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After defeating Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, the entire Bayer Leverkusen team did not relax.
The next day there was no holiday; training continued as usual.
In the past, players would definitely have complained, especially Julian Brandt, who would inevitably be late and drag his feet.
But recently, no matter how high the training intensity or how dense the schedule, Lance found that his teammates seemed to be tirelessly enjoying themselves, and some even arrived earlier than him.
He used to be the first to arrive at the gym, turn on the lights, and then lift weights alone whilst waiting for his teammates.
Today, when he arrived at the gym, he saw a tall, blond middle-aged man seriously lifting weights.
"Stefan? You're here so early today?"
"Lance! Morning!"
Kießling just smiled shyly when he saw Lance.
"I woke up quite early, and since I had nothing to do anyway, I might as well come and train."
Stefan Kießling was still Bayer Leverkusen's main striker last season.
After Lance gradually became the core, Kießling was content to be a supporting player for the team, often using his height advantage to set up goals for Lance.
His contribution to securing the Bundesliga top scorer title with 42 goals last season, breaking Gerd Müller's record, certainly cannot be overlooked.
However, Kießling's style was more like Ibrahimović, a tall striker who liked to hold the ball at his feet, using delicate footwork to break through and shoot himself or pass to teammates.
His role in physical confrontation, aerial duels, and as a target man was not as good as Derdiyok's, and certainly not as good as Firmino, who specialised in defensive harassment.
This season, his starting position was gradually replaced by Firmino, only appearing in German Cup matches and some rotation games.
If it were any other striker, being benched and watching the water cooler would probably have them looking for a way out long ago.
Kießling was grounded and low-key, not one to cause trouble; his only hobby outside of the pitch was cooking.
Furthermore, Bayer Leverkusen was the club that spanned his entire professional career, and he was reluctant to leave.
All Kießling could do was try his best to become stronger and earn a starting position.
Kießling, at 30 years old, was still quietly working hard.
Lance could only say, this was perhaps the epitome of most professional players.
If he hadn't changed history, Kießling, like other professional players, would have worked hard his whole life without any top league championship trophies, and without much influence in the football world.
If he was lucky, he might get into the national team for a game or two, or secure a World Cup spot.
If he was unlucky, he wouldn't even be remembered, disappearing into the long river of football history.
Lance was very fortunate that he had a cheat to help him, allowing him to rise to prominence within a single season and enter the elite ranks of football.
Otherwise, if he had been expelled by Bayern and struggled in a small team in a lower league, he might not even be as good as Kießling.
"Honestly, Lance."
Kießling stopped using the equipment, and whilst the gym was empty, he looked at Lance seriously.
"I'm really grateful to you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have touched the salad bowl in my life."
"You were indispensable last season... Keep it up, Stefan, let's try to win the championship this season too!"
"Are you talking about the league? Or the Cup?"
"What if I meant all the championships?"
"Hahaha, that's just like you."
Kießling could tell that Lance wasn't joking.
He was very envious; Lance was still young and had enough drive to pursue his dreams.
Moreover, Lance would inevitably leave Bayer Leverkusen in the future and join a world-class club.
That Champions League dream really had to be realised as soon as possible, whilst Lance was still here!
"What are you guys talking about? Are you talking about some model? A female celebrity?"
"You think we're all like you?"
Julian Brandt, that rascal, walked in, followed by other teammates.
The gym quickly became much livelier.
It was clear that after defeating the "strong enemy" Atlético Madrid, the entire Bayer Leverkusen team was full of confidence!
They were no longer the insecure "Bundesliga bottom-feeders," but the "reigning Bundesliga champions"!
A team capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with those from major leagues!
"By the way, what about tonight's draw?"
"It doesn't matter anymore. Now even Atlético Madrid isn't our opponent... I just want to say, bring on Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea!"
Julian Brandt puffed out his chest, looking full of heroic spirit.
"If we really draw Real Madrid or Barcelona, just don't cry."
"I was just kidding, please let us get a good draw."
After being teased by Captain Rolfes, Julian Brandt instantly cowered.
His comical expression made the whole team laugh.
Honestly, if you could draw a weaker team and steadily advance to the Champions League semi-finals, who would want to fight a strong team to the death?
But unfortunately, in most situations in the world, things often go against one's wishes...
"Tencent Sports News: At 19:00 Beijing time on 14 March (12:00 Central European time on 13 March), the draw ceremony for the 2014-2015 Champions League quarter-finals will be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland."
"The eight teams that have advanced will determine their matchups."
"Currently, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 each have 2 spots in the quarter-finals, whilst the Premier League and Serie A each have 1 spot."
"The decline of Premier League teams and the rise of Ligue 1 have surprised fans."
"According to the Champions League draw rules, there are no avoidance principles for this Champions League quarter-final draw; teams from the same league and the same group may meet."
"Furthermore, this draw will directly determine the matchups for the subsequent semi-finals and final."
"In the recently concluded Champions League Round of 16, many classic battles occurred... Manchester City vs Barcelona."
"The two sides fiercely clashed. In the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City lost 1-2 at home to Barcelona;"
"In the second leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona won 1-0, completing a double over Manchester City with a 3-1 aggregate score to successfully advance."
"In the knockout stage, Messi, Suárez, and Neymar each scored a goal, the dominance of MSN shocked Europe!"
"...Real Madrid vs Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich, Arsenal vs Zenit Saint Petersburg."
"These three matches had little suspense, and the results were as predicted before the games."
"Real Madrid defeated Porto with an aggregate score of 5-3;"
"Bayern Munich swept Shakhtar Donetsk with an aggregate score of 7-0;"
"Arsenal narrowly beat Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-2;"
"...Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund."
"The clash between these two powerhouses was highly anticipated by fans. In the first leg, Juventus won 2-1 at home against Dortmund."
"In the second leg, at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund put up a stubborn resistance, levelling the aggregate score at 1-0 within 90 minutes, holding an away goal advantage."
"However, Pogba's long-range shot in stoppage time secured the goal, and Juventus dramatically defeated Dortmund to narrowly advance to the Champions League quarter-finals, becoming Serie A's last remaining hope."
"Dortmund was regrettably eliminated."
"The team suffered from increased injuries and declining player form this season, coupled with the departures of Götze and Lewandowski, Klopp is expected to suffer a blow and announced in a press conference that he would resign from his position as Dortmund's manager at the end of the season..."
"The most anticipated match of this Round of 16 knockout stage was undoubtedly the clash between reigning champions Atlético Madrid and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen."
"In the first leg at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Atlético Madrid showcased their impenetrable defensive ability to the world."
"The 1-0 scoreline was maintained until the end, giving Bayer Leverkusen no opportunities."
"However, the tacit free-kick cooperation between Lance and De Bruyne found the only opportunity in the penalty area, successfully securing a dramatic equaliser against Atlético Madrid!"
"Returning to BayArena, media and fans predicted a tense defensive battle before the match."
"Atlético Madrid's defence was still the best in Europe this season, with the most clean sheets in the Champions League."
"However, the second leg surprised everyone!"
"Youngster Lance completely exploded! Three world-shocking screamers, three long-range cannon shots pierced through the strongest wall!"
"The match completely turned into Lance's personal show."
"The miraculous Lance hat-trick dramatically ended the battle with a 3-0 score, leading his team to a strong 4-1 aggregate victory and advancement to the quarter-finals!"
"...Tencent Sports will provide live video coverage, with Sun Yuxuan serving as a commentary guest. Please stay tuned!"