Chapter 112: I Told You—Leon Would Be the Key to Breaking Bayern Down!
"Real Madrid are pressing Bayern high at the Allianz Arena! They've chosen to go on the offensive! Essien and Leon have pushed up too!"
The early flow of the match caught both commentators Duan Xuan and Coach Zhang off guard.
They had expected Madrid to begin conservatively—tighten the lines, feel the opponent out.
Instead, Bayern's attempts to attack were being heavily disrupted by an aggressive Real Madrid.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Di María were putting in serious defensive work. Coach Zhang couldn't help but praise it on air.
"You can see both teams, especially the attacking players, putting in defensive effort from the first whistle.
On Madrid's side, Ronaldo and Di María are really hustling. And look at Bayern—Ribéry, hey! Ribéry's about to lose Di María on the break and resorts to a tactical foul.
Looks like both Heynckes and Mourinho came in fully prepared."
The commentary picked up pace as the intensity of the match rose.
And naturally, after praising the attacking stars, it was time to mention Leon.
Even though he hadn't yet been shown much on screen, Coach Zhang spoke up confidently.
"The midfield battle tonight, especially at the holding positions, is going to be massive.
I'm telling you, Little Leon is going to be the key to Real Madrid's midfield.
I'm not just saying this—I really feel that both managers are focusing on controlling possession.
And Leon might even have a chance to contribute offensively."
Barely a moment after he finished speaking, the live feed cut to Leon and Essien executing a brilliant pincer press on Kroos!
Kroos, still relatively young and playing further forward than he would in later years at Real Madrid, wasn't the midfield metronome he'd one day become.
His role tonight was to push into advanced areas and deliver the final ball to Bayern's attacking trident.
Backline distribution and tempo-setting? That was still Schweinsteiger's job.
So for now, Kroos was matched directly against Leon.
Heynckes had highlighted this battle two weeks prior:
If Kroos could break free from Leon's shackles, Bayern's entire offensive structure would flow smoothly.
Kroos had mentally prepared for this.
But what he hadn't expected was for Leon and Essien to double-team him right from kickoff.
Surprised, but not panicked, Kroos tried to slip the ball through to the retreating Gómez.
He wasn't being arrogant—he simply believed in his technique.
Ambipedal and already a proven passer in the Bundesliga, Kroos had pulled off such split-second feeds dozens of times before.
But he had underestimated how well Leon understood him.
Just as he nudged the ball to his left foot to create more space for the pass, Leon slid in with perfect timing.
No room. Not even half a second to breathe.
Kroos hit the ground.
But he didn't look hurt—because Leon hadn't come for his legs.
It was a clean challenge, ball first, and the ball rolled out of play before Leon pulled out of the slide.
Still, for the team's sake, Kroos rolled twice and lay there a moment longer.
The referee blew the whistle—not for a card, just a foul.
He'd seen it clearly and made the right call.
Leon didn't protest.
He knew it was just a standard home-team call.
"Hey, can you stand?"
Leon walked over and offered his hand in English.
"I'm fine. Thanks."
Kroos accepted it and pulled himself up.
As he did, Leon leaned in and said quietly,
"They all underestimate you. But I don't."
Kroos blinked, a little stunned.
Was that… a compliment?
It didn't sound like sarcasm.
"Hey Toni, how do we set up for the free kick?"
Ribéry's voice brought Kroos back to reality.
Ten seconds later, as Kroos took the short free kick and ran into space, he instinctively glanced to his right.
Yup—Leon was there again.
Seeing Ribéry locked down by Arbeloa, Kroos quickly passed backward again, resetting the play with Schweinsteiger.
Then he jogged further back into midfield.
Leon, seeing this, retreated as well—now watching Robben, who was drifting wide for the switch.
Heynckes, observing from the sidelines, nodded in quiet approval.
Kroos had made the safe choice.
That was the plan.
He didn't want to lose the ball in central areas—especially not near Real Madrid's penalty box.
