THIS Is a Genius!
16: Chapter 16: What Is a Genius?
THIS Is a Genius!
As Rolin was preparing on the sidelines, Ralph Hasenhüttl instructed: “I know you want to prove yourself in the match, but don’t rush it.
Be patient on both offense and defense.” Rolin paused his movements and nodded earnestly.
“Pay attention to the space in their middle and the half-spaces, especially the half-spaces.” Ralph Hasenhüttl patted his shoulder.
“Selke is great with headers, so try making more 45-degree crosses from the half-spaces.” Finally, Ralph Hasenhüttl smiled and said: “Get out there and enjoy your Bundesliga debut!” On the sidelines, the fourth official held up the electronic board.
Rolin came on for Emil Forsberg, and Selke replaced Poulsen.
Emil Forsberg jogged over to the touchline and gave Rolin a quick hug with a smile.
“Good luck!” On the German broadcast, commentator James Richardson’s voice was brimming with excitement: “As we can see, Rolin Bachmann has replaced Emil Forsberg.
The eighteen-year-old youngster is making his Bundesliga debut!” Thomas Helmer also smiled and said: “Long-awaited and finally here!
What kind of performance will this eighteen-year-old youngster deliver?
Let us wait and see!” Meanwhile, on social media, fans were also buzzing with excitement.
“Holy crap, Rolin really came on!” “Here he comes, here he comes!
Let me see if he’s really that awesome!” “Not bad, giving him 20 minutes to showcase himself is plenty.” — On the pitch, Rolin kept Ralph Hasenhüttl’s words firmly in mind and didn’t rush to show off.
In his previous life, he had learned a truth: the more you want to impress, the worse you perform.
This wasn’t nonsense; it had a scientific basis.
When you care too much, you focus on winning, losing, gains, and losses, making you more prone to nervousness.
And when a person gets nervous, it triggers a chain reaction that affects behavior and leads to mistakes.
What you really need to do at such times is maintain composure and keep your mindset steady.
And when an opportunity arises, seize it tightly!
Down 0–3, the VfL Wolfsburg players clearly couldn’t accept the result and played with growing impatience on the pitch.
Anxious to pull a goal back, they shifted the brunt of their attack toward Rolin’s side.
In the eyes of the Wolfsburg players, he was just an eighteen-year-old kid; no matter how talented, how good could he really be?
However, geniuses are called geniuses precisely because at this age, they can do things ordinary people simply cannot.
The 76th minute of the match.
Vieirinha chose to force his way past Rolin’s defense.
Rolin showed maturity far beyond his age.
Instead of rushing to tackle, he closed in tightly to block the inside route, forcing him out wide.
Vieirinha didn’t take Rolin seriously at all.
The moment Rolin closed in, he used his left foot to cut inside forcibly.
A smirk formed on the corner of Rolin’s lips.
Refusing to indulge him, he raised his arms and hit him with a bull-like charge.
The instant they made contact, Vieirinha felt a surge of massive force, and his buttocks made intimate contact with the turf.
Vieirinha looked bewildered at first, but then turned to the referee, yelling that Rolin had pushed him and committed a foul.
However, the referee saw it clearly: the tackle was clean with no issues whatsoever.
Rolin didn’t care about any of that.
Having stripped the ball, he immediately launched a counterattack at blistering speed.
Meanwhile, Werner and Selke burst forward simultaneously at high speed toward the opponent’s half; Marcel Sabitzer maintained a subtle distance from Rolin, ready to support him at any moment.
Rolin checked his teammates’ positions and realized it wasn’t the optimal moment to pass.
So he continued driving forward with the ball, aiming right for the half-space between the full-back and centre-back.
Because VfL Wolfsburg were eager to pull a goal back, both full-backs and the midfielders had pushed high up and now had to grit their teeth and sprint back.
“Rolin wins the tackle and pushes rapidly along the flank.” “He’s fast!
Seguin goes in with a fierce sliding tackle!” “A nimble change of direction by Rolin—he dodges it!” “Now RB Leipzig has the numerical advantage.
Let’s see how Rolin chooses to proceed.” After beating Seguin, Rolin glanced up again at his teammates’ positions and feigned a cut inside.
Wolfsburg’s right-back Bruma had no choice but to abandon Werner, whom he was marking, and quickly closed in.
Now, Wolfsburg’s other centre-back was caught in a dilemma.
No matter how he positioned himself, he was bound to leave someone unmarked.
He could only pray that this youngster from RB Leipzig had poor technique.
Seeing the opposing centre-back rush over to cover, Rolin didn’t hesitate to deliver a cross from the left half-space.
In a flash, Selke leaped high at the back post and sent a stylish header toward the goal.
The ball slipped between the goalkeeper’s arms and slammed hard into the back of the net.
4–0!
Immediately after scoring, Selke rushed over to Rolin, and the two shared a passionate embrace.
Werner ran over with a smile as well, repeatedly ruffling Rolin’s hair.
“It’s in!
RB Leipzig leads VfL Wolfsburg by four goals away from home.” “Passes that seem ordinary often turn out to be twists of fate, much like subtle choices in life that can change everything!” “Rolin, an eighteen-year-old youth, made the right choice at the right time.” “With a precise pass, he announces to the world: he has arrived!” On the sidelines, Ralph Hasenhüttl pumped his fist in excited celebration.
Originally, he had only wanted Rolin to get a feel for the Bundesliga atmosphere, but he hadn’t expected Rolin to give him such a massive surprise.
This surprise didn’t just come from his tackle or his pass, but from his cool head and tactical awareness.
Knowing how to play football and knowing how to play with a brain are fundamentally different.
The former determines a player’s floor, while the latter determines his ceiling.
Rolin clearly played with his brain; RB Leipzig had truly stumbled upon a treasure.
On social media, fans were going crazy: “Holy shit!
You’re telling me he’s only eighteen?
Ask anyone watching if they believe that!” “If he can maintain this form, entering the regular rotation won’t be a problem at all!” “I declare that from today on, I am a Rolin fan.
I’ll be keeping a close eye on his performances.” Comments poured in across football forums: “Holy shit!
An assist on his Bundesliga debut?
This guy must be hacking!” “Holy double shit!
First a tackle, then an assist—maxed out on both offense and defense.
This kid!” “Holy shit?
Holy shit!
What is a genius?
THIS is a genius!” — Ralph Hasenhüttl gestured for the team to fall back from the sidelines.
With a 4–0 lead, there was no longer any need to push forward in attack.
He understood the wisdom of quitting while ahead.
VfL Wolfsburg made a token effort in the final ten minutes, but RB Leipzig’s defense was airtight, giving them no chance at all.
In the end, RB Leipzig defeated VfL Wolfsburg 4–0 away from home, maintaining their unbeaten streak!