Football singularity-Chapter 731 Dortmund (End)

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[2021-04-14, 20:44 | Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund]

[Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg | Dortmund (3) 1 v 2 (3) Leverkusen]

[89']

The free kick was to be taken just left of centre at the edge of the final third, quite a long range for even Rakim to try. Thus, Demirbay stepped up to the plate to deliver the ball into the box as the Lions took a 4-4-2 formation with Alario joining Schick upfront. He stood over the ball, scanning the approximately thirty-five-yard distance from the goal.

The positioning wasn't ideal for a direct shot—too far, too central—but perfect for a dangerous dink into the box. Leverkusen had pushed everyone forward except Lars Bender and Tapsoba, who remained on the halfway line. The edge of Dortmund's box was a sea of yellow and black—ten men behind the ball, bodies packed into every available space.

Hummels barked instructions, organising the two-man defensive wall following the keeper's guidance. Bürki positioned himself slightly to his right, covering the near post while keeping an eye on the far. Schick and Alario had both stationed themselves at the front and back of the human mass, being careful to stay onside.

Rakim had drifted close to the far right side, tightly guarded by Morey as they waited for the delivery. The referee checked his watch—four minutes of injury time had been signalled, and nearly two had already elapsed. Demirbay took four steps back, his eyes fixed on the box as he waited for the referee's go-ahead.

*(FWEEET!)*

The German midfielder began his run-up, measured and controlled. He struck the ball with the inside of his right foot, sending it curling toward the penalty spot with vicious pace. The ball sailed well over the two-man defensive wall, dipping as it approached the box, looking to fall in the area just ahead of the penalty spot.

The Leverkusen players who had been struck to the edge of the box thanks to the sharp Dortmund defensive line immediately surged into the box the moment Demirbay kicked the ball. Chaos ensued as both defenders and attackers fought for positions as they surged into the box. Tah tried to jump up, looking to redirect the ball goalward, but with Hummels draped all over him, he barely rose 2 centimetres.

Alario, who had been at the edge of the human mass before the kick, had somehow surged into the midst of action and rose into the air. Schick had the same idea, surging into the same area with his eyes only on the ball; of course, their markers were not too far behind. Thus, a situation arose in which both strikers faced off against Akanji and Can at the penalty spot.

However, their rushed takeoffs were shaky at best, and in attempts to write themselves in the air, they crashed into each other, collapsing like dominoes mid-air. Bailey made a gambit for the incoming ball, leaning into the air with Witesel trying to interfere, but before the ball could make the connection with his head, a shadow draped over him.

Bürki, who had been standing in his six-yard box when the kick was taken, had immediately surged forward instinctively calculating the ball's landing spot. Ignoring the four collapsing bodies, he jumped up, thrusting his fist up like the man of steel, punching it out of his box as he crashed into Bailey, entangling themselves with the fallen.

"Roman Bürki punches it out with authority!" Drury exclaimed as the ball looped high out of the goal, all eyes following after it. Time stilled for a second before being replaced by dread for the home side as a black and red 22 could be seen chasing after the falling ball. "The danger isnt over, yet Rakim is after it."

Morey had looked away for just a second to watch his keeper make the clearance when his marker disappeared. Without hesitation, he chased after him, considering committing a foul on his second touch as he would take the ball down. He wasn't the only one chasing after Winger, who had raced to the area just outside the left side of the box, as Bellingham had given up marking Tapsoba.

However, a similar scene to the last match played out: the stadium was different, and the position was much more difficult, yet Rakim launched himself into the air with his back to the goal. Bürki, still down in the tangle of bodies, seemed to realise what would happen next and struggled to get up, but he wasnt the only one with that idea. Thus, a situation occurred in which all five tried to get up, hitting each other and tripping to the ground.

Time waited for no one, and the keeper could only watch in dread as Rakim's back naturally fell horizontally. As if reaching the optimal angle, arms spread wide, his upper body stiffened as he locked in on the goal. Morey tripped just ahead of him, energy leaving his body as he watched his left boot violently smack the ball, creating a sound similar to a gunshot.

The sound of boot meeting leather echoed across the Signal Iduna Park like a thunderclap. The ball exploded off Rakim's left foot with violent force, spinning viciously as it cut through the night air. Time seemed to crawl forward faster as he collapsed to the ground like a bird whose wings had been snapped.

In the box, both Hummels and Bürki found a surge of strength, pushing everyone off them. They couldn't get up fully as the ball neared, travelling much faster than they could, as they stumbled, crawled, and hopped towards the goal, trying to impede its path. At the six-yard line, Bürki pushed off the ground, lunging forward, hand fully outstretched, reaching for the ball. He got all so close, brushing the tip of his middle finger, sending a burning sensation as the ball blitzed into the back of the net.

*(THUD)*

The ball smashed into the goal with such force that the entire goal shook. The net bulged violently, the white netting rippling from the impact before settling. For a heartbeat, the stadium was silent, but the loud roar of Rakim, who sprang up from the ground, brought chaos into existence.

"GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!" Drury's voice shattered the quiet, rising to a crescendo that seemed to shake the broadcast booth itself. "RAKIM REX! AN ABSOLUTE WONDER THUNDER-STRIKE! A BICYCLE KICK OF THE HIGHEST PROPORTION! LEVERKUSEN HAVE DONE IT! THEY'VE TAKEN THE LEAD!"

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Beglin roared, his usual composure completely shattered. "That is one of the greatest goals I have ever seen! A bicycle kick from twenty-five yards! In stoppage time of the Champions League quarter-final! Talk about a show stopper!"

[Borussia Dortmund (3) 1-3 (4) Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Rakim Rex 90+2']

Rakim raced to the corner, sliding belly-first the rest of the way, arms spread wide. On the touchline, Bosz had both fists in the air, screaming at the sky as the bench erupted in celebration. The Leverkusen bench had emptied, players and staff flooding toward the sideline in celebration.

Fredrick Bauer was jumping up and down, grabbing anyone nearby. In the Dortmund technical area, Terzić stood frozen, hands on his head, staring at the scene in disbelief. Reus had dropped to his knees on the pitch, his hands covering his face.

"He failed to convert it in the first leg, went back to the training ground and completed it spectacularly," Drury said, his voice still trembling with emotion. "The seventeen-year-old continues to amaze us with spectacular performances. For Dortmund, this means an exit from the tournament as extra time has well elapsed."

The referee eventually got the celebrations under control, gesturing for Leverkusen to return to their half so the match could restart. Rakim jogged back slowly, his teammates patting him on the back, ruffling his hair. His chest was still heaving, his heart racing, his mind in a haze, feeling the urge to do more, but at a glance at the clock, he knew he wouldn't get much more.

[90+4']

The dying minutes of extra time became hectic as the referee allowed play to continue beyond the originally indicated four minutes. Dortmund threw the restart forward in desperation, battling fully with the Leverkusen side, who tried to slow things down. With the ball moving faster between players, physical exertion increased as bodies clashed.

In one instant, following a failed attack, Hummels launched the ball from the halfway line following a few passes. Haaland wrestled free at the edge of the box, heading the ball to the left at the surging Sancho. Daley wedged himself between the ball and the winger, awkwardly kicking it away.

Reus reached it first, slotting it to Bellingham at the top of the box, and the Englishman struck it first time. He caught it sweetly, sending it rising through bodies—Hradecky never saw it until the last heartbeat. He could barely react when the ball banged off the bar with a loud clang, flying out for a goal kick.

(FWEEET! FWEEET! FWEEEET!)

[FT: Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen | Agg: 3-4]

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TO BE CONTINUED...