Chapter 75 Seizing the Opportunity

When the game restarted, Augsburg launched a fierce attack on Borussia Dortmund's goal, hoping to take advantage of the momentum of just having equalized the score to score another goal in one go, and completely take the initiative in the game.

Faced with Augsburg's aggressive attack, Borussia Dortmund tightened their defense.

This was a normal adjustment, nothing unusual.

However, in defense, Zhou Yi kept turning his head, looking around to observe the situation on the field.

He imprinted all the situations that occurred on the field in his mind, constantly updating data and analyzing it.

Searching for the best counter-attack opportunity.

The reason for being so cautious was that Zhou Yi didn't want to alert the enemy—if Augsburg realized that their attack would lead to a goal, they might tighten their defense. Then Borussia Dortmund would lose their best scoring opportunity.

For Augsburg, this was an away game, and even if they didn't win in the end, taking a point wasn't unacceptable.

But Borussia Dortmund couldn't accept that; they had to win, they could only win.

If the mentality of both sides changed at that time, the initiative would fall into Augsburg's hands again.

So Zhou Yi had to be cautious and ensure the success rate.

Being pinned down by the opponent meant fewer opportunities to attack, and he didn't have many opportunities to waste.

Besides, Yan Min couldn't stay at the front to wait for a counter-attack opportunity. As a winger, or winger, he not only had to attack but also shouldered the responsibility of defending. When Augsburg's attack was at its strongest, the entire Borussia Dortmund team had to defend, otherwise, it would be difficult to guarantee that the goal wouldn't be conceded. How could he stay in front alone?

This naturally reduced Borussia Dortmund's counter-attack opportunities and made them even less able to afford to waste them.

※※※

Zhou Yi was looking for a counter-attack opportunity, and Yan Min was looking for one too.

He was also very clear about the current situation—he was defending in the backfield, so it was almost impossible for Zhou Yi to directly send a long pass behind the opponent's defense, and then for him to get the ball by beating the offside trap, dribble into the opponent's penalty area, face the goalkeeper directly, and easily put the ball into the goal.

If he rushed too far forward, the team's defensive formation would be incomplete, and it would also alert the opponent.

So he could only maintain the status quo, defending in the backfield while looking for an opportunity to counter-attack.

In that case, he would probably have to dribble past a few people.

Yan Min didn't think this was difficult; dribbling past people was as common to him as eating and drinking. He was best at this.

What was needed now was an opportunity.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

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In the seventy-fifth minute, Augsburg launched an attack, which went all the way to Borussia Dortmund's goal, but their cross was directly plucked from the air by Weidenfeller, who came out of the goal.

When he landed, he caught sight of Zhou Yi.

The tacit understanding of playing together for so many years meant that he didn't need to wait for Zhou Yi to signal him, and he threw the ball directly to Zhou Yi outside the penalty area.

Zhou Yi cushioned the ball with his chest and turned around at the same time.

Then he lifted his foot and flicked the falling ball in the air, sending it to Sven Bender's feet next to him.

After passing the ball, he quickly ran forward to open up an angle for support.

Sven Bender also immediately passed the ball back.

Zhou Yi, who received the ball, immediately became the focus of everyone on the field, especially the Augsburg players.

Zhou Yi's strength didn't need to be repeated.

As soon as he got the ball, Augsburg players immediately pressed up, trying to stop Zhou Yi's ball.

Moreover, it wasn't just as simple as stopping a Borussia Dortmund attack; they could also take the opportunity to catch Borussia Dortmund off guard and maybe even score a goal?

Faced with the Augsburg players pressing him, Zhou Yi didn't pass the ball immediately but paused for a moment, then changed direction slightly and went to the center. This looked like an evasive action, but it put him in Augsburg's encirclement—this change of direction meant that he was being faced not by one Augsburg player but by three.

Seeing Zhou Yi dribbling and changing direction, the Augsburg players who were retreating also stopped retreating and rushed up, intending to work together to surround and kill Zhou Yi here.

"Zhou Yi is still dribbling..." Marcel Reif said worriedly. In his opinion, Zhou Yi should pass the ball quickly. A counter-attack was all about speed. If the tempo was slowed down, what threat would such a counter-attack pose?

Just when everyone thought Zhou Yi was about to be surrounded by Augsburg players, Zhou Yi's left foot suddenly glanced outward, and the tip of his left foot imperceptibly poked the ball out. At the same time, his right leg swung up as if to kick the ball. Compared with the concealed left toe poke, his right leg swung up with a greater range of motion, which naturally attracted more attention. No one expected that while he was swinging his leg, his left foot had already poked the ball out.

