"Finally, it's my turn to play."
Bayer Leverkusen, BayArena.
Standing on the sidelines, Kevin De Bruyne felt like he was Shawshank… oh no, Andy Dufresne.
Ever since José Mourinho's "second stint," his time at Chelsea had been like being in prison.
Fortunately, the club released him in time, and De Bruyne fled back to Germany.
Through his excellent performance in training, he gained the appreciation of VfL Wolfsburg's coach, Dieter Hecking, and made it into the matchday squad in his second week on loan.
And he even got a chance to come on as a substitute!
De Bruyne, savoring the taste of freedom, enjoyed the afternoon sun at the BayArena and leisurely stretched.
He wasn't nervous at all; in his eyes, there was only belief in victory.
De Bruyne subconsciously glanced at the home team's bench; his younger brother, Lance, was still carefully observing the situation on the field.
"Sorry, Lance. I'm going to win this match."
The fourth official held up the electronic board: No. 7 Daniel Caligiuri off.
No. 14, Kevin De Bruyne on!
"Lance, do you know him?"
Julian Brandt was very curious; Lance and the skinny, ginger-haired youth on the opposing team seemed to know each other.
"Yes, we were neighbors when we were kids, both from KRC Genk's youth academy in Belgium."
"No wonder, he plays pretty well."
Julian Brandt murmured.
"Oh?"
Lance was surprised.
One of Julian Brandt's most frequent catchphrases was:
"A bunch of trash, nowhere near as good as me."
"That No. 17 is really useless, nowhere near as good as me!"
The last No. 17 he commented on was FC Schalke 04's star player, a winger ranked among the Bundesliga Top 5 in terms of skill, who had led his team into the Champions League semifinals with Raúl—Jefferson Farfán.
He's a key player in the Champions League semifinals, and you can't even get a starting spot; truly boastful.
Lance had heard it so many times he couldn't even be bothered to retort anymore.
He hadn't expected that today, for once, Julian Brandt would be serious and personally acknowledge De Bruyne's skill.
It was clear that Kevin De Bruyne had indeed shown an excellent performance after coming on.
In the 69th minute of the match, De Bruyne had only been on the field for 1 minute.
He delivered a cross from a 45-degree angle on the right wing.
The ball traced an exaggerated arc, almost like a remote-controlled drone, precisely finding his teammate in the penalty area.
VfL Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost was stunned!
He can pass it to my head even through a group of defenders?
He was unprepared, and his header was rushed, going just over the crossbar.
"OHHHH—a dangerous attack, the home fans are temporarily relieved!"
"Kevin De Bruyne, showing excellent form immediately after coming on!"
"This young midfielder on loan from Chelsea, on loan at SV Werder Bremen last season, contributed an outstanding 10 goals and 9 assists!"
"Compared to last year, he seems to have evolved even further!"
Mehmet Scholl, the commentator for Germany's Channel 1, smiled as he commented, and then jokingly teased José Mourinho.
"It seems Chelsea has enough talent; Mourinho doesn't even value a good prospect like this."
Hiss—
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Sascha Lewandowski couldn't sit still; the opponent had sent on a formidable player.
He looks very threatening!
Sascha Lewandowski quickly discussed defensive tactics with head coach Sami Hyypiä, trying to devise a strategy to limit De Bruyne.
He's fast, his dribbling is delicate and precise, and his passing is exceptional!
His vision and awareness are a bit frightening!
Even with Bayer Leverkusen's defensive formation intact, De Bruyne could single-handedly break the balance with his passing.
While the two were still strategizing, they suddenly heard a gasp from the stands.
Sascha Lewandowski quickly looked up, his heart nearly skipping a beat!
On the field, VfL Wolfsburg was building an attack, continuing to target De Bruyne on the right wing.
De Bruyne accelerated with the ball, then suddenly slammed on the brakes and changed direction, instantly shaking off the defender.
A sublime outside-of-the-foot through ball immediately pierced two defensive lines, heading straight for the half-space!
Bayer Leverkusen was instantly pierced by the swordsman named De Bruyne, with a diagonal thrust!
