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The rest of the game unfolded in a show of dominance for the Leverkusen side. They continued to comfortably control the game, launching occasional attacks to keep their opponents at bay. Their opponents didn't take it lying down, launching the occasional counterattack, but most fizzled out the moment they reached the Lions' defensive lines.
Tah seemed to step into the zone as he could be seen everywhere around that back line. Whether it be a late slide tackle, a strong shoulder check, or a real duel, he was there to dominate his opponents. In the 80th minute after a failed Leverkusen attack, Stuttgart launched a counter up the left flank, and in a matter of moments, they reached the final third.
A sharp through ball intended for their striker just as he slipped past Bend saw him crashing to the ground as Tah came sliding in like a wrecking ball. The defender had timed his tackle to perfection, cleanly scooping the ball the moment the striker tried to latch onto it. Moments later in the 86th minute, Tah once again shone, pouncing on the second ball after a brilliant on-the-line save from Hardeckey.
The final piece of action of the game came in the 90+3 minute when a long-range attempt from Alario at the top of the box grazed the side of the left post. Not long after that, the match concluded in a dominant 3:1 victory for the home side, taking them to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal. Celebrations for the win were mellowed down since they had to host Dortmund at the Bay Arena.
After week 20 of the Bundesliga, they comfortably sat in 3rd position, beating Gladbach in goal difference. Their opponents were coming in hot off a 5:0 slaughter of relegation side Union Berlin, and their young talents had now fully integrated with the squad. So, despite relishing their win and entry into the quarterfinals, the challenge to step into the top 3 of the league table was right in front of them.
For Rakim, the 3 days to the game elapsed quickly with recovery sessions, massages and light training. The coaching staff kept things dynamic with positional drills, and of course, most of their time was spent on film sessions with assistant coach Fredrick Bauer. After hours of film sessions analysing Dortmund's current lineup, they concluded that the game plan would be to counter their firepower with more firepower.
The media quickly picked up the story, hyping up the match as one of the great clashes in this season's Bundesliga between two teams at the top of their form. The fact that some of the brightest stars of the Poland Mini-World Cup would likely face each other brought things to another fever pitch. None of this mattered to Rakim, though, as on the day of the game, he took a rough tackle in a pressing drill, leading to a slight knock on his left thigh.
Even though he felt like he could continue after a while of rest, the coaching staff and medical team acted like he had lost his leg. Thus, instead of joining the team on their final pregame routine, he spent in the medical staff doing whatever was asked of him to make sure he was OK.
By 17:30, an hour before the game, the verdict was in: Rakim was cleared to play after wrapping his thigh with athletic tape, but it was recommended that he not start.
[08 / 02 / 2020, Location: BayArena, Leverkusen – Cloudy, 3°C - 15% chance of rain | Bundesliga match week 21 | Bayer Leverkusen Vs Borussia Dortmund | 18:20]
Leverkusen Lineup: 3-4-3
GK: 1 Lukas Hardeckey
Coach: Peter Sylvester Bosz
Goalkeeper: 28 Ramazan Ozcan
Centre Back: 6 Aleksandar Dragovic
Left Back: 18 Wendell
Right Back: Mitchell Weiser
Defensive Midfielder: 30 Adrian stanielwicz
Defensive Midfielder: 45 Ayman Azhil
Right Winger: 9 Leon Bailey
Left Winger: 22 Rakim Rex
Centre Forward: 13 Lucas Alario
Borussia Dortmund: 4-2-3-1
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you're just joining us, on this beautiful evening, those were the line-ups of Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in this Bundesliga clash." Derek Rase's voice resounded through the speakers as both teams' starting lineups appeared on the viewer's screens.
"Steward, what are your thoughts on the lineups, and what can we expect from both sides?"
"Thanks, Derek," Stewart Robson replied, clearing his throat as the camera panned across the packed BayArena, flags waving and the energy of the crowd bristling through the stands. "The first thing to note is Leverkusen's shape. A 3-4-3 with Tah, Bender, and Dragovic at the back. That's a very physical, no-nonsense defensive trio. You can bet they're preparing to absorb Dortmund's pace and power on the break."
He continued, "Dortmund, meanwhile, go with a very aggressive front line—Sancho on the left, Hakimi on the right, and of course, the biking warrior Erling Haaland through the middle. The midfield pair of Witsel and Can will try to win the physical duels and distribute quickly to those danger men."
As the two teams walked out onto the pitch to the roaring sound of 30,000 fans, the camera zoomed in briefly on the Leverkusen bench. Rakim sat there in full team tracksuit, headphones still around his neck, eyes locked on the grass as both teams got into their formation. "That is a name that we expected to see in the starting 11 with the form he's been in, how do you think his absence will affect the home side?"
"4 goals, 3 assists in the first 3 matches of February, that kind of form is priceless," Robson responded, "From what we've heard, he was originally on the team sheet, but an injury during training led to some last-minute caution from the medical staff. He's available off the bench, but you can be sure Peter Bosz won't want to risk aggravating anything unless he has to."
"Caution is probably the best course of action, but if we were to ask Rakim, I bet he'd claim otherwise." Derek retorted just as the referee completed the final checks of the game. "(FWEEET) And with the whistle, match week 21 is underway,"
[Time: 18:30 | Bayer Leverkusen 0 vs 0 Borussia Dortmund | Cloudy, 3°C - Chance of Rain 15%]
The opening minutes saw both teams sizing each other up like heavyweight fighters in the first round of a title bout. Leverkusen, in their deep crimson kits, pressed high in short bursts, trying to bait Dortmund into playing into the wings. On the touchline, Peter Bosz stood with his hands in his pockets, carefully scanning the field.
At this point, he would usually be shouting orders, with his hands gesturing wildly, trying to cut out early mistakes. However, with Lars Bender in midfield, he found himself with nothing to critique. It seemed that the moment the captain entered the midfield, he ran a tight ship.
It was unusual for him, who usually let Tah do most of the talking in the back line, but now he was the loudest voice on the pitch. The moment someone slacked off or floated to the wrong position, they'd get an earful from the captain.
Dortmund, in their black and yellow stripes, showed patience with these developments, a rare sight for such a young team. Axel Witsel dropped deep to form a temporary back three, giving Guerreiro and Akanji license to push forward. The tempo remained brisk on both sides as the ball glided on the slick grass between both sides.
What worried the bald-headed coach, though, was the blond figure of Erling Haaland. The 19-year-old Norwegian phenom had just joined the Wasps this winter and had gotten straight to work. The boy, well man had scored 7 goals and 1 assist in his first 3 matches, and he made it look easy. The only saving grace he could find was the fact that he hadn't dealt with a defender of Tah's calibre.
However, unlike what he had been worried about, the first real spark came when Sancho picked the ball up near the halfway line. With a deft touch, he spun past Bellarabi and surged down the left. Dragovic came across, but Sancho cut inside with frightening ease, laying the ball into Haaland's path just outside the box.
Tah, who was just about to pounce on him, was left wrong-footed as the Norwegian turned with the deftness of a ballerina. The striker didn't hesitate and let it fly with a snap of his left boot from the edge of the box, his long hair flowing in the wind. Hardeckey was left rooted to his line...