Because that's where Madrid were most dangerous.
As long as Kroos remained the connector between the middle and the wings, feeding Ribéry, Robben, or Lahm, his role was fulfilled.
Bayern's win condition was wide play—individual brilliance from their wingers, overlapping crosses, and clever cutbacks.
So if tactical risk was necessary, it had to come from the flanks—not from Kroos or Schweinsteiger coughing up possession.
That was Heynckes' formula for success.
Central midfield?
It had to be solid.
And ideally, Madrid would be forced to pull Ronaldo and Di María back just to defend the flanks.
And for the first ten minutes, it worked.
Madrid began to contract their shape.
Faced with continuous pressure from both wings, Mourinho adjusted—tightened the lines.
Commentators worldwide began nodding.
So did the fans.
"It's a shame," some sighed. "Madrid started so strong, but now they're sitting back. Guess they couldn't keep it up."
The match was still good, sure—but not the chaotic, high-octane shootout people had hoped for.
But… was that really the case?
While Duan Xuan was still explaining Mourinho's tactical conservatism, Coach Zhang saw something that made his eyes narrow.
Mourinho had stood up.
Essien had seen the signal.
"Looks like Mourinho is issuing fresh instructions! Essien's seen the gesture! Could Real Madrid be setting a trap—baiting Bayern into their half for a tactical strike?!"
Zhang's words instantly made thousands of Chinese fans lean in, all eyes on Mourinho pacing the sideline and barking commands.
It was like flipping a switch.
Suddenly, Madrid's retreating front line surged forward again, pressing with new urgency.
And in the backline, Leon was about to steal the show.
Robben had faced many elite holding midfielders in his career.
He'd gone up against positional masters, aggressive enforcers, and tireless runners.
But a midfielder like Leon?
Aggressive. Physical. Relentless.
And always cutting off his inside lane?
This was new.
Robben was frustrated.
Every time he tried to cut inside, Leon beat him to the spot.
Always there. Always in the way.
Robben could feel it—
Leon knew everything about him.
His preferences, his fakes, even the timing of his take-ons.
The duel had only just begun.
But Robben was already starting to realize…
This one wouldn't be easy.
When Robben tried to drive toward the byline, Leon deliberately kept a half-meter of space between them.
He let Robben swing in a cross with his weaker foot if he wanted—but never gave him the chance to cut back inside for his preferred left-footed shot or cross.
Robben tried a few times, but Leon gave him nothing.
Frustrated by the constant denial, he eventually played it safe and passed the ball back.
But in the 14th minute of the first half, with both Gómez and Kroos starting their runs into the Real Madrid box, Robben lost patience.
He was determined to break Leon.
He burst forward down the right wing before Gómez entered the penalty area.
Coentrão and Leon quickly swapped positions—Coentrão tucked inside to cover the center, while Leon stepped up to face Robben one-on-one.
This time, Robben didn't wait for Leon to close the gap.
He chose raw power—touch and go.
A sudden, explosive inside cut!
He was much faster than Leon in the initial burst, and it worked. Leon was immediately left behind.
But as Robben expected, Leon chose to abandon the chase and instead cut a direct line into the box to block off Robben's inside path.
Robben, believing he had the advantage, made his move.
A quick cut to his stronger foot. He was ready to whip in his signature cross.
But Leon reacted faster than he anticipated.
He'd read the play—stopped his retreat, spun on his heel, and re-engaged immediately!
Thanks to his boxing training from his Serie A days, Leon's balance was elite.
He could stop and pivot at full speed without losing a step.
Robben was caught off guard.
He couldn't react in time, and Leon shouldered him off the ball, stealing possession.
"Go!"
Leon immediately turned and shouted as he launched the counterattack with a strong push.
Six, seven meters downfield, and then a sharp low pass straight to the center.
Xabi Alonso was already on the move.
He didn't need to trap it—he'd already visualized the whole play.
