Football singularity

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The month of May went by in a storm for Rakim following their narrow 2:3 win over Gladbach, which put them one point ahead in the table. Literally three days later, they were visited by Wolfsburg at the Bay Arena for the 28th round of the Bundesliga. He wasn't fielded for the match and was content to watch from home as he recovered from match fatigue.

The game started off well with Havertz, who had been on a roll, scoring in the 7th minute of the game. He had taken advantage of the lapses in judgment of his marker to give him the slip, and Bellarabi did not disappoint. The winger dribbled past Roussillon on the flank and sent a ground pass that curved beautifully into the forward's run.

The German international did not need an extra touch as he sized up the on-rushing Casteels and slotted the ball into the far corner. The players had already settled into the game, and one side was already celebrating a goal. Questioning looks and some scolding remarks were exchanged among the visiting side as the home team celebrated.

[Havertz 7' Leverkisen 1:0 Wolfsburg]

From there on, it looked like they would go on another roll as their possession stats for the next ten minutes rose dramatically. However, following a routine Leverkusen build-up in the 22nd minute, the unthinkable happened. Steffen Wolfburg, right mid, picked up a lazy pass from Diaby back to Demirbay.

The winger did not dribble forward, choosing instead to find Schlanger in the middle of the pitch before racing up the field. That seemed to be the signal to the entire team to push up. Schlager wasted no time, cutting a neat pass forward to Weghorst, who had peeled off centre back Bender's marking.

The tall Dutch striker laid it off first time to Sa, sprinting down the left channel. The high Leverkusen line collapsed as the winger raced into the final third with Weiser nipping at his heels. The winger drove at pace, as Weiser backed up furiously, waiting for cover. But the Wolfsburg winger slipped the ball inside just before the tackle came, finding Arnold at the top of the box.

The midfielder barely needed a second invitation—his left boot lashed through the ball, sending a rasping drive that forced Hrádecký into a full-stretch parry. The rebound, however, fell cruelly into danger, and Brekalo did not need a second invitation. He snapped his right foot, sending the ball sliding across the turf, taking a deflection off Sven Bender's shin before bulging the net. The away bench erupted, while Leverkusen's players stared in disbelief at how quickly their dominance had been undone.

[Weghorst 23' Leverkusen 1:1 Wolfsburg]

The equaliser clearly rattled Bosz's men as the rhythm and possession they had enjoyed in the opening quarter now looked fractured. Havertz tried to drop deeper to collect possession, but Wolfsburg's defenders used this as a chance to squeeze the midfield further.

Their midfield pressed with intent, hounding Demirbay and Aránguiz into hurried passes. Bellarabi and Diaby, on the wings, suddenly found themselves receiving less service, and when they did, it was advantageous. They could feel that they were on the losing side of the battle, and if they didn't do something, it would cost them.

It was too late, though, as in the 35th minute Steffen decided to go on a run and run he did. From receiving the ball in his own third, he dribbled past four defenders using a couple of one-twos in between to dodge players who simply became obstacles. In his charge up the right flank, he threw the Leverkusen side into disarray as he crossed the final third with pace.

Faced with Wendell standing his ground, the Swiss national performed a couple of step overs, channelling his inner Shaqiri as he eyed the Aryan fullback. As the distance closed, he faked a breakthrough up the wing and the Brazilian bit, allowing him to cut across from him just as his hips turned. Lifting his head, he took aim from the far right corner of the 18-yard box, and he liked his chances.

Steffen's strike thundered off his boot, the sound reverberating of the empty stadium. With it, the ball rose with venom, its trajectory curling away from the despairing reach of Hrádecký, heading to the far left corner. The goalkeeper had already committed himself, diving full stretch toward his right, but it was never close.

The shot arrowed into the top corner, kissing the underside of the crossbar before ricocheting down over the line. The silence that followed the home side after that goal was deafening, but the visitors did not care as they crowded the winger in celebrations.

[Leverkusen 1:2 Wolfsburg, Steffen 35']

The turnaround was complete, and with it, a sense of unease settled over Bosz's side. On the touchline, the Dutchman's hands cut through the air, beckoning his players to calm down and settle first. His words fell on deaf ears, or more accurately, the players heard him but struggled to put his message into action.

Especially so given that the visiting side decided to sit back following the restart, absorbing pressure, seemingly content with protecting their lead. That forced the trailing home side to push higher unwillingly as it looked like their opponents were content to just pass the ball around in their own half. Pressing higher in their signature overloding strategy that has allowed them to dominate all season, they were fearless.

However, despite looking dangerous from the outside, a closer look revealed evident flaws. Since it was essentially the same squad that played in the torrential rain in Glauchau three days ago, the fatigue was obvious. So what should have been a dangerous pressing style was more like a manageable herd of cattle that the away side heard left to right, up and down.

Leverkusen, however, were not without answers. Havertz, as if insulted by the sudden deficit, began to demand the ball more aggressively, dropping deeper than ever. In the 41st minute, he carved open a glimpse of hope. Collecting the ball in the half-space, at the edge of the final third, he pivoted away from Arnold with a graceful touch and fed Diaby with a perfectly weighted diagonal.

The French winger finally had grass ahead of him, bursting into the box with speed that allowed him to skip past Mbabu. He did everything right but couldn't find a target within the box as the person who was supposed to be there had fed him the ball. Forcing an angle past the Croatian Pongračić, his left-footed strike skewed wide of the far post, skimming the advertising boards as Casteels scurried across in vain.

Hands flew to his head in frustration and anger as Bosz on the sidelines could be seen muttering something sharp under his breath. That proved to be the last meaningful action to occur in the first half as it ended with a 1:2 lead to the visitors.

[46]

[Florian Wirtz (In) -> Karim Bellarabi (out)]

[Julian Baumgartlinger (In)-> Mitchell Weiser (out)]

[Aleksander Dragovic (In) -> Seven Bender (out)]

The second half started with three changes from the Leverkusen manager who could clearly see the fatigue in his players. He could only curse the schedule and go back to trying to salvage the match. Things did not start off great, though, as Breklo, who was playing as Wolfsburg's double pivot, found a chance in the 47th minute.

The forward received the ball with his back to the goal, just outside the box, as Dragovic closed in. He then shimmied his shoulders left but turned right, sending the substituted-in defender the wrong way. Turning past him, he flicked the ball forward and fired off a shot towards the goal.

"Save! Hardecky makes a vital save to deny Brekalo. Joao Victor teases a low cross into the box from the left flank. Breckalo takes the ball in stride, turning away from Dragovic and strikers at goal with his left foot, only to see his efforts saved by Hardecky." Derek Rae exclaimed as the keeper pounced on the rebound firmly securing it.

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To Be Continued...