Football singularity-Chapter 415 Tactical

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[Wed, 29/05/2019, 17:46, Zdzisław-Krzyszkowiak-Stadion, Poland]

Germany had weathered the storm. Their goal remained intact, but the Italian side had made their intentions clear—they would not go into the break without a fight. With two minutes of stoppage time left, Italy were still pushing, determined to find the equalizer before halftime.

Paul Gartner’s voice carried the tension of the moment. "This has been an intense last ten minutes for Germany. Italy have thrown everything at them, but so far, the defence has stood strong. Two minutes of stoppage time—can Germany hold on, or will Italy finally break through?"

Germany restarted play with a goal kick, Unbehaun signalling for his team to push up the field. He sent a long, powerful punt toward Moukoko, who leapt for the header against Gabbia. The Italian defender won the aerial duel, but his clearance only reached Engelhardt, who immediately switched play to the right, finding Batista Meier.

Meier controlled the ball with his chest and quickly flicked it toward Wirtz, who turned sharply to evade Rovella’s pressing.

"Germany looking to break just before halftime. They’ve absorbed a lot of pressure—now can they dish some back?" Gartner asked.

Rakim Rex had been lurking on the left flank, waiting for his moment. As Wirtz lifted his head, he spotted the winger making his move, sprinting in behind Bellanova. Without hesitation, Wirtz sent a lofted through-ball toward him.

"And here comes Rex once again! Can Italy handle him this time?" Gartner’s voice rose in anticipation.

Rakim’s first touch was immaculate, cushioning the ball perfectly into his stride as he cut inside. Bellanova desperately tried to recover, but the German winger was already gone, ghosting past the right-back with frightening ease. With space opening up in front of him, Rakim accelerated toward the penalty area, forcing Bove and Gabbia to collapse on him.

Instead of forcing a shot, Rakim spotted Moukoko making a darting run toward the six-yard box. He feinted as if to shoot, then at the last second, slid the ball across the face of the goal. Moukoko stretched—just inches away. The ball rolled past him, flashing across the goal line before skipping out of reach at the back post.

"So close! Rakim Rex with an inch-perfect ball, but no one can apply the finishing touch!" Gartner shouted.

The Italian fans exhaled in relief as Plizzari gathered the loose ball. He wasted no time, hurling it forward to Tonali in midfield. Italy had one last chance before the whistle. Tonali charged forward, skipping past Engelhardt before spreading the ball wide to Kean. The Juventus winger, desperate to make something happen, took on Simon Asta, driving toward the byline. Asta held his ground, staying tight to Kean, forcing him into a difficult angle.

But Kean had other ideas. Instead of crossing, he cut inside at the last second and rifled a low, drilled shot toward the near post. Unbehaun had been facing that way as his positioning was perfect and didn’t waste time dropping down quickly and parried the ball away with both hands. The ball rolled out of the box toward Niklas Tauer, who booted it into the stands just as the referee blew his whistle.

[Halftime Germany 1:0 Italy]

The players let out deep breaths, some bending over with their hands on their knees. The first half had been gruelling—tactically intense, physically demanding, and emotionally charged. The Germans jogged toward the tunnel with their heads held high, knowing they had executed their game plan well. Meanwhile, the Italians exchanged frustrated glances, their expressions filled with determination to turn things around in the second half.

Paul Gartner wrapped up his halftime analysis. "A fascinating first half here in Bydgoszcz. Germany took the lead through a brilliant Rakim Rex assist and a clinical Moukoko finish, but Italy tested them with wave after wave of attacks. A post, a last-ditch block, and a fantastic performance from Luca Unbehaun have kept the Azzurrini off the scoresheet. Can Germany hold on, or will Italy find a way back into this match? We’ll find out in the second half!"

As the players disappeared down the tunnel, the cameras panned to the fans. The German supporters were jubilant, singing and waving their flags, while the Italian fans remained hopeful, urging their team on with passionate chants.

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[Wed, 29/05/2019, 18:00, Zdzisław-Krzyszkowiak-Stadion, Poland]

"Here we go once again another chance for glory for both sides as Malik Tillman is set to kick off for the German side. He replaces Youssoufa Moukoko today’s goal scorer due to injury reasons, Im yet to be told the specifics." Paul Gartner stated as he tried to hype up the viewers on the stream as both sides got into their formation.

From the looks of it, Germany shifted into a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation from their previous attacking 4-3-3. Baum opted for stability since they were already leading as he prompted the midfield pivot of Angelo Stiller and Niklas Tauer to stay back more. Breaking IP the Italian counters and supporting the attacking quartet became their primary role.

With the added fresh set of legs from Malik Tillman their attacks should become more threatening or energetic at the least. In the Italian’s case, they adopted a more attacking strategy focused on spreading the Germans wide which was doomed to fail if their opponents followed Baum’s instructions. The German Coach had repeatedly emphasized for them to narrow the midfield on the counter.

Was he worried about crosses? the simple answer was yes but he trusted his two central defenders Ariel Dominance more. The whistle blew, and the second half commenced with Italy pushing forward looking to press early in search of an equalizer. However, the German sides didn’t let the pressure rattle them as they kept possession calmly letting their opponents run after the zipping ball.

The two defensive pivots dictated the flow of passes like clockwork as the rest of the team reacted like a well-oiled machine. Running into space, pass repeat unfolded as the players manoeuvred around their opponents effectively retaining possession of the ball. The only common sequence in this was the fact that Yannik Engelhardt and Niklas Tauer remained in the middle of the pitch.

The other players worked around them often switching positions with their teammates as they treated their opponents like obstacles. The Italians, growing frustrated, began to press more aggressively, hoping to disrupt the Germans’ rhythm. Sandro Tonali pushed higher, attempting to intercept passes from Engelhardt and Tauer, while Rovella and Vignato tried to block the passing lanes to Wirtz. This change in intensity led to a few scrappy moments, with both sides engaging in physical duels across the pitch.

In the 52nd minute, Italy finally forced a turnover. Moise Kean dispossessed Asta on the right flank and surged forward, cutting inside with a burst of speed. He slid a precise pass into the feet of Giacomo Raspadori, who attempted a first-time shot, but Bella-Kotchap was quick to react, throwing himself into a vital block that sent the ball spinning out for a corner.

From the resulting set piece, Tonali whipped in a dangerous cross. Matteo Gabbia rose highest, connecting with a powerful header, but Unbehaun reacted swiftly, stretching out to parry the ball away with a firm hand. The Germans cleared their lines and attempted to slow down the tempo, unwilling to get dragged into a chaotic end-to-end battle.

From the resulting set piece, Tonali whipped in a dangerous cross. Matteo Gabbia rose highest, connecting with a powerful header, but Unbehaun reacted swiftly, stretching out to parry the ball away with a firm hand. The Germans cleared their lines and attempted to slow down the tempo, unwilling to get dragged into a chaotic end-to-end battle.

Baum, sensing that Italy was beginning to find their momentum, gestured for his side to compact their shape even further. Rakim Rex and Oliver Batista Meier were instructed to drop deeper, helping out in midfield while Malik Tillman operated as the lone outlet in attack. This was the plan until they weathered the attacking onslaught from their Italian opponents.

Despite Germany’s disciplined defensive approach, Italy remained persistent. Wilfried Gnonto began to find space on the right, testing Katterbach with his quick feet and direct dribbling. In the 56th minute, Gnonto managed to break through, cutting inside and unleashing a fierce strike from just outside the box.

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To be Continued...