Moreover, he’d also noticed that a few of his players were underperforming. For instance, both Nicki Nielsen and Takumi Minamino were not trying their utmost to cover the wings. As a result, they had allowed the Lyon wing-backs to grow more confident and unleash more dangerous crosses into the box.

As for Zachary, he wasn’t getting any balls on the striking line. He only remained sandwiched between the two Lyon center-backs without getting involved in the play. Be that as it may, Coach Johansen didn’t blame him as he was the center-forward for that game. He was not at fault since he was already playing as a striker should on the team. It was just his teammates who had failed him by not supplying him with balls.

”We need to get Zachary into the game,” Trond Henriksen, his assistant, said from beside him. “We need to get him balls so that he can apply some pressure on Lyon’s defense. Otherwise, we’ll lose this match.”

”I know,” Coach Johansen said, tightening the hood of his jacket over his head. His most urgent wish was for the rain to stop so that his players could settle into the game. Otherwise, he would have to rely on luck to best Lyon under such adverse conditions.

”What is your plan?” Trond Henriksen asked after a few seconds of silence.

”First of all,” Coach Johansen said, “If Nicki and Takumi continue underperforming, I’ll substitute them out of the game immediately. So, tell Paul Kasongo and Karl Toko Ekambi to start warming up. For now, let’s also— Eh!”

Coach Johansen stopped midsentence as he noticed Henri Bedimo, Lyon’s left-back, dropping another dangerous cross into Rosenborg’s box.

Yerry Mina, Rosenborg’s center-back, leaped up to clear away the danger but mistimed and missed the header. In the end, the ball descended into the box and made it all the way to Alexandre Lacazette’s feet.

Alexandre Lacazette brought the ball under control with an outstretched boot close to the right edge of the box. Before any opponent could close him down, he drew his leg back and unleashed a curling shot towards the inside of the far post.

TENSION!

Coach Johansen’s heart leaped into his throat as he watched the ball darting towards the goal. But just at the last moment, at the crucial juncture, before it could cross the goal line, the always-hardworking Eric Bailly slid in and intercepted it, sending it over the crossbar and out of play.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and pointed toward the corner flag.

Coach Johansen let out a breath and wiped the moisture off his forehead. “Guys!” He yelled at the top of his voice. “Focus! Focus! Focus! Defenders! Start clearing the balls out of the box the first time before they bounce.”

”Nicki! For this game, you’re not a center-forward. So, put more work into defense. Takumi! Your work rate is poor, and you haven’t released any passes to Zachary. You need to up your game right away…”

The coach yelled out instructions to his players at the top of his voice. He paced the entire length of the touchline, not minding the downpour in the slightest until he was sure that his players had gotten his message.

*FWEEEEEEE*

After a short while, the referee blew the whistle and motioned for team Lyon to take the corner kick. Corentin Tolisso, the Lyon right-back, immediately floated a teasing ball into the box from the corner flag.

Bafétimbi Gomis, the other Lyon striker, leaped high to connect with the ball. After battling Yerry Mina for aerial superiority, he angled his head slightly to plant a header towards the goal from around the penalty spot.

However, the Lyon striker’s effort soon met an obstacle in the form of a leaping Mikael Dorsin. The Rosenborg left-back jumped up in the air and blocked the ball with his chest, thus preventing it from continuing towards the goal.

”Clear! Clear the ball away before it bounces.”

Coach Johansen yelled at the top of his lungs as he watched the loose ball descending towards the left side of the box. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he watched Eric Bailly pounce on the ball with an uncanny swiftness before kicking it high and far towards the other side of the pitch.

—–

On the pitch, close to the center circle, Zachary immediately took off on seeing the ball descending towards the left flank. Like a bullet out of a gun’s muzzle, he escaped from the two defenders marking him and chased after the ball. He got to it just as it completed its first bounce on the wet surface before bringing it under control.

His heart was racing fast with excitement as he whirled around and turned to face Lyon’s goal. Due to the lack of balls, he’d been bored to death on the striking line. But since he’d finally gotten an opportunity, all the frustration had disappeared. The only thing on his mind was how to get the ball into the back of Lyon’s net as quickly as possible before the rest of the opponents could fall back into their positions.

Whoosh!

Just as Zachary was preparing to take his first stride towards the goal, his ears picked up the sound of a boot skidding across the wet surface. His sharp mind went into overdrive mode, and he reacted by instinct. He instantly dug his boot under the ball before leaping high and over the tackle.

Before any other opponents could close him down, he landed back on the ground with the ball glued to his green boot. And like a bolt of lightning through the rain, he took off towards Lyon’s goal like there was no tomorrow.

Another Lyon defender soon came to close him down, just as he was stepping past the boundary of the final third. The defender rushed in, all guns blazing, and even tried to hold his shirt to stop him from advancing the counterattack.

However, the wet and smooth jersey rendered the defender’s efforts fruitless. Zachary shrugged off his grip without looking back and raced towards the box like the wind. Before long, he dispersed the keeper, who had come out to meet him, with a few side-steps before burying the ball into the back of the net.

—–

”GOAAAAALL!” Kjell Roar, the commentator, yelled at the top of his voice as the ball shook the net. “Zachary Bemba has managed to score against Olympique Lyonnais again. He wasn’t involved in the action during the first thirty minutes of gameplay. But after obtaining a single counterattacking opportunity in the 31st minute, he has managed to punish the French giants again. It’s Rosenborg one and Olympique Lyonnais zero. The aggregate score is now 5:0 in favor of Rosenborg. Surely, the troll Kids are heading to this year’s Europa League semis. With the on-form Zachary in the squad, it seems like nothing can stop them.”

Otto Bragstad, the pundit for the day, chuckled. “Zachary Bemba is a true-blue nemesis for Olympique Lyonnais. Last week, he scored four goals against them. He has now bagged another after only 31 minutes of gameplay. The Lyon fans, players, and even coaches will have nightmares, thinking about him for at least a few months.”