He met Leon's pass, quickly shifted it to his right foot, and without pause, struck a diagonal long ball toward the right wing.
But it wasn't Ronaldo receiving—it was Benzema, who had pulled wide in advance.
As usual, Alonso's pass was crisp, low, and pinpoint.
Benzema received it cleanly and knocked it back.
Ronaldo, who had started sprinting from his own half, was now charging full speed through Bayern's midfield.
Before Luiz Gustavo could close in, Ronaldo flicked the ball sideways to Di María, who was now streaking down the right flank.
Ronaldo in full flight was far quicker than Gustavo.
Gustavo had no choice but to signal for Badstuber to help him mark Ronaldo together.
But Di María didn't hesitate.
He whipped a cross with the outside of his left foot toward the far post!
Benzema, after his earlier pass, had continued his run and now launched himself ahead of Boateng—meeting the ball with a strong header from mid-range!
Neuer reacted immediately—diving full stretch with a single hand.
It was the kind of shot that many keepers would fail to save just from poor wrist strength or awkward body shape.
But Neuer wasn't like other keepers.
He punched the ball out of bounds with a perfect, firm palm.
The Allianz crowd gasped—then roared in applause for their keeper's heroics.
Benzema didn't dwell on the miss. He ran to place the ball for the corner, while Real Madrid's aerial threats—Leon and Ronaldo among them—surged into the box.
Neuer shouted loudly, organizing Bayern's defense.
Heynckes had emphasized how dangerous Madrid were on set pieces.
He knew they couldn't afford to relax now.
Ronaldo, Ramos, and Pepe became the clear targets of Bayern's defenders.
Leon and Benzema were deemed lower threats, used to distract and drag defenders.
Essien and Alonso waited just outside the box for any loose balls.
Di María raised his right arm, signaling his intent.
Inside the box, players jostled for position—shoving, leaning, pushing.
Leon suddenly darted from the center to the far post, taking up a spot near Pepe.
Boateng noticed and quickly ordered Badstuber to shift and help Gustavo cover the area.
Di María's corner flew in—high, toward Ronaldo in the center.
Slightly high—but that's exactly what Ronaldo loved.
The defenders couldn't reach it, but Ronaldo, with his vertical leap, could.
Still, Boateng clung to him and limited his ability to jump cleanly.
He disrupted the contact point—Ronaldo couldn't get the power he needed!
"He missed it!"
Duan Xuan shouted in alarm, his voice rising in urgency.
But Coach Zhang had already spotted it—Leon had shaken off Gustavo!
The ball was dropping near the far post. Players from both teams scrambled.
But Leon reacted first.
Even with no clear path to goal—he had no angle to shoot directly—he didn't hesitate.
With defenders closing in from all sides, he opted for the only viable play: a header back across the box.
A ground-bound header, aimed low, bouncing into space.
And there—he saw him.
Xabi Alonso. Calm. Composed. Eyes laser-focused.
Alonso softly shifted the ball to his right foot.
Under the gaze of millions of eyes and hundreds of cameras, he took one stride forward and struck with power and precision.
The ball burst through Bayern's lines and suddenly appeared in Neuer's vision—too late.
His instincts kicked in—an explosive dive!
But all he touched was air.
SWISH—!!
The net rippled.
The sound sliced through the stunned silence of the Allianz like a bell.
Leon, breathless from the effort, sprinted toward Alonso—who had just scored a thunderous goal.
The stadium that had just been celebrating Neuer's save was now dead silent.
Except for one pocket of white-shirted fans in the corner—the Madrid section—screaming and crying and waving scarves.
And on the touchline, Mourinho roared in celebration, arms pumping like a man possessed.
For Bayern fans watching at home, the scene was brutal.
Duan Xuan's voice cracked with emotion as the goal replayed.
Coach Zhang added, pounding the table, "One interception. One headed assist. I told you—Leon was the key to breaking Bayern down tonight!"
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