56 Super Mario
Mario Götze of this period is not the one who exhausted his luck after scoring a goal in the World Cup final.
He is the core of Dortmund's offense, capable of playing multiple positions such as side midfielder, winger, central midfielder, and even shadow forward.
With him on the field, Dortmund's attacking force is guaranteed.
Whether it's providing assists to his teammates or taking charge of ending the game himself, Götze makes it all look effortless during this period.
His exceptional performances have earned him fame while German legend Franz Beckenbauer even called him "German Messi," signifying the immense glory he has achieved.
Five minutes later, Götze entered the game as a substitute, replacing Kehl.
His presence immediately revitalized Dortmund's attacking unit, particularly benefiting striker Lewandowski.
The partnership between the two up front created significant pressure on Werder Bremen's defense.
Furthermore, the addition of Reus elevated the offensive firepower of the trio to another level. It became an arduous task for the opposition to guard against all three of them simultaneously.
In the 81st minute, Götze broke through and scored a remarkable goal.
After receiving the ball on the left side, Götze evaded two defenders and skillfully executed a low shot with his right foot.
The goal took everyone by surprise, especially considering the tight defensive situation he encountered.
Excited by the goal, Götze jubilantly ran towards the corner, gesturing for the audience to applaud. Dortmund fans responded with warm applause and cheers, wholeheartedly supporting their midfield maestro.
In contrast to their lukewarm response to Lucas's record-breaking goal earlier, they now genuinely embraced their beloved star.
Meanwhile, Lucas placed his hands on his hips, observing Götze's celebrations while contemplating his next moves.
The Bundesliga had just begun, and the first match resulted in a defeat, which is somewhat difficult to accept.
Although their opponents possessed considerable strength, Werder Bremen had previously overcome similar challenges. The level of difficulty did not imply impossibility.
However, the opponent had intensified their defensive strategies, making it exceedingly tough for Lucas to break through and score.
In addition to Gundogan's personal marking, he faced constant attention from other Dortmund players. Whenever he gained possession, double-teaming would swiftly follow. In such circumstances, passing the ball to Lucas seemed to not a good option.
Lucas earnestly desired to outmaneuver his opponents and bypass their defense, but they denied him any chance to do so.
Often, just as he embarked on his dribble, the opponent resorted to fouling, deliberately disrupting his rhythm. This left Lucas feeling somewhat helpless.
Yet, in a sudden realization, Lucas thoughts shifted to fouls. He glanced at De Bruyne and an idea sparked within him.
...
Shortly after Dortmund's celebration, the game swiftly resumed.
Falling behind in the score, Werder Bremen increased their offensive efforts, prompting Lucas to become more active in his movements, actively seeking the ball.
The ball swiftly found its way to De Bruyne's feet, the team's frontcourt playmaker with the authority to distribute and organise the attacks.
Even before receiving the pass from a teammate, De Bruyne had already assessed the positions of his fellow players, considering their proximity to defensive players, threat level to the goal, and the safety of passing lanes.
Based on these factors, he determined the recipient of his pass.
Originally, Lucas, as the team's most menacing forward, would have been his primary choice.
However, due to the opponent's targeted defensive measures against Lucas, De Bruyne's attempts to find him were repeatedly intercepted or resulted in fouls.
Nonetheless, this time, when De Bruyne held the ball, he witnessed Lucas stretching out his hand, signaling his readiness to receive it.
Recalling their conversation prior to the game resuming, De Bruyne hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to trust his teammate and passed the ball to Lucas.
Excellent! Seeing De Bruyne's pass, Lucas accelerated and gained possession ahead of the defender.
Dortmund's players closely marked him, quickly double-teaming him upon receiving the ball. In the past, faced with such pressure, Lucas would likely opt to pass.
However, this time he took the initiative, dribbling towards the defender.
Without hesitation, the defender extended his foot to seize the ball. However, instead of successfully making contact with the ball, he unintentionally tripped Lucas, causing him to tumble to the ground.
The referee's whistle blew, awarding a free kick. Lucas immediately rose to his feet, engaging in a discussion with De Bruyne, who arrived to take the set-piece.
"How should we approach this free kick? Do you need my cooperation?" Lucas asked, seeking guidance.
Observing the distance between the penalty spot and the goal, approximately 25 meters, De Bruyne replied, "I'll take the shot, and you position yourself for a follow-up. The distance is perfect for an 'knuckleball'."
"Alright, sounds good!" Lucas affirmed.
De Bruyne nodded and stepped back, seemingly surrendering the responsibility of the free kick to Lucas.
Observing Lucas taking the free kick, Dortmund's goalkeeper Weidenfeller pondered the opponent's tendencies from his previous set-piece.
Unfortunately, he realized he had never seen this particular player take a free kick, leaving him uncertain about what to expect.
Consequently, he directed his teammates to form a defensive wall protecting the far corner of the goal, while he guarded the near corner.
