Chapter 157 Robery Flying On Both Wings? It Doesn't Matter, I'll Do It

Bayern Munich had been preparing for this game for half a year. Guardiola and his coaching staff considered Union Berlin their main rival, adjusting their formation nine times and trying various offensive and defensive tactics. The coaching team meticulously analyzed all of Su Luo's game videos, using software to model his habitual movements and predict his every move.

In addition to Su Luo, they thoroughly studied the characteristics of other Union Berlin players. Guardiola conducted tactical drills for six months, even during the winter break, to prepare for this decisive battle.

As long as they could beat Union Berlin, Bayern would take the lead and dominate the Bundesliga. For the first 30 minutes of the match, Guardiola's strategy seemed to be working. Bayern Munich nearly crushed Union Berlin, stifling their attacks before they could develop. Every Bayern player executed team tactics like a robot, resulting in a 10:0 shots-on-goal advantage.

If this continued, Union Berlin would lose confidence and make mistakes, allowing Bayern to capitalize. Fabianski's early exit increased Bayern's chances, and Lewandowski's shot seemed to seal Union Berlin's fate. But at the critical moment, the young goalkeeper Pickford made a stunning save, breaking the balance of the game.

No one in Bayern Munich expected his goal kick to be so flat and fast. Lahm, always marking Su Luo, turned to see Su Luo had pulled several positions ahead.

"Damn, when did that happen?" Lahm muttered as he watched helplessly. Su Luo passed two defenders in a row and beat Neuer with a pendulum dribble. Even Lahm's desperate attempt to intercept was too late.

Su Luo could have easily pushed the ball into the empty net, but he opted for a lob shot instead.

"Isn't he afraid of missing?" Lahm thought, impressed by Su Luo's confidence.

After scoring, Su Luo stretched out his arms and looked around the audience, exuding the aura of the king of East Berlin. His dominance on the field made Bayern's efforts seem futile. Guardiola stood distraught on the sidelines, questioning his abilities as a coach.

"Could it be that my success at Barcelona was just due to having talented players?" he wondered. "Why can't Bayern win the championship?" Frustrated and disheartened, Guardiola even considered leaving Bayern and the Bundesliga for the Premier League to rebuild his career.

Despite his successes, he hadn't achieved the championships he desired. The Champions League remained elusive, and even the Bundesliga title was now in jeopardy. The locker room, management, and fan groups were losing confidence in him. If Bayern lost this game, it could be the end of his tenure.

"No, I'm not giving up!" Guardiola thought. "Even if I leave, I'll go out as a winner!"

"Pep, Pep? What do we do next?" his assistant coach Estialte asked worriedly. Bayern's morale was low, and they needed a change in tactics.

"Increase the pressure, attack! Attack! Push forward!" Guardiola commanded, his calm demeanor replaced by near-madness. Estialte sighed, blew a loud whistle, and signaled for a desperate fight.

Lahm quickly gathered the Bayern players. "Brothers, it's only one goal. We have enough time to come back! The coach says to press boldly and attack fiercely! Mia-San-Mia!"

"Mia-San-Mia!!!" the players shouted in unison. This motto, meaning "We are who we are," reminded them of Bayern's glorious achievements and heritage.

The team restarted with renewed energy and fighting spirit, putting Union Berlin's goal to the ultimate test. Pickford, now the busiest player on the field, rose to the challenge.

"Costa, breaking through from the left! Passing to Pavard... No, a sudden pass back!"

"Thomas Müller!! Clever pick!"

"Lewandowski!!!"

Bang! A powerful shot hit the crossbar and bounced out. "Goetze with a follow-up shot!"

"Wow!! Pickford made another stunning save!" Duan Xuan exclaimed. Lewandowski's shot hit the bar, and Gotze's volley, seemingly destined for the far corner, was deflected by Pickford's fingertips.

Bayern took a corner, but Rudiger cleared it out. Martinez regained control, and Bayern formed another attack.

"Bayern still in control, passing to the middle! Thiago!"

"Wall pass with Lewandowski!"

"Thiago!! Taking the shot!"

"Pickford again! Stretched out to block Thiago's shot!"

Douglas Costa gestured in frustration. "Pass it to me! I'm open!" Thiago regretted not capitalizing on Lewandowski's excellent setup.

