"I'm so nervous," Ma Fanshu muttered under her breath.
In the press box, she shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, trying to ease the tension building inside her. Even then, the electric atmosphere of the Allianz Arena pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.
The stadium was completely packed. Wave after wave of deafening cheers rolled through the stands, creating an overwhelming wall of sound. Ma Fanshu felt as though she were suffocating.
Playing away in an environment like this… what a test for the players.
She glanced sideways at the director and the rest of the crew. Their faces were serious, fists clenching and unclenching unconsciously.
Road To Stardom has been filming for nearly a year now. Through their close contact with Le Kai and the team, they had all grown emotionally invested. They no longer felt like mere observers — they had become part of the journey. From the first match of the season all the way to this Champions League semi-final, they had witnessed every step with their own eyes.
That sense of involvement made the nerves even worse.
They believed in Arsenal. They knew the team was strong.
But Bayern Munich were no ordinary opponent. A squad packed with German internationals, world-class stars, and a deep bench of talent, all led by Pep Guardiola. Their strength felt almost flawless — and deeply intimidating.
"Here they come!" the director suddenly exclaimed.
At that moment, the Bayern fans erupted in a thunderous roar. As the players emerged from the tunnel, the entire Südkurve stand suddenly lit up in a spectacular display.
A massive tifo unfurled across the ultras section — a striking mosaic of red, white, and gold. In the centre was a fierce, crowned Bayern lion roaring down at a fading red-and-white cannon, with bold text in German which read in English: "This is Our House – Welcome to Hell." Flames and smoke effects billowed from the edges of the tifo, while hundreds of flares burned bright red, bathing the entire stand in an intimidating crimson glow.
[Image]
The visual was breathtaking and intimidating all at once. The Allianz Arena seemed to transform into a cauldron of hostility.
Accompanied by this dramatic reveal, everyone's eyes focused on the player tunnel. Bayern Munich emerged in their red home kits, Arsenal in bright yellow away colours, each player walking onto the pitch hand-in-hand with a young mascot.
From the press box's close vantage point, Ma Fanshu could clearly see Le Kai's face. His expression was focused and serious.
Her heart pounded wildly.
The Allianz Arena crowd was anything but welcoming. Loud boos rained down on the Arsenal players as they walked out. The hostility sent a chill through her, but she gathered her courage, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted as loudly as she could:
"Kai!! Come on!!!!"
For a split second, she thought she saw Le Kai turn his head slightly in her direction and give a small nod. Surely he couldn't have heard me from here, she thought, but she kept cheering anyway.
On the pitch, Kai walked forward with his mascot, the deafening boos of the home fans, and the blazing tifo filling his senses. There was no trace of Arsenal supporters' voices — only the wall of hostility from Bayern's faithful. Still, he had grown used to it.
"Captain, stay strong!" came goalkeeper Navas's voice from behind him. Though Navas's own voice trembled with nerves, he was still trying to encourage his captain.
Kai turned slightly and nodded twice in acknowledgment.
Both teams passed under the ceremonial arch and lined up in the centre circle. Behind them, stadium staff held up a giant football-themed banner that covered the entire centre circle. The iconic Champions League anthem began to play, but it was almost drowned out by the constant roar, songs, and the lingering glow of the tifo from the stands.
Cameras swept across the players, capturing close-ups of their faces. Some closed their eyes in quiet concentration, others made the sign of the cross, a few forced smiles, and some simply shifted their weight from foot to foot to release tension. Grim determination marked every face — Arsenal and Bayern alike.
They all understood exactly what these two matches meant.
After the handshakes, Referee Nicola Rizzoli called out:
"Both captains, step forward!"
Le Kai and Philipp Lahm walked out with their respective team flags. They completed the coin toss, exchanged flags, shook hands with the referee team and each other, then returned to their halves.
"Did we win the toss?" Cazorla asked.
Le Kai shook his head. "We lost it."
Cazorla gave a small grin. "Bad start."
"Doesn't mean anything," Kai replied calmly before jogging to his position.
The roar of the crowd grew even louder.
Moments later, the starting lineups appeared on the giant screen.