As the opponent's wall took shape, the referee blew the whistle. Lucas approached the ball, faking a shot, only to feint and pass it instead. De Bruyne, who had retreated earlier, dashed forward and struck the ball.
Dortmund's defensive wall trembled, caught off-guard and unable to leap in time, as the ball grazed their scalps.
Weidenfeller widened his eyes, equally taken aback. Initially anticipating a shot towards the near corner based on Lucas's run-up, he found himself wrongfooted as De Bruyne aimed for the far corner.
Reacting swiftly, Weidenfeller jumped, attempting a flying save, but his fingertips failed to make contact with the ball.
Just as he believed he would concede the goal, a resounding thud reverberated through the stadium as the ball bounced off the crossbar!
Among the Dortmund fans, relief swept through the stands.
Initially fearing the imminent goal, they now celebrated their fortunate escape with exclamations and relieved sighs.
Observing the trajectory of the ball, Lucas believed his teammates had scored, only to be left speechless as it struck the crossbar. Nevertheless, he offered De Bruyne a thumbs-up, praising his impressive effort.
De Bruyne nodded without showing much emotion, secretly vexed by the missed opportunity. If only the ball had been slightly lower, it would have made better use of the chances created by his teammates. Such exceptional opportunities in the attacking third are not easily obtained!
As it turned out, De Bruyne is thinking too much about the situation.
Two minutes later, almost from the same position, Lucas is once again tripped by a defender while dribbling the ball. The referee promptly awarded another free kick.
Both De Bruyne and Lucas found themselves standing in front of the penalty mark once more.
"Huh, did you do that intentionally?" De Bruyne quickly pondered. After passing the ball to Lucas earlier, it was apparent that the opponent had a better choice, but Lucas choose to penetrate the dense defensive line of Dortmund, seemingly actively seeking fouls.
This made De Bruyne certain that the opponent was deliberately committing fouls to exploit free kick opportunities.
"Forget it. If I can push a bit further, it might even be a penalty. Unfortunately, the opposing defense is too strong to breach," De Bruyne said, feeling speechless for a moment.
Normal people would be surprised by the opponent's heavily fortified defense, whereas Lucas defied expectations.
How confident was he in his dribbling ability? Wasn't he afraid of being intercepted by the opponent?
"How should we approach this ball? Are we playing it the same way as before?" De Bruyne asked, frustrated by missing a good opportunity earlier but unexpectedly finding himself in another decisive moment.
"No, let's try something different. The opponent might anticipate our previous tactics. Look, Dortmund's goalkeeper is positioned at the far corner, guarding against you!" Lucas pointed out.
Indeed, upon surveying the field, Lucas noticed Dortmund goalkeeper Weidenfeller standing near the far corner of the goal, seemingly apprehensive about his previous free kick.
After discussing the strategy with Lucas, De Bruyne feigned a free kick and retreated to create enough space for his run-up.
Weidenfeller paid little attention to Lucas. After all, this player had never taken a free kick before. Who knew if he had the skill?
Consequently, Weidenfeller focused on De Bruyne. Given that De Bruyne had almost scored with his previous attempt and had also sealed Dortmund's fate with a free kick in the previous Telekom Cup final, it was only natural for the opponent to perceive him as the greater threat.
Observing the positioning of the defensive wall and the goalkeeper, Lucas initiated his run-up.
Since he had recently covered for De Bruyne, the opposition is not deceived, assuming that Lucas would employ the same approach.
However, to everyone's surprise, Lucas, upon reaching the ball, didn't pass it but instead struck it with a quick kick.
Dortmund's defensive wall is caught off guard, unprepared to jump in time as they watched the ball sail over their heads.
Weidenfeller, who hadn't anticipated Lucas taking the free kick, hastily reacted after observing the trajectory of the ball. However, it was too late for him to adjust his position.
The ball arced beautifully through the air, aiming straight for the upper left corner of the goal, ultimately finding the back of the net.
In the 88th minute of the game, Lucas scored directly from the free kick, breaking through Dortmund's defense for the second time.
The score on the field now stood at 2-2, with both teams back on level ground.
On the coaching benches, Schaaf and Klopp both rose to their feet almost simultaneously upon witnessing the goal.
Their reactions differed: Schaaf is pleasantly surprised, while Klopp appeared shocked.
"I didn't expect Lucas to have such a move. It seems we have another candidate for taking free kicks in the future!" Schaaf cheerfully remarked to his assistant coaches.
His curiosity grew stronger: How many more secrets does this young player possess, and what other surprises can he bring to the team?
On the other side, Klopp's face turned grim.
When his players fouled Lucas outside the penalty area for the first time, he didn't think much of it.
However, when the same way player fouled Lucas at nearly the same spot for the second time, Klopp began to sense that something was amiss.
Fouling the same player in the same location twice in a row is too coincidental to ignore!
Yet, before he could reminds his players, the opponent capitalized on the resulting free kick, scoring directly.
Klopp found himself speechless. He realized that the opponent's number 10 is not only skilled but also a psychological master.
The free kick had completely outwitted Dortmund's players and their coach.
