What Is Positional Play?

Bayer Leverkusen locker room.

Old Topp held a roster and kept drawing on the small blackboard.

His tone was anxious:

"After Guardiola took charge of Bayern Munich, their youth team's tactical system underwent major changes as well."

"It's no longer just the fast football of high pressing from before, but positional play!"

"The most important thing to note is that on the pitch, they will never have more than four players on the same horizontal line, nor more than two players on the same vertical line! The layers in that formation structure are beyond anything we can match!"

"Don't understand? Let me explain. If their Kurt cuts inside, the fullback will drop back!"

"Their players will rotate frantically in both attack and defense! That's how they seize control of the match! Kurt is their core!"

The young players were somewhat dumbfounded.

There was no way they could digest this sudden flood of knowledge in such a short time.

The assistant coach glanced at the old man and promptly said, "It's fine. Just play well, everyone."

Everyone: "..."

Old Topp sighed and carefully assigned each young player their tasks.

In modern football, there were no more than three factors that determined control of a match: numerical superiority in local areas, individual ability, and positioning.

All of it was achieved by having players occupy specific vertical and horizontal zones on the pitch.

Clearly, their own youngsters were no match for the prodigies of Bayern Munich Youth Team.

"In short, once we have possession, we'll use collective movement to widen the attacking area and get it to..."

That, the youngsters understood.

They just had to pass the ball to Leo Kang, then Leo Kang would thread it through to Havertz.

The premise was... that they could get the ball.

Ten minutes later.

The players from both sides arrived in the tunnel.

They formed two lines.

Ready to walk out.

The Bayern Munich players' faces were full of confidence and ease.

Hearing the thunderous waves of shouting outside the tunnel, the Bayer Leverkusen youngsters could not help frowning.

They rarely played in away environments like this. Thinking back to last season, when they had come here and faced the jeers of thousands upon thousands of Bayern Munich fans, it truly felt awful.

Even in the Youth Champions League, it was exceptionally rare to encounter such a "devil" stadium!

Kurt's expression was indifferent.

He felt that still playing youth-team matches was a waste of time.

His gaze swept across the Bayer Leverkusen line and paused briefly on Leo Kang.

Asian?

Number 10 shirt?

Was this the key player who had beaten Borussia Mönchengladbach?

Kurt withdrew his gaze, a trace of disdain appearing on his face.

The match was about to begin.

The refereeing team led both sides out of the tunnel.

Säbener Stadium instantly erupted!

The Bayern Munich fans rhythmically shouted the names of their young players!

Among them, Kurt's name was like the main refrain!

He was their future!

When both teams stepped onto the grass.

Some Bayern Munich fans noticed the black-haired Asian player.

"Bayer Leverkusen Youth Team actually has an Asian player? Since when?"

"You still don't know? It's spread all over Westphalia! He's a new signing from La Masia! He's Chinese!"

"Chinese... Fucking disgusting! Don't let those idiots from Borussia Dortmund find another talking point!"

The reason some Bayern Munich fans hated Chinese people was simple:

During their Asia tour, Borussia Dortmund executive Walz had declared: Chinese people are ***.

In 2013, after Borussia Dortmund lost to Bayern Munich, their head coach at the time publicly said: Bayern Munich was like a Chinese businessman, greedy ****!

This led some Bayern Munich fans to hate Chinese people, wishing their own club could completely distance itself from China.

Very quickly.

From all four stands of Säbener Stadium came waves of boos and insulting language, surging madly toward the Chinese boy on the pitch.

Old Topp flew into a rage, pointing at the stands and cursing loudly.

Bayern Munich's head coach, Augenthaler, hurriedly turned back as well, trying to stop the fans' improper remarks.

But his voice was quickly drowned out by the drink bottles and popcorn raining down.

Leo Kang was mute.

Not deaf.

His expression remained calm.

China livestream chat.

Though the young streamer could not understand German.

He could tell it was nothing good.

"These foreigners are insulting our Brother Leo!"

"Damn it! It was the same in the last friendly! Those bastards had ** flags and banners hanging in the stands!"

"Brother Leo, destroy them!"

-

[Stay calm. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo get insulted and have things thrown at them in away games all the time. What can you do? It's youth football, these remarks won't be punished by FIFA anyway!]

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[Let me translate it for you, then you won't be able to stay calm.]

-

[These bastards really have the nerve to say those things to a teenager!]

-

[Football is war in peacetime. Scoring is the best retaliation!]

"Beep!"

The referee blew his whistle, and the match officially began!

Bayern Munich Youth Team kicked off.

Right from the start, their entire formation pressed forward frantically.

As the youngsters in midfield and attack advanced, they switched positions constantly, displaying an immensely terrifying sense of pressure.

The ball continued moving at an extremely rapid pace.

The Bayern Munich fans erupted into deafening cheers as well.

Making the Bayer Leverkusen youngsters somewhat nervous.

They could not hear Coach Top's instructions at all.

In just two minutes.

Bayer Leverkusen's defensive line was torn apart!

Their two center backs were dragged away by the opposing forwards.

Exposing a gap.

Kurt received a pass from his teammate on the flank, to the right side of the edge of the penalty area.

Completely unmarked!

He struck the ball hard with the inside of his foot!

A perfect curler bent toward the upper-left corner of the goal!

The Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper reacted two seconds too slowly!

Bang!

The ball smashed heavily against the crossbar!

And bounced out over the end line!

The entire stadium sighed!

"That was close, brothers! This Bayern Munich number 10 has some skill!"

"Don't panic! The match has only just started!"

Kurt showed no disappointment, raising a thumbs-up toward the teammate who had passed him the ball.

The Bayern Munich Youth Team players also jogged back toward the center circle with smiles on their faces.

In their view, Bayer Leverkusen was far too weak. This match was destined to be a "slaughter."

The Bayer Leverkusen youngsters gradually adjusted to the interference from outside the pitch.

Not a trace of defeat showed on their young faces.

At the sidelines.

Coach Top looked helpless.

He rubbed his face and sat back down on the bench.

In truth, there was little suspense in this match. The only question was how many goals Bayer Leverkusen would concede.

On the other side.

Augenthaler had no mind to watch the match, constantly waving his hands to stop the improper remarks from nearby fans.

The young assistant coach immediately felt that his coach's image had become far more imposing.

He was just about to flatter him.

But the Bayern Munich Youth Team coach shook his head. "Damn it, these stupid fans. We're certain to win this match, so why insult a weakling? When the football association fines us afterward, we'll be the ones paying again!"

The young assistant coach: "..."