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Ever since Hakan Çalhanoğlu arrived at Bayer Leverkusen, he has been compared to Lance from the very first second.
Bayer Leverkusen bought him primarily for his offensive organisational skills, intending for him to be the core of their attack.
With his passing ability, and the threat of his free kicks and long-range shots, Hakan Çalhanoğlu's technical characteristics were completely different from Lance's.
But what did the fans care about such details?
"Hakan Çalhanoğlu is nowhere near as good as Lance, not even close."
"I still want King Lance back."
"His goal-scoring level is simply not good enough."
Every time Hakan Çalhanoğlu saw these comments, he felt a surge of suppressed anger.
I'm just a midfielder, why am I being compared to Lance?
In the first four Bundesliga rounds, Bayer Leverkusen had two wins and two losses, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu had certainly tried his best.
He was determined to prove that Lance's era was over!
Now, the core of Bayer Leverkusen is me, Hakan!
"Little Pea!! Pay attention to your runs forward!"
"No problem."
Little Pea Hernández gave an OK gesture.
Back in the Ferguson era at Manchester United, he was full of spirit, a beloved super sub for the fans.
Later, he was loaned to Real Madrid, and eventually made his way to Bayer Leverkusen.
Little Pea only knew how to poach goals; he lacked dribbling, passing, and hold-up play, and his weaknesses were infinitely magnified.
His once baby face had also aged considerably.
On the pitch, he diligently made runs.
Perhaps you wouldn't see him for 90 minutes, but if he appeared in a crucial position for just one minute, he would create a deadly threat!
Like this time!
"Thirty minutes into the first half, both sides are still relatively cautious. Bayer Leverkusen and Atlético Madrid are both known for their defensive counter-attacks. Both sides are more focused on defensive solidity, not giving the opponent too many chances. Now Bayer Leverkusen has possession, and Atlético Madrid has retreated into the box for low-block defence. Hakan Çalhanoğlu, will he pass to the right? Julian Brandt has found some space. Oh!! This ball!"
Hakan Çalhanoğlu feinted past Gabi, and a central through ball caught Atlético Madrid off guard!
The Uruguayan centre-back duo Godín and Giménez reacted half a beat too slow.
Little Pea had already glided past them like a ghost, taking the ball and immediately taking a shot!
"Shit!!"
"My God!"
"What the heck?"
Lance was stunned.
A striker with no physique, no technique, and no speed—a "three-no" striker—
Could he generate such power just by off-ball movement?
Little Pea's low shot was headed straight for the corner, and Bayer Leverkusen players were already raising their hands to celebrate.
No sooner said than done!
A pair of white gloves shot out from the side, just barely blocking the ball out for a corner before it could enter the goal!
"Beautiful shot! Brilliant save! Oblak has saved Atlético Madrid from disaster!"
Perhaps for the first 30 minutes, fans who stayed up late to watch the Champions League were almost falling asleep.
Waking up at 3:45 AM, it was now past 4 AM.
They were suddenly jolted awake from their hazy state!
Their hearts almost skipped a beat! They felt much more awake!
"That was truly beautiful, Hakan Çalhanoğlu's pass was excellent, and hey! Little Pea's run was also brilliant, showing some of his Manchester United flair."
"The striker Sir Alex brought from Mexico, once Manchester United's top scorer, won the Premier League Young Player of the Season in his debut season. This season, on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, he has already scored four Bundesliga goals, tied with Lewandowski. His form has improved significantly! Atlético Madrid's defence will likely face a tough test today…"
Bayer Leverkusen was not weak, and Jian Jun couldn't help but worry for Atlético Madrid.
Chinese fans were also conflicted; they had some affection for Bayer Leverkusen, but they wanted Lance to win even more.
Bayer Leverkusen was in high spirits, pressing Atlético Madrid for most of the latter part of the first half.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu frequently showcased his abilities, with several consecutive passes constantly exploiting Atlético Madrid's weaknesses.
Little Pea was elusive in the box, and every time he appeared on camera, it spelt trouble.
