Luka Zoric

The day of the game arrived, and the atmosphere around the Westfalenstadion was electric. Luka could feel the buzz in the air as he made his way to the stadium, the streets lined with fans donning the black and yellow of Dortmund.

Luka arrived early, as was his habit. He liked the quiet moments before the storm, the calm before the madness. As he walked through the tunnel, the sound of his footsteps echoed off the walls, mingling with the distant roar of the crowd filtering through the stadium. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, letting the sound wash over him, it was good to be aware of the moment.

When he entered the locker room, his teammates were already there, each preparing in their own way. Some were lost in their headphones, others chatting quietly, and a few focused intently on their boots, making sure everything was perfect.

Reus was giving a few final words of encouragement to the younger players. "This is what we live for, boys," Reus said, his eyes scanning the room. "Nights like these. Champions League under the lights, against one of the best. We go out there, and we show them who we are. We play our game. We fight for every ball. And we win."

The team filed out of the locker room and into the tunnel, the noise from the stadium growing louder with every step. He took his place in the line, standing just behind Reus.

As they walked out onto the pitch, the lights hit them, bright and blinding for a moment. Luka glanced up at the stands, taking in the sight of the Yellow Wall, the massive section of die-hard Dortmund fans who never stopped singing, never stopped supporting.

The Champions League anthem began to play, and Luka felt the same shiver run down his spine that did in the past two Champions League games. As the music filled the stadium, he glanced across at the Ajax players, standing in a line on the other side of the pitch. They looked calm, focused, ready. He recognized some of the faces—Dusan Tadic, Antony, Ryan Gravenberch.

The anthem ended, and the players shook hands, exchanging brief words of respect before the battle began. Luka shook hands with Tadic, who gave him a nod, a silent acknowledgment of what was to come. Luka nodded back, his mind already shifting into game mode. The formalities were over; now it was time to play.

From the first whistle, it was clear that Ajax had come to play. They pressed high, closing down Dortmund's players with relentless energy, giving them no time on the ball. Luka found himself marked tightly, every time he tried to find space, there was an Ajax player on him, denying him the opportunity to get involved.

In the early minutes, Dortmund struggled to string passes together. Ajax's press was suffocating, forcing mistakes, and disrupting the flow of the game. The first warning came in the seventh minute, when Antony picked up the ball on the right flank and drove at the Dortmund defense, his quick feet allowed him to gain seperation from the defenders and unleash a shot that whistled just wide of the post. It was a sign of things to come.

The pressure continued to build, and in the 13th minute, Ajax found the breakthrough. A quick one-two between Tadic and Gravenberch split open Dortmund's midfield, and suddenly, Ajax was in behind. Tadic raced towards the box, drawing the defenders before sliding a perfect pass to Sébastien Haller, who had peeled away from his marker. Haller took one touch to control it before coolly slotting the ball past Kobel into the bottom corner. 1-0 to Ajax.

The stadium fell into a stunned silence, save for the section of Ajax fans who erupted in celebration. Luka felt a surge of frustration. They had barely touched the ball, and already they were behind.

Dortmund tried to respond, but Ajax was in complete control. Their midfield trio of Gravenberch, Edson Álvarez, and Steven Berghuis were dictating the tempo, moving the ball with ease, while Dortmund chased shadows. Luka found himself eventually drifting deeper to try and get involved, as always.

In the 24th minute, disaster struck again. Ajax won a corner, and the delivery from Tadic was perfect, curling into the heart of the box. The Dortmund defense was caught flat-footed, and in the chaos, the ball fell to Lisandro Martínez, who reacted quickest to stab it home from close range. 2-0 to Ajax.

Luka could feel the tension on the pitch, the frustration growing with each passing minute. Dortmund was being outplayed, outthought, and outworked. The passes that usually flowed so smoothly were now forced, hurried, leading to turnovers and more pressure from Ajax.

As the half wore on, Ajax continued to dominate. Every time Dortmund tried to push forward, they were met with a wall of white shirts, pressing high, winning the ball back, and launching another wave of attacks. Luka was isolated on the wing, barely getting a touch, as Ajax doubled up on him, denying him the space to operate or recieve any passes.

