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"Lance, can I interview you? What are your thoughts on scoring 4 goals against Roma and leading the Champions League top scorer list?"
"What are your goals for the Champions League this season?"
"Are you confident in competing with Real Madrid for first place in the group stage?"
Being surrounded by reporters was already commonplace. Lance answered fluently and spoke eloquently, comparable to a talk show host.
Son Heung-min and De Bruyne had already taken off their shirts, draped them over their shoulders, and were walking towards the locker room. Seeing Lance being interviewed, they couldn't help but stop and exclaim.
"He really is a superstar, isn't he?"
"That's right. This guy has stolen all the limelight."
"Was he always like this?"
Son Heung-min was very curious. In his impression, Chinese players were generally reserved, and many Japanese and Korean players were also not good at speaking.
Lance seemed to have no such concerns at all, as could be seen in the locker room. On his first day joining the team, he enthusiastically greeted everyone, and his sunny smile made it hard for people to refuse this young man.
The Bayer Leverkusen players did not reject him and were happy to pass the ball to Lance. This accelerated Lance's integration into the team.
Otherwise, a shy and dull player, with an average relationship with everyone, would make it difficult for teammates on the field to quickly build trust. It's likely that they wouldn't pass him the ball as quickly, nor would he grow as quickly.
"He used to be…"
De Bruyne recalled. Lance was actually quite reclusive before, especially in his first few months at Henk.
The team bullies often picked on Lance because of his skin colour. If Lance had just given in, it would have been fine.
But this guy was stubborn enough to stand up to the bullies in the youth academy. These guys were mostly seventeen or eighteen, tall and strong, and could easily overpower the slender Lance with one hand.
Even when Lance was beaten, he would grit his teeth and madly rush back to fight. Seeing that this guy simply couldn't be subdued and fought like a wild beast, he would go for a one-for-one trade, even if it meant injuring 800 enemies at the cost of 1000 of his own.
The Henk bullies were basically all afraid of Lance. Later, everyone knew that there was someone in the youth team in this neighbourhood who should not be provoked, because if pushed too far, he would hit without restraint.
"He wasn't like this before. Perhaps his confidence comes from growth."
Lance's strength was sufficient, and he worked hard enough to achieve better performance and cultivate confidence, constantly forming a positive cycle.
"When will I be like him?"
Son Heung-min couldn't help but sigh. The kid who joined the team at the same time had already become Bayer Leverkusen's most dazzling new star, leading the team to dominate in the Champions League.
Although Son Heung-min also had his highlights, he could only be considered a star with limited recognition. Few non-East Asian fans paid attention to Son Heung-min.
"Your strength and potential are both good. If you work harder, you can definitely do it."
De Bruyne glanced sideways at Son Heung-min. Experts can sense each other's capabilities.
In De Bruyne's opinion, Son, whether now or in the future, would certainly not be weak, enough to rank among the world's top-tier stars.
"Thank you, I believe you."
Lance could never have imagined that two future Premier League superstars of the same age, who had no connection whatsoever, had become teammates because of him and were now appreciating each other. After dealing with the reporters, he turned and walked back to the two of them.
The three young men, shirtless, embraced each other, full of youthful vigour. The reporter couldn't help but capture this photo, which later became widely circulated.
Who would have thought that three influential figures in the future of world football were now acting as a trident for Bayer Leverkusen, invincible!
"Bayer Leverkusen has been a bit up and down this season, with an early season slump and a recent burst of form. This is normal, because Bayer Leverkusen is the youngest team in the Bundesliga, with an average age of less than 24!"
"The attacking players Firmino, Son Heung-min, Lance, and De Bruyne are all young players, including the central defensive partnership in the backline, who are also young."
"As long as they get going, no team can stop them…"
Excerpted from a column by a Bild columnist, Dortmund legend and now a staunch "Lance fan," Matthäus.
After the 5-0 victory over Roma, in the 8th round of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen won comfortably 3-0 away against VfB Stuttgart.
The former VfB Stuttgart might have been a Bundesliga powerhouse, a Bundesliga champion, a strong contender for the top four. Now VfB Stuttgart is hovering on the edge of the relegation zone, and its combat power is no longer what it once was, at least not capable of stopping Bayer Leverkusen's powerful attacking combination.
After settling into this team, De Bruyne gradually showed the power of his future "world's best midfielder." Although active on the right wing, he frequently switched positions during the match to the centre to participate in organisation.
And De Bruyne's shadow was present in almost every final pass in the attacking third. Coupled with his individual ability to dribble and shoot, and the support of Lance, Son Heung-min, and Firmino, the attacking plays were constantly varied. Ultimately, De Bruyne provided a hat-trick of assists, helping Son Heung-min and Lance score, and was awarded the MVP for the match!
After the match, VfB Stuttgart coach Armin Veh also smiled wryly at the press conference:
"Last season's Bayer Leverkusen was strong, but their attack wasn't this powerful. If Bayer Leverkusen integrates well this new season, their attacking strength is truly a bit terrifying."
"They did very well in the transfer market, bringing in several world-class players…"
At the same time, Armin Veh also seemed to be taking the opportunity to complain about VfB Stuttgart's management. Previously, several key players like Mario Gómez, Khedira, and Rüdiger had left, and the club was unwilling to spend money to strengthen the squad.
No matter how skilled he was as a coach, how could he achieve results without players? As a result of Armin Veh's subtle complaints, he was suddenly announced to be sacked less than a month later.
The 3-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen became the trigger. Lance once again became a "coach killer," adding another coach to the list of those sacked in the Bundesliga due to Lance this season…
Two consecutive wins? No!
Three consecutive wins! Returning to the Champions League second leg, in Roma, Italy.
Playing at home, Roma lost 0-2 to Bayer Leverkusen, with Lance contributing 1 assist and 1 goal. Although his shots still had no advantage against world-class peak goalkeepers, playing against a team of Roma's calibre was still a piece of cake.
The Nagi Seishiro template was too useful for handling situations in the penalty area.
"After this match, Bayer Leverkusen has won all 4 group stage matches, securing early qualification for the knockout stage and temporarily ranking first in the group. Real Madrid double-defeated Premier League strong rivals Liverpool with scores of 3-0 and 1-0 in two legs, with 3 wins and 1 loss in 4 matches, ranking second in the group. Liverpool only defeated Roma twice, ranking 3rd, basically bidding farewell to the Champions League knockout stage and heading to the Europa League."
"Roma, as expected, finished last in the group, losing all 4 matches and being eliminated early from the group stage. The 'group of death' was not as intense as predicted, with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid demonstrating a generational gap in dominance."
"Especially Bayer Leverkusen, ever since they entered the semi-finals as a dark horse last season, they still possess a unique efficiency in defensive counterattacks in Europe this new season."
"Their performance against European powerhouses in the future knockout stages is worth our attention. The only remaining suspense in Group C is one match, at the Bernabéu Stadium: can Real Madrid successfully take revenge and reclaim first place in the group?"
"Based on goal difference and head-to-head records, Real Madrid must win the match by at least 2 goals to secure first place in the group based on goal difference…"
The first-leg defeat had a significant impact on Real Madrid. Real Madrid's 7-0 victory over Roma barely salvaged a glimmer of hope.
The difference between first and second in the group is significant; first place can avoid many strong opponents, while second place might face tough battles early and be regrettably eliminated.
Therefore, Cristiano Ronaldo also stated to the fans at the press conference:
"We will successfully defend the Bernabéu. Last time here, we defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-1. I hope this new season, we can give them another 4-1!"
With a week and a half remaining until the next Champions League match, the rivalry has already begun!