CHAPTER 640: CHAPTER 640 MADRID (3)

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[60’]

The equaliser shifted the momentum completely in favour of the two teams. Madrid, now confident, began to assert control more actively, with Modrić’s passing range increasing. His ability to find pockets of space allowed him to navigate Leverkusen’s aggressive press seamlessly.

He managed to get Vinny loose on a through ball on the left flank, but Frimpong managed to stop him with a foul before he could get loose. They managed to stop the resulting set piece, but Real Madrid became increasingly more dangerous for the German side. Their increasing attacking threat forced the Leverkusen side to play a tighter defence once again.

Bosz, seeing this, responded by making a change in the sixty-second minute, bringing on Wendell for Sinkgraven, who had been struggling against the rejuvenated Madrid attack. Lars Bender was also brought on to tag, put the seventeen-year-old who had done his best to keep the Brazilian superstar at bay.

"A tyre change in the defence, Bosz will be hoping for more stability in that back four," Tyldesley observed. "Wendell and Lars both bring more defensive solidity, and they need it now. Madrid has seized control since that equaliser."

[65’]

Despite the change, Madrid continued to press, sensing blood in the water, forcing the Leverkusen defensive pivots to become more physical. The centre of the midfield became a meat grinder, a literal no-go zone, forcing Madrid’s midfielders to attack from wide, from further down the field.

In the sixty-fifth minute, Hazard, who had been biding his time, finally got his motor running. He received the ball on the left wing and faced up against Wendell, with Rakim quickly tracking back. The Belgian did not panic, using nimble footwork, a quick stepover, and a shift of weight, and suddenly he was gliding past the Brazilian defender.

Hazard cut inside onto his left foot, drawing Tah toward him. Just as the defender committed, he slipped a pass through to Benzema, who had dropped deep again. The French striker turned brilliantly, but Tapsoba was there to make a crucial interception, sliding in to poke the ball away.

"Tapsoba with another important tackle," McManaman noted. "He’s been immense for Leverkusen tonight, but Madrid are finding more and more space now."

The match quickly became a war of attrition in midfield, with both teams refusing to give an inch. Palacios and Baumgartlinger were throwing their bodies into every challenge, disrupting Madrid’s rhythm, but the Spanish giants kept coming.

In the sixty-eighth minute, Kroos found space thirty yards from goal and suddenly unleashed a long-range effort. The ball dipped viciously, forcing Hrádecký to backpedal quickly. The Finnish goalkeeper stretched high, managing to get his fingertips on the ball, tipping it over the bar.

"Another save from Hrádecký!" Tyldesley exclaimed. "He’s keeping Leverkusen in this match single-handedly!"

The resulting corner was whipped in by Modrić with pace, curling toward the near post. Ramos attacked it with aggression, but Tah matched him in the air, heading it clear before the Spanish captain could make contact.

[71’]

In the seventy-first minute, Leverkusen tried to hit back on the counter. Rakim collected the ball on the left touchline after Baumgartlinger won it from Casemiro with a crunching tackle. The seventeen-year-old was immediately off, without a hint of fatigue as he drove at the Madrid defence.

He drove forward at pace, cutting inwards at the halfway line to dodge Kross’s interference. "Rakim has passed two now; this could be dangerous if he gets going." Tyldesley’s voice lifted with excitement as he flicked the ball back to his left by passing Modric.

Driving head-on at Vázquez as he crossed the final third, Ronaldo flicked the ball with his left foot, sending the ball inwards to Amiri. The German midfielder reacted brilliantly to the pass under the recovering Casemiro pressure before sending a through ball between Varane and Vázquez. The ball slipped between the two defenders, causing them to falter as they tried to intercept it.

Rakim had exploded forward by passing Vázquez at pace, racing to chase down the ball. He managed to reach it before it could leave the pitch, directly sending a cross into the box with his left foot. The cross came in low and fast, skimming off the slick turf and curling across the six-yard box.

Schick lunged, stretching every sinew to meet it, but Ramos just managed to flick it with the tip of his boot, sending it spinning high into the air. Courtois backpedalled, his gloves raised, eyes locked on the looping ball. It dropped awkwardly, forcing him to palm it down instead of catching.

The rebound spilled loose right into the danger zone at the edge of the box, and Amiri was there first! He tried to smash it goalward, but Casemiro slid across at the last moment, blocking it with a thudding impact that echoed around the pitch. "Chaos in the box!" Tyldesley shouted. "Madrid living dangerously! Courtois couldn’t hold it, and Casemiro arrives to the rescue!"

"That was millimetres from being 2–1," McManaman added. "Leverkusen are still showing that they can turn this game around if they are given even half a chance."

The ball was cleared only as far as Diaby on the right edge of the penalty area. The Frenchman shifted the ball to his right foot, moving beyond Mendy, and whipped a low effort toward the near post. Courtois, still scrambling, threw himself across and got just enough of a palm to send it wide.

The Belgian keeper bellowed at his defenders as he got up, his voice echoing through the silent stands. He was clearly furious at how easily they had let their opponents reach his goal. Ramos barked back, shouting instructions to his team, his arms waving furiously, as they set up for the corner.

[75’]

In the seventy-fifth minute, Modrić collected the ball in the centre circle and immediately looked up. He spotted Hazard making a run down the right, dragging Wendell with him. The Croatian’s pass was placed perfectly, a delicate chip over Leverkusen’s defensive line.

Hazard controlled it with his first touch, taking it away from the recovering Wendell with a subtle shift of his body. Tapsoba tried to close him down, but the Belgian was already accelerating into the box, forcing him to be careful.

"Hazard’s through!" Tyldesley roared. "This is dangerous!"

Tapsoba remained composed, trying his best to guide him wide as they stepped into the box. But the Belgian executed a quick stepover, freezing the Burkina Faso defender for a split second, then cut inside onto his left foot. From seventeen yards out, he struck it with power, aiming for the far corner.

Hrádecký, whose line of sight was blocked by Tapsoba, was late to react, diving desperately to his right. His Fingertips stretched to their limit, but the ball was just out of reach. It kissed the inside of the post before nestling into the net.

"GOOOAAAAL!" Tyldesley bellowed. "EDEN HAZARD! Real Madrid takes the lead! What a moment of individual brilliance!"

"That’s world-class," McManaman added, his voice full of admiration. "From his composure to technique, the finish was sublime. Hazard has been on the pitch for twenty minutes, and he’s turned the match on its head. That’s why you pay €100 million for a player like him."

[Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid — Hazard 75’]

Hazard sprinted toward the corner flag, his arms outstretched in triumph. His teammates mobbed him in celebration, enjoying that they had finally taken the lead.

[77’]

Bosz made his final changes, bringing on Bellarabi for Palacios and shifting to an ultra-attacking 4-1-4-1 formation with Baumgartlinger as the lone defensive midfielder. For the next few minutes, the Germans threw everything they had forward, no longer content to patiently wait for an opportunity. They managed to win a free kick in a favourable area after Rakim was wrestled to the ground at the edge of the box.

"Well, when they can’t stop you, they have to go beyond the rule books too bad the man with the whistle was there to see it," Tyldesley exclaimed as Ramos faced the official, receiving his well-deserved yellow card.

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To Be Continued...