In the 37th minute, Ajax delivered the final blow of the half. Another slick passing move saw Gravenberch play a delightful through ball to Antony, who had slipped in behind Guerreiro. Antony took the ball in stride, his pace leaving the Dortmund defense running after him. As Kobel came out to narrow the angle, Antony calmly lifted the ball over him and into the net. 3-0.

Dortmund had been ripped apart, their defense in tatters, and their attack non-existent. Luka looked around at his teammates, seeing the frustration and disbelief etched on their faces. They had been outplayed in every department.

As the referee blew for halftime, Luka trudged off the pitch, his head down. The noise from the Ajax fans echoed in his ears, dominating the silence from the Dortmund faithful.

Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was tense. The players were silent, heads bowed, as they tried to process what had just happened. Marco Rose stood in the center of the room, his face set in a grim expression. He didn't speak for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air, allowing the players to absorb the reality of the situation.

When he finally spoke, his voice was measured, but there was an edge to it. "That was not good enough," he said, his eyes scanning the room. "We're letting them dictate the game, and we're not doing anything about it."

He turned to the defense, his voice rising slightly. "We're making basic mistakes. We're not picking up runners, we're not closing down space. We're giving them too much respect, too much room to play. This is the Champions League—if you don't compete, you get punished."

Rose then looked at Luka, and Luka braced himself, knowing he hadn't made an impact. "Luka, I know you're frustrated, but you need to stay disciplined. You're drifting too deep, trying to do too much. Stick to your position, wait for the right moments, and when they come, make them count."

Stay disciplined. Stick to your position. Wait for the right moments. Luka could feel the frustration gnawing at him, a deep, relentless itch that wouldn't go away. Stay wide? he thought to himself. We haven't passed the ball into wide positions the entire game.

As the team filed out of the locker room and into the tunnel, Luka's mind raced, searching for a solution. He spotted Jude and Haaland, who had just been subbed on for the second half, and quickly walked over to them. Reyna, who had been playing in midfield joined them, sensing that Luka had something to say.

"Listen," Luka began, his voice low. "We need to change things up. Ajax is controlling the midfield, and we're not getting any joy down the middle. If we keep doing what we're doing, we're done."

Jude nodded, his expression serious. "What are you thinking?"

"Bypass the midfield," Luka said, his mind working quickly. "Play balls over the top. Erling, you've got the pace to get behind their defenders. Or when I get the ball out wide, make runs to the edge of the box. I'll cut it back, and one of you can take the shot."

Haaland grinned, the idea clearly appealing to him. "Yes, let's stretch them."

Gio looked determined. "Sounds like a plan then."

Jude asked, "And what about you, mate? What's your role in this?"

Luka glanced at the pitch, then back at his teammates. "I'll stay wide and look for those over-the-top balls. If I can get in behind, I'll take on their full-backs and create space for you guys. But we need to be smart about it. If it's not on, we reset and try again. No forcing it."

Rose's voice suddenly boomed from behind them, urging the players back onto the pitch. Luka nodded at his teammates, his mind now focused on executing the plan. This was their chance to turn the game around.

As the whistle blew to start the second half, the tension in the air was almost tangible. Ajax, confident from their dominant first half, immediately resumed their high press, but there was a noticeable shift in Dortmund's approach or rather, mindset. They were more direct, more purposeful.

In the 48th minute, the first opportunity came. Akanji, under pressure from Haller, managed to find Bellingham in midfield. Jude took one touch to control, then lifted his head, scanning the pitch. He saw Luka already making his run down the left, just as they had discussed.

Without hesitation, Jude launched a long, diagonal ball over the Ajax midfield, curling it towards the space behind Ajax's right-back, Noussair Mazraoui. Luka sprinted after it, his eyes locked on the ball, and he could see Mazraoui scrambling to catch up. The ball dropped perfectly, Luka's first touch was light, but purposeful, using his pace to glide past Mazraoui. But as he approached the edge of the box, he found himself surrounded by three Ajax defenders, their eyes narrowing, preparing to close him down.

