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.

#More than 10 chapters ahead on my Patreon: patreon.com/TrikoRex

{!!!Please leave a review; it helps me a lot and lets me know how many people are invested in the future of this novel!!!}

~~~

[20/11/2020 | BayArena Training Ground, Leverkusen | 16:20]

The Leverkusen squad gathered for training, the international break finally over. Rakim walked onto the pitch to find Diaby, Wirtz, and Baumgartlinger already warming up. The atmosphere was lighter than he'd expected—teammates joking with each other, as coaches organising drills.

Bosz called the squad together once warm-ups concluded. "Welcome back, everyone. I hope you've recovered from your international duties. For those who played, well done. For those who didn't, you're fresh and ready. Now we focus on Bielefeld."

He paused, glancing at his notes. "Arminia Bielefeld away, Saturday afternoon. They're newly promoted, sitting mid-table, defensively organised. They'll sit deep, make it difficult, look for set-pieces and counters. We need to be patient, move the ball quickly, and take our chances when they come."

Training began with possession drills—rondos designed to sharpen passing touch and movement. Rakim found himself in a circle with Sven, Leon, Schick, and Baumgartlinger, two defenders in the middle trying to win the ball.

"Saw your goal against Spain," Leaon said as he played a one-touch pass to Rakim. "Absolute rocket."

"Thanks," Rakim replied, keeping it under control and playing it to Schick. "Didn't count for much."

"Still counts," Baumgartlinger chimed in, flicking the oncoming ball back to Schick. "People will remember that game for a long time, and of course that goal."

The session moved to tactical work—attacking patterns against a defensive block. Bosz set up the reserves to simulate Bielefeld's expected 4-4-2 shape, then had the attackers work through scenarios.

"Rakim, when they drop deep, you need to come inside," Bosz instructed. "Create overloads centrally. If the fullback follows, Daley overlaps. If he stays, you have space to operate. Understand?"

"Yes, coach."

They ran the drill repeatedly, Rakim drifting inside, combining with Havertz and Wirtz, then either shooting or slipping passes through. It was mechanical, repetitive, but necessary. Bielefeld wouldn't offer space easily.

~~~

[20/11/2020 | Press Conference, BayArena | 14:00]

Bosz sat at the press conference table, flanked by Lars Bender, who would captain the side against Bielefeld. The room was packed—more media than usual, all eager to discuss Rakim's international exploits. The topic still hadn't faded, and they weren't eager to let it go so quickly.

The first question came immediately. "Peter, Rakim scored for Germany against Spain. Does that performance change anything about how you use him?"

Bosz smiled slightly. "Rakim is the same player he was before the international break. Talented, hardworking, hungry to improve. His performance for Germany was excellent, but here at Leverkusen, he's part of a team. He'll continue to develop and play his role. Nothing changes."

"Will he start against Bielefeld?"

"We'll see. We have a deep squad, and rotation is important. Rakim played ninety minutes in training today and looked sharp. That's a good sign."

Another journalist raised their hand. "There's been speculation about interest from clubs in the winter window—Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid. How do you keep him focused?"

Bosz's expression turned serious. "Rakim is under contract here. He's part of our project, and we believe in him. Speculation is natural when a player performs at his level, but it's just noise. Our job is to help him develop, give him game time, and let his football do the talking."

"With the league back on, how do you see your side performing, and will you have trouble holding onto your league table lead?" Another reporter asked, moving away from Rakim.

"The league is long, and of course, we want to win every game," Bosz said in a composed manner. "But all we can do is prepare as best as possible and face the challenges head-on."

