EMRE CAN conjured an incredible two-touch finish from halfway.
But the ex-Liverpool midfielder’s “comic masterpiece” for Borussia Dortmund was labelled as embarrassing as it was amazing.
ViaplayEmre Can fires his second touch goalwards as Bochum backpedal desperately[/caption]
ViaplayBochum keeper Manuel Riemann ended up making an ungainly lunge in a failed attempt to stop the ball beating him to the net[/caption]
The Can opener divided fans between those praising the former Germany star and others condemning Bochum keeper Manuel Riemann for his role.
Ultimately it helped put Dortmund in the German Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win.
Riemann initially reacted deftly to nip out of his area to snuff out danger, chesting the ball down neatly and lashing it into the Dortmund half.
But he didn’t get much height on it – meaning he had little time to backpedal before it was trapped in mid-air by by the right foot of Can.
The ball had still not hit the ground by the time the ex-Juventus star lunged forward to stab a quick shot.
It zoomed just above the head of a string of players – and made the net before the sprinting Rieman and a defender could catch up with it.
One fan dubbed the 45th-minute breakthrough as the “worst halfway line goal ever” and another joked: “4 bounces before it trundles over the line. A screamer!”
A third observer with a similar view wrote: “People should stop pretending that goals from halfway aren’t almost always cr** and enjoy this for the comical masterpiece it is.”
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But the “incredible” goal also inspired some classic footballing philosophy.
As one put it: “Can’t win the raffle if you don’t buy a ticket.”
There was also a curious debate as to whether it even counted as a volley.
That seemed to be based on controversial logic that was especially harsh on Can: “Surely not a volley if it bounces 3 times before trundling over the line?”
English striker Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, 18, then conceded the penalty, confirmed by VAR, from which Kevin Stoger fired Bochum level.
But Three Lions’ star Jude Bellingham soon unselfishly teed up Dortmund’s winner on 70 minutes.
The Liverpool and Manchester United target picked up centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck’s long pass and surged towards goal.
But rather than shoot, Bellingham rolled the ball across for Marco Reus to tap home.
Dortmund players mob Emre Can over his clever opener from next to the centre circle against BochumRex