Soccer: Maxed-out ball control, the skill is too overpowered.

The crucial match against Leverkusen made the whole of Germany realize Leverkusen's potential again!

Before this, probably no one cared about this team.

They strive for fourth place every year, and while they seem strong every year, their strength is only limited.

In the Bundesliga's perception, Bayer Leverkusen will never win a championship; finishing in the top four is their destiny.

Even though they briefly topped the table and were once neck and neck with Bayern Munich, no one believed this team could contend for the title.

However, with the Bundesliga winter break approaching and the season nearly halfway through,

Leverkusen not only didn't collapse, but instead became even closer to Bayern Munich.

Borussia Dortmund, a strong contender for the title, was knocked out of the title race by Bayer Leverkusen at their home ground.

"Dortmund 2-3 Leverkusen, this last-minute comeback in Westphalia was one of the most exciting and suspenseful matches I've seen all year, representing the highest level of the Bundesliga!"

Leverkusen's matches against top teams this season have been absolutely terrifying.

They upset Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Schalke 04 away from home!

They actually won all six of their matches!

This is the biggest dark horse in the 2013-2014 Bundesliga season!

If you still didn't quite believe that Leverkusen could compete for the title...

After this tough battle, I believe no one doubts Leverkusen's title-contending ability anymore.

Lu Xiao, the Bundesliga's top scorer with 18 goals in 15 rounds.

This rising star, awakening alongside Bayer Leverkusen, has become Bayern Munich's biggest challenger!

Matthäus has already begun predicting the Bundesliga title race.

The battle between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen has reached a decisive point!

And in the following Bundesliga round 16, Leverkusen defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0, keeping pace with Bayern Munich.

Lu Xiao failed to score; he was targeted by almost the entire Frankfurt team.

As a result, Frankfurt's defense didn't take Kiessling seriously.

In the 55th minute of the second half, Lu Xiao was relentlessly surrounded by five players in the penalty area!

The sideline photographer also captured a classic photo, just like Iniesta's famous moment back then.

Lu Xiao stood inside the penalty area, surrounded by five Frankfurt players on edge.

Lu Xiao himself was in complete control, receiving passes from his teammates on the wing and skillfully maneuvering through the crowd without losing the ball!

The perfect ball control ignited a scoring frenzy among the entire Frankfurt team.

Five players surrounded Kiessling, but there wasn't a single person marking him within two meters of the penalty spot!

Lu Xiao evaded the onslaught and slipped the ball through the gaps in the defense to Kiessling.

Kiessling shot with even more ease than he does in training, scoring with a single, effortless effort.

Lu Xiao didn't score, but his crucial assist was still invaluable!

Kiessling was also very excited after scoring the goal.

This former star striker of Bayer Leverkusen celebrated by shining his shoes on Lu Xiao in front of the entire stadium.

The two then high-fived in celebration and embraced their teammates who had arrived.

"It's hard to believe he's only been with the team for less than half a season."

German commentator Sauer was deeply moved.

He integrated into the team so quickly and was able to stand on his own so soon.

This is truly rare in Europe's top leagues!

With a victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and all three points secured, the pressure is now on Bayern Munich.

On the live standings, Bayer Leverkusen, having played one more game, has closed the gap to just one point!

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has been under immense pressure recently.

Bayern Munich are the defending champions; they can't afford to lose anymore, and they must fight tooth and nail to win every game to maintain their top spot.

They narrowly defeated Hamburg 2-1 in this round.

New signing Mario Götze is no longer a magician; he has frequently underperformed.

Ultimately, it was the return of veteran Franck Ribéry, who made a crucial breakthrough and created the goal, that helped Bayern secure a last-minute victory against Hamburg.

After the match, Ribery appeared very serious during the interview.

"I'm very glad we won today. Otherwise, our opponents might have seized the opportunity to overtake us."

As last season's champions, we really hope that this season, under the leadership of the six-time champion coach, we can achieve a six-title haul for Bayern Munich and establish the Bayern dynasty...

But this is much more difficult than we imagined. Our opponent is not only Leverkusen, but also ourselves!

Guardiola breathed a sigh of relief after the match.

"These 3 points are very important today. Indeed, Leverkusen has a rising star like Lu Xiao..."

But the league is a marathon, and with experienced players like Ribery and Robben...

I still have a pretty good chance of winning the championship this season.

……

The 17th round of the Bundesliga, the final match before the winter break.

Bayern Munich have already secured the winter championship title with one round to spare.

But the Bayern players couldn't relax at all!

Everyone was on edge, just like students taking final exams.

Bayern Munich faces a tough opponent, Stuttgart, in their last exam before the holidays!

Similarly, Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Germany to challenge Werder Bremen, a long-established powerhouse in the Bundesliga.

……

Werder Bremen Stadium, away team's dressing room.

"This is our last game before the holiday, so let's cheer each other on!"

During the pre-match pep talk, Hyypia delegated the task of giving the speech to his coaching partner, Sasha.

Sasha is full of passion and excitement, as bold and enthusiastic as a little mustache, gesturing wildly.

Unfortunately, this is a changing room, not a beer hall.

"If you want to have a good holiday, I believe everyone knows what to do."

"If you guys slip up, you can imagine what will happen!"

"Everyone worked very hard in the first half of the season. It was the team's collective effort that propelled Leverkusen into the title race..."

"If you feel that competing for the title is too tiring and the pressure is too great, it's understandable to retreat and fight for the top four. With our strength, we should be able to easily secure a Champions League spot next season..."

"but!"

"I want to ask you this: having come this far, don't you want the championship? The Bundesliga trophy, do you want it?"

We're all young people, all professional players, and our goal is to fight for that damn championship.

How could I not be tempted?

"certainly!"

"We want the championship!"

"champion!"

"champion!"

The entire Leverkusen team is in high spirits and bursting with fighting spirit!

Clearly, Sasha didn't need to motivate them; everyone's desire for the championship had reached its peak!

"Great, that's very energetic!"

Sasha was very satisfied with the players' performance.

"Then step onto the field and defeat any enemy that stands in your way!"

When the Werder Bremen players saw the Bayer Leverkusen group in the tunnel...

They were clearly menacing, with bloodshot eyes and hot breath coming out of their nostrils, like a herd of angry bulls.

Werder Bremen striker Di Santo felt a pang of anxiety.

He suddenly realized that this Bayer Leverkusen team was definitely not one to be trifled with!

really……

"Gooooooal!!! Luuuu Shaaaaaw!!! The 19th goal!"

"Bayer Leverkusen takes a 1-0 lead away from home! The team's momentum is unstoppable!"

Less than 10 minutes into the game, Lu Xiao received a long pass from Lars Bender.

He controlled the ball in the penalty area, fooling the defender, and then unleashed a sudden long-range shot!

The football flew into the bottom corner!

Leverkusen's attack only required one pass!

Before the end of the first half, Leverkusen launched a high-quality counter-attack!

Son Heung-min sprinted down the left flank, leaving four players behind in 80 meters!

A cross from the edge of the penalty area to Lu Xiao!

The goalkeeper rushed out in time, intending to block Lu Xiao's shot.

Unexpectedly, the moment Lu Xiao received the ball, he turned his back and gently tapped it with his right foot.

He turned and bypassed the goalkeeper!

The goalkeeper reached out but couldn't touch the ball, fell to the ground, and could only turn around in despair as Lu Xiao faced the empty goal and blasted it in!

0-2!

"The 20th Bundesliga goal!!"

The German receiver, Behrenberg, was stunned!

"Could it be... that Lue will maintain his form this season?"

Can he break the 30-goal mark?

This young Chinese-American player is absolutely hot!