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[Time: 18:36 | Bayer Leverkusen 0 – 0 Borussia Dortmund | Match Week 21 | Bundesliga]
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, but luck was on his side as the ball sizzled just wide of the left post, kissing the outside netting.
The home fans who had been holding their breath exhaled in relief as wiping cold sweat from their brows. "You can particularly feel the sighs of relief from the home fans that shot was too close for comfort in their eyes." Derek Rae stated with a tone of disbelief as the replay of the shot appeared on the screen.
The crowd's rhythm returned after that early scare, the BayArena regaining its roar. But down on the pitch, you could sense that Haaland's chance had lit a fuse, and they could smell blood. Dortmund now operated with a more pronounced sense of urgency, with Witsel and Can stepping up to initiate their transitions faster.
Each possession they gained was followed by a direct forward pass either into the wide channels for Sancho or Hakimi, or straight to Haaland's feet like he was a human battering ram. However, Tah seemed to take the young striker more seriously, not giving him the slightest bit of breathing room. Whether it be a physical battle or light tugs of the Jersey, he used every trick in his arsenal to introduce himself to the young striker.
That's why the moment Can sent a through ball forward for the striker to run into, he put his body in between Haaland and the ball, letting it harmlessly roll into Hardeckey's arms. "Simple and neat, Tah is putting on a master class in defensive work rate," Rae commented.
"Indeed, the man's not giving Haaland the slightest room to breathe, and with a defender of his calibre giving him personal attention, this might be a tough night for the young Norwegian," Robson comments as the gameplay continued.
By the 18th minute, Leverkusen had begun to feel their way into the contest with more confidence. Amiri and Lars Bender found a rhythm in midfield, shifting the ball laterally and forward with crisp accuracy, exploiting the space between Dortmund's midfield and backline. Diaby had started to come alive, using his electric pace to cause Akanji problems with every passing minute.
The home fans responded in kind, their cheers swelling as Diaby left Akanji flat-footed with a cheeky nutmeg near the corner flag. The winger's low cross was dangerously whipped into the six-yard box, but Hummels read the flight of the ball expertly, sliding in to clear it just before Volland could pounce.
From the resulting corner, Havertz curled a high, arcing ball toward the back post. Tah climbed above Zagadou with sheer brute strength and thundered a header down toward goal, only for Bürki to get a strong hand on it and parry it wide with an instinctive reaction save.
"Excellent reflexes from the Swiss shot-stopper!" Derek Rae exclaimed as the replay showed Bürki's outstretched palm stopping what looked to be a sure goal. "That was point-blank range from Tah. You won't get many better saves all weekend."
Robson chimed in, "And that's a warning shot from Leverkusen. They're growing into this, and Dortmund need to wake up, or they're going to pay for giving up this kind of pressure."
The 24th minute saw the BayArena come alive again, but this time it wasn't in anticipation but in jubilation. The red lions had been knocking and now they managed to kick the damn door down. After a midfield tussle won by Amiri, who muscled past Can with a shoulder nudge and burst of acceleration, the ball was laid quickly to Havertz.
The young German playmaker controlled the pass with a deft first touch as he cut inwards and spotted Volland peeling off Hummels' shoulder toward the left channel. Without hesitation, Havertz clipped a perfectly weighted pass curving on the other side of Hummels, slipping past the line of defence. Volland latched onto it mid-stride, brought it down with his thigh, and with Burki charging off his line, he brought it down with his thigh, and with Burki charging off his line, he fired off a powerful shot with his left boot.
[Bayer Leverkusen 1 – 0 Borussia Dortmund]
"GOAL!!!" The BayArena erupted, flags waved like a storm, drums thundered, and a roar surged through the stands that felt like it shook the concrete beneath their feet. "Kevin Volland! A striker's finish through and through," shouted Derek Rae over the cacophony. "And Havertz—what vision! What a pass! Just look at a thing of beauty. Pure class."
Stewart Robson chimed in, "Hummels was simply too late to react, just half a second too late, but that's all the on-form Volland needed. This is what happens when you give Havertz time to operate—he'll hurt you." Volland ran toward the corner flag, fist clenched, sliding on one knee before being swarmed by his teammates.
The goal gave the home side the dose of courage they needed to shift things up a gear. They began playing like a like zoo lions who, for the first time, got a taste for the hunt. The euphoria one feels after hunting down a prey much bigger than oneself and drawing blood.
Their wingbacks, Sinkgraven and Bellarabi, became the busiest on the pitch as they actively pushed higher on attacks. They would often overlap with their wingers or midfielders, forming dynamic attacking situations on the flanks. Diaby especially became active on the left flank, often taking Akanji on runs down the flank using his nimble feet to put pressure on the full back.
However, Dortmund was known as the second-strongest team in the Bundesliga for a reason, despite being a factory for talent. True to their mascot, the wasp, in the 33rd minute, they struck back. Guerreiro intercepted a pass intended for Bellarabi and immediately launched a fast break. He combined with Sancho down the left, and with a flicked backheel, the Englishman broke into the box.
Hardeckey, who had been charging out, was forced to lunge right, trying to close down the near post, but Sancho's shot was too slippery. "SANCHOOOO!" Derek Rae exclaimed, matching the excitement of the 10,000 away fans who jumped up from their seats in Joy.
The net continued to ripple for a moment, but Sancho was already racing to the corner flag. The away section of the BayArena exploded in yellow ecstasy, flags unfurling and scarves spinning overhead. "And just like that, Dortmund strike back!" Rae continued. "Jadon Sancho, calm as you like! A low finish into the near corner kissed it off the post!"
Stewart Robson added with a grim nod, "You can't give him that kind of time in the box. That's criminal. Bellarabi's mistake on the wing gave them the springboard, and Sancho did the rest. What a response from Dortmund."
Peter Bosz threw his hands up in frustration on the sideline, shouting something unintelligible at Bellarabi, who wore a sheepish expression as he jogged back toward midfield. The deadlock came as a surprise, but the tempo only continued to spike with neither team willing to give an inch. If the first twenty minutes had been a game of chess with masters probing their opponents' moves at every turn.
Now the game resembled speed checkers with gasoline poured on the board. Tackles flew in everywhere the ball went, with no one being given the chance to comfortably hold onto the ball. Volland and Hummels clashed mid-air in a fierce duel following a chipped pass from Amiri.
Despite the exchange of heated words, the duel remained clean, and play continued as Lars continued to bark orders. However, it became progressively clear that Dortmund had the momentum, winning 2/3 of the tackles.
However, just as Dortmund surged forward looking for a second, Leverkusen hit back. It started with a seemingly harmless throw-in near the halfway line on the right. Bellarabi received the ball and zipped a diagonal ball into Havertz, who had ghosted between Zagadou and Witsel.
The silky number 29 took one touch with the outside of his boot and turned sharply, drawing a roar from the crowd as he accelerated into space. In full flow, his strides ate up yards of grass as his head continued turning left and right, scanning the area. He spotted Diaby breaking into the box from the left and threaded a through ball that split the defenders like a surgeon's scalpel.
Diaby didn't break stride. With Burki closing him down fast and the angle tightening, he chipped the ball cheekily around the lunging keeper. A collective gasp was followed by thunderous shouts from the Leverkusen fans.
"GOAL! Moussa Diaby, take a bow!" shouted Rae, almost laughing from disbelief. "That is outrageous! Ice in his veins, and Havertz—again the architect!"
Robson's voice followed quickly. "Dortmund's midfield was nowhere. Havertz was given the keys to the kingdom and picked the treasury clean. What composure from Diaby, just wonderful to watch."