Chapter 584: Chapter 584 Hero
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[46]
The second half began under the floodlights, the Black Forest dusk having settled into a cool evening. The players jogged back out with renewed energy after the intermission, determined to find a winner in the second half. "Back underway here at the Schwarzwald-Stadion. Freiburg holding Leverkusen scoreless at the break, but remember, this is a side who’ve been dangerous in late periods before." Rae’s voice resounded, setting the scene as the home side kicked off.
Robson added his measured note. "And Derek, Freiburg will fancy their chances the longer this stays level. They’re defending well, they’re cutting out supply to Havertz, and Rex has been unlucky. If Leverkusen don’t sharpen up, they’ll walk away empty-handed again, putting their title race in jeopardy."
Leverkusen’s intent was clear right from the restart. They pressed high from the get-go, hunting in packs, looking to trap Hofler and Koch in possession. Wirtz and Rakim began drifting centrally, trying to force a hasty pass out wide where they could isolate their opponents.
[52]
That intent nearly paid off. Aránguiz snapped into a challenge, dispossessing Höfler in midfield before sliding the ball quickly into Wirtz. The teenager pirouetted beautifully, then slipped a clever reverse pass into Rakim’s path. Bursting inside from the left channel, Rakim accelerated past Kübler and bore down on goal.
"Here’s Rex! Space opening up!" Rae’s voice lifted as the youngster wound back his right boot, taking it from distance. But once again, luck deserted him as his strike smacked flush against Heintz’s thigh and spun agonisingly wide for a corner.
"That’s three times now he’s been inches away," Robson remarked. "He’s doing the right things, but the ball just won’t fall for him tonight. That’s when you need the rest of the team to take some responsibility." From the ensuing corner, Havertz managed a glancing header, but Schwolow dived low to gather with little fuss.
[60]
Freiburg began to assert themselves again after weathering the early storm. Grifo, sharp on the left, cut inside before Amiri could close him down and curled a teasing ball toward Petersen at the near post. The striker flicked it with a deft header, forcing Hrádecký into a sharp save down to his right.
The warning signs rippled through Leverkusen’s back three. Tah barked at Dragović to hold the line, while Bender clapped his hands in frustration at the midfielders failing to close the cross. "This might get dicey," Robson noted coolly. "You can have all the possession you like, but Freiburg need only half a chance to cause problems. They’re very good at making opponents uncomfortable."
[67]
The game’s tempo was beginning to tell on both sides. Leverkusen’s high press had forced several turnovers, but their final ball remained frustratingly inaccurate. Baumgartlinger, looking to inject some urgency, drove forward from deep and played a searching diagonal pass toward Amiri on the right flank.
The wing-back collected well, skipping past Günter’s sliding challenge before whipping in a dangerous cross. Havertz, timing his run perfectly, met it with a powerful downward header that seemed destined for the bottom corner. But Schwolow, sprawling full-length, managed to claw it away with his fingertips.
"Magnificent save!" Rae exclaimed. "That’s why Schwolow has been so important for Freiburg this season. When they need him most, he delivers."
[72]
The miss seemed to galvanise Freiburg rather than deflate them. Streich could be seen gesturing frantically from the touchline, urging his players to push higher up the pitch. His message was clear: press now, and score before they do; the time for defending was over.
Höfler won the ball back in midfield with a perfectly timed tackle on Wirtz, immediately spraying it wide to Sallai on the right. The Hungarian’s pace caught Sinkgraven off guard, and he drove toward the byline before cutting back a dangerous cross into the six-yard box.
Petersen and Höler both converged on the ball, but it was the latter who got there first, sliding in to meet it with his outstretched boot. The connection was clean, but he couldn’t guide the goal, missing the post by mere inches. Hrádecký’s positioning wasn’t perfect, and he could only breathe a sigh of relief at the lucky break.
"So close for Freiburg," Robson observed. "They’re growing into this half now. Leverkusen might rue those early chances if they don’t capitalise soon."
