Chapter 597: Chapter 597 Schalke 04
Please vote to show me your support for the story. The higher we climb in the rankings, the more motivated I will feel. Mass releases will be rewarded for each 10 rankings we manage to climb.
Join Discord to connect with me and share your thoughts on the story so far. https://discord.gg/hTQJtj2K9U
#More than 10 Chapters ahead on my Patreon:
{!!!Please leave a review; it helps me a lot and lets me know how many people are invested in the future of this novel!!!}
~~~
[4]
Rakim shaped to shoot with his right, Rakim shaped to shoot with his left, but it was all a feint as he chopped the ball across to his left. The ball bounced up slightly, and he knocked it down toward the corner flag, nimbly dodging the foot of Caligiuri, who had tracked back. Fighting past the two defenders, he chased after the ball, swiftly turning inward the moment he reached it.
Picking out Amiri, he made a run from the other side of the box and looped a cross his way. The ball was nearly perfect, not too high-timed, just right to slip past the jumping head of the retreating McKennie. The opposing winger held off Miranda with his arm as he chested the ball into his path.
Amiri let the ball drop to his right boot and took it on the bounce with a half-volley that curled toward the near post, taking a venomous curve outward, looking to hug the post on its way in. But Alexander Nübel was alert and sprang to his left, gloved hand extended at full stretch, doing enough to tip the ball around the post for a corner.
"That’s world-class from Nübel!" Derek Rae exclaimed. "Strong wrists and a sharp reaction. That was heading in, Stewart."
"Absolutely, Derek," Robson agreed. "But you’ve got to admire the build-up as well. Leverkusen look crisp and dangerous. Rakim’s delivery, Amiri’s control—it’s sharp football, and if I’m Bosz I want to see more of that."
[5]
Demirbay raised a hand before he swung in a dangerous inswinger aimed for the front post. The ball whipped in with pace toward the designated spot, where chaos ensued. Bodies collided, arms flailing in the melee, and Bender took advantage of the mismatched Kutucu’s who had marked him, rising like a salmon.
Twisting his head in the air, he guided the ball goalward, deflecting it off Kabak’s shoulder before spinning wickedly toward goal. Nübel, caught in no-man’s land, could only watch as the ball struck the crossbar with a thunderous clang that echoed around the empty Veltins-Arena. "Off the woodwork!" Derek Rae’s voice cracked with excitement. "Leverkusen inches away from the opener!" The rebound fell kindly to Schöpf, who hoofed it clear with the desperation of a man defusing a bomb.
[12]
The home side’s first real venture forward came through the industrious McKennie, who had been quietly organising passes in the midfield. In one such instance, he picked up possession 30 yards from goal, the American’s head was up immediately, scanning for options.
Boujellab had peeled away from Tapsoba’s attention, drifting into the channel between centre-back and full-back. McKennie’s noticed him sending an inch-perfect pass, splitting the defence like a hot knife through butter. "Lovely vision from McKennie," Rae exclaimed as Boujellab controlled it with his first touch and shaped to shoot with his second.
He connected with the ball beautifully and sent a grounded shot across the goal. But Hradecky was equal to it, doing a split as he dove to his right, his stretched-out foot managing to deflect it. "What a save from the Finnish." Derek Rae exclaimed as Bender picked up the loose ball, sending it wide to Wendell.
"Sloppy defending from the visiting side, they owe this man massive thanks for keeping them scoreless." Robson analysed as the Leverkusen side played out of the back, maintaining possession as they reorganised.
[18]
The game’s first booking came as no surprise to those who knew Caligiuri’s reputation. The veteran winger, never one to shy away from the dark arts, lost his cool after being sent on another chase by the Leverkusen backline. Diving into the tackle, he caught Wendell with a late challenge just as the Brazilian was about to release the ball down the left flank.
Referee Daniel Siebert didn’t hesitate, brandishing the yellow card with a theatrical flourish. Despite the lack of fans to pressure him, he seemed eager to show the keyboard warriors, who had grown brazen during the lockdown, that he was righteous.
"Caligiuri’s has walked the tightrope his entire career," Robson chuckled. "He knows exactly what he’s doing there—disrupting Leverkusen’s rhythm, trying to get a rise out of them as he gets under their skin."
