Combination Technique? Super...

The Bundesliga matchday was about to begin, and media outlets everywhere were building up the hype.

<North Rhine Evening News: Leverkusen Aims to Stay Unbeaten.>

<Korean Media: Son Heung-min Is a Young Genius on the Same Level as Li Luo.>

<Japanese Media: A Clash Between the Bundesliga's Brilliant New Generation—Li Luo VS Çalhanoğlu, Li Luo VS Kießling, Li Luo VS Son Heung-min! The midfield commander's battle of destiny! The bloody dawn of the heading demon! The Korean forward's deadly interception! How will the exhausted Chinese qilin break out of the encirclement?>

<The Sun: Li Luo Has a Healthy Private Life, Doesn't Like Young Models, and Focuses on Football.>

<Xinhua News Agency: Interest in the Bundesliga Continues to Rise, and young player Li Luo is deeply loved by fans.>

The number of comments, likes, and shares kept skyrocketing.

-[Wolfsburg has three matches in a week. Leverkusen will probably beat them senseless this time.]

-[Why do I feel like the Korean media is trying to mock us? But it can't do any damage anyway...]

-[Leverkusen is strong in attack and weak in defense. Wolfsburg hasn't kept a clean sheet all season. This will definitely be a goal fest. All in!]

-[What is The Sun doing? Do they think positive reports about Li Luo will draw attention?]

-[Li Luo, keep it up!]

A day later.

Li Luo and the club arrived in Leverkusen.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Bayer built factories in the city, gradually turning it into one of Germany's major centers for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

The workers needed recreational activities, so Bayer founded Leverkusen in 1904.

Its first crest featured a yellow lion.

For more than a century afterward, that lion galloped across European football, writing countless stories.

The most famous of them was undoubtedly the "Triple Runners-Up" achievement in 2002.

In that UEFA Champions League final, Zidane produced his legendary volley, and Leverkusen became little more than the backdrop.

"Why does this feel like a match between two factories?"

"Haha."

"Bayer factory team VS Volkswagen factory team."

"The world can't do without Bayer. The insect repellent it invented is just too useful!"

The green bus slowly drove into the stadium.

The Wolfsburg players tried to relax as they chatted along the way.

Hecking sat beside the Chinese teenager's seat and patiently explained. He rattled off points like, "You're too tired," "A young player who's only just come of age can't be overused," "During your growth and development stage, overexertion will lead to injuries that are difficult to heal," "Fine, I'll put you on in the second half," and "Then it's settled."

Li Luo had no objections.

He felt tired as well.

Playing three full ninety-minute high-intensity matches in a week was torture for a young midfielder who covered the most distance in every match.

One of the differences between mid-table sides and elite powerhouses was bench depth.

Over the course of a long season, injuries and fatigue were a club's most terrifying enemies.

Once those two factors accumulated to a certain extent, they would greatly weaken a team's fighting strength.

Leverkusen's training base.

Assistant coach Dino looked utterly confident. "Boss, my plan is flawless. It'll definitely contain Li Luo! The match will become very simple."

Head coach Schmidt handed him Wolfsburg's freshly released starting lineup.

During this period, starting lineups were generally announced about an hour before kickoff.

"Li is on the bench today."

"Ah?"

Dino was a little dumbfounded as he checked the starting lineup again and again.

Schmidt comforted him. "It's fine. Stick to the original plan. The club has seen all your efforts. Keep up the good work."

With that said, he picked up another newspaper about the Qatar league and began reading it with great interest.

As he read, a smile gradually appeared on his face. If I went to coach in the Middle East... my annual salary would be as high as six million euros, and the pressure wouldn't be nearly as great as in Europe.

BayArena.

Red smoke bombs erupted from corners of the stands.

Thick smoke billowed.

Huge red flags waved incessantly.

In the main stand, a giant tifo slowly unfurled.

"Central Television! Central Television! Good evening, viewers."

"We are bringing you live coverage of the fourth round of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season."

"Leverkusen are hosting Wolfsburg."

"Leverkusen against Wolfsburg."

"A clash between two strong sides—their past encounters have never lacked goals!"

"Will tonight bring us another goal fest?"