Luka could feel their presence, the pressure building as he quickly assessed his options. He could try to take them all on, and possibly draw a foul.. but instead, he faked a run towards the byline, drawing the defenders in, before quickly cutting back towards the top of the box. The movement left one of the defenders off balance, giving him the half-second he needed.

Luka whipped a pass across the box to Jude, who was lingering just outside the area. Jude took it in stride, his movement fluid as he set himself up for the shot. With a quick glance at the goal, he struck the ball low and hard, aiming for the far corner. The Ajax keeper, Remko Pasveer, dived, but he was a fraction too late. The ball nestled into the bottom corner, and the stadium erupted.

"YES!" Luka shouted, his frustration momentarily forgotten as he ran over to celebrate with Jude, who was being mobbed by their teammates. The noise from the Dortmund fans was deafening, a wall of sound that reverberated through the stadium. 1-3. They were back in it.

As the game resumed, Dortmund's confidence grew. They were starting to find gaps in the Ajax defense, exploiting the spaces out wide. In the 56th minute, they nearly pulled another one back. This time, it was Haaland who made the run, his powerful strides eating up the ground as Jude again played the ball over the top. Haaland took it down on his chest, muscling his way past Daley Blind, before unleashing a thunderous shot from a tight angle. Pasveer managed to get a hand to it, pushing it onto the post, and the ball was cleared to safety.

Luka watched as Haaland cursed under his breath, knowing how close they had come. But there was no time for frustration. They were creating chances, and that was what mattered.

Around the time the clock ticked into the 65th minute, Dortmund was starting to dominate. Ajax's press was still aggressive, but it wasn't as effective as it had been in the first half. Dortmund's switch to a more direct style was paying off, and the Ajax players were beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Akanji picked up the ball just outside Dortmund's penalty area, under pressure from Antony. Instead of playing it short, as they had in the first half, Akanji looked up and saw Luka making another run down the left. He launched the ball high and wide, aiming for the space behind Mazraoui.

Luka was ready. He timed his run perfectly, sprinting past Mazraoui, who was caught flat-footed. The ball was dropping out of the sky, and Luka positioned himself under it, knowing he had to make this one count. As the ball descended, he saw Mazraoui closing in from behind, trying to recover. With a flick of his foot, Luka chipped the ball over himself and the defender, leaving Mazraoui completely wrong-footed. The defender stumbled forward as Luka spun around to collect the ball on the other side, now with acres of space to run.

The crowd roared, sensing something special was about to happen. Luka took off towards goal, scanning the box for options. He saw Haaland making a run towards the near post, and on the far side, Malen was cutting in from the right, completely unmarked. Luka drew the defenders towards him, then whipped in a cross with pinpoint accuracy.

Malen rose to meet it, but to Luka's disbelief, he completely misjudged the flight of the ball, and it skimmed off the top of his head before going out for a goal kick.

Luka slapped his hands together in frustration. "Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath, though he immediately regretted it, pinching himself on the arm. "No cursing Luka."

The missed chance stung, but there was no time to dwell on it. They were still in the game, still pushing forward.

In the 71st minute, Rose made another tactical adjustment, instructing the full-backs to push higher up the pitch, giving Luka and Reyna more freedom to attack. It was a gamble, but one that Rose knew they had to take.

The next few minutes were frantic, with both teams exchanging possession quickly, the ball moving from one end of the pitch to the other. Luka could feel the game opening up, the spaces becoming more and more apparent. Ajax was starting to tire, and Dortmund was beginning to exploit it.

In the 76th minute, Jude received the ball just inside his own half, with two Ajax midfielders bearing down on him. But instead of panicking, Jude showed incredible composure, executing a perfect lacroqueta to slip between the two, before driving forward into space. As the Ajax defenders scrambled to close him down, Jude lifted his head and played a perfectly weighted ball over the top, splitting the defense.

