Football singularity

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[23/05/2020 | Time: 15:29 AM | Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Location: BORUSSIA-PARK | Attendance: 0]

[1]

The referee's whistle cracked through the drizzle, and Kai Havertz rolled it back to Charles Aránguiz, who instantly opened his hips and sent it sideways to Kerem Demirbay. The surface was slick and fast underfoot, each pass zipping with that extra bite you only get on wet grass.

Derek Rae's voice rose over the quiet hum of players' calls: "We are underway in this Rhine derby — Borussia Mönchengladbach versus Bayer Leverkusen. No crowd, but still plenty riding on this one."

Leverkusen spread their formation early, directly attacking the wings as they got into their possession game. The three centre-backs fanned out at the back, Weiser and Sinkgraven pushing high to pin the Gladbach full-backs. Rakim Rex stood wide on the right, his eyes locked on Ramy Bensebaini like a sprinter staring at the lane next to him before the gun.

The early exchanges revealed Leverkusen's intent immediately. Peter Bosz had clearly instructed his side to stretch Gladbach's compact 4-2-3-1, using the width of Weiser and Sinkgraven to create overloads. Within the first three minutes, Demirbay had already switched the play twice, his passes cutting through the damp air as he connected with his targets.

Moussa Diaby collected the ball on the left touchline, his first touch immaculate despite the greasy surface. The young Frenchman chopped inside, his studs finding grip on the wet turf, before laying the ball back to Sinkgraven, who had overlapped with speed. Sinkgraven pushed the ball to the byline before whipping in a dangerous cross that Marcus Thuram had to head clear at the near post; the ball spun awkwardly off his forehead.

Yann Sommer leapt into the air, collecting gratefully before another red shirt could get to it. Sommer's throw was quick, almost too quick for his own teammates. He tried to spark a counter, rolling it out to Bensebaini on the left, but Rakim was already charging back, closing the angle, forcing the left back to play a hasty pass forward.

Bensebaini's hurried ball up the line skidded off the surface, for Jonas Hofmann to latch onto. However, before the Gladbach winger could latch onto it, Dragovic came sliding in cleanly, sending the ball out of the pitch.

[4]

Dragović popped straight back to his feet, brushing the droplets from his kit, while Hofmann glanced toward the assistant referee in faint hope of a foul. None came. The throw went to Strobl, who shielded under pressure from Havertz and knocked it centrally to Neuhaus.

Gladbach tried to build through midfield, but Leverkusen's shape pressed in unison. Aránguiz stepped high on Stindl, forcing the ball back to Elvedi. Elvedi switched play toward Hofmann, yet the right-back's first touch ran slightly ahead of him. Sinkgraven pounced on the loose touch, stealing in to poke the ball down the line for Diaby.

The winger darted past Lainer, glancing up once before fizzing a low cross toward the near post. Havertz darted in front of Ginter, but the centre-back got the faintest touch to divert the ball away. It rolled loose at the edge of the box where Demirbay arrived, leaning over the strike, sending it on target. Sommer read it, though, dropping low to smother before the bounce could cause trouble.

"Early warning there from Leverkusen, and Rakim Rex getting involved straight away," Derek exclaimed as the players retreated back into position.

[14]

The home side got a chance to settle into the match as they slowly adapted to Leverkusen's offensive rhythm. Though they adapted, it didn't mean they were safe as the visitors continued bombarding the Gladbach goal. Sitting deep, they absorbed the pressure and looked for chances to counter. One such chance came in the 15th minute.

Ginter intercepted a through ball meant for Haverts and immediately scanned the field for options. Neuhause opened up an option a couple of yards up the field, spinning away from Charles. Turning with the ball's momentum, dribbling up the field, picking up speed, and quickly crossing the halfway line as the home side exploded forward.

Neuhaus accelerated into open space, his boots splashing through shallow puddles as he threaded a sharp pass to Hofmann. The Gladbach winger took it on the half-turn, immediately looking for Plea, who had drifted wide to escape Bender's coverage. "Now here comes Gladbach, this might be the spark they need…" Robson exclaimed as the striker latched onto the ball as he stepped into the box.

Dragovic and Bender converged on him, trying to reach him as quickly as possible, but Plea slowed his stride just enough to roll the ball inside onto his right boot, shaping to shoot. The rain made the surface treacherous, and as Bender slid across to cover, Plea cut the ball back toward the penalty spot. Stindl arrived late, timing his run perfectly, and side-footed a low drive toward the bottom left corner.

"Big chance!" Rae's voice lifted.

Hradecky reacted instantly, flinging himself low and strong to palm it away. The ball skidded off his gloves, straight back into the six-yard box, where Thuram lunged in an attempt to poke it home. Tapsoba got there a fraction sooner, stretching his long frame to hack the danger clear.

The camera panned to Marco Rose, clapping sharply on the touchline, urging his men to keep going.

[18]

Gladbach restarted with a throw on the left, Bensebaini finding Neuhaus under pressure. The midfielder shielded from Aránguiz and dropped it inside to Strobl, who lifted a diagonal toward Hofmann. Sinkgraven tracked him, cushioning the ball out for a throw before Hofmann could bring it under control.

Leverkusen regained their rhythm, Demirbay drifting deeper to collect from Dragović. The playmaker pinged a sharp pass toward Havertz between Gladbach's lines. Havertz cushioned it deftly with his right instep, Rakim already peeling wide to offer. Havertz slid it into his path, Rakim instantly sped up towards Bensebaini, forcing a one-on-one.

A couple of step-overs shifted the defender back on his heels, just as he was about to react. Rakim darted past him to the byline before firing a cross toward the penalty spot. The ball skipped over the crowd in front of the goal, landing in the back area, into the run of the incoming Diaby. Holding off Lainer, he took the shot on the half volley, catching it on the bounce, booming it towards goal.

"Diaby!" Rae exclaimed as the shot rocketed through the misted air, spinning wickedly off the slick turf. Sommer shuffled sharply to his right, his gloves snapping around the ball, but there was too much power behind the shot.

His arm snapped backwards, and the ball reverberated inside the goal, rattling the net. Leverkusen's bench leapt to their feet as the ball hit the back of the net. Diaby raced off toward the corner flag, arms wide, as his teammates swarmed him in joy.

Rae's voice cut through the drizzle: "And Bayer Leverkusen draw first blood here at Borussia-Park! Moussa Diaby with a clean strike, but credit to Rakim Rex for carving open that flank."

The celebration was brief but electric. Diaby slid on his knees through a puddle near the corner flag, his teammates piling on top of him as the rain continued to spatter against their backs. Peter Bosz stood motionless on the sideline, hands buried deep in his coat pockets, but his eyes betrayed the slightest hint of satisfaction.

Marco Rose immediately gestured frantically to his players, clapping his hands above his head. "Come on! Straight back at them!" His voice carried across the empty stands, echoing off the vacant terraces. The absence of crowd noise made every shout, every instruction seem magnified in the wet air.

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To be continued...