Chapter 162: Dinamo Zagreb's Offensive Pressure

Words : 1448 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

"Berbatov — Leverkusen's forever-reliable hero!" "What a spectacular bicycle kick! He's brought Leverkusen level!" Berbatov rushed to the away fans, leaping high and pumping his fist with all his strength. Leverkusen's players gathered around, all celebrating with excitement. The goal was like timely rain — absolutely perfect. "Damn, that guy's shot was sick!" Duimović muttered, though he had to admit it looked awesome. Štimac had been nearly bulldozed by Berbatov during the move. Suker glanced at Berbatov, impressed by his physical strength. "They just equalized right after we scored — our defense is crap!" Vukojević couldn't help but complain. "You think I didn't defend well enough?" Štimac said dryly from behind him. Vukojević immediately turned and gave him a thumbs-up. "No way — I was talking about myself. Should've gone in with a slide!" "How were you gonna slide from that position?" "Then maybe I should've gone in on Schneider instead!" Štimac grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "No cards — keep the challenges clean. Even though we conceded, our offense is strong, right? Suker?" Suker nodded immediately. "Captain, just watch — I'll score again for you soon!" "You think it's that easy? Like their defense and keeper are just mannequins?" Srna quipped sarcastically. Suker shrugged. "You never know!" Modrić looked around at the group. "We definitely have a chance." "Their right-back's movements are clumsy!" "I noticed it the first time I went past him," Suker said with a dazzling grin. "That Argentine doesn't look quite right — slow turning. I love slow-turning full-backs!" Everyone smiled awkwardly. They weren't even sure how to respond. But really, for a full-back who turns slowly, facing Suker was a disaster. "Shift the attack to the left wing then?" Duimović asked. Suker shook his head. "No need. Keep hitting the central axis so they collapse inward — give me space to run out wide!" He clenched his fist. "I'll run him into the ground!" Leverkusen's left-back Placente felt a wave of unease. Even though they had just equalized, the look in that little guy's eyes — full of aggression — made him extremely nervous. Truth was, when Suker made his first forward run, Placente realized he couldn't keep up with him. He tried to hold his position, but Dinamo's attacks were coming centrally and down the right. If he moved too close in, it would leave gaps. Under the system of chained linear defense, he had no choice but to follow. But he was deeply wary of this kid named Suker. Placente knew his own situation. Since the second half of last season, his form had plummeted. He was only 27, but his body felt like it had already hit decline — like entering the twilight of his career. His once-reliable pace was gone. He felt sluggish, his push-off power weakened. He had become the weak link in Leverkusen's backline. Especially when facing a winger like Suker — fast, aggressive, and fearless — his situation looked even bleaker. And he had a feeling Suker had targeted him. That the kid planned to exploit his slow turning speed. Placente shook his head, exhaled. Hopefully I'm overthinking it. But in the next instant, Modrić passed to Duimović, who quickly slotted the ball forward. The ball slipped right between Placente and the center-back. The defense had been breached again. "Watch your back!" Hearing his teammate shout, Placente turned immediately. But he was already too slow — Suker had darted in from the flank. "Damn it!" Placente's heart sank. His fears had come true. Suker surged into the penalty area. Placente tracked back and stood his ground to prevent a shot. Suker, seeing this, cut the ball across and accelerated again, dribbling horizontally along the box edge. "He's going for it!" The commentator Krausivić perked up. It had been a while since they'd seen a true Suker dribble. Especially in the Champions League group stage — Suker had focused more on team play. Now he was moving laterally, just outside the penalty area — he was about to unleash his signature dribble. "Pressure him! Pressure him!" Brack and Kovačević closed in from both sides. As they reached out to challenge, Suker smoothly pulled off a Marseille turn, weaving between them with silky footwork. "Trouble!" Brack's heart dropped. He yelled, "Ramiro, cover!" His center-back partner Ramiro rushed toward Suker. "You're not getting past!" But just then, Suker split the defense with a pass to the outside. Ramiro slammed the brakes. The ball reached Modrić, and as Ramiro looked on, Suker sprinted ahead at a 90-degree angle. "Juan!" Ramiro shouted for help from left-back Juan, while staying with Modrić. Leverkusen's defensive line was now in chaos. Suker's run dragged the full-back away. Valjević was now free. Modrić passed the ball out to him. "Drive in and shoot!" Suker shouted over his shoulder. But Valjević lacked confidence. He didn't shoot — instead, he crossed the ball into the box. Mandžukić charged in, but Brack managed to clear it for a corner. Danger averted — barely. "Valjević! He needed to be bolder there. Suker dragged away Juan, Modrić tied up Ramiro — Valjević had space to slip through and shoot!" Suko stopped, a bit frustrated. Valjević's presence on the team was always minimal. A stable player, yes — but stably nerve-wracking. Just like now, he rarely took the shot unless it was a wide-open chance. He didn't want responsibility. He shied away from being the finisher. In short — he lacked confidence. "Sorry!" Valjević scratched his head, apologizing to Suker. Suker sighed and waved him off. This was who Valjević was — no use getting hopes up. But that run had gone to waste. Even though it didn't result in a goal, Suker's dazzling dribble sent the crowd into a frenzy. Even the Italian commentators exclaimed: "Suker is so agile! He ran across Leverkusen's entire back line and threw everything into disarray — that's deadly for any team!" "I think the rest of Group B better take note." Dinamo Zagreb dropped into a defensive block again, and as they did, the first half came to a close. The score was still 1–1. And as the whistle blew, commentators everywhere shouted: "Halftime! Dinamo Zagreb hold Leverkusen to a 1–1 draw at home. These young Croatians have been fantastic — facing a European giant with no fear, playing confidently and with real flair. What will they show us in the second half?" Inside the dressing room, Suker raised his voice: "Second half — attack the left wing." Everyone nodded — no surprises there. In the second half, Suker would be even more terrifying. While others' stamina dipped, Suker remained razor-sharp and full of energy. For Dinamo Zagreb, as long as they held the first half, the second half would be their time to strike. Meanwhile, Leverkusen were nervously adjusting tactics. The first-half performance had not been encouraging. Dinamo Zagreb repeatedly broke through their defense — a troubling sign. Especially down the left. Coach Vassaras looked at Placente, who shifted uncomfortably. He knew he hadn't played well. But thankfully, the coach still had faith — no substitutions... yet. "After that first half, Dinamo Zagreb are level with Leverkusen at 1–1. These kids continue to impress — no fear, no hesitation. They played an excellent first 45 minutes at home. But the match isn't over — let's see what the second half brings!" During the break, the commentators discussed the first half. The press box was buzzing with debate. No one expected the game to be this tight. After two group-stage matches, Dinamo had looked decent — but not shocking. But today, against Leverkusen, they showed poise and control — dominating possession for 63% of the half. Even though Leverkusen don't obsess over possession, it was still remarkable to see Dinamo control the tempo against a top-tier team. They had six shots, four on target, and one goal. Leverkusen had just three shots, two on target, and one goal. Clearly, Dinamo had the more threatening attack. Yes — this group of young Croatians didn't back down from Leverkusen. They didn't park the bus or play ugly. They played with aggression — and they suppressed their opponents. It was hard to believe — but it happened. What comes next in the second half? No one could say for sure. At the start, it seemed like Leverkusen had the upper hand. But after that first half — everything was up in the air.

Chapter 162: Dinamo Zagreb's Offensive Pressure

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