"Let's wait and see."

At the pre-match press conference.

Hecking patiently explained the issue of the starting lineup to the public.

He was not explaining it to the media.

He was explaining it to Wolfsburg's local supporters.

"We will absolutely not give up on this match. Three games in a week means rotation is perfectly normal."

"Li needed rest. He covers the most distance in every match, and the club consulted the medical staff and fitness coaches."

"Wolfsburg will take this match seriously."

On the other side.

Leverkusen manager Schmidt wore a relaxed expression.

Most of the reporters' questions were off-topic.

There had once been a story: when Schmidt was managing Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, they defeated Guardiola's Bayern Munich 3-0. After the match, Guardiola was not the least bit dejected; instead, he excitedly grabbed Schmidt and kept talking to him.

Later, in an interview, he said, "Schmidt's pressing is simply ferocious. I have never seen such brutally intense pressing in my entire career as a coach."

"Leverkusen have ample rotation options for key players in important positions within their tactical system."

"No need to worry."

"Why is midfield maestro Çalhanoğlu's passing success rate so low at Leverkusen, yet so high for the Turkish national team? That is a complicated question to explain."

In the players' tunnel.

The atmosphere was grave.

The weary Wolfsburg lineup looked at the spirited, eager Leverkusen lineup.

They immediately felt a little pressure.

De Bruyne looked anxious. He feared nothing; he was simply worried about his teammates' condition and performance.

Gustavo earnestly reminded the young Arnold, "Don't hold onto the ball. Move it quickly, or we'll be in trouble."

BayArena.

A hot-air balloon bearing the Bundesliga logo slowly rose into the air.

The refereeing crew led both teams out of the tunnel, and cheers surged from all four stands.

"Next, let us introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"Leverkusen have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Leno."

"Defenders: Donati, Toprak, Spahić, Wendell."

"Double pivots: Lars Bender, Castro."

"Attacking midfielders: Bellarabi, Çalhanoğlu, Son Heung-min."

"Forward: Kießling."

"Wolfsburg have lined up in a 4-5-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: ..."

"..."

"Li Luo has not started. Wolfsburg are likely taking the young player's fatigue into consideration."

Livestream chat.

-[Bendtner wasn't included. Wolfsburg's rotation has changed a lot.]

-[It makes sense for Li Luo to rest, but Brandt, their young player, is resting too.]

-[When these two teams face off, there'll definitely be no fewer than four goals.]

The coin toss quickly concluded.

Beep!

With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

Li Luo sat on the bench, watching Leverkusen press frantically as the Spatial Awareness module in his mind rapidly constructed a fast-moving geometric model.

Malanda, seated beside him, looked like an old lady watching a melodramatic romance drama. As he watched his teammates on the pitch, his expression shifted between worry and delight.

"They're so fast."

"Our passing completion rate is ridiculously low because of them."

"But their passing completion rate is low too."

CCTV-5 broadcast booth.

Coach Zhang spoke slowly.

"Leverkusen's tactical system is designed to speed up the rhythm of the match."

"They don't play for possession, nor do they care about passing completion rates."

"They disrupt the opposition's structure, then scatter their defensive line."

Leverkusen's players were strong, but Wolfsburg's players were no pushovers either.

In the 14th minute.

Near the center circle, Çalhanoğlu kept turning his head, observing the situation on the pitch.

Then he received a pass from a teammate.

He spun sharply and elegantly shook off Wolfsburg's crown prince—Arnold.

He wore a calm, confident expression.

"North Rhine, cheer for your commander..."

Smack!

Just as the Turk completed his turn and prepared to pass—

A little blond-haired player charged fiercely at him.

De Bruyne.

"Ah!"

"Beautiful! A clean tackle!"

"What's going on with Çalhanoğlu? He's too weak in physical duels. His brain understands everything, but his movements can't keep up."

"Rainbow!"

De Bruyne did not linger on the ball. Having already checked his teammates' positions, he decisively delivered a lofted through pass.

Leverkusen's high defensive line was torn apart.

Wolfsburg striker—Dost—sprinted forward with all his strength.

His finishing was far more reliable than Bendtner's, who had been taken away.

