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[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 the ball 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 couldn't reach it. "Nadiem Amiri!" the commentator exclaimed. The Loud clang of the ball hitting the post resounded like a saving Grace, and before anyone could react, the sound of the ball rebounding off the billboard also resounded.

(Fweeet, Fweeeet)

[HT: Arminia Bielefeld 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen]

~~~

[46']

The second half began with Leverkusen showing more urgency. Lars Bender pushed higher on the right, overlapping Diaby at every opportunity. On the left, Sinkgraven did the same with Amiri, swinging in crosses and cut-backs at any chance. The bombardment of the home side's goal commenced from every angle possible.

Bielefeld's shape began to stretch, gaps appearing where none existed in the first half. Their nerves seemed to be reaching their limit, as the red lions seemed to have flipped a switch. But still, they held firm, their organisation and discipline keeping Leverkusen at bay.

[52']

However, they could only hold for so long and in the 52nd minute, Aránguiz won the ball in midfield, intercepting a loose pass from Prietl. He immediately looked forward, seeing Wirtz, who had gotten loose from his marker. His pass was weighted perfectly, bypassing Bielefeld's midfield.

Wirtz controlled with one touch, turned with the momentum, and drove into the space ahead, taking on the defenders. Two defenders converged on him, but he'd already seen Diaby making a diagonal run from the right. His pass was threaded through the narrowest of gaps, landing perfectly in Diaby's path.

The French winger took one touch to control, accelerating past his man and into the box. Ortega rushed out, trying to close the angle, but Diaby didn't panic. He shaped to shoot with his right foot, drawing Ortega into committing, then calmly dragged it to his left and slotted it past the diving goalkeeper.

"GOAL! FINALLY!" the commentator roared. "Moussa Diaby breaks the deadlock! What composure under pressure!"

Diaby sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees as his teammates piled on top of him. Wirtz was first there, grabbing Diaby's head and shouting something lost in the celebration. On the touchline, Bosz allowed himself a small fist pump.

[Arminia Bielefeld 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen — Moussa Diaby 52']

[58']

Bielefeld tried to respond, pushing more bodies forward since they had nothing to lose now. If they stayed defensive and lost 1-0, what was the difference from trying to equalise and losing 2-0? Klos received on the right wing, driving at Sinkgraven with renewed aggression. He cut inside, played a quick one-two with Voglsammer, and suddenly had space for a shot.

He struck it cleanly from the edge of the box, but the strike went directly at Hradecky, who barely had to move, gathering it comfortably into his chest. "Good save from the Finn," the commentator noted. "But Bielefeld is showing more ambition now."

[63']

Around the 60th mark, Bosz made his first substitution. The board went up: Kerem Demirbay on for Nadiem Amiri, slotting in the cam role, pushing Wirtz out wide on the left flank. The adjustment was meant to strengthen the middle and add some more creativity on the flank.

It showed some effects as Demirbay immediately got into battle in the midfield, matching the home side's physical style. His first act was a slide tackle that sent the Bielefeld crashing to the ground, but the action was fair. A few moments later, he chased down Maier, who tried to initiate a counter, stopping him in his tracks as he repossessed the ball.

[68']

Bielefeld won a free-kick thirty yards out, quite central, making it hard to swing in a cross. Prietl stood over it, assessing his options as he waited for the three-man wall to be set and the referee to complete his checks. He struck it with his instep moments later, looking for the top right corner, but his technique let him down.

Hradecky barely took a step before stopping as the ball that sailed over the wall didn't seem to be coming back down. It flew well over the bar, disappearing into the stands crowd behind the goal. "Wasted opportunity," the commentator said. "Bielefeld running out of time here."

[72']

72nd minute Tapsoba won a header in his own box, intercepting a cross as he nodded it forward to Baumgartlinger. The Austrian controlled it with his chest, turned, and played a simple pass to Demirbay. The German midfielder took one touch forward, looked up, and launched a diagonal ball over the top, forty yards into space behind Bielefeld's defence.

Schick had timed his run perfectly, peeling off his marker's shoulder, beating the offside trap. The ball dropped over his head, and he nudged it forward with his first touch, sending it rolling a metre ahead of him. Ortega rushed out desperately, seeing his opportunity, but Schick, who did not seem fast, exploded with speed, reaching the ball first.

He nudged the ball beyond the diving keeper, skipping past him in one go, shoulder-checking Brunner Bielefeld right back, who had raced over trying to make a heroic save. Using the confrontation, he latched onto the ball, nudging it into the empty goal as he slipped onto his knees, sliding into the net.

"Patrick Schick! he has finally got his goal." The commentator shouted. "He was not to be denied again. Absolute will to carry the ball into the goal!"

[Arminia Bielefeld 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen — Patrick Schick 72']**

[78']

Bosz made two more substitutions. Leon Bailey and Lucas Alario came on for Diaby and Schick, preserving the goalscorers for future matches. Bielefeld made changes too, throwing on attackers in a desperate attempt to salvage something. But Leverkusen's shape held firm as they defended with discipline, allowed Bielefeld possession in non-threatening areas, and looked dangerous whenever they broke.

[83']

Bielefeld created one last chance. A long throw-in from the right found Voglsammer in the box, his flick-on perfectly weighted for substitute Seufert. The midfielder struck it first-time from twelve yards, but Hradecky was equal to it, diving to his right and palming it away.

"Hradecky again!" the commentator exclaimed. "Keeping his clean sheet intact!"

[87']

Bailey almost made it three when he received the ball on the right wing, cutting inside past two challenges with a nifty bit of trickery. His shot was curled toward the far post, but Ortega—somehow—got there, tipping it wide. "Stefan Ortega has been phenomenal," the commentator said. "Without him, this could've been four or five."

[90+2']

The referee checked his watch as only thirty seconds remained. Bielefeld launched one final long ball forward, but Tapsoba headed it clear with authority. Baumgartlinger collected, played it short to Demirbay, who held the ball in the corner. The final whistle followed a second later, ending the match in favour of the visitors.

(Fweeet, Fweeet, Fweeeet!)

[FT: Arminia Bielefeld 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen]

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To Be Continued...