Luka was already on his bike, sprinting down the left, the ball dropping into his path. He took it in stride, his pace carrying him past Mazraoui once again. This time, instead of cutting inside, Luka kept his run going down the line, driving towards the byline. He could feel the defenders closing in, trying to box him in, but Luka kept his composure, waiting for the right moment.

As he reached the edge of the box, Luka spotted Haaland making a darting run towards the near post. Without breaking stride, Luka whipped a low cross into the danger area. Haaland met it first-time, his powerful left foot smashing the ball into the roof of the net. 2-3. Game on.

Luka felt a surge of adrenaline as he joined the celebrations, the noise from the Dortmund fans now at fever pitch.

But Ajax wasn't done yet. In the 79th minute, they struck back. A rare mistake from Akanji allowed Antony to steal the ball on the edge of the box. Antony didn't waste the opportunity much to Luka's disapointment. He danced past Hummels with a quick step-over before firing a low shot past Kobel into the bottom corner.

2-4.

The air was sucked out of the stadium, the Dortmund fans silenced once again.

Luka couldn't believe it. They had fought so hard to get back into the game, only to concede another goal. He looked over at Akanji, who was clearly devastated by the mistake. But there was no time for sympathy. They had ten minutes left to try and salvage something.

As play resumed, Dortmund continued to push forward, desperate to find another goal.

In the 84th minute, Luka found himself in possession again, this time deeper in his own half. Ajax's press was relentless, and he had no time to dwell on the ball. But as he looked up, he saw Reyna and Jude making runs into the channels. The Ajax midfield was beginning to lose its shape, and the gaps were opening up.

Luka took a touch to control the ball, then sent a raking pass over the top, splitting the Ajax defense. Reyna latched onto it, racing towards the byline before cutting it back across the box. Haaland was there again, but this time, his shot was blocked by a desperate lunge from Martínez, the ball ricocheting out for a corner.

"Come on!" Luka shouted, urging his teammates forward. The frustration was boiling over, the pressure mounting with every missed opportunity.

As Dortmund prepared to take the corner, Rose barked orders from the sideline. "Luka, stay wide and drop deeper! Keep stretching them and playing those balls!"

Luka nodded, but inside, he was seething. Stay wide, drop deep? We should be running at goal right now.

The anger bubbled up, and he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"How are we going to score then?" Luka snapped as he passed Rose on his way to the corner flag. Rose shot him a warning look, but Luka didn't care. The frustration had reached its peak, and all he wanted was to make something happen.

The corner was cleared by Ajax, and Dortmund quickly reset, but the clock was ticking down. With each passing second, the urgency grew. Luka found himself drifting into central areas more often, trying to get on the ball, trying to force the issue. He wasn't going to just stand out wide and wait for something to happen.

In the 88th minute, Dortmund had one last chance. Reyna received the ball on the left, with Ajax's defenders dropping deep, trying to protect their lead. Reyna spotted Luka in space on the right, running through midfield, and switched the play with a long cross-field pass.

Luka controlled the ball with his chest, the Ajax left-back, abandoning Malen and racing towards him, but Luka wasn't done. He dropped his shoulder, faking left then right before cutting inside, leaving the defender sliding out of the frame. With the ball at his feet, Luka scanned the box, looking for options.

Haaland was making a run towards the near post, but he was heavily marked. Reus was hovering around the penalty spot, but the space was tight. Luka knew he had to make a decision, and fast.

With a burst of acceleration, he darted towards the byline, drawing two more Ajax defenders towards him. He knew what he had to do—create space, stretch the defense, and find a way to deliver the ball. As he reached the byline, Luka whipped in a low cross, aiming for the penalty spot where Jude was waiting.

Jude struck the ball first-time, his shot low and hard, but Pasveer was equal to it, diving low to his right to make the save. The ball rebounded out to the edge of the box, and in the chaos, Malen managed to get a foot on it, but his shot was blocked by Blind, the ball trickling out for a throw-in.

Luka could feel the frustration boiling over. They were so close, but it just wasn't happening. The game was slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The final whistle blew, and the stadium fell into a stunned silence. Dortmund had lost, 2-4. The players slumped to the ground, the exhaustion and disappointment etched on their faces.