Bayern Munich (3-2-3-2):
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defenders: Rafinha, Medhi Benatia, Jérôme Boateng
Def. Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Philipp Lahm(C)
Att. Midfielders: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Juan Bernat, Thiago Alcântara
Forward: Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller
Arsenal (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas
Defenders: Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs
Midfielders: N'Golo Kanté, Santi Cazorla, Le Kai(C)
Forwards: Ángel Di María, Luis Suárez, Alexis Sánchez
Seeing the opposition lineup, Le Kai couldn't help but mutter, "Goodness…"
Every name on that sheet was formidable. And they even had Lewandowski, the striker they had taken from Dortmund. In his current form, he was an absolute menace.
On the sidelines, Arsène Wenger's expression turned serious as he studied the formation.
"Three at the back…" he murmured, his brow furrowed.
This was something he had not expected.
Pep Guardiola had chosen a three-defender formation in such a crucial match, significantly strengthening Bayern's midfield. Clearly, the German coach believed Arsenal's forwards could not break through effectively and had targeted Santi Cazorla as a key point of pressure.
The Arsenal players quickly understood the plan. In this match, Cazorla would be the main target.
"Be careful out there!" Le Kai called out from deeper positions.
Santi Cazorla turned and gave him a confident thumbs-up.
Watch me.
Le Kai nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Soon, Robert Lewandowski stood over the ball at the centre circle. With the referee's whistle, the match was underway.
Around the world, commentators began broadcasting with palpable excitement:
"The first leg of the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Arsenal is officially underway!"
German commentary (Sky Deutschland): „Bayern München stößt an. Nach einer von Verletzungen geplagten Saison steht endlich die beste Mannschaft auf dem Platz. Sie werden Arsenal heute Abend besiegen!"
(Bayern Munich kicks off. After a season plagued by injuries, the strongest Bayern Munich side finally takes the field. They will defeat Arsenal tonight!)
Sky Sports (UK): "Bayern Munich's three-at-the-back system could be a fatal flaw. Guardiola has seriously underestimated Arsenal's attacking threat. The Gunners are going to make them pay for that mistake!"
All commentators were enthusiastically setting the stage for their audiences.
Yet the pace of the game quickly surpassed expectations.
Straight from kick-off, Bayern launched a rapid attack, using their numerical superiority in midfield to surge forward. Le Kai was momentarily startled by the intensity.
As he dropped back quickly, he shouted to his teammates: "Hold your shape! Keep the distance! Don't let them through!"
It soon became clear that this was no feint. Bayern were genuinely pushing to take an early lead. In this single move, they committed seven attacking players. Apart from the three defenders, almost the entire team had flooded into Arsenal's half, compressing the visitors deep into their own penalty area.
"These guys…" Le Kai muttered through gritted teeth.
He kept scanning the pitch, trying to anticipate the next pass, but Bayern's swift, precise combinations left him with no clear moment to step up. They were deliberately keeping the ball away from his defensive zone. Whenever he moved closer, the ball was shifted elsewhere.
"Mark Müller!" Le Kai shouted to N'Golo Kanté and Bacary Sagna while staying alert to other threats.
Thomas Müller might appear unassuming and occasionally clumsy with the ball, but his off-the-ball movement and positional intelligence were world-class. In chaotic situations like this, he was often the most dangerous player.
In Guardiola's system, players who excelled at making intelligent runs carried the responsibility for the final pass or the goal itself.
After spotting Le Kai move slightly out of the penalty area and shift toward the left, Bastian Schweinsteiger quickly played the ball toward Müller near the byline.
Sagna stepped out to close down the crossing angle, but Müller cleverly pushed the ball further left with his first touch, created half a yard of space with a sharp burst of speed, and delivered a dangerous cross.
In the centre, Robert Lewandowski rose powerfully into the air.
For a split second, it felt as though the entire stadium held its breath. Less than five minutes into the match, was Bayern Munich already on the verge of scoring?
A towering figure in yellow burst forward from the side and powered a commanding header that sent the ball flying clear.
Thud!
Per Mertesacker landed heavily and roared with authority:
"Counterattack!!"
. . .
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