Football singularity-Chapter 357 The Special One

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"Oh, that was so close! A brilliant move from the Leverkusen attack, combining that dazzling speed down the left from Bailey and the vision from Rex! It looked like Volland was set to score, but he was a little too eager and put too much power behind that strike. A near miss, but the BayArena is alive with excitement!" Derek Rae stated with excitement still standing as he had also expected the striker to convert the chance.

Stewart Robson also intoned "What a passage of play, Derek. The fluidity, the speed, the precision... In his first few moments on the pitch, Rakim Rex showed us why he is so highly regarded at only 16 years old. He’s already found chemistry with Bailey and the rest of the attacking line. In his own words, he is indeed the special one,"

On the field, Rakim felt his heart race as he watched the near miss already feeling a bout of adrenaline swoop love him. Not minding it though he sent an apologetic smile to his team’s striker vowing to place it better next time before jogging back into position, his mind rapidly replaying the near miss. He could feel the pulse of the crowd, the excitement and energy that surged through the stands, and he knew that his first few touches had gotten their attention. Now they would definitely be watching him closely wanting to see what he could do.

"Absolutely. That was a statement from the young man," Derek Rae continued. "He’s only just come on, but he’s already making an impact. You have to wonder if Paderborn can handle more of that." A pause, as if the commentator was considering the implications of what the inclusion of Rakim could mean for the Leverkusen squad. "That £23.5 million price tag is already showing signs of being worth it on the attacking front."

The game pressed on, with Paderborn struggling to regain their composure after the scare. Since they were leading 1:2 they had reaffirmed their determination to hunker down in defence. The tension in the air continued to mount as they retreated into a more defensive shell, their 4-4-2 formation compact and difficult to break down. Leverkusen’s relentless pressure, with Rakim on the left flank and homegrown here Havertz on the right flank.

"Paderborn is definitely feeling the heat now, Stewart," Derek Rae observed, his voice carrying the weight of the situation. "Leverkusen has been throwing everything at them since the introduction of Rex, but the visitors are managing to stay organized. It’s clear they know what’s at stake here."

Stewart Robson agreed. "They’re showing resilience, but this is the kind of moment that can shift the tide. If Leverkusen can just find a way through, Paderborn’s lead could evaporate in the blink of an eye. The next goal—whether for Leverkusen or Paderborn—could decide this match."

[60th minute]

By this point, Rakim had already settled into the rhythm of the match playing much calmer than his earlier adrenaline-induced brilliance. That’s not to say he wasn’t giving his marker a hard time as he could be seen moving whenever the ball entered a 10-meter radius. He found himself breaking free of his marker as he connected in the passing game while trying to find an opening.

However, to the credit of the Paderborn defence, they were holding their own. Quite a few times, their defence would shift across whenever play shifted to the opposite wing. Even the few times Kai and Rakim sneaked past the opposing left and right midfielders, their defensive counterparts were there to fill the gap.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

It was during one of these back-and-froths, when Rakim suddenly dropped back down his flank the moment Baily cut inward, trying to create a passing option for Sven. He could feel the warm breath of his marker, who struggled to keep up with him, but he didn’t mind, as he still raised his hand, asking for the ball.

Seven who calmly controlled the ball hesitated to give him the ball as he could see the danger behind him. However, the Paderborn players did a good job of closing down all the nearest passing options. In the end, he was forced to give him the ball as he couldn’t risk a frontal confrontation with Michel who was charging at him.

Rakim easily received the ball on the halfway line only to feel the presence of Dräger who had followed him the next second. Raising his right foot, he went through the motions of a pass back to Wendell down the line only for his foot to miss the ball. At the next moment, his right foot scooped up the ball with his right foot turning to words the wing directly bypassing Dräger.

The defender had been expecting the winger to play it safe as he had been doing in his most recent touches so when he turned, he found himself flat-footed. By the time he could react and turn around Rakim had already gained 5 yards and continued to pick up pace. Chaos instantly ensued as the Paderborn defence converged on him trying to stop him at any cost, but the winger had an excited smile.

Pushing the ball forward he motioned for Bailey to break down the wing intending to send a through a ball. However, after noticing how the nearby defenders reacted to the change he decided against it. He chopped the ball with his left foot towards Baily trying to bait the two defenders closing him down before swiftly dragging the ball back across his body to his right foot.

His move worked as Vasiliadis took the bait finding himself unsteady but Strohdiek remained more composed trying to stand his ground. Rakim wasn’t done though as his right foot chopped the ball across his body again in sync with his left foot propelling him forward. Just as it looked like they would clash his right foot once again snaked around the ball performing a reverse elastico elevating the ball to his right as he jumped after it.

It was just in time to dodge the slide tackle from Gjasula, landing on the ground a second later he found himself slightly unsteady. That didn’t stop him from poking the ball through the legs of Hünemeier before snaking past him as he turned on his axis. Using one of his hands to hold off the experienced defender he latched onto the ball again with a clear sight of goal.

Hünemeier didn’t let him get by so easily though as he held onto his arm not willing to let their battle end. "Pass! Foul! Shoot!" Rakim heard a variety of shouts at that moment from teammates, fans and his inner voice. Not having time to weigh the pros and cons he simply decided to trust his inner voice, largely because it said the words that sounded most appealing to him.

Not hesitating he leaned into Hünemeier with his left arm as he let loose a curled shot from the left key just outside of the 18-yard box. Following the shot both of them fell to the ground as they watched the ball fly towards the gaol spinning wildly as it soared toward the top right corner of the net. Huth, the Paderborn goalkeeper, reacted quickly, diving with outstretched arms.

The ball dipped just at the last second, grazing Huth’s fingertips but not enough to divert its trajectory. It slammed into the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down into the net. "GOAL!" Derek Rae roared as the BayArena erupted in a cacophony of cheers, the sound reverberating through the stadium like a tidal wave. "Rakim Rex with a moment of absolute brilliance! What a strike from the 16-year-old! He’s levelled the score for Leverkusen, and the crowd is on their feet!"

Stewart Robson was equally enthused. "That was sensational, Derek. The composure, the footwork, and then that finish! To pull off a shot like that with a defender draped all over him—it’s extraordinary." He was breathless for a moment before he continued his commentary. "If anyone doubted why Leverkusen invested so heavily in this young man, they have their answer now. What a way to make his debut for the team by helping the equalise the score, Leverkusen 2:2 Paderborn in the 64th minute."

On the field, Rakim jumped up from the ground and raced to the right corner flag on the north stand behind the goal. Performing his signature Griddy celebration happy that he got to perform this celebration here at the BayArena getting off to a good start. To his delight, Bailey and Wendell joined him in the celebrations performing their versions of the griddy. Soon enough they were engulfed by the rest of their teammates.

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To Be Continued...