"Any plans to bring in players in the winter Window?"

~~~

[21/11/2020 | Schüco Arena, Bielefeld | Schüco Arena]

The away dressing room at Bielefeld's ground was smaller than the squad had expected, cramped and functional rather than modern. The Bundesliga's newly promoted sides always had that charm, reminding them of the grounds they had to conquer to reach top-flight standards.

Bosz named the starting XI twenty minutes before kickoff. But Rakim knew he wasn't on it because he hadn't been selected to travel out. He felt a little sad about it, but he understood the reasoning as he still felt fatigue from his schedule.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Lukas Hradecky

RB: Lars Bender

CB: Edmond Tapsoba

CB: Sven Bender

LB: Daley Sinkgraven

CDM: Charles Aránguiz

CDM: Julian Baumgartlinger

CAM: Florian Wirtz

RM: Moussa Diaby

LM: Nadiem Amiri

ST: Patrick Schick

Substitutes: Niklas Lomb, Aleksandar Dragović, Wendell, Kerem Demirbay, Demarai Gray, Paulinho, Leon Bailey, Lucas Alario.

[1]

The first half was exactly as Bosz had predicted, frustrating. Bielefeld sat deep in their 4-4-2, banks of four denying space, forcing Leverkusen to pass sideways and backwards. Wirtz tried to unlock the defence with clever dribbles, but Bielefeld's organisation and physical play held firm.

Schick had two almost-chances. The first came in the 15th minute, a header from a corner that went wide after glancing off the side of his head. Another shot in the 25th minute was blocked by a desperate sliding tackle that sent the ball flying out of the pitch. Bielefeld had their first real chance during a counter in the 27th minute that saw striker Voglsammer breaking through on the left side of the box.

[27]

He fired at an angle, a couple of steps into the box, sending the ball flying at the near corner. Voglsammer's shot was fierce, rising toward the near post with venomous intent. Hradecky reacted instinctively, falling backwards and extending his left hand.

His fingertips deflected the ball just enough, sending it spinning wide of the post for a corner. "What a save from Hradecky!" the commentator exclaimed. "Bielefeld nearly took the lead against the run of play!"

The Finnish goalkeeper bounced to his feet, clapping his hands and shouting instructions to his defenders. "Tighter! Don't let them turn! That was too easy." Sven Bender acknowledged with a raised fist.

The corner was cleared by Tapsoba, his header finding Baumgartlinger in space. The Austrian midfielder controlled calmly, then played a simple pass to Aránguiz, who began building Leverkusen's counter-press.

[32']

Leverkusen continued to probe, their passing crisp but meeting a wall of blue shirts every time they approached the final third. Wirtz dropped deep to collect from the centre-backs, turning quickly to face forward. He played a vertical pass to Amiri, who had drifted inside from the left.

Amiri's first touch was perfect, cushioning the ball before playing a one-two with Schick. The Czech striker laid it off first-time, and Amiri suddenly had space twenty-five yards out. He struck it cleanly with his right foot, the ball dipping and swerving toward the top corner.

Ortega Moreno, Bielefeld's goalkeeper, was equal to it. He leapt high, tipping it over the bar with both hands. "Excellent save!" the commentator noted. "Stefan Ortega keeping Bielefeld level!"

The corner swung in deep, finding Lars Bender at the back post. The veteran defender rose highest, his header powerful and directed downward. It bounced just in front of the goal line—Ortega scrambled, pawing it away. The rebound fell to Diaby, whose shot was blocked by a defender's outstretched leg.

"How are Leverkusen not ahead?" the commentator wondered aloud. "Bielefeld is defending desperately here."

[38']

Bielefeld tried to catch Leverkusen on the break again. Prietl won the ball in midfield, immediately launching a long pass toward Klos on the right wing. The German winger controlled on his chest, but Sinkgraven was already there, using his body to shepherd Klos toward the touchline.

Klos tried to cut inside, but Sinkgraven stayed tight, forcing him backwards. The winger eventually played it back to Brunner, who recycled possession to the midfield. Bielefeld reset their defensive shape, content to wait.

[42']

Wirtz tried something different. Receiving the ball thirty yards out with his back to goal, he feinted left, then spun right, evading his marker completely. The space opened up, and he drove forward, defenders backpedalling frantically.

He played a clever pass to Diaby on the right, who had timed his run perfectly. The French winger took a touch into the box, shaped to shoot, drawing the defender in, then cut it back to the penalty spot. Schick attacked it, but his shot was rushed, blazing over the bar.

"Patrick Schick!" the commentator groaned. "He has to score there! What a chance!" Schick held his head in his hands, knowing he should have done better. On the touchline, Bosz remained calm, but his body language betrayed frustration.

[45']

The referee checked his watch. One minute of added time. Leverkusen pushed forward one more time, Baumgartlinger launching a long ball toward the box. Schick attacked it; his header flicked on toward Amiri. The German midfielder controlled on his thigh, shifted it to his right foot, and shot in one fluid motion.

From close range the ball flew toward the bottom corner— Ortega dived full stretch, but he couldnt reach it. "Nadiem Amiri!" the commentator exclaimed.

.

.

.

.

To Be Continued...