hungry for victory!"
"In the second half, we continue to maintain our wolf-like aggression!" "However, regarding that number 16, let him take the ball confidently; don't rush him!"
On the other side, in the Bayern locker room... "I am not satisfied with the first-half performance!"
"This is our home stadium!"
"We should play with more composure... Take the ball boldly, don't be afraid to lose it, and if you lose it, counter-press immediately!"
"Mario (Götze), Thomas (Müller)! Drop back more often to receive the ball!"
"Also, defend against Mark Lane's cut inside; his left foot isn't good!"
After finishing his tactical instructions, Guardiola's sharp gaze swept across the locker room, and he said solemnly: "That's it. Let's go out there and finish them off!"
After the brief halftime break, both teams returned to the pitch.
With the second half underway, Bayern gradually regained some possession in midfield through the deep runs of Götze and Müller to receive passes.
However, Wolfsburg did not allow them time to control the ball calmly; instead, they aggressively pressed and actively raised the tempo of the match.
Based on experience gained from previous encounters, Hecking knew very well that if Bayern were allowed to control the ball properly, Wolfsburg would slowly be dismantled.
Therefore, they had to press!
Even if the physical demands were huge, they had to accelerate the game, disrupt Bayern's passing and control rhythm, and prevent their possession from circulating smoothly.
And in this match, the Wolfsburg players performed very well in this regard.
Furthermore, due to the weakness of Gaudino, they were able to suppress Bayern's build-up from the back in many situations.
Watching Gaudino's performance, Guardiola on the sideline suddenly missed Kroos, who had transferred to Real Madrid.
If Kroos were here, Bayern wouldn't have to worry about playing out from the back, and Wolfsburg's high press certainly wouldn't be this effective.
But Kroos was no longer his player.
And Gaudino was the future of the club!
Even if he was playing just average right now..
Due to Wolfsburg's high press, Bayern often had to rely on direct passes from the defenders, roughly and simply finding Robben or Lewandowski, and then relying on the individual ability of the stars to push the attack into the final third.
Unfortunately, this attacking method was too singular; it could be countered simply by tight marking and preventing the two from easily receiving the ball.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, utilized attacks down both flanks, constantly challenging Bayern's three-man defensive line.
After repeatedly taking the ball and drawing defenders, Mark Lane was also able to pass the ball to De Bruyne, allowing him to deliver the final pass.
In the first twenty minutes of the second half, both sides had chances.
Thanks to the vital role Mark Lane played in stretching the defense on the left, the center and right flanks gained more attacking space.
In the sixty-third minute, Perišić made a diagonal run on the right, and De Bruyne crossed from the wing, finding Olić precisely at the near post inside the box.
However, Olić's sliding shot hit Neuer's outstretched arm and deflected out for a corner.
Otherwise, Wolfsburg might have already taken the lead.
Seeing that Götze was completely neutralized by the two big, dark defensive midfielders, Gustavo and Guilavogui, and unable to play his central link-up role, Guardiola waved his hand, substituting Götze for the more impactful Shaqiri.
After coming on, Shaqiri did manage to gain a slight advantage against the two tall defensive midfielders by utilizing his Speed and low center of gravity, giving Bayern an extra point of attack through the middle.
As the match reached seventy-five minutes, Wolfsburg's players were severely fatigued and began to drop back their formation, strengthening the defense.
Taking a point away from the Allianz Arena would be completely acceptable for Wolfsburg.
However, Hecking and the Wolfsburg players wanted more than just a draw.
Therefore, Hecking substituted Perišić for Caligiuri, and then had Mark Lane and Caligiuri switch flanks.
His purpose was very simple: he wanted Mark Lane to attack the left flank, which was guarded by Badstuber, from the right!
Compared to Lahm, Badstuber, who had suffered a severe injury, was heavier and slower in Speed.
Moreover, the shadow of his past injury made Badstuber hesitant, afraid to use forceful defensive actions to stop Mark Lane.
Of course, if Mark Lane couldn't be stopped by Lahm, how could Badstuber, who was recovering from a major injury, possibly stop him?
This tactical change proved effective immediately!
In the seventy-seventh minute, Mark Lane received the ball on the right, first dropping his shoulder for a feint to deceive the charging Juan Bernat, then immediately accelerating down the flank.
Soon, seeing Badstuber shifting across, Mark Lane suddenly slowed his pace, performed several step-overs, leaving Badstuber completely disoriented.
Then, with a sudden burst of Speed, he overtook him on the outside, leaving Badstuber in his dust!
"He dribbled past two players!" "Badstuber is simply no match for Lane!" "This super talent showcased an elegant dance at the Allianz Arena!"
After reaching the byline, Mark Lane covered the remaining distance quickly, looked up, and feigned a cross into the middle.
But the moment he touched the ball, he twisted his ankle and delivered a cut-back pass!
The ball passed perfectly through the gap between the defender and the defensive midfielder, arriving at the edge of the box.
And De Bruyne, anticipating the play, seemed to know exactly where the ball would appear, having already adjusted his footing, and unleashed a powerful shot!
Bang! The ball rocketed away, becoming a black blur in the air, whistling towards the top left corner of the goal!
Although Neuer anticipated the shot and dove, his fingertips even grazed the ball.
He still couldn't prevent the ball from nestling into the net!
With a'swoosh,' the Allianz Arena fell silent once more..
After the brief silence, the thousands of traveling Wolfsburg fans took over the Allianz Arena.
Inside the massive stadium, there was only the unified roar of the Wolfsburg fans: "Kevin~~~De Bruyne!!!"
...
Thanks for the power stones
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