Chapter 713: Kick Off! Bayern’s Blitzkrieg Attack!

Well, the last part was definitely a provocation from Nubel, trying to challenge his successor in Schalke. Still, Higo didn’t really mind that. No, if anything, he had already forgotten what Nubel said in the last part. He was more interested in the first information that was given to him.

’So, the ball will go more often to Lewandowski, huh? It seems he is so eager to break the record, and everyone is so determined to help him do that. What an enviable atmosphere... Man, I have to keep an eye on his movement later.’ He took a note inside his head.

After the warm-up session was over, Higo found himself standing in the tunnel with the rest of the team in line. Next to him, Manuel Neuer also did his warm-up while chatting and laughing with the other Bayern players.

This was the first time Higo saw the man directly next to him, and his first impression was... ’Damn, he is so tall.’

Yeah, Manuel Neuer was around 193 cm, 13 cm taller than Higo. This was definitely a big advantage for a goalkeeper, as the man could reach a tougher spot with his wingspan. Just by standing next to him, Higo felt like he was just a dwarf here, someone so small that could be crushed so easily in the next second.

That thought only lasted for a blink, because after that, Higo turned around, putting all of his focus on the game itself. While yes, Manuel Neuer was a special figure in the Schalke team, the boy himself didn’t know him at all. In Higo’s eyes, Neuer was just another stranger that he would only meet twice a year, so no need to overthink about anything here.

Soon enough, they were all finally out for the game, and after a quick coin toss between Thomas Muller and Suat Serdar, it was determined that Bayern would have the right to kick off first. Well, Higo was not surprised by this result, as he was truly cursed when it came to the coin toss.

’Maybe this is the compensation for me having such a cheat like a clairvoyant ability inside my head.’ He laughed secretly.

The boy just stood in front of the goal while taking a deep breath, having his back against more than 10,000 of the home supporters on the northern side of the stadium. Even though he said it himself that he wasn’t impressed by the atmosphere here, it was still quite intimidating to be in this situation. Still, this wasn’t the first time Higo faced such a hostile environment, so he didn’t bother too much about it.

After waiting for a while, everyone was finally ready in their position. In front of Higo, Ozan Kabak and Oczipka were coordinating with Hofmann in the middle. Morita was also chatting with Juan Miranda on the left side, while Suat Serdar and Fabian were on the frontline getting ready for the kickoff.

FWEEE!

The moment the referee blew the whistle, Robert Lewandowski passed the ball back straight to the goalkeeper immediately, bypassing all nine players in between. Right after that, he and five more players with the red jersey suddenly rushed forward, and the moment Manuel Neuer took a stance for a long kick, Higo couldn’t help but have his eyes widen.

’Fuck! A blitzkrieg?!’

This was the first time he had seen one in a very long time, since not a lot of professional teams here really used this approach. However, Hakodate Nishi lived and breathed with this tactic, so it was quite easy for the boy to adjust his mentality just to receive this attack.

"Juan! Don’t get too far, Juan! Move back!" He shouted the moment an image flashed inside his head, telling him where the ball would fly.

BAM!

Juan Miranda was taken aback for a moment, but when Manuel Neuer launched that long and accurate pass straight in his direction, he couldn’t help but panic. The Spaniard glanced at the sky, trying to calculate where the ball would land. However, his brain was in a mess, and a second later, he even stumbled on the ground, letting Bayern’s winger, Ivan Perisic, take over the ball.

"FUCK!" Higo cursed. When he saw both Hofmann and Oczipka trying to cover, the boy shouted once again, "No! Don’t go too far!"

It was unfortunate, though, that those two players proceeded the warning too late. As a result, a room was opened straight in the pocket space, and Thomas Muller showed his ability to read the space perfectly by occupying that, receiving the pass from Perisic before sending a cross close to the penalty box.

Thud!

"OH! That’s it!"

"Come on, Lewa! Score it!"

The cross was perfect, getting through Ozan Kabak from above and was about to land straight on Lewandowski’s head. Everyone on the stand behind also rose, getting ready to celebrate the goal. However, Higo took action as well, jumping in Superman style with one hand stretching far, punching the ball away before the Polish striker could reach it.

BAM!

"Wait, what?!" Robert Lewandowski was confused for a second when he realized that the ball didn’t fall into his head.

Still, it wasn’t the time for Higo to get relaxed. No, the moment his body found the ground, another image flashed in his head, forcing the boy to get up as quickly as possible.

’Fuck it! You idiots, where the fuck are you guys here?!’ He gritted his teeth, cursing all of his teammates before moving his hand quickly once again.

BAM!

The second shot really came out of nowhere. It was Leon Goretzka, the home team’s tank in the midfield and also a former Schalke player, who launched the rocket. He took advantage of the scramble inside the penalty box and the absence of any Schalke players to get the second ball and try his luck there.

However, the moment he saw the ball was being blocked by the goalkeeper that should’ve been down on the ground, the man widened his eyes in shock, even covering his head in disbelief.

"What?! It is not a goal?!"