And it wasn't just a random poke; he passed the ball to his left, where there was a clear gap because he had turned to the right. And this gap was left for Yan Min, who was coming up from behind.

At this time, Zhou Yi's right foot also completed the action of swinging his leg. He faked a kick, hitting nothing but air.

After kicking, he also spread his hands to the defensive players in front of him, making an innocent expression.

At this moment, Yan Min had already rushed up!

"Zhou Yi... Yan Min! Zhou Yi's pass is really imaginative! A master-like feint!" Duan Xin praised Zhou Yi from the bottom of his heart, without any affectation.

In front of Yan Min was still half the field. Zhou Yi passed the ball to him near the center circle. The front was not a flat and open space, there were still Augsburg players.

At this time, those Augsburg players also rushed back to intercept Yan Min, especially Augsburg's right back, Paul Verhaegh, who was still in a position to block Yan Min's advance.

But in Yan Min's view, these were all trivial matters.

Zhou Yi's pass was not only concealed and accurate, but also fully took into account Yan Min's technical characteristics. He didn't pass the ball directly to Yan Min's feet, but to his front, allowing Yan Min to fully accelerate during the forward run.

Yan Min didn't disappoint him, running faster and faster, his legs like flaming wheels.

Then, just as he was about to receive the ball, he glanced at Verhaegh's position in front.

There were still about five or six meters between them. If he received the ball, whether he adjusted or continued to dribble, his speed would be affected, which would give the opponent an opportunity.

Looking at his back, there was a gap, in Augsburg's thirty-meter zone.

Yan Min knew what to do.

He swung his left foot to make a direct pass, but when his foot landed, he suddenly kicked the ball hard in front of him and behind Verhaegh!

The ball flew past Verhaegh like a shooting star.

Yan Min also started with the ball!

He accelerated wildly, instantly closing the distance between himself and Verhaegh.

At this time, Verhaegh's body had only turned halfway...

"Yan Min! Oh! My God! He's like a high-speed train, unreasonably rushing past Verhaegh. Poor Verhaegh... He reached out to pull Yan Min, but didn't grab anything, and instead lost his balance and fell to the ground... Oh, my God! Augsburg's defense was completely shattered by Yan Min's rush!"

Westfalenstadion erupted in a tsunami of cheers at this moment.

When Zhou Yi saw Yan Min's speed, he didn't run forward—he knew he couldn't catch up even if he ran, and he couldn't receive Yan Min's pass.

And at this time, he believed that Yan Min must have the confidence to shoot himself.

He had been criticized by the media and fans for his own shooting before, but this didn't change him. He was just such a person. He made the choices he thought were right and didn't regret them afterward.

Wasn't it good...

Zhou Yi honestly cheered for Yan Min in the back.

※※※

After Yan Min pierced through Augsburg's defense like a startled goose, he caught up with the ball. At this time, he was basically facing the goal directly. Although Aubameyang was supporting in the middle, there were still two Augsburg players around him, so even if Yan Min passed the ball, it would be difficult for him to do anything.

He also knew his role. At this time, all he could do was attract some Augsburg players for Yan Min and create better conditions for Yan Min's one-on-one.

"Yan Min! Dortmund's opportunity!" Duan Xin's heart ran to his throat. Pass or shoot? Hero or sinner?

The scene from the game against Arsenal appeared in Duan Xin's mind, overlapping with the scene now.

While Duan Xin was thinking wildly, Yan Min had already entered Augsburg's penalty area.

He didn't think so much. His eyes were now only on Augsburg's goal.

With such a strong momentum, how could there not be a brilliant ending?

Otherwise, he would be letting down Zhou Yi's pass!

Yan Min, who rushed into the penalty area, finally slowed down. He made a sudden stop and changed direction, turning towards the center and throwing off the Augsburg defender, Karlsson Brauck, who was blocking him in front. Then he swung his right foot.

As a right-footed player, he played on the left wing for the sake of cutting inside and shooting!

Just like Robben, a left-footed player, playing on the right wing, everyone in the world knew that he was cutting inside to shoot, but you just couldn't defend it!

Yan Min's right foot hit the ball and shot it towards the far corner!

Augsburg's goalkeeper, Hitz, who had just pounced towards this side, had to turn around and pounce back. Two consecutive changes of direction overwhelmed him. This airborne action was not strong enough, the height was too low, and the distance was not enough. He didn't touch the ball.

The ball drew an arc and then drilled into the goal from the far corner!

A perfect ending!