196 centimeters tall, 85 kilograms.

<Maxed out his shooting attributes from the start and won the Eredivisie Golden Boot!>

But.

Why could he not establish himself as a starter for the Netherlands national team? Because his shortcomings were obvious.

He was slow.

His physical strength in duels was relatively weak.

His style of play was one-dimensional.

Fortunately, after coming to Wolfsburg, he met De Bruyne.

"De Bruyne's pass was excellent."

"Dost, controlling it and pushing it forward—he's not offside!"

"One-on-one!"

"Ah, he's not fast enough! Come on, sprint!"

"Leverkusen's 34-year-old veteran Spahić—we already witnessed his explosive pace at the World Cup a few months ago. The old blade is still sharp."

Bang!

With the opposing defender about to catch up, Dost decisively took a speculative shot.

The ball roared into Leverkusen's net.

0:1!!!

"It went in just like that?"

"No way?"

"What was Leverkusen keeper Leno doing?"

"Beautiful!"

"De Bruyne linked up with Dost to break the deadlock and give Wolfsburg the lead."

Leno spread his hands.

He had covered the near post.

He hadn't expected Dost's powerful long-range effort to somehow find its way in.

Li Luo and Malanda, who had warmed up all the way to the corner-flag area, joined the team's celebration.

Everyone jumped about and embraced one another excitedly.

"That's fantastic."

"We're actually in the lead!"

"I know how the boss will adjust things next."

"He'll definitely have us park the bus."

On the touchline.

Hecking stood proudly in the technical area.

Every inch the air of a famous manager.

He basked in the admiring looks around him.

My luck is insane. Dost actually managed to fluke that one in.

On the other side.

Schmidt sat on the bench, seriously scribbling and sketching.

Assistant coach Dino, meanwhile, made exaggerated gestures toward the players on the pitch.

A moment later.

The match restarted from the center circle.

"In recent matches, once Hecking's team takes the lead, they simply cannot be overturned."

"Wolfsburg have set up in a low block."

"But Leverkusen's positional attack is very multidimensional."

The plump wolf in armor guarded its gate in silence.

The impatient lion bared its fangs and claws.

In the 20th minute.

Çalhanoğlu kept turning his head, surveying the situation on the pitch.

Then he burst into motion.

At the edge of the deeper area of Zone 14, he received a pass from a teammate.

With no one pressuring him, his passing ability was brought fully into play.

Smack!

The ball skimmed across the grass like a sharp blade, slicing through Wolfsburg's defensive line.

Wolfsburg's defenders were no pushovers and reacted quickly.

But Leverkusen's target man Kießling not only possessed extraordinary heading ability, but also had exceptionally delicate footwork. He was nicknamed "Little Ibrahimović."

"Wow!"

"Dazzling footwork!"

"Kießling took the through ball and feinted twice inside Wolfsburg's penalty area, creating a shooting angle!"

"At 1.91 meters tall, he was unbelievably agile."

"It's in!"

Benaglio dived at thin air.

The white net billowed.

1:1!!!

At the BayArena, applause surged like a tide.

Kießling jogged all the way to the corner flag, yanked down his shorts, and showed the crowd his underwear.

"Lucky underwear."

"In 2010, his form was once quite inconsistent. His wife told him to wear these underwear in a match, and sure enough, it ended his goal drought!"

"Underwear should be washed and changed regularly. Kids watching at home mustn't imitate Kießling."

"Çalhanoğlu's through ball was crucial. It could be said that without any pressure, his passing was exquisite to the extreme."

At the Wolfsburg bench.

Malanda looked anxious. "We might not be able to hold them off."

There were many reasons they might fail to hold on.

Li Luo did not agree aloud. He did not want to say anything discouraging about his own team; the Spatial Awareness model in his mind continued to run, dissecting the match.

In the distance.

Hecking tried hard to suppress the panic in his heart and maintain a calm appearance.

"Damn it, Leverkusen always forces us into a shootout."

"Keep defending?"

"We can't keep defending. The back line is too fatigued. During the low-block phase, Wolfsburg's players have been expending even more energy."

"Pin down Çalhanoğlu! Go toe-to-toe with them!"

On the other side.