"Bas—Dost—"
"Gooooooal!"
"A brilliant link-up!! A successful offside trap in the box, and a one-time finish!"
"VfL Wolfsburg equalizes away from home!"
1-1!
"Shit!!" Head coach Sascha Lewandowski cursed in anger.
He wasn't angry at his defenders, but at himself.
Before the match, he had considered the possibility of the opponent making substitutions, and also considered De Bruyne as a key player,
but he hadn't been able to formulate more detailed, targeted tactics.
Simply put, he had underestimated De Bruyne.
Now, Bayer Leverkusen would pay the price.
In the 83rd minute of the match, Bayer Leverkusen's frantic attacks failed to create a threat, and Son Heung-min's shot was blocked.
VfL Wolfsburg's goalkeeper Diego Benaglio threw the ball to launch a quick counter-attack.
The ball was passed quickly, and in an instant, it reached the right side.
De Bruyne controlled the ball!
"VfL Wolfsburg's counter-attack!! Three-on-three in the attacking third!!"
Generally speaking, when defenders face a fast counter-attack, they just need to avoid rashly pressing, maintain distance, run back sideways, and wait for the opponent's move before counter-attacking.
It's actually difficult for the attacking player to deal with, especially when the defenders are positioned very well.
Even a slight hesitation can easily slow down the rhythm, leading to a rushed shot or the ball being intercepted by supporting defenders.
To be fair, Bayer Leverkusen's defenders tried very hard.
Each player strictly adhered to standard procedures, blocking positions, and the three of them retreated in coordination, like an unbreakable chain, sealing off VfL Wolfsburg's attacking angles.
Next, VfL Wolfsburg would at most try to develop play down the wings, hoping for a lucky cross, reducing the threat level to around 40%.
But De Bruyne's subsequent performance astonished the Bayer Leverkusen coaching staff!
While dribbling at high speed, he delivered a low, curving pass that perfectly bypassed two center-backs, heading straight for the far post!
"Ivan Perišić!!!"
"This is a goal!! A world-class passing and running combination!"
"VfL Wolfsburg scores on a quick counter-attack! They take the lead away from home against Bayer Leverkusen!"
1-2!
The BayArena stands were silent; on the green pitch, it was entirely De Bruyne's stage.
His two passes virtually ignored Bayer Leverkusen's defensive tactics, striking directly at their weak points.
The fans weren't angry about their team's performance; they just felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Could it be… that the match was over for today?
"Nice! Kevin!!"
"Wow!! Really beautiful!!"
After the goal, the VfL Wolfsburg players celebrated wildly. Bayer Leverkusen was originally very difficult to deal with, and De Bruyne's two assists brought them 3 points.
Having just joined the team, he immediately became a favorite among his teammates.
De Bruyne was also very happy, but not good at expressing it, so he just smiled foolishly.
"What the hell?"
Lance knew his friend was strong, but he didn't expect him to be this strong?
The hard-earned 3 points turned into 0 points.
If they lost a few more games, their Champions League spot for next season would be in jeopardy!
I still want to play in the Champions League!
Lance's desire to play exploded; he just wanted to get on the field immediately and help the team!
The continuous unsuccessful attacks just now clearly highlighted Bayer Leverkusen's lack of creativity in the frontline!
From a tactical perspective, his coming on would definitely have an unexpected effect.
"Coach?"
Lance looked hopefully at Sascha Lewandowski, and coincidentally, Sascha Lewandowski looked over at the same time.
"Phew… fuck it! I don't care!"
Sascha Lewandowski let out a long breath and gestured to the bench.
"Lance! Get ready to come on!"
"No problem!"
Lance was already prepared, taking off his training uniform.
Template: Nagi Seishiro - S (Fusion Value 54%)
— Skill: Perfect Ball Control
— Skill: Unlockable at 55% Fusion Value
Rage Value: 25%
Perhaps facing a deficit, he was called upon in a crisis!
Lance's Fusion Value surged by 2 points, and his Rage Value started at 25%!
"Kevin, you tried very hard today, but… this is as far as you go."