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[04/07/2020 | Time: 21:22 PM | DFB-Pokal Final Leverkusen 1 : 0 Bayern| Location: Olympiastadion Berlin]
[67]
Bayern pushed higher up the pitch as they chased the equaliser. Gnabry cut inside from the right, playing a sharp one-two with Müller before sliding it to Lewandowski on the edge of the box. The striker shifted onto his right foot, opening his body to curl a shot toward the far corner. Hradecky read it well, springing across his line, arms stretched wide to palm the ball away.
The rebound fell kindly for Coman, who struck first time, but Lars Bender blocked with his chest, forcing the ball out for another corner. The corner was swung in by Kimmich, flat and dangerous toward the edge of the box. Goretzka met the incoming ball with a first-time strike, powering a shot goalward.
The ball left his boot with a dull thud, flying toward the left side of the goal, forcing Hradecky to shimmy across his line. However, before he could jump, the ball took an awkward deflection off Bender's shoulder. The ricochet sent it spinning into the opposite corner, wrong-footing the goalkeeper completely. Hradecky stretched desperately as he readjusted, but could only watch as the ball nestled into the net.
"GOAL! Bayern Munich are level!" Derek Rae's voice exploded across the stadium. "Leon Goretzka with the equaliser, and it's taken a crucial deflection off Lars Bender! The Leverkusen captain's clearance has backfired spectacularly!"
The Bayern bench erupted in celebration, Flick pumping his fists as his players mobbed Goretzka near the corner flag. Stewart Robson analysed the goal: "Sometimes you need a bit of fortune, Derek. Goretzka struck it well enough, but that deflection made all the difference. Hradecky was going the right way initially, but physics took over."
[Bayern Munich 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen (Goretzka 67')]
[70]
The equaliser transformed the match dynamics completely. Leverkusen, who had been sitting deeper and looking to counter, suddenly found themselves needing to push forward again. Bayern sensed blood and immediately looked to capitalise on their momentum. Within minutes of the restart, they were pressing high again, forcing errors in Leverkusen's passing.
Kimmich intercepted a loose pass from Wendell and immediately drove forward. His forward pass found Gnabry in space on the right wing, with only Wendell to beat. The Bayern winger feinted a breakthrough on the wing, then shifted the ball onto his stronger left foot. Struggling to keep up, the German cut inside, leaving the Brazilian in his wake.
From the edge of the box, Gnabry curled a shot toward the far corner, but Hradecky stretched to tip it over the bar. The resulting corner caused chaos in the Leverkusen box as Lewandowski met Kimmich's delivery at the near post. He flicked on the ball with a header, finding Müller unmarked six yards out.
The veteran forward connected cleanly, but somehow Tapsoba threw his body in the way, the ball cannoning off his chest and over the bar for another corner. "How did that stay out?" Rae questioned in disbelief. "Müller had the goal at his mercy, Derek. That's world-class defending from Tapsoba, throwing his body on the line when it mattered most."
[74]
[Bayern substitutions: Coman (out), Perisic (in), Gnabry (out), Coutinho (in)]
Flick made his first changes of the match, bringing on fresh legs in Perisic and Coutinho for Coman and Gnabry. The Croatian immediately took up position on the left wing, while the Brazilian slotted into the number ten role behind Lewandowski, pushing Müller out to the right. The tactical shift showed clear effectiveness as Coutinho brought a bit of flair to unlock that tight Leverkusen midfield.
He danced past two defenders after receiving a throw-in before laying the ball off to Kimich. The midfielder sent the ball wide to Perisic, who flicked it onto Goretzka before Diaby could close him down. He drove down the left channel after a quick exchange with Goretzka that saw him beat his man.
Faced with Lars Bender in front of him, he took the cross early, whipping in a dangerous ball to the near post. Lewandowski had timed his run perfectly, getting ahead of Sven Bender and into the path of the ball. The striker met it with a nifty strike with his left foot, sending it to the near corner.
Hradecky reacted brilliantly, stretching out a foot to try to intercept the ball. Luck wasn't on his side, though, as he barely managed to skim the ball, sending it clanging against the post. "Goal, the post is not there to save them this time. Stewart, your thoughts on the goal?" Derek asked as the Bayern side celebrated, chasing their Polish striker in joy.
"Well, I can't say I was expecting that, Dereck," he started, trying to gather the words for his response, "They caught their opponents sleeping and got gaol for their troubles. The buildup was far too easy, taking less than 10 seconds from Coutinho to Lewandowski receiving the assist."
As the two commentators continued to assess the lead-up to the goal, Peter Bosz was having a few choice words with his players. Pulling Lars and the two holding midfielders, he would give weekly instructions on how they should respond. They now faced a situation that the team earned, leading at the end of the first half, only to have the score reversed in the second.
[Bayern Munich 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen (Lewandowski 76')]
[78]
The goal had stung Leverkusen badly, but their response was immediate and furious. Right from the kick off, they attacked with Kai leading the charge following a quick one-two exchange to escape the initial Bayern charge. He glided past Coutinho with a feint and a change of pace before finding Rakim on the flank.
The winger's first touch was featherlight, killing most of the ball's momentum as he redirected it forward, beginning his dribble. As Pavard neared, he heard Volland calling for the ball, and the winger raised his right leg, shaping up as if to pass. The full back, despite knowing it was like a bait, took it, opening up the flank, which Rakim immediately accelerated towards.
Alaba moved to close him down, but Rakim used feints mixed with step overs to create enough room to send a cross into the box. The ball sailed in with pace as Voland took two steps before raising his head and hammering his head down on the ball. Neuer read the header well, diving low to his left, but the ball took a slight deflection off the inside of his glove, spinning agonizingly wide of the post by mere inches.
"So close for Leverkusen!" Derek Rae shouted. "Volland nearly restored the score sheet with his first real chance since coming on. Neuer got a touch, but that could have gone anywhere!"
Stewart Robson added breathlessly. "Rakim's vision was sublime there, picking out Volland's run perfectly. However, they can't afford to waste chances like that in a cup final; they won't get many."
[82]
[Leverkusen substitutions: Baumgartlinger (out), Bellarabi (in), Diaby (out), Bailey (in)]
Before the corner could be taken, Bosz made his final changes, bringing on pace and fresh legs in Bailey and Bellarabi for the tiring Baumgartlinger and Diaby. The Jamaican immediately took up position on the left wing, as Rakim moved to the right wing, while Bellarabi slotted into the midfield.
Rakim executed the corner, curving it to the area around the back post, aiming for either Volland or Tapsoba. Volland made his run toward the near post, dragging Boateng with him, while Tapsoba powered toward the back stick. The delivery was perfect, hanging in the air long enough for the Burkina Faso defender to climb above Alaba.
His header was firm and well-directed, but Davis, who was guarding the post, interfered with heading the ball out. The anger wasn't over as a mass of black and red bodies clashed, each trying to reach the ball first. Aránguiz did so first, his leg shooting out, to slot the bouncing ball into the net, sending a feeling of euphoria through the Leverkusen side.
(FWEET)Before he could celebrate, though, the loud whistle of the referee interrupted, calling for a free kick.
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To be Continued...