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[2021-05-15 | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany | 19:55 CET]

[Bundesliga MW 34: RB Leipzig 0-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

[74']

The ball flew off Poulsen's boot with venom, rising toward the left side of the goal. Hradecky shifted his weight, scrambling to track it, but luckily the trajectory was already carrying it wide, and he wasn't needed. The ball sailed past the post by a foot, crashing into the advertising boards behind the goal.

Poulsen turned away, hands on his head, not quite believing he didn't put it away. The home crowd groaned collectively, the sound rippling through the Red Bull Arena like a wave. In the away section, Leverkusen fans exhaled in relief, some clapping nervously.

"Poulsen!" Fuss called out. "Just wide! Leipzig is applying pressure now!

Hradecky took his time with the goal kick, letting a few extra seconds tick off. He placed the ball carefully, glanced at the referee, then played it short to Dragovic. The Serbian defender controlled it, turned away from Poulsen's press, and knocked it long toward the left flank.

[77']

With time running out, Leipzig began pushing bodies forward now with greater desperation to find that equaliser. The Leverkusen side didn't just sit back either upon receiving sideline instructions from Bosz, as they also began pressing up the pitch more. The three central midfielders especially battled it out with the two Leipzig pivots at the centre of the field.

The situation forced Hwang Hee-Chan to drop back into a flaneur nine role to help link up play. However, things became much more physical, preventing smooth build-up play in the central channel, and the frequent fouls didn't help things either. Around the 79th, Kevin Kampl and Aránguiz collided in a 50-50 challenge, ending with neither side catching much of the ball, mostly each other.

This immediately led to a confrontation between the two as they gripped each other's collars. Players from both sides rushed in, forming a tight circle around Kampl and Aránguiz. Demirbay grabbed Aránguiz by the shoulder, pulling him back as Sabitzer did the same with Kampl, his voice sharp and urgent in German. The referee's whistle immediately cut through the air, stopping the two before it could escalate.

*(FWEEET!)*

"Easy, easy!" the referee shouted, stepping between them, both hands raised. He pulled out a yellow card, showing it first to Kampl, then to Aránguiz. Neither player protested, just continued to shout at each other as they turned away, breathing hard. The home section booed loudly, whistling at the referee's decision. In the away end, Leverkusen fans clapped nervously, urging their team to stay focused.

[81']

The match was restarted with a drop ball, which Amiri booted to the Leipzig box for Gulácsi to restart the match. The fans in the stands stopped their shouting match long enough to clap at the display of sportsmanship. However, the urgency quickly resumed as Gulácsi launched the ball out with a powerful throw, finding

Sabitzer on the left flank.

The Austrian midfielder controlled it with his chest, letting it drop to his feet as he shrugged off Bellarabi. Using his body to create some separation, he turned and drove forward, exchanging a quick one-two with Nkunku to bypass Demirbay. Continuing his run wide, he took on Tah, who deftly tried to guide him wide, but the winger didn't make it easy for him.

Swaying left and right, he performed two step overs, eliciting a response from the defender before suddenly striking the ball with his left foot. Tah couldn't react in time and could only watch the ball spinning as it curved toward the crowded penalty area. Poulsen made his move, getting ahead of Dragovic, his eyes locked on the ball's flight path as he timed his jump, rising to meet it.

Dragovic tried to interfere, but it was too late. The striker swung his head forward, crisply meeting the ball, redirecting it to the far bottom right corner of the goal. Hardecky, between the sticks who had been closer to the near post, hurriedly tried to scramble across, throwing himself to the left. However, no matter how much he stretched, he couldn't reach the ball and could only helplessly watch it smack the side of the post, bouncing into the back of the net.

"GOOOOOAL YUSSUF POULSEN!" Fuss roared in excitement as pandemonium ensued. Leipzig has their equaliser! With time running out, they refuse to surrender!"

"What a header!" Freund added. "Sabitzer's cross was perfect, and Poulsen made no mistake! Game on!"

The Red Bull Arena exploded, thousands of voices erupting as one, the sound crashing over the pitch like a tidal wave. Poulsen sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide, screaming into the night air. Sabitzer reached him first, grabbing his head and shaking him wildly as they celebrated.

In the away section, Leverkusen fans stood in stunned silence, hands over their heads, staring at the pitch in disbelief. On the touchline, Bosz stood motionless, arms crossed, as he whispered something to assistant manager Fredrick Bauer. His eyes flicked to the fourth official's board, knowing they had just nine minutes left, plus stoppage time.