As the clock ticked closer toward the final ten minutes, both managers began to contemplate their options. Streich was already warming up substitutes on the sideline, while Bosz looked increasingly animated in his technical area, his hands gesturing urgently at his players to maintain their shape.
The breakthrough nearly came from an unexpected source. Dragović, stepping out of defence with the ball, played a raking pass over the top toward Rakim. The young forward controlled it brilliantly on his chest before turning Lienthart inside out with a clever feint. He charged up the flank at pace as he scanned the box looking for support.
His cross came in quick, bending outwards, flying across the penalty spot. Havertz lunged forward, stretching every sinew to meet it, but the ball skimmed just beyond his boot and rolled through the danger area untouched. Wirtz darted in late at the back post, yet even he couldn’t quite bring it under control as the ball skipped out for a goal kick.
"That was begging to be finished," Rae groaned, his tone echoing the frustration of Leverkusen’s bench. "Rex did everything right—beat his man, delivered a wicked ball across the face—and nobody could apply the finishing touch."
Robson offered the cold reality: "That’s the difference in tight matches, Derek. One decisive run, one decisive finish. You sense Freiburg are banking on Leverkusen continuing to waste these moments."
[82]
The hosts threatened again through a moment of individual flair. Grifo drifted centrally, dragging Amiri with him before cutting sharply onto his right foot. With no pressure closing him down quickly enough, he let fly from twenty-five yards. The strike swerved wickedly, forcing Hrádecký to leap high and palm it over the bar.
"Super save again from Hrádecký!" Rae shouted. "And you just wonder if these close calls are warnings Leverkusen will finally heed."
Robson: "Freiburg are dangerous from these half-chances, but Leverkusen have the quality to punish them if they stay composed. The question is—do they have the patience?"
[88]
The match had entered a frantic rhythm, with end-to-end attacks as both sides felt the end near. Leverkusen swarmed forward, every red shirt pouring into Freiburg’s half, while the hosts struck back in sudden bursts of counterattacks that raised heart rates on both benches.
And then, finally, the deadlock snapped. Freiburg tried to play out from the back, but Aránguiz pounced, intercepting Höfler’s pass in midfield. In a heartbeat, the Chilean threaded it into Havertz, who spun cleverly away from Koch. Just as the defenders converged, Havertz released the ball with a subtle backheel into Florian Wirtz’s path.
The youngster barely broke stride. One touch to steady himself, the next a low, precise strike drilled across Schwolow and into the far corner. "GOAL! Florian Wirtz for Bayer Leverkusen!" Rae erupted. "The 17-year-old with nerves of steel delivers in the eighty-eighth minute, and it could be the goal that keeps their title dream alive!"
Robson followed: "That’s exactly what they needed. A team effort till the very end, and Wirtz is the man of the hour. Freiburg defended heroically, but you can only hold back this much quality for so long." Leverkusen’s bench exploded. Wirtz tore away to the corner flag, arms spread wide, mobbed instantly by teammates.
[94]
Freiburg threw men forward in a desperate search for an equaliser. Günter pumped crosses into the box, Petersen battled with Tah, and Höler hovered for scraps. A looping header in stoppage time caused brief panic, but Hrádecký rose above the crowd, clutched the ball tightly, and collapsed to the ground, killing precious seconds.
The referee finally blew the whistle, and relief rippled through the Leverkusen ranks. Exhausted players slumped to their knees; some pumped fists skyward in triumph. On the opposite side, Freiburg’s men collapsed in frustration, knowing how close they had come.
"Full-time at the Schwarzwald-Stadion," Rae announced. "Freiburg nil, Leverkusen one. Florian Wirtz, the teenager, the hero—delivering a priceless three points for Peter Bosz’s men."
Robson concluded coolly: "It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t clinical, but it was vital. Rex will likely be disappointed with today’s showing, having not scored, but his constant threat created space for his teammates to exploit. However, it’s hard to say whether he is satisfied with the results. That’s team football, Derek, and that’s how you stay in a title race."
[Final Score: Freiburg 0 – 1 Bayer Leverkusen | Wirtz 88’]
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To be Continued...