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The Bayer Leverkusen coaching staff office was brightly lit.
Tomorrow is the big match against Bayern Munich, essentially the "Bundesliga Final." Whoever wins this "Battle of the Titans" will take the initiative in the Bundesliga title race!
Currently, it's Matchday 28 of the Bundesliga, with 6 rounds remaining until the end of the season. If they lose and fall 4 points behind, they can only pray for Bayern Munich to give them a chance; otherwise, if Bayern Munich goes on a 6-game winning streak… It wouldn't matter if Bayer Leverkusen beat other teams 100-0; they would still lose the title.
But if they prioritize the Bundesliga, and were unfortunately overturned by FC Barcelona in the Champions League second leg, missing the chance for the Champions League semifinals, Bayer Leverkusen would also be very regretful!
"Damn the German Football Association! A bunch of pigs!!"
The cigar between Sascha Lewandowski's fingers had burned down. Smoke billowed throughout the conference room. He was practically pulling his hair out, still unable to figure out tomorrow's starting lineup. He could only rage in futility, cursing the German Football Association to vent his anger.
But the German Football Association was also wronged; was there anything wrong with their schedule? Before playing Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen only encountered weak teams like FC Augsburg and Eintracht Braunschweig, so they had already taken good care of Bayer Leverkusen.
Who knew Bayer Leverkusen could surprisingly upset teams all the way to the Champions League quarterfinals and even go head-to-head with FC Barcelona? If they had lost 0-2 to FC Barcelona in the first leg, the coaching staff wouldn't have been so conflicted.
"It truly is a happy problem…"
Sami Hyypiä smiled bitterly from the side. Even the club's current CEO, Michael Schade, was in the coaching staff meeting, looking worried.
"How about we just give up on the Champions League?"
"Michael, are you willing to do that? If we reach the semifinals, the prize money and broadcasting fees could increase significantly."
Sami Hyypiä deliberately teased his CEO, wanting to see his reaction. If they stopped at the Champions League quarterfinals, the prize money would be 12.5 million euros, with broadcasting shares estimated around 12 million; If they advanced to the semifinals, the prize money would be 15 million euros, with shares at least 18 million.
Overall, the total revenue could increase by nearly 10 million euros! For a powerhouse, 10 million is not a small sum, let alone for cash-strapped Bayer Leverkusen. Son Heung-min, their biggest summer signing, was only 10 million euros.
This money might even allow them to sign another talented star next season! Seeing the 4-2 comeback against FC Barcelona, they only needed a draw in the second leg to advance to the Champions League semifinals!
It would be quite a pity to miss out on 10 million for the sake of competing for the Bundesliga title. But if they were greedy for this 10 million and lost the Bundesliga title, it would also be regrettable.
The conflict on CEO Michael's face made Sami Hyypiä find amusement in his own misery.
"Never mind, no matter what…"
Finally, CEO Michael Schade, as the club's manager, after finishing three cigars, finally showed the resolve of a leader.
"No matter what! Even if we lose both the Bundesliga title and the Champions League semifinals, this season has still been a successful one! Think about it, Champions League quarterfinals, Bundesliga runner-up… would we have dared to dream of that last year? Not at all!"
"We have made great progress! As long as we can retain our core players and strengthen the squad in the summer, I am confident we can go even further next season! So, I won't put any pressure on you this season. Whatever decision you make, the whole team will face it together!"
Sascha Lewandowski and Sami Hyypiä exchanged glances, feeling quite relieved. Compared to management that pressures the coaching staff and constantly threatens dismissals, Michael was quite humane.
In the end, it was the more fiery Sascha Lewandowski who gritted his teeth and slammed the table.
"Brothers, I want it all! What do you say?"
"I think the players also don't want to miss out on any honors, even if these two weeks will be a bit tiring! Let's just do it!"
Sami Hyypiä also got excited for once.
...
The next day, before the Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich match. Bayer Leverkusen's official announcement of their starting lineup sparked widespread discussion in the German media!
