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"Awesome!!"
"Lance is awesome!!"
It was almost 6 AM.
Those Eastern fans who had gotten up at 3:45 AM to watch the game were now completely ecstatic.
Except for die-hard Arsenal fans, most of them supported Lance.
They had initially thought that Lance's Bayer Leverkusen would be eliminated in the first round of the Champions League knockout stage.
Trailing 0-2 at halftime, with a complete disadvantage, a comeback seemed almost impossible.
At that time, Lance's fan forum was filled with despair, and they had given up all hope for this year's Champions League.
Fans tried to comfort each other by making light of the situation.
"It's okay, after all, Lance is only 16, and this is his first time participating in the Champions League in his career."
"Yes, making it to the knockout stage is already very good."
"Let's try again next season, and strive to go a bit further."
"I feel like it would be better to switch teams next season; Bayer Leverkusen's teammates are too weak."
"Isn't my Son Heung-min strong?"
"Son Heung-min is strong, but what can you do when the defense is so bad?"
"Just treat it as leveling up, then come to my Manchester United and revive the Red Devils dynasty."
"Absolutely not! Your Manchester United will be relegated in a few seasons; it's better to come to my Chelsea."
"I think Manchester City is good; he can also earn a lot of money."
"Maybe Florentino will take notice and bring him to the Bernabéu?"
"Cristiano Ronaldo + Lance + Gareth Bale, the scene is too beautiful, I dare not look."
"Why can't it be Lionel Messi + Neymar + Lance?"
While a group of fans debated where Lance would go next, Arsenal still completely dominated the game.
Bayer Leverkusen seemed to have no power to retaliate.
It wasn't until Lance scored the first goal that the forum exploded.
"What the heck?!"
"God Lance's goal!"
"He can do that?!"
"It's him, alright!"
Immediately after, his miraculous backheel pass in midfield to Son Heung-min, followed by a clever dummy in the middle, helped Stefan Kiessling equalize.
The fans were even more ecstatic!
"Lance!!"
"Beautiful!! Simply masterful!"
"Amazing! Awesome!"
Lance's performance was nothing like what a young player should display.
If not for the slight hint of youthful innocence in his handsome face, some would believe him to be a veteran who had been playing for 10 years.
Zinedine Zidane and Andrea Pirlo were probably no more than this, right?
However, Arsène Wenger was still capable; his substitutions blocked Lance's ability to participate in organizing passes, while also limiting his space to receive the ball.
With Lance being restricted by four players simultaneously, Bayer Leverkusen's offense once again went silent.
As a result, it was 2-2 at 90 minutes, with virtually no room for a comeback.
Arsenal would leave with two away goals.
"This is good enough; maybe they'll win in London."
"No matter how the second leg turns out, Bayer Leverkusen at least died standing."
"The result is not certain yet; maybe they really will eliminate Arsenal."
At this moment, the fans were not very confident; judging by today's momentum, Arsenal's pressure at their home ground would surely be stronger.
If they didn't win today, the next match would be very difficult.
Just as everyone thought everything was about to end, and the game entered injury time,
Julian Brandt's persistent cross from the byline seemed almost hopeless.
Until Lance soared into the penalty area in a "slam dunk" posture, his powerful header, like Mount Tai pressing down, broke through Arsenal's defense.
At this moment, domestic fans could no longer hold back, roaring in celebration.
Many neighborhoods, or university dorms where students had returned to school early, erupted in shouts!
"Lance is awesome!"
"Holy cow?! He really scored the winner!"
"They came back!"
From 0-2 down to a 3-2 comeback!
Bayer Leverkusen did it!
Lance did it!
Two crucial goals and one critical offensive organization finished Arsenal!
Among many stars like Olivier Giroud, Mesut Özil, Theo Walcott, and Mikel Arteta, the 16-year-old player Lance was the most dazzling!
Even Martin Tyler, Sky Sports' star commentator who supported Arsenal, couldn't help but praise:
"What a magnificent player! What a sensational performance!"
"A masterful player! A phenomenal performance!"
"Ladies and gentlemen! If you don't know him yet, allow me to introduce him: this is Lance, the 16-year-old Chinese-Belgian player who is currently far ahead in the Bundesliga top scorer list!"
"He is definitely Bayer Leverkusen's greatest treasure this year! A future superstar about to shine on the world stage!"
"No, he has already burst into brilliance on the Champions League stage!"
"One man dominated this match!"
Lance's winning goal also completely shattered Arsenal's morale.
As the referee blew the whistle, the score was fixed at 3-2!
Bayer Leverkusen successfully defended BayArena!
Undoubtedly, with a game-high rating of 9.6, Lance once again won the Champions League Man of the Match award.
He was firmly locked onto by the close-up cameras after the game.
On the Arsenal bench, Mesut Özil's eyes were filled with deep disappointment.
He too was once a dazzling new star in the Bundesliga, enjoying unparalleled prominence before making a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid.
However, he failed to achieve much success during his years at Real Madrid and then became a key player at Arsenal.
Looking at Lance, Mesut Özil seemed to see himself from a few years ago.
The Bundesliga 'novice village' truly does produce prodigies!
Professor Arsène Wenger also frowned deeply.
To this day, he still didn't understand why his tactics, which were flawless, were still broken by a 16-year-old kid?
Who the hell would have thought he could score with a header at the near post?
For a moment, he thought it was Olivier Giroud!
Bloody hell!
However, the more Arsène Wenger looked at Lance, the more he admired him, wishing he could call the Arsenal board on the spot and demand a transfer fee to compete for Lance.
He believed that after this Champions League match, clubs that had been waiting would no longer be able to resist.
Such a potential new star would be a huge reinforcement for any club!
Arsène Wenger reluctantly walked over and shook hands with Sami Hyypiä.
"You have a good player; I'm really envious."
"You played very well too."
The two smiled on the surface, but were secretly competing.
Bayer Leverkusen won the first leg 3-2 against Arsenal; they would certainly not be reconciled in the second leg.
It would definitely be a heated, knife-edge battle!
...
At the post-match press conference, Arsène Wenger frankly admitted:
"My tactics weren't too problematic; we just lost to Lance, who was in excellent form. Back at home, we will find a way to limit him."
Bayer Leverkusen's coach, Sascha, was not to be outdone:
"Oh? The whole world seems to want to know how to deal with Lance, but no one has succeeded yet; he always delivers his best performance at crucial moments."
"Gunners Upset Away! 2-0 Lead Squandered and Tragically Overturned! Miraculous Teenager Shows God-Tier Performance Again!"
"3-2 Comeback! Bayer Leverkusen Defends Home Ground and Defeats Arsenal!"
"Brace Saves the Day! 16-Year-Old Player Orchestrates Grand Comeback!"
The next day, this most spectacular Champions League match attracted a lot of traffic.
Even on the Chinese internet's Weibo hot searches, there were three trending topics about Lance.
#ChineseProdigyComeback
#BayerLeverkusen3-2Arsenal
#ChineseShineInChampionsLeague
Accompanying these trending topics was a widely circulated video from the Bayer Leverkusen locker room.
After defeating Arsenal, Lance held his phone and took a selfie, recording the chaotic celebration in the locker room.
"Bayer Leverkusen Allez——"
"Bayer Leverkusen!!!"
While his teammates sang wildly, the blond young foreigner Julian Brandt leaned into Lance's phone camera and shouted in broken Chinese:
"Lance, awesome——"