Wendell limped gingerly for a few steps before shaking it off, happy he wasn’t hurt too badly. "Luckily, he seems to be fine, though I can’t fault him for being angry after a wild tackle like that," Derek stated after watching the heated exchange of words between the Brazilian and Caligiuri.
[23]
The visitors were beginning to assert their technical superiority, with Havertz dropping deeper to collect possession and spray passes with the nonchalance of a master pianist. His every touch drew defenders, allowing him to get his teammates involved in the buildup. This allowed him to release them into dangerous areas with crisp through balls.
Rakim was the beneficiary of one such pass, the ball finding him in acres of space down the right. Kenny, Schalke’s on-loan Everton full-back, stepped up to meet him the moment the winger received the ball. Rakim didn’t even bother with any skill moves and merely knocked the ball past the defender and turned on the jets.
The Everton man was caught flat-footed as the winger accelerated past him with frightening pace. The cross that followed was wicked—low, hard, and begging for a connection. Alario threw himself at it, but Oczipka’s sliding block deflected the ball into the side-netting.
"That’s defending of the highest order from Oczipka," Rae proclaimed. "He read that danger brilliantly."
[31]
The opening goal came from the most unlikely of sources—and in the most chaotic of circumstances. Aranguiz’s free-kick from 25 yards was more hopeful than threatening, as the midfielder had intended to float it into the box. But football, as Stewart Robson was fond of saying, is a game of fine margins.
The ball struck Kenny’s shoulder as he turned away from the wall, changing its angle, as it was deflected in such a way that it wrong-footed everyone, including the goalkeeper. Nübel, who had shuffeld to the near post, could only watch in horror as the ball looped over his despairing dive and nestled into the far corner.
"Oh my word!" Derek Rae’s voice climbed several octaves. "What a bizarre way to break the deadlock! Aranguiz will claim that all day long, but Kenny will be hoping that doesn’t go down as an own goal!"
The Chilean midfielder raced away in celebration, arms aloft, while Kenny stood rooted to the spot, hands on his head in disbelief. Even Aranguiz wasn’t even the slightest bit embarrassed by his good fortune, as he celebrated the goal as if he had scored a world beater. His teammates soon mobbed him, keeping contact to a minimum as they shared in their joy.
[Shalke 0:1 Leverkusen: Aranguiz ’31]
[35]
Credit to Schalke as they didn’t let their heads drop. Within minutes of falling behind, they were level through a moment of brilliance that showcased their fighting spirit. Caligiuri’s corner from the right was a thing of beauty, perfectly hanging in the air just long enough for Kabak to time his run to perfection.
The Turkish defender, all six feet three inches of him, rose majestically above a crowd of players, his header finding the bottom corner with power and accuracy. Hradecky got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out; the power and placement were too much for even his considerable reach. "What a header!" Robson roared. "Kabak showing why he’s rated so highly! That’s a centre-half’s dream goal!"
The young Turk pumped his fists as his teammates engulfed him, the Schalke bench erupting in celebration. In the empty stands, you could almost hear the ghosts of 62,000 voices roaring their approval. The boys in blue celebrated the equiliser as if there had been a crowd to share in the joy.
[35’ Kabak: Shalke 1:1 Leverkusen]
[42]
The final minutes of the first half descended into a series of niggling fouls and heated exchanges. Demirbay was the first to see yellow for a cynical trip on McKennie as the American looked to launch a counter-attack, the German’s frustration evident as he kicked at the turf. Two minutes later, Weiser joined him in the referee’s notebook, the right-back’s late challenge on Boujellab earning Sibert’s disapproval and the youngster’s theatrical writhing on the turf.
"The game’s getting a bit tasty now," Rae observed as players from both sides squared up. "You can sense the tension building—both teams know how crucial this result could be."
As the whistle blew for half-time with the score locked at 1-1, both sets of players trudged toward the tunnel. In the commentary box, Derek Rae and Stewart Robson prepared for what promised to be a thrilling second half as they sped through their outro.
"Millions of viewers across Germany are in for a treat," Rae smiled into his microphone. "This one’s far from over."
[Shalke 1:1 Leverkusen]
.
.
.
.
To Be Continued...