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Chapter 197: Champions League Quarterfinals, First Leg 2
🕑 Added 2025-10-17 15:17:01 +0000 UTCBorussia Dortmund’s press was sharp and high up the pitch — and Arsenal matched it stride for stride.
Both sides were willing to engage, clashing from the front, and the tempo only kept rising.
Arsenal weren’t fazed. They were used to this intensity in the Premier League.
And Dortmund? High-tempo football was practically in their DNA.
The yellow wall roared behind them, their voices echoing around Westfalenstadion, pushing the home players to raise their tempo even more.
By the ninth minute, Dortmund pieced together a string of neat passes in the final third of Arsenal. The ball was played into Lewandowski’s feet.
The Polish striker took a glance toward goal, nudged the ball left — no space for a shot. He tried to shift it again to create room.
But before he could make his next move, a figure slid in between him and the ball, body firm, movement perfectly timed.
“Superb defending!” shouted Alan on Sky Sports.
Kai’s anticipation was immaculate. He’d read the moment perfectly, stepping in just as Lewandowski shaped to touch it forward. The striker ran straight into Kai’s back, completely shut out.
A chorus of boos erupted from the stands. Dortmund fans made their feelings clear.
Kai didn’t even flinch. He turned, calmly slipped the ball to Sagna, and moved forward to receive the return.
Reus came charging in to press as the ball came back.
Kai controlled it, shifted his weight to the left, then used his shoulder to nudge Reus aside — effortlessly. With a deft flick of his boot, he hooked the ball back across his standing foot, turned smoothly, and surged away.
“Power dribbling at its best,” chuckled Martin Taylor.
In midfield, many players rely on light touches and quick footwork to protect the ball. Then there are players like Kai — strong, grounded, and composed. They don’t evade with agility; they dominate with control and physique.
His dribbling might not look graceful, but it’s solid and effective. Taking the ball off him is like trying to move a wall.
And unlike the tricksters, Kai rarely loses possession. His stability allows Arsenal to maintain their rhythm through the middle.
Cazorla might have the flashier skills, but when it comes to retention and control this season, Kai’s numbers were far cleaner — partly because he knew when not to dribble.
Carrying the ball forward, Kai looked for options but saw none. Cazorla instinctively dropped deeper to provide cover — a silent understanding between them.
Crossing the halfway line, Kai dummied a pass to Cazorla before finding Rosicky and exchanged a quick pass before shifting play to Walcott on the flank.
Walcott moved it inside to Suarez, who tried to wriggle through a packed defense, but Dortmund’s shape was compact. After a failed attempt, Suarez passed back to Kai.
Kai was ready to recycle the ball backward — until he spotted something.
Dortmund’s left-back, Erik Durm, was slow tracking back. And Walcott’s body language screamed ready.
Kai stepped forward casually, sold the impression of a simple pass… then scooped his foot under the ball.
The ball lifted and curled neatly into the space behind Durm.
Walcott burst forward, acceleration explosive, the crowd gasping at his sudden surge.
Durm panicked, turning too late. He tried to catch up — then grabbed. Then pulled harder.
But Walcott’s momentum dragged him along for two or three meters before both lost balance, and the ball rolled out of play.
“That’s just ridiculous!” Walcott snapped, glaring at him.
Alan Smith’s voice came through the broadcast. “That’s a nailed-on yellow! You can’t just drag a player halfway down the touchline like that.”
Martin Taylor added, “Far too obvious — no question about it. Had to be booked.”
Referee Carlos Velasco agreed. Durm was shown a yellow card. Arsenal had a free-kick out wide on Dortmund’s left.
Cazorla stood over it. In the box, the tall figures gathered — Mertesacker, Koscielny, and Kai among them. Dortmund’s defense tightened, eyes on Mertesacker, Arsenal’s aerial specialist.
Cazorla glanced up, spotting Kai drifting between defenders, occasionally glancing toward the far post.
He made up his mind.
“Cazorla sends it in... the ball’s high — Mertesacker! No! Wait— Kai!” Martin Taylor’s voice rose. “Oh, off the post!”
“What a chance! Cazorla picked him out beautifully — and Kai was inches away from scoring. Just needed the slightest bit of luck there.”
Kai crouched down, hands clutching his head in frustration. So close.
That header had rattled Dortmund — and Hummels made his feelings known.
“Who was marking him?!” he barked, scanning the defense.
The defenders exchanged nervous looks. Their focus had been on Mertesacker and Suarez. They hadn’t expected Kai to make that far-post run.
Alan Smith commented, "Arsenal have learnt from those Stoke City games — they struggled aerially, and since then, there has been more emphasis on set-pieces.”
Kai jogged back into position, shaking off the miss.
His heading ability wasn’t natural — it was forged through necessity. The bruising battles with Stoke’s tall lineups had toughened him. If Arsenal were going to compete physically, the responsibility couldn’t rest on Mertesacker alone.
Now, every time he attacked a corner, his timing and power had grown sharper.
Klopp, standing on the sideline, folded his arms tightly, eyes narrowing.
Their attacks no longer relied on one pattern — they could mix it up. Build patiently, strike quickly, or go direct. Ground play, counters, set-pieces — all fluid, all dangerous.
It was like facing a mystery box.
They weren’t the most individually lethal, but they were disciplined, coordinated, and relentless.
And Klopp, watching from the touchline, could sense it.