Bayern took another corner, but Pickford leaped high to catch it. During this time, he became Union Berlin's iron gate. Even Fabianski couldn't have done a better job.

Bayern's front-court pressure continued. Pickford passed short to Alex, who was immediately surrounded. He quickly handed it to Ake on the left, but Gotze and Thiago closed in. Lahm closely marked Su Luo, blocking passing lanes. Lewandowski stood next to Kimmich, preventing him from getting the ball.

Ake, unable to find a target, kicked the ball high towards Su Luo. Unfortunately, the pass was too strong and intercepted by Martinez, launching a Bayern counterattack.

Bayern's suffocating front-court defense in the first half put immense pressure on Union Berlin. Kimmich, Keita, and Su Luo were under constant surveillance. Forsberg and Mahrez were always defended, making it difficult to find them without a high ball.

Mahrez, feeling frustrated, barely touched the ball. Bayern's relentless offensive seemed poised to crush Union Berlin. Fortunately, Su Luo's tactical awareness and Modric's influence allowed him to appear at crucial defensive moments, preventing Bayern from finding clear opportunities.

Rudiger and Alex remained vigilant, tightly marking Lewandowski.

When the referee blew the whistle to end the first half, neither team had reacted yet.

"Huh? Is it over already?" some players muttered.

Both sides were so focused on the game that they hadn't even noticed the time on the scoreboard.

Bayern showed momentum but couldn't score. The broadcast close-up featured the goal hero, Su Luo, and the young goalkeeper, Pickford—both heroes for Union Berlin.

After the intermission, neither side made any adjustments. Bayern continued their high-pressure tactics to prevent Union Berlin from counterattacking and maintained possession to keep the ball in their opponent's half. They passed the ball from left to right and back, but Union Berlin's defense held strong.

Finally, Guardiola had enough. He substituted Gotze with the veteran Arjen Robben and replaced Douglas Costa with Ribery. "Robbery," almost 70 years old combined, was counted on in this critical moment.

Sure enough, Robben quickly made an impact on the right side.

"Robben with a fake move, sudden start! He's free! Cutting inside! Robben!! Takes the shot!"

"The ball just brushed the upright and went out! That was quite a threat!"

Pickford panicked. Robben's shot was so sudden that he hadn't even reacted. If it had hit the goal frame, it would have gone in.

On the other side, Ribery faced his fellow Frenchman, Pavard. Pavard, selected for the national team by Deschamps, faced the retired Ribery, who now was a rival. Ribery, full of determination, took advantage of Pavard's slight hesitation and decisively outmaneuvered him.

"Franck Ribery!! Breaking along the perimeter! Ah, cuts back inside... passes!!"

Using his experience, Ribery predicted Pavard's defensive move and completed a cross. Lewandowski was tightly marked by Rudiger, and Alex was watching Muller's run. Ake, however, only focused on the ball and not the player behind him.

"Robben!!!" Duan Xuan exclaimed.

The ball dropped over Ake's head, and Robben volleyed it from a difficult angle, the ball bouncing on the ground unpredictably. Pickford could only watch in dismay.

"Goal! Robben scores for Bayern Munich! It's 1-1!"

Duan Xuan, a seasoned Bundesliga commentator, knew the power of the Robbery combination. The two veteran players used their understanding and experience to score a fantastic goal within five minutes. Despite Union Berlin's tight defense, Bayern found a gap on the side.

Robben, excited after scoring, ran to celebrate with Ribery. Huaxia fans watching on TV were equally impressed.

"That was an incredible shot! Bayern's morale is high, they might make a comeback. Union Berlin's Ake has great physical fitness, but he lacks experience," they commented online.

While watching the game, netizens discussed it on social media and forums. Regardless of which team they supported, everyone agreed it was an exciting match. TV replays of Robben's goal and Bayern's celebrations abruptly cut off, switching to show Union Berlin players celebrating around Su Luo.

"What's happening?"

"Didn't they just concede a goal?"

"Look at the scoreboard!"

The scoreboard read: Union Berlin 2:1 Bayern Munich. In less than a minute after conceding, Union Berlin had taken the lead again. The goal scorer was the familiar name: Su Luo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can visit my Patreon page:

Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel

I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!

There are 60+ advanced chapters available for you to read.

Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Check out my new One Piece fanfic! 🎉

[One Piece: Become A Pirate Starting From Cp0]