Chapter 179: Everyone Knows How to Play the Melon-Style Against Bayern

The referee team led the players of both sides onto the grass pitch.

Outside the tunnel, the salad-plate trophy gleamed silver, its ten emeralds dazzling under the spotlight.

It symbolizes the highest honor of German football.

With Hitler's demise, the Bundesliga resumed; Germany had just emerged from wartime suffering, and someone proposed that the trophy be made into a large platter for serving vegetables.

The guessing segment ended quickly.

Players from both sides took their positions on the field.

Accompanied by a whistle from the head referee.

The match officially began.

The stands on all sides instantly erupted with a roar like a collapsing mountain and tsunami.

"Those wearing red home jerseys are Bayern Munich, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation."

"Goalkeeper: Neuer!"

"Left back: Lahm!"

"Center backs: Boateng, Benatia!"

"Right back: Alaba!"

"Double pivots: Kimmich, Alonso!"

"Central midfielders: Robben, Vidal, Müller!"

"Striker: Lewandowski!"

"Those in white away jerseys are Leverkusen, also lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper:..."

Leverkusen possession.

Havertz kicked off, passing laterally to Bellarabi.

He returned it with his left foot.

The ball arrived at Li Kang's feet.

Bayern's midfield pressing tempo suddenly slowed.

After the Real Madrid match, the whole world knew how to play against this Leverkusen side.

Two principles:

"'Beyond the 30-meter zone, ignore him, because his teammates can't keep up the tempo; the midfield and defense spread out to prevent balls played behind them, while the forwards look to intercept passes.'"

"'Within the 30-meter zone, just swarm him, because his teammates can't find space; the midfield doubles up and presses, while the defense compresses space.'"

Kroos even posted his tactical analysis on "Kroos Football Academy – Teaching You from Scratch to Become a Ceremonial Midfielder."

It's just like that old "Park Ji-sung Teaches You How to Freeze Pirlo."

Leverkusen's midfield is under great pressure.

They simply cannot complete passes comfortably.

Robben, Müller, and Vidal have strong pressing abilities.

Yet these three did not follow Li Kang's runs; instead, they spread out around, cutting off receiving lanes.

In a flash, it seemed to return to that dark night filled with sorrow.

Li Kang was isolated and helpless.

Losing possession was only a matter of time!

Tuopu Laotou worried anxiously.

Dino, however, was full of confidence; the tactical board's dry draft paper... had even been soaked in tears.

Leverkusen's coaching staff found a solution.

Li Kang's support was timely.

Kramer staggered away from Lewandowski's entanglement and passed the ball over.

Phew, good thing Lewandowski isn't Benzema; his disruptive ability isn't on the same level.

Immediately after.

Leverkusen teammates saw three rapidly changing hand signals.

Li Kang easily trapped the ball.

He didn't rush a fast break, but began to organize the midfield at a steady pace.

In his vision, the phantom of the red-and-blue number 6 occasionally appeared.

Xavi.

No spinning evasive move.

Instead, he maintained a slow advance of the overall formation.

The ball slowly drifted beneath the white jerseys.

The left-right spacing along the central axis alternately shrank and expanded!

"'Narrowing the running lanes increases passing options, locally creating a numerical advantage, thereby reducing the opponent's high press!'"

"'This is Xavi's way of playing—a method that protects teammates' passing and receiving, reduces their ball‑holding pressure, and thus accomplishes overall progression!'"

"'The weighting of possession resources more often leans toward the flanks.'"

Vidal was bewildered.

"He is Bayern's most potent pressing point in the front line, yet now he feels a bit lost in this slow‑de‑pressuring rhythm."

"How can this bunch of nobodies have such awful passing skills, yet suddenly become so tough to handle?"

"Outnumber them?"

Why is Li Kang ignoring me?

He's using cold violence on me!

Allianz Arena, the clamor gradually faded.

Bayern fans don't quite understand.