Leverkusen's coaching staff celebrated briefly.

Dino continued gesturing to the players, making further attacking adjustments.

In the 30th minute.

A sudden twist occurred.

Son Heung-min received a pass from the back line near the center circle.

Without the slightest hesitation.

He immediately burst down the wing.

"Huh?"

"He's so fast!"

"Like lightning!"

"Wolfsburg's defense quickly contracted. Guilavogui broke out and stepped up, cutting off Son Heung-min's route forward."

"What?"

"Son Heung-min changed direction at high speed? He's cutting inside!"

Bang!

Son Heung-min charged to the left side of the penalty area, raised his arm, and swung his leg.

The ball curled in an arc, spinning violently as it flew into the top-right corner of Wolfsburg's goal.

2:1!!!

At the BayArena, applause surged like a tide.

"It's in again."

"Leverkusen have turned it around."

Son Heung-min ran to the corner flag and made a "taking a photo" gesture toward the stands.

Leverkusen's fans answered him with their most fervent applause.

Live chat.

-[Whenever these two teams meet, their defenses turn into giant sieves.]

-[The first half isn't even over, and there have already been three goals. This is awesome—time to order takeout! Order takeout!]

-[What do we do? Wolfsburg looks like they're going to lose.]

-[So what if they lose? Li Luo didn't even play. Wolfsburg may lose, but my Luo didn't.]

-[Oh, it's fine. Bayern Munich lost to Mönchengladbach too.]

Hecking looked troubled.

How had he become the backdrop?

The Leverkusen coaching staff next door had become what he himself had been over the previous few matches.

In the away stand, the traveling Wolfsburg supporters had not given up and continued cheering loudly for their players.

Having completed the comeback and taken the lead, Leverkusen did not slow the tempo of the match.

Instead—

They continued trading attacks!

The match clock ticked away without anyone noticing.

The 45th minute.

The situation changed again.

"Beautiful!"

"De Bruyne intercepted Çalhanoğlu's pass."

"Wolfsburg launch a transition attack."

De Bruyne did not pass immediately. He had already observed the space between Leverkusen's midfield and defensive lines.

So he drove forward several strides with the ball.

Forcing Leverkusen's midfield screen to push up, widening the gap between the two lines.

Snap.

Still on the run, the Belgian decisively struck the ball to launch the attack.

De Bruyne was better than Çalhanoğlu in several areas: the accuracy of his passing while running, the accuracy of his passing under pressure, and his faster decision-making.

"Dost!"

"Here he comes!"

"Can he equalize? Ah, he's too slow."

The tall Dutch center forward staggered two steps before falling to the ground.

Leverkusen's 34-year-old center-back, Spahić, easily won the ball back.

There was a reason Spahić could still play center-back in the Bundesliga at his age. He had kept up with the times and developed a certain ability on the ball, so he had not been left behind by the era.

"Transition against transition."

"Kießling, a flicked header."

"Bellarabi brings it down, then lays it off for big brother Çalhanoğlu."

"A long-range shot."

"It's in again!"

Çalhanoğlu had never stopped scanning the field, so his attacking positioning was excellent. His only flaw was that his adjustment movements were rather redundant.

Wolfsburg, having pushed forward in attack, could not immediately drop back into shape and rebuild their defensive line.

They could only watch as the ball blasted into the net.

3:1!!!

The BayArena erupted completely.

They had fallen behind, come from behind, and now covered the spread.

Çalhanoğlu spread his arms toward the stands: North Rhine, cheer for your Leverkusen talisman! One goal and one assist, dazzling the entire stadium!

"At this point, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half."

"Visiting Wolfsburg are already two goals behind."

"The situation is very grim."

"Hehehe, but I think there will be more goals to come. Think about it—when Schmidt faced Bayern Munich, even with a three-goal lead, he still didn't defend. Let alone now?"

"Leverkusen just keeps disrupting your rhythm, dragging you into their game—less possession, less buildup, and wide-open end-to-end attacks."

Wolfsburg fans' hearts sank to rock bottom.

Two goals behind in the first half.

If they kept playing like this in the second half, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Halftime.

Wolfsburg's dressing room.

