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[2021-05-01 | Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany | 20:35 CET]

[DFB Pokal Semi-Final: Werder Bremen 0-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

*(FWEEET!)*

[46’]

Leverkusen kicked off the second half, with Paulinho tapping it back to Palacios. The Chilean midfielder immediately played it square to Lars Bender, who knocked it across to Sven Bender. The twin brothers exchanged a quick one-two, bypassing Möhwald’s press, before Lars drove forward five yards.

He spotted Gray making a run down the left flank and threaded a pass into the channel. The English winger controlled it with his first touch, then accelerated at Gebre Selassie. Gray performed a quick stepover, dropped his shoulder to feint inside, then pushed the ball outside with his left foot.

The Bremen right-back recovered quickly, staying tight, shepherding Gray wide toward the byline. Grey drove inside, dribbling along the line as he fought his marker. He tried to cut it back across the penalty spot upon reaching the edge of the box. Toprak read it, lunging across to intercept, clearing the ball out for a corner.

"Gray trying to make it happen early in the second half!" Rae noted. "But Bremen’s defence is holding firm."

"Toprak’s experience showing there," Robson added. "He read that cutback perfectly."

[54’]

Bremen responded with a quick counter in the 54th when Eggestein won a header in midfield, nodding it down to Bittencourt at the edge of the centre circle. The German playmaker turned sharply, spotting Rashica making a diagonal run from the left, cutting inside toward the centre.

Bittencourt threaded a pass between Jedvaj and Arias, splitting the defence. Rashica latched onto it, his first touch taking him into the final third. Dragovic stepped up to close him down, but the Kosovo winger had already shaped to shoot from twenty yards. He struck it with his right foot, curling it toward the top left corner. Grill tracked it all the way, launching himself across his goal. His fingertips brushed the ball, just enough to send it spinning wide of the post.

"RASHICA!" Rae roared. "Grill denies him again! What a save!"

"Brilliant save now from the young keeper," Robson said. "He’s putting on a showcase."

A couple of minutes later, on the touchline of the Leverkusen technical area, Bosz turned to his bench, gesturing to Alario and Amiri. The two players immediately stripped off their training jackets and began warming up more intensely. In the 59th minute, the substitution board went up:

OFF: Palacios, Bellarabi

ON: Lucas Alario, Nadiem Amiri

Alario jogged onto the pitch, exchanging a quick handshake with Bellarabi before slotting in as the striker. Amiri took up a position in the attacking midfield role, pushing Paulinho wide to the right.

[62’]

The fresh legs brought some energy for the league leaders. In the 65th, Lars Bender won the ball in midfield with a crunching tackle on Möhwald, and immediately played it forward to Amiri. The German playmaker took one touch, his head already up, scanning the pitch.

He spotted Gray making a run down the left, dragging Gebre Selassie with him. Amiri threaded a pass into the channel, weighted perfectly. Gray controlled it on the run, his pace taking him clear of the Bremen right-back. Gray drove to the edge of the box, then cut it back sharply to Alario, who had positioned himself at the penalty spot.

The Argentine striker controlled it with his first touch, turning away from Toprak’s challenge. He shaped to shoot with his right foot, drawing Friedl across. Instead of shooting, Alario slipped a pass to Paulinho on the right, who had drifted inside unmarked. The Brazilian winger struck it first-time with his left foot from twelve yards, aiming for the bottom right corner. Pavlenka dove, but his effort was unnecessary as the ball hit the outside netting harmlessly, leaving the field.

"PAULINHO!" Rae exclaimed. "Oh, so close!"

"They need to put chances like that away, or they will come back to punish them," Robson noted, mirroring the frustration of the views.

[68’]

They seemed to take his words to heart, as in the next 10 minutes of dominance, Leverkusen continued to probe the Bremen defence. Around the 70th minute, Sven Bender won the ball in midfield, driving forward before playing it wide to Gray on the left. The English winger took one touch, then whipped in a cross toward the penalty spot with pace.

Alario, who had timed his lunge ahead of his marker, leapt into the air like salmon leaping out of the water. He made a great connection with the ball, curling it into the box, guiding it downward toward the near post. Toprak tried to interfere, but the striker remained composed in the air, guiding it all the way. The ball fell perfectly to the bottom left corner of the goal, out of the grasp of Pevlenka, smashing into the back of the net.

"GOOOOOAL!" Rae roared. "LUCAS ALARIO! Leverkusen finally break the deadlock!"

[Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Lucas Alario 70’]

Alario sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide, performing a knee slide celebration. "What a moment!" Robson exclaimed. "Seventy minutes of frustration, and finally, the breakthrough! Alario with the clinical finish!"

"Pavlenka had no chance with that one," Rae added. "Too close, too well-placed. Bremen’s resistance is finally broken."

On the touchline, Bosz pumped his fist once, then immediately turned back to the pitch, clapping his hands. "Stay focused!" he shouted toward his players. "It’s not over!"

[74’]

Bremen tried to respond immediately, throwing bodies forward desperately. Bittencourt collected the ball in midfield, driving forward with speed. He played it wide to Rashica on the left, who took one touch before cutting inside onto his right foot. The Kosovo winger was at the top of the box now, Arias closing him down. Rashica struck it from twenty yards, aiming for the top right corner. The shot was well-struck, rising, but the aim was off, missing the frame of the goal by a meter.

"Rashica tries to respond!" Rae called out. "But couldn’t put it away"

"Bremen need a goal quickly," Robson said. "Time is running out."

[80’]

Bremen made a desperate change, bringing on Davie Selke for Sargent and Yuya Osako for Möhwald. The substitutions shifted their formation to a more aggressive 3-4-3, with Toprak, Friedl, and Gebre Selassie forming the back three. In the 82nd minute, Eggestein won the ball in midfield with an aggressive tackle on Sven Bender.

The referee allowed play to continue as Eggestein immediately drove forward, his head up, looking for options. He played it wide to Osako on the right, who had fresh legs and pace. The Japanese midfielder took one touch, then accelerated down the flank, forcing Sinkgraven to backpedal desperately. Osako cut inside onto his left foot at the edge of the box, drawing Jedvaj toward him.

He slipped a pass to Füllkrug in the centre, who controlled it with his back to goal, Dragovic pressing against him. The German striker used his strength to hold off the defender, then laid it off to Bittencourt at the top of the box. The German playmaker struck it first-time with his right foot from eighteen yards, aiming for the bottom left corner. Lars Bender slid in from the side, managing to get his foot in the way, deflecting it wide from almost point-blank range.

"Lars Bender with the stop!" Rae exclaimed. "And what a stop it is!"

"Desperation from Bremen," Robson noted. "And even more desperate defending from Leverkusen."

[84’]

The corner was delivered by Bittencourt with pace, curling toward the near post. Füllkrug attacked it, rising above Jedvaj, but his header was directed straight at Grill. The young keeper caught it cleanly, then immediately rolled it out to Arias on the right.

The Colombian fullback took one touch, then drove forward at speed, looking to launch a counter. He played it inside to Lars Bender, who turned sharply away from Eggestein’s challenge. The German midfielder spotted Gray making a run down the left, already accelerating into space. Lars Bender threaded a pass into the channel, weighted perfectly.

The winger latched onto it, his first touch taking him clear of Augustinsson, who had pushed forward and was now caught out of position. He drove into the final third, with Toprak the only defender back. The English winger cut inside onto his right foot, drawing the Turkish defender toward him. Instead of shooting, Gray slipped a pass to Alario, who had made a diagonal run from the right.

The Argentine striker was now one-on-one with Pavlenka, entering the box from the right side. The Czech keeper rushed out, trying to narrow the angle, but Alario calmly slotted it past him with his right foot, placing it into the bottom left corner—the ball nestled into the net. Alario sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees, arms spread wide. Gray reached him first, jumping on his back. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"GOOOOOAL!" Rae roared. "LUCAS ALARIO WITH HIS SECOND! And It’s Game over!"

[Werder Bremen 0-2 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Lucas Alario 84’]

"Clinical finishing from Alario!" Robson exclaimed. "That’s a brace for the Argentine! He’s put this tie to bed!"

"Perfect counter-attack," Rae added. "Bremen pushed too many bodies forward, and Leverkusen punished them with ruthless efficiency."

[87’]

Bremen were deflated after conceding the second, so soon after the first, their belief drained from them. The final minutes of the game were more of an exhibition of possession keeping than a competitive contest. It was only in the 90th minute that Bremen showed a spark of inspiration when Rashica collected the ball on the left, driving at a tired Arias.

The Kosovo winger tried a quick stepover, then cut inside onto his right foot, but Dragovic was there, stepping across to intercept. The Serbian defender won the ball cleanly, then played it forward to Amiri. The German midfielder turned upfield but didn’t get far as the referee blew his whistle, ending the proceedings with a two-nil score.

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TO BE CONTINUED...