Chapter 609: Chapter 609 DFB-Pokal Final (END?)
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[105+2]
Volland exploded forward, leaping into the air between the centre-backs. The striker met the ball with the top of his head but was unable to guide it, sending it onto the back of Boateng’s head. It took an awkward deflection flying goalwards, forcing Neuer to backpedal frantically, but luck favoured him.
The ball did not come down in time, skimming off the top of the bar, bouncing out for a corner. "Almost rocked the Bayern goal for the fourth time in this match." Derek Rae shouted. "But you can see that they caught the scent of victory."
[105+3]
The corner that followed was chaos. Rakim’s delivery was perfect, hanging in the air as both sets of players charged toward the goal. Tapsoba rose highest at the back post, his header crashing off the crossbar before bouncing down into the six-yard box.
In the ensuing scramble, Havertz reacted quickest, stabbing the ball goalward from close range. Boateng threw himself across, but the ball squeezed under his body and trickled over the line by inches.
"GOAL! Havertz has done it again!" Stewart Robson screamed. "Leverkusen lead for the first time since the first half! What a cup final this is turning into!"
The goal sparked wild celebrations from the Leverkusen bench. Bosz was on his knees, hands to his head in disbelief, while his players mobbed Havertz near the corner flag.
[Bayern Munich 3-4 Bayer Leverkusen (Havertz 112’)]
[106]
The second period of extra time began with both sets of players looking like marathon runners in the final miles. Cramps were setting in, which had been treated by the medics during the intermission, allowing them to function for the final push. The medical staff remained on standby, ready to intervene if anything were to happen.
But the quality of football remained remarkably high for men running on fumes. "Fifteen minutes left, and Leverkusen lead by a single goal. Can Bayern find one more moment of magic, or will this be Leverkusen’s night?"
"Normally, I would say no, this late in the competition, but we have seen some phenomenal goals and honestly, I could see this game turning on its head one more time, Derek," Steward commented as the opening exchanges unfolded between both sides.
Bayern, despite trailing, kept its composure, passing the ball through their ranks. They worked the ball patiently, through Thiago and Kimmich combining in midfield as they probed for a breakthrough. Finding it hard to attack through the middle, Thiago sent the ball wide, narrowly skipping over Bellarabi’s interception to find Perisic, who received it on the turn.
Holding off Bender, he tapped the ball back to Goretzka, who surged forward, holding off Bellarabi. Goretzka surged forward, driving into space before sliding a pass wide to Coutinho. The Brazilian controlled neatly on the right edge of the box, cutting inside onto his left.
Bailey tracked back to help Wendell, but they couldn’t prevent the Brazilian from pulling the trigger. Coutinho let it fly, curling a strike toward the far top corner, narrowly missing the legs that slid in to block it. The players held their breath as they craned their necks to see where the ball would end up.
Hradecky leapt across, fingertips brushing the ball, pushing it wide, but not enough to stop it from flying in. The ball hit the inside of the post, rattling the net as the boys from Munich sprinted off in celebration.
Coutinho leapt up in joy, before racing off to the corner flag, dropping down into a powerful slide that tore up some of the turf. "GOAL! Philippe Coutinho delivers for Bayern!" Derek Rae roared. "And once again, the Cup final is level—this is unbelievable!"
Robson followed up, almost laughing in disbelief. "You can’t write this. Derek Coutinho has just produced a world-class finish at the most critical time. Fine margins separate these two teams, and right now, nothing. Both teams are flat-out refusing to lose!"
[Bayern Munich 4-4 Bayer Leverkusen (Coutinho 108’)]
[117]
The next ten minutes were a slugfest of attacks, tackles, and defensive brilliance from both sides. Rakim found himself dribbling past a couple of players a few times but was either unable to get a shot off or create a meaningful assist for his teammates. He wasn’t the only one struggling to produce, as Perišić found it hard to break past Lars Bender once the full back had adjusted to him.
The German seemed to have a wellspring of stamina that continued to gush out the harder he tried. A couple of times, he wrestled the ball free from Bayern players or came sliding in, winning the ball or taking out the man. It had all become the same as long as the ball did not enter his team’s 18-yard box.
In the midst of this turmoil, Thiago tried to slow the tempo with his passing, under Flick’s instruction. However, Leverkusen continued to press hard, hunting down the ball as they ignored their tired legs. In the 18th minute, however, they found a sudden breakthrough after a long clearance from Alaba.
Lewandowski rose above Tapsoba just past midfield, heading the ball to his left into the path of Perišić. The Croatian received the ball on the chest, knocking it into his path, forcing Bender to rapidly back track. In a moment, the entire Bayern team exploded forward as the Leverkusen defensive shape collapsed.
Perisic drove down the left channel, his legs pumping despite the fatigue that had set into every muscle. Bender was tracking him stride for stride, with long, rapid side steps as he kept a hand out to gauge the opponent’s distance. The Croatian knew that his opponent was setting him up to take him out, and if he didn’t do something, it would be inevitable.
As they approached the penalty area, the winger dipped his left shoulder as if to break through on the flank. He managed to get the German to turn his hip slightly and immediately attacked, breaking inside with a burst of acceleration. Perišić cut inside, driving toward the box with Lewandowski screaming for the ball as he made a run.
The Croatian winger looked up for the briefest moment before deciding to pull the trigger himself. Striking hard and low toward the bottom corner, the ball left his boot with a bang. Hradecky remained alive, though reacting instantly, diving down to his right to smother the shot with both palms.
The rebound splattered out awkwardly into the six-yard box, but the Finnish keeper sprang up to smother it before Lewandowski and Tapsoba came charging in. "Well, Derek, they needed a hero, and Hradecky does what he has done all season comes to the rescue."
[120+2]
In the dying minutes of extra time, Bailey had charged up the left flank, skipping past two defenders before being taken down by a harsh tackle from Pavard. The referee did not even hesitate to blow his whistle, signalling a free kick as he went into his pocket, giving Pavard his second yellow, sending him off.
"Well, steward, when you go in like that, you can’t expect anything less. His night is over and rightly so." Derek exclaimed a strong reply to the tackle that can only be considered late, no matter the angle. "I understand the tactical thinking, but to me, he should have done it further upfield. Especially with the setpiece talent on that Leverkusen side."
"That’s desperation from Pavard, he’s been struggling all game, and he tried to make up for it in one big moment. The fact of the matter is, Bailey had him beaten for pace, and rather than let him get the cross in, he’s taken the man out. The booking is justified, leaving Bayern down to ten men, and a free kick in a dangerous position to defend with time almost up." Stewart calmly analysed, not feeling the slightest bit of sympathy for the Frenchman.
[120+3]
The free kick was positioned twenty-eight yards from goal, slightly left of the box, perfect for a right-footed strike or left-footed cross. Rakim stood over the ball, with Havertz as they discussed what to do with it. Moments later, the pitch fell into silence as the two of them faced the four-man wall in front of them.
Neuer crouched on his line, barking final instructions, his gloves slapping together as he prepared for what could be the decisive moment. "This is it, Stewart." Derek Rae’s voice was barely above a whisper.
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To Be Continued...