Hecking pulled out the tactical board and moved the little magnetic markers around.

Words pouring from him like cannon fire.

He made a series of tactical adjustments.

"Don't panic."

"We're two goals behind, but we have time to equalize. Leverkusen's defense has plenty of weaknesses."

"First, take control of the match. Control the middle. Don't let them disrupt our rhythm."

The Wolfsburg players were physically and mentally exhausted.

"One last thing."

"Li will come on as a substitute at the start of the second half!"

The Wolfsburg players' fighting spirit immediately reignited.

The Chinese media found it a little unfamiliar.

At this time in the past, Li Luo's highlight reels would have dominated trending searches across the internet.

But now, there was an utter silence...

Some fans went to check foreign websites and found the Korean media frantically praising their Son Heung-min while also ruthlessly mocking Wolfsburg.

The fifteen-minute break soon came to an end.

The players of both sides returned to the pitch.

"Hecking has made his first substitution."

"Li Luo is coming on from the bench."

"Dost is being taken off?"

"A midfielder replacing a center forward."

"Is Wolfsburg going to play without a striker?"

Wave after wave of cheers erupted from the away stand.

Leverkusen's fans were unimpressed: We're two goals ahead. Wolfsburg were such a mess in the first half—could bringing on one talented midfielder really solve their problems?

"Bayer, Bayer 04, we stand by you!"

"Bayer, Bayer 04, we stand by you!"

The BayArena echoed with the Werkself's anthem.

A gentle breeze by the Rhine in North Rhine cheerfully brushed against white hems and black hair.

Li Luo had no negative emotions whatsoever.

After watching from the bench for forty-five minutes, he had already completely broken down Leverkusen's setup for this match.

Two goals behind?

No problem.

Beep!

With the referee's whistle.

The second half officially began.

Leverkusen had possession.

After Kießling kicked off and passed back into his own half.

Li Luo immediately sprinted past the halfway line, drifting between the opposition's two lines.

"Beautiful!"

"Gustavo successfully stole the ball from Çalhanoğlu's feet."

"Passed to De Bruyne."

"De Bruyne didn't hesitate—a brilliant long pass along the ground."

"Li Luo!"

At the sidelines.

Assistant coach Dino stood in Leverkusen's technical area, brimming with confidence.

He had studied how to contain the Chinese prodigy.

During halftime, he had specifically reminded the midfield and defense.

"Don't just rely on physical confrontation."

"Cut off his passing lanes."

"Control your positioning and spacing, then close him down together and take out Li Luo!"

Head coach Schmidt sat quietly on the bench, smiling broadly as though victory was already his.

On the other side.

Hecking and the assistant coaches wore grim expressions.

They were two goals behind.

Li Luo moved toward the rolling ball.

Spatial Awareness told him that nearby Leverkusen players were rapidly closing in.

Instinctively, he wanted to follow up with a front-facing first touch to break free.

In a daze.

A golden bald-headed phantom condensed in his vision.

Smack.

The instant he received the ball.

The ball sprang away from the top of his foot.

Spahić, who had stepped in to challenge him, was utterly dumbfounded. Where was the ball? Where was the man?

Tens of thousands of spectators at BayArena were equally bewildered.

"Dragonfly Skimming."

"A nutmeg run."

"Elegant!"

"Too elegant!"

"The instant Li Luo touched the ball—smack! He changed its trajectory, sending it around the Leverkusen defender."

"At the same time, he turned and went around the Leverkusen defender from the other side."

The commentator was nearly incoherent.

Commentator Zhang was deeply worried: with the midfield pushed forward, the pressure would be far too great. Beating one man wouldn't solve the problem.

The instant Li Luo touched the ball again.

A Leverkusen defensive midfielder charged at him.

The bald-headed phantom in his vision condensed once more.

He gently nudged the ball forward.

The Spatial Awareness model spun wildly.

Predicting the distance between their positions.

His right foot stepped on the ball.

His body turned.

At the instant their distance closed.

His left foot dragged the ball back.

The entire stadium was dumbfounded.

Hecking was overjoyed.

Dino stood frozen in astonishment.

"Marseille Turn!"

"It's the Super Marseille Turn!"