Chapter 299 - Against IF Elfsborg II

The referee blew the whistle at exactly 7:00 PM and signaled the Rosenborg players to kick off the game. Nicki Nielsen, Rosenborg's center-forward, immediately raised his leg high and passed the ball back into the midfield.

Mike Jensen, one of Rosenborg's two central midfielders, received the ball close to the boundary of the defensive third. The midfielder only took a single touch on the ball before flicking it back to Tore Reginiussen, Rosenborg's center-back, who was in the backline at that moment. The Rosenborg players then started passing the ball around in the backfield.

The game had officially begun. Rosenborg had started with its strongest line-up. Daniel Örlund was in goal, while Mikael Dorsin, Yerry Mina, Tore Reginiussen, and Eric Bailly were in defense. Tobias Mikkelsen and Jonas Svensson were playing as the right and left-wingers, respectively — while Mike Jensen and Thomas Partey held down the fort in midfield. And finally, Zachary was playing as the false number-10 behind Nicki Nielsen, the center-forward, who'd just returned from injury, to complete a 4-4-1-1 formation.

On the other hand, IF Elfsborg had fielded players in a 4-3-3 defensive formation consisting of four defenders, three midfielders in a triangular shape, plus three forwards. They had quite the defensive depth in their squad. They were compact in the middle and at the back and thus managed to keep Rosenborg at bay for most of the first half.

However, the Rosenborg players weren't discouraged by the defensive prowess of the Swedish giants. They continued pushing and knocking on IF Elfsborg's door while being urged on by the thunderous cheers of the home crowd. And finally, in the 43rd minute, a goal-scoring opportunity appeared.

Zachary Bemba, the young Rosenborg number-33, who'd remained silent throughout most of the fast half, suddenly dropped away from the middle and overloaded the wing on the right flank. He soon received a through pass from Mike Jensen, one of Rosenborg's midfielders, before racing towards IF Elfsborg's goal like mad.

He just exploded with speed, without any fancy movements, as he cut across the pitch towards the opponent's goal like a whirlwind. His approach was straightforward as he merely utilized his newly-gained S- grade body control to weave through a couple of defenders like a snake navigating the jungle.

Before long, he found himself at the edge of the box with only a couple of defenders in yellow jerseys between him and the goal. Without losing his composure, he unleashed a curling shot towards the inside of the far post, hoping to chip the keeper.

However, just after the ball had left his foot, it met an obstruction in the form of a defender's arm. Sebastian Holmén, IF Elfsborg's center-back, had just tried his utmost to block Zachary's shot but, instead, ended up handling the ball.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle right away and pointed to the penalty spot, thereby sending the entire Lerkendal Stadium into a wave of thunderous cheers. He then showed Sabastian a yellow card since he'd committed a direct handball offense within the boundaries of the 18-yard box.

It was finally the chance for Rosenborg to make something out of their dominant ball possession for the night. And, of course, it was Zachary Bemba, the on-form Rosenborg young number-33, who stepped forward to take the penalty.

Zachary didn't lose his composure in the slightest. He activated the Dead-ball Specialist Juju and carefully placed the ball on the penalty spot. After ensuring that there wasn't even a single strand of grass in front of the ball, he stepped back and waited while shutting out everything else.

Not even the thunderous cheers of the fans could disrupt him at that moment. He was that focused as he faced off against the IF Elfsborg Keeper in those few seconds.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew the whistle after ensuring that all the other players, except the IF Elfsborg keeper and Zachary (the penalty taker), were out of the box. At that moment, an abnormal wave of silence descended upon the entire stadium as the fans waited with bated breath for Zachary to take the penalty.

It was the moment of truth, and Zachary didn't disappoint. He made an angled run towards the ball before sending the keeper the wrong way and riffling in a right-footed shot into the top left corner. With that well-timed snapshot, he'd rendered the keeper helpless and managed to score Rosenborg's first goal for the night.

After having pressurized the opponents for the entire first half, Rosenborg had managed to take the lead in the 44th minute, with less than a minute remaining to halftime. It was a fantastic ending of the first half for the Rosenborg players. Thus, they all ran to the corner flag and celebrated in front of the Rosenborg fans.

By then, the cheers all around the stadium had already exploded into a thunderous drawn-out crescendo. The fans were yelling Rosenborg's chants at the top of their voices, causing the entire Lerkendal to quake as if it was experiencing an earthquake. The noise levels were off the charts at that moment as the home crowd celebrated Rosenborg's first goal.

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"It's Rosenborg one, and IF Elfsborg nil," Kristin heard the commentator yell out loud after the cheers had died down. "Zachary Bemba, Rosenborg's young midfielder, has done it again. This time around, he has scored from the penalty spot to give Rosenborg the lead. He has managed to take his tally to seven goals in just three games and is now the leading top scorer of the Europa League. What a player!"

"What a player, indeed!" The other commentator chipped in. "He has been quiet throughout most of the first half. However, with just a single run, he has managed to create a goal almost out of nothing. His skills are truly incredible."

"His goal has taken Rosenborg to nine points," the first commentator spoke once again. "They've taken the first step to cement their position as second on the table. Moreover, the word going around is that  Standard Liège is trailing by a goal to nil against Red Bull Salzburg. Thus, Rosenborg will surely qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League if they can maintain their lead throughout the second half. Let's wait and see how the game progresses."

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