Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
For most fans who don't follow La Liga, it seems there are only two world-class giants: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
The household names are also limited to Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Luka Modrić, and others.
Globally, fans are at most familiar with Atlético Madrid, knowing that Diego Simeone has led this 'Bed-Sheet Gang' to gradually rise, subtly threatening Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Additionally, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia CF, and Deportivo La Coruña are relatively well-known as strong La Liga teams and traditional powerhouses.
Other La Liga teams are relatively unfamiliar to fans in other countries.
Real Sociedad is one such example.
Bayer Leverkusen fans have all heard of Real Sociedad and their nickname, 'The Royal One.'
As for the head coach and the players on the field, they are completely clueless.
It wasn't until the Champions League arrived that Bayer Leverkusen fans transformed into scouts, trying to gather information about their opponents.
At the same time, in the tactical meeting room, Sascha Lewandowski's laser pointer indicated a photo on the projection screen.
It was a rather slender, slightly baby-faced young man.
"This person will be the key in our offensive and defensive game..."
Before Sascha could finish, Julian Brandt, looking like a golden retriever, immediately raised his hand to ask, "Coach, who is he? Is he very strong?"
Sascha glared at him in annoyance. "Go, go, don't mess around. I was just about to say. You should all have heard his name; he's been quite famous in La Liga these past two years.
Last season, Real Sociedad made it into the top four of La Liga, relying on two individuals.
The central midfielder Asier Illarramendi, thankfully, he has already gone to Real Madrid.
The other is this playmaking core, a Frenchman.
The core of the France U19 European Championship-winning team, selected for the tournament's best XI.
This year, at 22 years old, he has already been selected for the French national team..."
Wait?
Lance stared at the name and photo on the projector for a long time.
France, attacking midfielder, La Liga!
Keywords matched successfully, and Lance immediately recalled a prophetic dream he had had before.
This guy was a core member of France's 2018 World Cup winning team—Antoine Griezmann!
He had always played for Atlético Madrid for many years in Lance's impression, so it was no wonder that seeing him in a Real Sociedad jersey made Lance not recognize him at first.
If the opponent was Antoine Griezmann, he was definitely a dangerous player!
Lance was pondering his opponent when he was suddenly cued by Sascha.
"Lance, he has some similarities with your position and playing style. In this match a few days from now, both of you will be crucial."
"Oh, okay... Hmm? Coach, what do you mean?"
"That's right."
Sascha just smiled faintly, not saying much more.
But the meaning he conveyed was already very clear!
Other teammates all cast envious glances!
Lance, at 16, could start in a Champions League match?
I was only playing in the mud at the youth academy when I was 16?
Damn it!
Comparing oneself to others is infuriating!
Julian Brandt, Stefan Kiessling, Emre Can, and even Son Heung-min were all filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
However, upon closer thought, Lance's recent performance truly warranted a starting spot.
Everyone saw how hard he tried in the last match against Bayern Munich.
It could even be said that without Lance on the field, Bayer Leverkusen would have surely lost and couldn't have come back against Bayern Munich.
Therefore, regarding the coaching staff's arrangements, teammates only envied Lance and did not feel it was unreasonable.
The tactical meeting lasted for two hours.
The coaching staff meticulously analyzed every Real Sociedad player, then sent them to the training ground to conduct simulated matches according to the established tactical strategies.
The defensive group consisted of the main players in the midfield and defense, while the core of the offensive group was Lance, who mimicked Antoine Griezmann's attacking style.
Antoine Griezmann, during his time at Real Sociedad, had not yet developed his passing skills; he was more like a striker.
Physically thin and lacking in confrontational ability, his speed wasn't particularly fast.
He was better at finding space through off-the-ball movement and game reading ability, then using his delicate footwork to find opportunities to break through.
If he could score himself, he would try, but if a teammate was in a better position, he could also deliver dangerous passes.
He was very strong in both link-up play and scoring ability in the attacking third.
From the breakdown of Antoine Griezmann, Lance vaguely gained some insights from his video analysis, but the specific insights were very blurry, making it hard for Lance to articulate.
In the group confrontation, rather than imitating Antoine Griezmann's attacking style and testing his teammates' defensive abilities, it was actually Lance's own attacking habits.
Upon closer inspection, there were still differences in his and Antoine Griezmann's playing styles.
"What do you say?"
Sascha watched the confrontation for a while on the sidelines and frowned.
"This training isn't working. Lance is Lance, and Antoine Griezmann is Antoine Griezmann. The opponent is better at flexible positioning, while Lance prefers the feeling of the ball at his feet."
"Yes, indeed."
Lance's current playing style is still that of a finisher, a forward.
His guest appearance as an attacking midfielder in the last match against Bayern Munich could only be described as decent.
However, his specific passing ideas, and the details of his passing technique need practice.
They are not as top-notch as his ball control and shooting.
"If Lance can learn Antoine Griezmann's playing style, he might evolve further and become an even more top-tier player."
Sami Hyypiä sighed with emotion.
His expectations for Lance were not merely for him to be a hitman or a forward.
Goal-scoring forwards rely on teammate support.
If teammates are suppressed, and he doesn't receive the ball, he loses his effectiveness.
Lance has enough potential to become the true soul of the team, a heavyweight figure who influences the entire game.
Even if teammates are suppressed, he has the chance to stand out alone and take over the match, reinvigorating the team's offense through positioning and passing.
In the last match against Bayern Munich, Lance subtly showed this tendency!
"Hahahaha, you forgot one thing, he's only 16! He's still young!"
"That's true," Hyypiä chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Lance's recent performance has been excellent, making it easy to overlook his age and think he can do more."
"Let's take it slow. Lance has plenty of opportunities to gain experience, and this Champions League might be a good one."
As the Champions League group stage approached, Bayer Leverkusen had very little time left for preparations.
The entire Bayer Leverkusen team rarely trained collectively, sweating profusely on the field.
...
Spain, Madrid Airport.
Antoine Griezmann, wearing headphones, was waiting to board in the VIP lounge.
The team had just arrived in Madrid from the small Basque city of San Sebastián, and from Madrid Airport, they would fly to Cologne.
After landing, they would take a bus from Cologne to the small city of Leverkusen.
This was Antoine Griezmann's first Champions League trip; he was so excited last night that he didn't sleep at all and was now feeling a bit drowsy.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, goalkeeper Claudio Bravo came over and woke him up.
"Antoine, let's go! Time to board!"
"Oh, oh! Merci, thank you."
"I heard the opponent has a 16-year-old kid who's been quite amazing recently, scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich."
"Ah? Is that true?"
"Yes, I also think it's quite amazing."
Teammates began discussing the recently popular rising star Lance, full of curiosity about this teenager.
Antoine Griezmann, however, remained silent, the sleepiness in his eyes replaced by the burning flame of fighting spirit.
Antoine Griezmann had watched the entire Bayern Munich 3-4 Bayer Leverkusen match.
Despite the incomprehensible German commentary, Antoine Griezmann watched with his blood boiling!
This was a perfect opportunity to directly face Lance, and Antoine Griezmann really wanted to experience firsthand just how amazing this young prodigy was!
"Leverkusen, I'm coming."