After taking the lead, Wolfsburg played with more composure.
Mainz, on the other hand, was forced to push forward and attack.
Losing by one goal is a loss, losing by two is a loss, so just go for it!
Under Tuchel's guidance, although Mainz's front line lacked star players, their emphasis on overall teamwork created quite a few problems for Wolfsburg's defense.
However, as the pace of offense and defense quickened and the game became more open, Wolfsburg's midfield advantage was fully revealed!
Both the double defensive midfielders, Gustavo and Arnold, and the attacking midfielder De Bruyne, possessed the ability to distribute the ball from defense to offense.
De Bruyne, in particular, was also capable of advancing the ball through the midfield during transitions between offense and defense!
In the sixty-fifth minute, Gustavo and Arnold combined to win the ball in midfield, immediately passing it to De Bruyne up front.
De Bruyne advanced with the ball without hesitation, dribbling at a fast pace all the way to the attacking third, then delivered a precise diagonal through pass.
Perisic accelerated and made a late run, took a touch, burst into the penalty area, and then sent a low cross with his left foot.
Dost, making a run into the center, tapped it in with his right foot!
The ball flew straight towards the near post, and no matter how quickly Karius got down, he couldn't stop the ball from 'swish'ing into the net... Instantly, the entire Volkswagen Arena erupted in an astonishing cheer!
This wave of attack perfectly showcased Wolfsburg's attacking style.
De Bruyne pushed forward and distributed the ball, Perisic crossed from the wing, and Dost finished!
And after this goal, Hecking also turned around and waved to Mark:
"Mark, go warm up!"
In the sixty-seventh minute, Wolfsburg, already leading by two goals, made a substitution:
Vieirinha was replaced by Mark!
When the black-haired teenager, standing on the sidelines ready to come on, was seen, the fans in the stands immediately erupted in cheers.
"Mark is coming on!"
"Our wonderkid is about to make his appearance!"
Mark also felt the fans' enthusiasm for him, smiling and raising both hands to wave to them.
"Wolfsburg, leading by two goals, has used their first substitution."
"Number 45 Mark Lane, comes on as a substitute again!"
"Judging by the cheers from the crowd, the fans absolutely love this player!"
"This season, Hecking promoted this eighteen-year-old youth academy player to the first team..."
"He's made substitute appearances in two games for less than sixty minutes, yet he's already scored one goal and provided one assist, averaging one goal involvement per game, his efficiency is simply astonishing!"
"We might be witnessing the birth of a footballing supernova!"
And after Mark came on, Wolfsburg's right-wing attack noticeably improved!
When Mark got the ball in the attacking third, besides his ability to dribble past opponents, the most crucial point was that he wouldn't lose possession!
Not only did he allow the team to control possession in the attacking third, but he also gave the central midfielders time to support and the full-backs time to overlap.
However, after he came on, he didn't immediately take the ball and attempt to dribble past opponents.
He just tried his best to control the ball in the attacking third, and then, through his runs and movements on the wing, created more space for De Bruyne in the center.
He knew very well that as long as De Bruyne, the midfield orchestrator, played comfortably, the team would play smoothly and would be able to win the game.
As for dribbling past opponents, there would be plenty of opportunities... With Mark's ability to create space on the wing, De Bruyne had more room when receiving the ball in the center, and was better able to utilize his vision and passing.
Just two minutes later, De Bruyne received the ball in the center and passed it to Perisic on the left.
The latter performed a step-over, then cut inside from the left, unleashing a powerful shot with his left foot, but the ball flew just slightly over the bar.
A few minutes later, Wolfsburg came back again.
De Bruyne advanced with the ball in midfield, played a one-two with Arnold who made a late run, and then took a long-range shot.
Karius was focused and pushed the ball out for a corner... It wasn't until the seventy-sixth minute that Mark, Wolfsburg's winger-dancer, began to show his fangs:
Mark received the ball on the right wing, facing the defense of Mainz's left-back, Park Joo-ho.
This South Korean international might have heard about Mark's impressive dribbling, so he didn't rush to close him down immediately, but instead kept his eyes fixed on his feet.
However, this couldn't change his fate of being beaten!
Although he was on the right wing, which he was a little unaccustomed to.
But for Mark, who possessed Ronaldinho's dribbling ability, he could dribble past opponents on any inch of turf on the field!
He feinted twice with his right foot over the ball, attracting Park Joo-ho's attention, then suddenly used the inside of his right foot to pull the ball back, dipping his body and shoulder to the left, feigning a cut inside.
Seeing this, Park Joo-ho was indeed deceived, immediately turning his body towards the inside, extending his left foot, trying to tackle the ball.
The next second, Mark quickly connected with the outside of his right foot to flick the ball, which passed precisely by Park Joo-ho's foot!
Matthews Dribble!!!
Then, with an accelerating burst, Mark completely dribbled past Park Joo-ho from the outside.
This elegant dribbling move also drew applause from the Wolfsburg fans in the stands.
"So cool!"
"Elegant!"
"Reverse Elastico?!"
Immediately after, Mark dribbled along the wing, while looking up to observe his teammates' runs in the center.
Then, before Park Joo-ho could recover defensively, he delivered a cut-back cross!
The ball skimmed tightly over the grass, arriving in the open space just outside the penalty area.
A green and white figure arrived just in time.
It was "Ding Ding" De Bruyne, wearing number 14!
Leg swing, shot!
"De Bruyne~~~"
With a 'bang', the ball shot out, flying directly towards the top right corner of the goal!
The speed of the ball was so fast that the fans in the stands only saw a black blur flying through the air.
The next second, Duang!!!
The ball violently struck the crossbar and bounced back.
Mainz's captain and center-back, Noveski, quickly kicked the ball out for a throw-in.
This attacking move almost put the ball into the opponent's net.
Although there was no goal, the home fans still gave encouraging applause.
And De Bruyne, who was holding his head in frustration, didn't forget to give Mark a thumbs-up, delivering his first compliment of the day.
Mainz's coach Tuchel, who was startled and broke out in a cold sweat on the sidelines, shouted Park Joo-ho's name:
"Park!"
"Don't tackle!"
Afterwards, he didn't forget to shout the name of his defensive midfielder, instructing him to go and provide defensive support with the full-back.
Losing by two goals away from home was still somewhat acceptable, but three goals would be a bit too embarrassing.
However, this did not change Mark's continued torment of Mainz's left flank with the ball on the wing.
A few minutes later, Mark again received the ball on the right wing.
This time, facing the defensive midfielder who came over to assist, he did not choose to dribble past him, but instead played a one-two wall pass with De Bruyne who came to link up, easily getting past Park Joo-ho from behind.
Then, he accelerated to the byline and delivered a cross!
However, the power of this pass was not well-controlled, and it didn't find Dost in the center, but instead flew through the air, landing perfectly at the far post.
Perisic, making a late run, took a quick step, met the ball with his head, and directed it towards the goal.
Karius made a diving save, but his fingertips couldn't reach it... "The ball is in again!"
"Three-nil!"
"Perisic seals the victory for Wolfsburg!"
After scoring, Perisic also pointed to Mark, who provided the assist, and then ran to the corner flag for an emotional knee slide!
And Mark also raised his fists, revealing a happy smile:
"Another assist..."
Of course, he wouldn't tell Perisic that he actually intended to cross the ball to Dost in the center... Finally, Wolfsburg secured a convincing three-nil victory at home against visiting Mainz, earning three points and taking a solid step towards Champions League qualification.
And Mark, who came on as a substitute, continued to perform brilliantly!