We are the Bundesliga giants, the Bundesliga overlords—how did we get forced to pull back our formation by this turtle-like tactic?

Just from the look of play, it's totally against football's rules, damn it!

Restrain Li Kang!

That guy is the midfield core—if we don't disrupt his passing rhythm, how are we supposed to play going forward?

On the touchline.

Guardiola looked utterly confused.

Two thoughts kept going through his mind:

'Don't pay attention to him outside the thirty-meter area!'

'Focus front-line pressure on the ball outlet—Bayern is Barcelona's bane!'

On the other flank.

Tuopu Laotou said anxiously: 'We're doomed—if Bayern snaps to now and surges forward in midfield, our formation will fall apart! They're fundamentally best at...'

Dino quickly clenched his fists excitedly: 'Boss, it's fine—Li has advanced to the thirty-five-meter zone, we need to speed up!'

There's an information gap between the coaching staff and the head coach, which is unavoidable.

Especially given their large age difference.

As Guardiola's frantic sideline gestures shifted.

Bayern increased the number of players pressing forward.

The positioning of Kimmich and Alonso.

Alaba and Lahm shifted forward and inward, moving from wide full-backs to defensive midfielders, bolstering the defensive thickness at the back.

A flawless shift integrating attack and defense.

'Van Gaal and Heynckes have ingrained into Bayern Munich's DNA the way to counter possession football!'

'They will always be the nemesis of possession football!'

'An impact force capable of smashing everything!'

'Lewokusen is in danger—Li Kang has no Busquets or Yinniesita beside him.'

'Even if they were there, it wouldn't help.'

'Losing the local numbers advantage, they'll be torn apart soon—Van Dijk and Jonathan Tah's high defensive line is about to press past the midfield circle!'

No way.

To maintain possession spacing, we need a numerical advantage at the ball outlet.

Lewokusen's defensive line had to shift forward with the formation, pressing past the midfield circle.

Bayern can hold back to their own half's thirty-five-meter mark, waiting for this very chance!

Boateng saw Bayern's fierce pressing net approaching.

He couldn't immediately pass the ball to Li Kang.

In the crisis, he could only make a reverse-foot pass!

Jonathan Tah calmly trapped the ball.

His defending is terrible, but his passing vision is excellent.

His dark forehead shone brightly under the spotlight.

We've been beaten by you Bayern since our youth team days!

You've never seen a pig run—have you never eaten pork?

Slap!

The ball lifted off the ground, arcing awkwardly in midair.

From the center it went to the left wing—Bolhes!

Bayern's forward pressing net stalled slightly, unable to shift over immediately.

That two-hundred-pound black fatty—how is he so smart?

What good is that? Just a few seconds of struggling!

A chance to catch a breath!

The last chance to catch a breath!

As long as the Samba full-back hesitates a bit...

The ball will be intercepted by Robben and Kimmich!

Bolhes was nervous—he's always been the opponent's 'breakthrough point'!

No time to be afraid.

Dino's task in this match was crystal clear: pass the ball to Li Kang!

The thirty-meter zone.

When the ball rolled weakly to Lewokusen's number 10's feet...

Li Kang accelerated.

It wasn't the speed of his pass.

But the speed of his run.

From God's perspective.

Alaba and Lamu's defensive positioning was unsettled.

Gu-style Bairen's weak point.

The two fullbacks moved inward to become double pivots, then from the double pivots they spread out to the wings along the time axis!

"Ah, when was he pulled to the flank!"

"Too fast!"

"This attacking time axis was too perfect! It fiercely struck Bairen's weak point!"

"Lamu and Alaba, just how often do they move?"

Guadiola stroked his bald head with one hand, his expression bewildered, and in an instant a hint of fear appeared.

He understood what was going on.

He quickly directed Benadiya and Boateng to widen the width!

Thus.

Lamu and Alaba just need to fall back!

Still a parallel line of four defensive points!

It's useless.

He has no remote control!

That Lewokusen number 10 racing in the wind, speed ever increasing!

Trade time for space!