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Bayer Leverkusen 4-4-1-1
Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno
Defenders: Roberto Hilbert, Philipp Wollscheid, Tin Jedvaj, Panagiotis Stafylidis
Midfielders: Robbie Kruse, Emre Can, Jens Hegeler, Andrés Guardado
Forwards: Lance, Eren Derdiyok
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Bayern Munich 4-3-3
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defenders: Rafinha, Jérôme Boateng, Dante, David Alaba
Midfielders: Philipp Lahm, Javi Martínez, Toni Kroos
Forwards: Thomas Müller, Mario Götze, Xherdan Shaqiri
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"Welcome to today's Bundesliga highlight match. I'm your old friend Mehmet Scholl, and next to me is our familiar partner, Oliver Kahn. Oliver, today's Battle of the Titans, both teams' starting lineups are very interesting, what do you think?"
Oliver Kahn smiled:
"Clearly, Bayer Leverkusen is more eager to reach the Champions League semifinals; they have already rotated their squad. The defense and midfield have almost all been replaced by substitutes, with only Lance supporting the attack. Looking at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola clearly cannot allow the Bundesliga title to be snatched away."
"Even though they just played Atlético Madrid three days ago, Pep Guardiola still used largely the same starting lineup. Only Thiago was replaced by Philipp Lahm. This season, under Pep Guardiola's transformation, Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has gradually shifted from right-back to defensive midfielder. The recent match results have been quite good."
"Furthermore, due to injuries to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry, even though they have a center-forward in Mario Mandžukić, Pep Guardiola still prefers a false nine lineup, which aligns with his characteristics."
"Exactly! Bayern Munich hopes to strengthen ball possession, and even though they lost to Atlético Madrid in the last game, they are still committed to this path. Bayer Leverkusen is clearly preparing to play defensive counter-attack. It remains to be seen if this group of substitute defenders can withstand Bayern Munich's fierce attack…"
...
To be honest, Lance didn't expect the coach to be so bold as to rotate the entire midfield and defense. He and goalkeeper Bernd Leno were the only two remaining players from the starting lineup against FC Barcelona.
This shows how important Lance is to this Bayer Leverkusen squad. The day before the match, Sascha Lewandowski even specifically consulted the fitness coach and team doctor about Lance's physical condition.
"Lance's recovery speed is very fast. Although his stamina is still a weakness, for a young player, he has almost recovered in three days."
Therefore, the coaching staff dared to let Lance start! Lance himself also felt that his body was recovering very well, possibly due to the system's hidden buffs. As long as he ensured sufficient rest, playing two games a week was not a big problem.
As soon as the match began, Lance was subjected to Bayern Munich's pressure. He had to participate in the defensive formation and work with his teammates to restrict Bayern Munich's ball possession. This was Lance's first time directly marking Philipp Lahm in the defensive midfield position.
Watching Philipp Lahm approach with the ball, Lance quickly pressed him. Philipp Lahm had already moved the ball. Lance quickly accelerated to chase back. As the two crossed paths, they eyed each other with caution!
"Bayern Munich's pressing is very strong. Nearly 30 minutes into the first half, they have consistently used ball possession and high pressing to limit Bayer Leverkusen's passing options."
"It seems Bayer Leverkusen's counter-attack will have to rely solely on Lance… Can he deliver the perfect performance he showed against FC Barcelona last time?"
Bayer Leverkusen fans watching on TV couldn't help but feel nervous when they heard the commentator's words. Seeing Bayer Leverkusen's rotated lineup, everyone's hearts sank. It clearly showed they wanted to give up on the Bundesliga and focus solely on the Champions League.
How foolish! They had a chance to compete for the Bundesliga title, why give up so easily? Rotating all the main players in the midfield and defense, that was too bold! With only Lance leading the attack!
In fact, Sascha Lewandowski and Sami Hyypiä had their own reasons for the rotation.
"Today, it's all about Lance's performance. The stage is set for him. Can he do it, Lance?"
"Don't worry."
Sami Hyypiä always had blind faith in Lance.
"If anyone on the team can stand alone and save the team, it's this kid!"
As they were speaking, Lance had already dribbled the ball into Bayern Munich's half! Today, to play counter-attacking football, it was no surprise!
[Bachira Meguru] template!
Rage 100%!