With Mark scoring his first Bundesliga goal, Wolfsburg equalized on the road, bringing both teams back to square one.
The match time had reached the eighty-second minute.
However, Schalke, with the home advantage and an extra player, was still full of confidence for victory.
As head coach Keller waved his hand from the sidelines, Schalke's players continued their fierce attack.
Kolašinac, as the left-back, frequently pushed forward to assist, pinning Mark back into his own half.
Wolfsburg, familiar with the tactic, also retreated all players to their own half and, during counterattacks, tried to pass the ball to the two wings as much as possible.
Perisic or Mark would then break through the defense and create threats.
It is worth mentioning that the home team's twelfth man also started to exert pressure at this time!
Whenever Mark got the ball, deafening boos erupted in the Veltins Arena.
The piercing 'woo woo woo' sounds echoed in his ears, making it unbearable.
Mark even wished he could plug his ears.
"Damn it, it's just one goal against you guys, do you have to boo me like this?"
"Wouldn't it be better to save your energy to boo your traitors later..."
At first, Mark was somewhat affected by the piercing boos, not daring to dribble too much, passing the ball to teammates as soon as he got it.
After slowly getting used to the boos, he began to raise his hand for the ball.
However, just as he adapted to the boos, Kolašinac, this strong young man with bulging biceps, stuck close to him.
While marking him tightly, he didn't forget to trash-talk, interfering with Mark.
"If you dare to take the ball past me again, I'll cripple you!"
Facing the provocation from the Bosnian young man, Mark was not to be outdone:
"Come on, give it a try!"
"If you dare to come up, I dare to go past you!"
Kolašinac, who had a yellow card, was just talking tough.
Compared to the beginning, his actions had clearly become less reckless.
But every time Mark got the ball, he would immediately confront him, blocking his path head-on.
Moreover, he had also become smarter and no longer rushed to tackle easily.
Even so, Mark still held a clear advantage in the one-on-one battle on the wing against Kolašinac.
No other reason, as an attacking player, he has an absolute advantage when facing a defensive player.
The core of dribbling is the change in the center of gravity.
An attacking player with possession can always decide the direction of the center of gravity's change a step ahead, making it impossible for the defensive player to predict.
Except for a very few top defenders with excellent anticipation who choose to tackle, generally, when facing an opponent with excellent footwork, defenders will choose not to rush into tackles easily.
However, even if Kolašinac retreated while fighting and didn't tackle.
He still couldn't stop Mark from actively dribbling towards him, then drawing him out to tackle, and then getting past him in one swift move!
However, the Bosnian young man who was beaten was not discouraged; instead, he immediately turned and chased back, continuing to pester Mark, not allowing him to easily pass or continue advancing.
After several one-on-one situations on the wing, he also realized that while Mark's dribbling skills were varied and unpredictable.
His speed was not fast, making it impossible for him to completely shake him off after dribbling past.
However, Mark doesn't need to penetrate the penalty area and shoot after getting past the full-back to create danger!
After all, football is not a one-on-one duel, but a team sport!
"Mark drops back to receive the ball, a flick and a turn! Biu~~~ Tof!"
"Neustädter is left behind!"
"He didn't continue to advance but passed the ball!"
"De Bruyne gets the ball... a beautiful through pass!"
"Olić!!!"
"Oh, what a pity, the ball just narrowly missed the post..."
"Wolfsburg almost completed the comeback..."
As Schalke's attacks became more frantic, Wolfsburg also gained many counterattacking opportunities and space.
Both of Wolfsburg's wingers possess the ability to break through defenses.
De Bruyne, in the center, has the ability to transition from defense to offense and deliver precise passes.
Each of Wolfsburg's counterattacks, without committing too many players, could advance into the attacking third.
In contrast, Schalke's midfield lacked control over the rhythm, and young Meyer didn't get much possession;
Striker Huntelaar and Jérôme Boateng didn't quite get along, not passing to each other;
Farfán, despite his explosive ability on the wing, couldn't deliver very good passes.
Thus, as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, time passed bit by bit... Beep~ Beep~~ Beep~~~~
With the referee's long whistle, this Bundesliga battle for a top-four spot was declared over!
The score was one-all!
Thanks to Mark's tap-in in the seventy-ninth minute, Wolfsburg, playing with one less man since the first half, managed a difficult away draw against Schalke, escaping unscathed!
And after evaluation, Mark was named the Man of the Match by the Bundesliga official!
His impressive performance in the previous round against Hannover might have been a fluke.
However, in this crucial match, eighteen-year-old Mark proved himself with five successful dribbles in a single game and a goal!
It is worth mentioning that the Bundesliga's player rating system differs from the other five major Leagues, using a five-point scale.
One point is the highest, five points is the lowest.
Generally, one point is a perfect score, and four points is a passing score.
Mark, who was awarded Man of the Match, received a rating of two points!
Considering he only played for just over twenty minutes, this rating is almost a perfect score.
After the match, the Süddeutsche Zeitung also gave its review of Mark:
"This eighteen-year-old youngster was very active after coming on as a substitute and even scored the equalizer. His dribbling breakthroughs on the wing were simply unstoppable!"
It is worth mentioning that Max Meyer, a 'once-in-a-generation talent' of similar age, who won the U17 European Cup Golden Boot and was once hyped by German media, had a mediocre performance in this match, receiving only a four-point rating.
Mark only learned after the match that he had received the Man of the Match honor.
Thus, his first Bundesliga goal and first Bundesliga Man of the Match award were both achieved in one game!
Subsequently, as he shook hands and hugged his teammates, a club staff member approached him:
"Mark, the media wants to interview you."
Hearing this, Mark casually asked, "Did the coach agree?"
"He agreed."
"Then let's go!"
Following the club staff member to the interview area by the field, a male reporter in a suit and tie held a fluffy microphone up to him:
"Congratulations, Mark, you scored your first goal in the Bundesliga."
"How important is this goal to you?"
"I don't think scoring or not scoring is important; what's important is the team's victory..."
"Your dribbling was very impressive..."
"I like to dribble, and I hope to help the team win through breakthroughs and dribbling..."
"Do you have anything to say about the team's red card?"
Facing this clearly tricky question, Mark simply smiled faintly:
"I was sitting on the bench at the time and wasn't quite sure what happened. I respect the referee's decision..."
Hearing this answer, the reporter's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"This kid is very cunning..."
Finally, with Mark's airtight answers, he completed his first media interview...