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[37]
The match simmered with tension now, fouls creeping into the game as both sides wrestled for control. Baumgartlinger was shown the first yellow card of the afternoon after clipping Müller from behind while trying to halt a counterattack. The Austrian raised his hands in apology, but the referee had no hesitation.
"First booking, and Baumgartlinger has to be careful now," Rae remarked.
Robson: "That's a problem for Leverkusen. He's their shield in midfield, but with a yellow hanging over him, Bayern's runners will target him. Müller in particular will look to draw him into dangerous situations."
[42]
Bayern, scenting weakness, pressed harder. Coman and Gnabry began switching flanks, testing both Amiri and Bailey. In the 42nd minute, Coman picked up the ball on the left, drove to the edge of the box, and was felled by Bender's late tackle. The whistle went instantly—free-kick to Bayern, twenty yards out.
Kimmich stood over it, eyeing the wall and adjusting his run-up. He struck with precision, curling the ball over the heads of defenders. Hrádecký shuffled desperately across his line and managed to tip it onto the crossbar with the faintest of touches. The ball bounced back into play before Dragović cleared it high into the night sky.
"What a save!" Rae's voice lifted. "Hrádecký with fingertips of steel to deny Kimmich!"
Robson was equally impressed, "That shows Bayern's variety—they can hurt you from open play or a set-piece. Leverkusen's luck is holding for now, but the question is for how long?"
[45+1]
Just before half-time, Davies stormed forward again, feeding Gnabry, who squared up Dragović. A quick shimmy opened the channel, and the winger fizzed a low cross toward the penalty spot. Lewandowski, this time, managed to escape both Bender and Tapsoba to side-foot the incoming ball with this ruthless precision.
"There it is!" Rae shouted. "Robert Lewandowski, who else? Bayern strike on the stroke of half-time!"
Robson delivered the cold analysis: "Well, my friend, this goal has been a long time coming. When you let a team as prolific at breaking down their opponents as Bayern play their game, they will eventually score; it's inevitable, as they say. What we witnessed is the perfect execution of their system."
The celebrations were as wild as they could be for the away side, who celebrated a well-deserved goal. The home side, on the other hand, looked shell-shocked at what had just happened. They had already prepared to go into halftime scoreless, only to concede in the dying minute of extra time. The whistle followed moments later after the restart, sending both sides down the tunnel with the scoreline reflecting Bayern's dominance.
[Half-Time: Bayer Leverkusen 0 – 1 Bayern Munich | Lewandowski 45+1']
~~~
The feed cut back to the socially distanced studio. Kate Abdo's tone carried the tension of what had just unfolded. "Robert Lewandowski, with his 30th league goal of the season, puts Bayern Munich ahead right before the interval. A gut-punch for Leverkusen, who defended bravely for much of the half but were undone by one moment of precision. Lothar, Owen—what do you make of it?"
Lothar Matthäus shook his head knowingly. "That's Bayern. They press, they probe, and even when you think you've held them, they find a way. For Leverkusen, conceding just before half-time is the worst possible moment. It kills momentum and puts even more pressure on them in the second half."
Owen Hargreaves leaned forward, gesturing animatedly. "But let's not forget, Leverkusen had chances. Alario forced Neuer into a big save; Bellarabi should have scored on the rebound. That's the difference—Bayern took theirs, Leverkusen did not. If Bosz's side wants to turn this around, their forwards must be ruthless."
Kate pointed to the tactical graphic that appeared once again. "And what about the midfield battle? Baumgartlinger already on a yellow—how big a problem is that, Owen?"
Hargreaves nodded firmly. "Huge. He's their organiser, their destroyer. With Müller being tricky to pin down all over the pitch, Baumgartlinger is always reacting, and now he can't risk a mistimed tackle. I wouldn't be surprised if Bosz is forced to substitute him early in the second half."
Lothar interjected. "Yes, but look at the flanks as well. Davies versus Amiri is a mismatch. Leverkusen's structure works only if their wing-backs can hold their own. Right now, Davies is running free, Gnabry is dangerous, and it's only a matter of time before Bayern create more from those areas."
Kate wrapped it up. "So, Bayern ahead 1–0 at the break. When we return, we'll see if Peter Bosz has a response, or if Bayern Munich edges closer to wrapping up another Bundesliga crown." The screen faded to highlights: Diaby's early strike at Neuer, Goretzka's long-range effort, and finally Lewandowski's cold-blooded finish to break the deadlock.
~~~
[Leverkusen Locker Room]
Silence weighed heavily inside the BayArena's home dressing room, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing and physios checking on players. The air reeked of sweat and disinfectant spray, the new normal under lockdown regulations. Players sat slumped, heads lowered, shirts clinging with damp patches.
The home team's locker room remained silent as Peter Bosz paced in the middle of the room. "Do you all even want to win this? Because that out there—" he pointed angrily toward the door "—was embarrassing. You had twenty good minutes, then you let them dictate everything they wanted. They ran you ragged on the flanks, they picked up every second ball, and you gave Lewandowski the freedom to pounce!"
Nobody answered. Baumgartlinger, already on a yellow, stared at his boots, replaying every misstep in his head. Aránguiz rubbed his temples, exhaustion already written across his face. The coach jabbed a finger toward Alario. "Lucas, when you pin Boateng, you must move the ball faster. One touch, two touches, lay it off! Bellarabi, when you get the second chance, you bury it. Neuer is the best goalkeeper in the world; he won't keep giving you gifts."
Bosz stopped pacing and folded his arms. His tone lowered as he assessed his players. "Listen carefully, we have exactly forty-five minutes to lose this match. Don't be confused, we are good enough to decide the outcome of this match, so when you go out there, be ready to battle."
He paused for a moment, checking to see if the players were paying attention to him. "They will go for the throat in the first ten minutes of the second half. If you don't meet them with fire, this game will be over before the hour mark. If you do—if you fight—then one chance, one run, one moment can bring us back."
He glanced at the clock, five minutes until the referee's knock. "Bailey, Diaby—your job is to keep running at them. Don't hesitate. You'll lose it sometimes, yes, but if you stop running, we're finished. Alario, keep dragging Boateng and Alaba—make space for the others. And Baumgartlinger…" his gaze fixed on the Austrian, "no more risks. You're already on a card. So keep things clean and clinical as you move the piece. If you must make a tackle, play it smart."
A low murmur of agreement passed around the room as the players eagerly responded, ready to complete their tasks. For the next few minutes, they continued to discuss how they would tackle the second half. The knock on the door came three sharp raps signalling that time was up. Bosz raised his voice one final time: "Heads up, gentlemen, we have a job to accomplish. But you'll have to fight harder than you've ever fought. Now go!"
~~~
[46]
The players lined up in their positions, the floodlights blazing against the twilight sky. Derek Rae's voice picked up the moment. "So here we go, the second half is underway. Bayern Munich has a slender lead, thanks to Robert Lewandowski right before the break. Leverkusen now face the sternest test of their season—forty-five minutes to turn this around."
Robson's note was blunt. "And Derek, the first ten minutes are crucial. If Bayern scores again, this could get ugly. But if Leverkusen can withstand the storm, they've got the pace to hurt Bayern on the counter."
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To Be Continued...