Atlético Madrid, aiming for the championship, was sweating profusely for a whilst!
"Hakan — Hakan — Hakan —"
Due to Hakan Çalhanoğlu's excellent performance, he also received cheers from the BayArena, with tens of thousands of people shouting his name.
"See? As long as they can lead the team to victory, they can still forget the past and welcome a new king!"
With the momentum seemingly surpassing Lance, Hakan Çalhanoğlu couldn't help but feel a little smug, his eyes unconsciously drifting towards Lance.
However, Lance completely ignored him, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu awkwardly scratched his head.
Who knew about the midfielder's little thoughts on the other side?
Lance didn't care at all.
He was fully focused on observing the opponent's weaknesses, trying to find opportunities.
Today, he brought the Bachira Meguru, Hyuga Kojiro, and Meteor templates, precisely to launch quick counter-attacks.
As the first half was nearing its end, Lance found an opportunity.
"Antoine!!"
"Coming!!"
Little Pea's shot was too central and was caught by goalkeeper Oblak.
He launched a quick attack with a throw.
Koke chested the ball down, using his Spanish flair to elude Hakan Çalhanoğlu's pressing, and then sent a through ball to Lance.
Lars Bender and Kevin Kampl, the two defensive midfielders, simultaneously closed in.
They knew Lance's capabilities very well and absolutely couldn't let him cross the halfway line.
They expected Lance to show off his footwork, but to their surprise, he didn't even stop the ball, making a decisive pass to the left wing in zero frames!
"Lance!! Oh my goodness, that ball!! Griezmann has space ahead!"
Zhang slapped his thigh!
Lance's pass was brilliant!
He used minimal effort to dismantle Bayer Leverkusen's defence!
Griezmann dribbled past the right-back, drove straight into the box, and crossed to Torres on the right!
"Torres!!"
The former world-class striker, the omnipotent El Niño, with the ball, who would dare to ignore him?
Two players immediately went to double-team him, physically blocking Torres to prevent him from turning.
Torres shielded the ball in the box, just as he was getting anxious, a figure quickly arrived at the edge of the box!
"So fast!!"
In the blink of an eye, Lance had incredibly charged from the centre circle to the penalty area; Torres didn't have time to think and laid the ball back.
"Oh no!!"
"Don't let him shoot—"
"Block him!!!"
Everyone knew the power of Lance's long-range shot, but they were still half a step too slow.
"Heavy Cannon" fired!
The weapon once used against enemies now turned its barrel towards the Bayer Leverkusen goal.
Bang —
A powerful and decisive strike!
Leno couldn't stop it at all, watching helplessly as the football smashed into the corner!
"Lance — that ball is in!!!"
"Only two shots in the first half, and one goal scored!"
"The surging Bayer Leverkusen receives a heavy blow! Atlético Madrid takes the lead!"
Originally, Hakan Çalhanoğlu was still fantasising about defeating Lance and becoming Bayer Leverkusen's new king.
Now, the entire BayArena was chanting Lance's name, cheering for their opponent!
"King Lance — King Lance —"
"Great King, the invincible Lance!"
Hakan Çalhanoğlu's belief completely collapsed.
"Whose home ground is this, anyway?"
...
"Goooooooal —"
"2-0!!! Atlético Madrid scores again in the second half!"
"It's Lance again!!"
"He scored a brace in his first Champions League match of the new season, scoring against his former club twice, and choosing not to celebrate either time."
"In previous seasons, Atlético Madrid had the strongest iron wall in the world, but unfortunately, they met the world's sharpest trident and couldn't defeat Barcelona."
"Now, Atlético Madrid not only possesses a solid fortress but also the sharpest siege cannon! They may not be the most famous team, but they are definitely the team with the strongest overall strength!"
Jian Jun's voice rose, roaring passionately.
Today's group stage match should no longer be in doubt.
No one else in the group was a match for Atlético Madrid.
Lance, in his third season, would have the chance to reach the Champions League knockout stage for three consecutive years!