[RB Leipzig 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Yussuf Poulsen 81']

[83']

Before the match restarted, Leverkusen conducted a double substitution, pulling out Kerem Demirbay for Julian Baumgartlinger. Jeremie Frimpong came on for Aleksandar Dragovic, slotting into the right-back role, pushing Tah to centre-back. The midfield formation shifted to a 4-1-4-1, with Baumgartlinger as the sole pivot, as Aránguiz slotted next to Amiri.

The shift didn't have a direct impact, but it helped stabilise the midfield and noticeably improved possession. Slowly bringing the ball forward, it found its way to Rakim in the 88th on the left, who faced off with Klostermann and Nkunku at the side of the box, heels touching the line. The winger lightly tapped the ball between his feet with his right foot as he scanned the area behind both men.

The silence between them lasted for a good three minutes as his foot continued to tap the grass below his studs. Nkunku was the first to make a move, lunging forward from Rakim's right, forcing him to react. Almost immediately, he pushed the ball to his left, moving with it, seemingly trying to escape to the byline.

Klostermann bit at the opportunity, but just as he was about to move to block the path, he watched Rakim's right shoulder dip as his left foot dug in. The defender's body reacted instinctively, moving back to block the gap in the middle, but like lie the dipped shoulder that was about to crash into him exploded away. His left foot dragged the ball toward the byline, exploding after it, performing a quick reverse Elastico to manoeuvre past him.

Entering the box from the side, he dribbled forward, scanning the chaotic area as Upamecano moved to shut him down. Picking out Bellarabi on the opposite side, he immediately swung his foot, sending a chipped cross over the approaching defenders and everyone in the box. The ball sailed through the air, curling over Upamecano's outstretched leg and toward the back post where Bellarabi had made his run.

The German winger pushed ahead of Halstenberg, but the angle was tight, and he had to awkwardly stretch his head, nudging it goalward, barely dodging the post with a spin. The ball hit the back of the net, and once again the away section exploded to life as the Leverkusen side sprinted to the corner flag. "GOOOOAL! KARIM BELLARABI!" Fuss roared. "Leverkusen retake the lead! With just minutes remaining, they've struck back!"

[RB Leipzig 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Kerem Demirbay 89']

The Red Bull Arena fell silent in patches, thousands of home fans staring at the pitch in disbelief, hands on their heads. They were shell-shocked as the hope that had emerged disappeared like a mirage. Some had already started filing toward the exits, unable to watch anymore. On the touchline, Bosz sprinted forward, pumping his fist into the air as the bench erupted behind him.

[90'] 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Leipzig kicked off quickly, desperation etched into every movement, not wanting to end things here. Poulsen tapped it to Nkunku, who drove forward without hesitation. The Frenchman skipped past Baumgartlinger's challenge, then played it wide to Sabitzer on the left.

The Austrian took one touch, then sent a long ball toward the Leverkusen box. Poulsen attacked it, getting ahead of Tah, but his header lacked direction. The ball looped harmlessly over the bar, disappearing into the crowd behind Hradecky's goal. The fourth official raised his arm, indicating two minutes of added time.

In the first minute of added time, the Leverkusen deftly played keep away, passing the ball amid their ranks. The chasing home side surged forward without consideration to regain possession, but the way side remained calm. Still, despite their best attempt to keep the ball, they could only do so for so long before they found themselves cornered. Frimpong found himself surrounded and decided to boot it long rather than risk losing the ball so close to his goal.

[90+2']

The ball sailed into Leipzig's half, bouncing toward the left touchline, where Halstenberg chased it down, controlling it quickly before driving forward. He played it inside to Sabitzer, who took one touch then struck a long diagonal toward the Leverkusen box.

Upamecano had pushed up completely, attacking the ball as it dropped into the penalty area. He rose above Baumgartlinger, directing his header toward Poulsen near the six-yard box. The Danish striker tried to redirect it goalward, but Tah was there, throwing his body in front of it.

The ball deflected out to Nkunku at the edge of the box. The Frenchman controlled it on his chest, let it drop, then struck it with his right foot. The shot was rushed, and Aránguiz slid in, blocking it desperately. The ball spun out toward the touchline, where Rakim collected it, and the referee checked his watch one final time.

(FWEEET! FWEEET! FWEEEEEET!)

[FT: RB Leipzig 1-2 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

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TO BE CONTINUED...