Chapter 1 The Fierce Battle Begins

The match continued.

Çalhanoğlu led Bayer Leverkusen in a fierce offensive!

Cologne had nine players defending in their penalty area, striking at the vital point.

From time to time, a tall, muscular player would rush out from the defensive line to harass Çalhanoğlu, using their physical advantage to torment him in various ways, maintaining a perfect balance to avoid fouls.

Kramer and Bender were worried about the defense in their own half and couldn't always protect Çalhanoğlu.

This created a vicious cycle.

The midfield was disjointed.

Leverkusen gained possession but couldn't convert it into threatening attacks!

"They have possession, but they can't turn it into a threatening attack!"

"Cologne is playing more and more easily after taking the lead. Their tactics are simple and practical."

"Leverkusen needs to make adjustments and changes."

....

At the edge of the field.

Old Man Toppmöller sat back down on the coach's bench, his expression unchanged.

Dino and the coaching staff were deep in discussion.

Although Çalhanoğlu's weaknesses were well-known in the Bundesliga, if Leverkusen could use him well, it would still alleviate the pressure of multiple competitions.

On the other side.

Cologne's coach, Stöger, didn't relax.

He kept directing his players' defensive positioning.

The record can be bad!

But we can't lose the derby!

.....

As time passed in the match.

Leverkusen couldn't even control the middle of the field anymore!

Çalhanoğlu was repeatedly dispossessed by Yuya Osako!

The battle gradually moved from the Cologne penalty area back to the vicinity of the center circle.

The Cologne players' mental state underwent a subtle change:

Committing a foul near the penalty area and giving the opponent a free kick would be a great disadvantage.

Committing a foul near the center circle was not a problem.

A yellow card is acceptable, but we can't let our rivals get away!

The real North Rhine derby!

Had officially begun!

....

Tens of thousands of Cologne fans sang their team song in unison!

The joy of taking a one-goal lead would not easily fade away.

Many of them had brought marine flares and smoke bombs!

Ready to turn the RheinEnergieStadion into a fiery hell at any moment!

Yes.

Some Cologne fans are so extreme that Borussia Mönchengladbach's team bus has experienced it firsthand.

Whenever the ball was dead, they wouldn't forget to provoke the outnumbered Leverkusen fans.

The frenzied emotions gradually spread to the players on the field!

The 15th minute of the match.

Çalhanoğlu received a pass from his teammate in the forty-meter zone, preparing to advance from the middle.

A sudden, fierce flying tackle!

Brought him down!

The "culprit" was Modeste!

A French black new aid, wanting to gain the support of Cologne fans, not only relies on goals, but also needs to show "blood" and "fighting spirit" in the derby!

Beep!

The referee showed Modeste the first yellow card of the match!

In the stands, Cologne fans immediately burst into a wave of boos!

"This yellow card was timely, the penalty was decisive and firm! It stopped the players on both sides from protesting!"

"Çalhanoğlu got up, looking very painful. He created a massacre against Cologne last season!"

"Things are different now. Cologne's lineup has undergone a major change! They have the capital to challenge Leverkusen!"

"There's a bit of a derby atmosphere!"

The match continued.

Time passed minute by minute.

The score didn't change.

The actions of the players on both sides became increasingly aggressive.

Kießling, Son Heung-min, Kramer, and several other key players were fouled in succession.

Of course, as Leverkusen's core player, Çalhanoğlu was the most brutally targeted.

The 40th minute.

Kazuki Nagasawa sent a long counterattack pass!

The ball fell into Leverkusen's backfield again!

Modeste jumped high, wanting to pass the ball to Yuya Osako, who was in a better position!

Bang!

The close-up sound equipment transmitted a burst of intense melee sounds!

Bender won the header!

The ball was bounced out of bounds!

The Leverkusen captain's elbow hit the Cologne forward's cheek hard!

Beep!

The referee raised a yellow card as he ran!

"This yellow card is not controversial!"

"A good referee will maintain the balance of the game..."

"Huh?"

Amid the boos.

Cologne captain Hector angrily rushed to the scene and pushed Bender hard.

He is a typical German grassroots player.

He lived in a remote small town since he was a child, and he was still playing in the community league at the age of 22. He repeatedly ran into walls trying out for many Bundesliga 2 clubs. Cologne gave him the opportunity.

...

RheinEnergieStadion was in chaos!

The respective captains clashed.

The players on both sides didn't just stand there and stare. They rushed forward and pushed each other!

In the stands, Cologne fans and Leverkusen fans also engaged in a war of words, mixed with various North Rhine dialects.

At the edge of the field.

Old Man Toppmöller couldn't sit still. He led Dino to the fourth official and complained like crazy!

Stöger was not a pure-blooded Cologne native and hadn't coached the club for long, but to put on a show, he had to grab the nearest linesman to protest.

....

Çalhanoğlu slowed down a few steps and was bumped hard from behind by someone, falling to the ground.

The sweet fragrance of grass came from his mouth.

Çalhanoğlu's eyes were slightly red.

Was it just because I scored five goals against you last season?

Was it just because I posted a picture of eating lamb chops on my social media account after the game?

Did you have to target me like this?

The sound, like the night wind, was heartbreakingly beautiful.

No!

I must cheer up. There is no difficulty that cannot be overcome!

There's also the Champions League! Arsenal! I, Çalhanoğlu, will conquer the Emirates Stadium and shine in Europe!

What doesn't kill me!

Will only make me stronger!

.....

Leverkusen's bench.

Brandt was leading a group of substitute teammates in yelling at the edge of the field.

Havertz said worriedly, "Li, it's a good thing the coach didn't let you start... Otherwise, I'm worried the Cologne players wouldn't be able to withstand a punch from you."

Li Kang: "..."

Pa la pa la...

The rain shelter on the bench suddenly made a violent and rapid impact sound!

The two looked up.

It was some of the extreme Cologne fans throwing debris!

Lighters, mineral water bottles, bananas, nail clippers, slippers... rained down on the Leverkusen bench like crazy!

Brandt and the others quickly retreated to their seats in a panic, scolding the Cologne fans through the transparent glass canopy.

.....

Europe has very strict quality standards for bench canopies, almost requiring bulletproof functionality.

The reason was a very sad event:

In February 2009, during a match of Atlético Madrid's youth team, the glass canopy on the bench... suddenly broke and collapsed, hitting 9-year-old player Ribeiro in the head, ultimately dying from his injuries.

......

A moment later.

As the chaos on the green field subsided.

The fans in the stands also quieted down.

The match resumed.

The actions between the players on both sides decreased. The hostility did not diminish.

People fell to the ground from time to time.

The scene fell into silence.

The match became fragmented.

When the first half ended.

The refereeing team breathed a sigh of relief.

....

Dino worriedly said, "Boss, do we really have to send Li on? The Cologne fans and players are too barbaric! They are not a bunch of softies like Barcelona or the Korean team!"

Old Man Toppmöller picked up a beer can from the ground, lost in thought.

He slowly said:

"Veltins beer? The biggest advantage of the Bundesliga is that there is no alcohol ban!"

"See? Cologne fans are also drinking the beer that Li endorses! North Rhine is very united in its attitude towards European competitions!"

"They are reasonable and won't do anything extreme again. The game will return to its essence..."

Pa!

Another empty beer can smashed into Toppmöller's head!