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There Is No Deflection On This Crack, Just Hot, Nasty Swerve

Nominated for the Bundesliga’s January Goal of the Month, we’d be surprised if this stunning free kick from Wolfsburg’s Max Arnold doesn’t win — although Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey scored a couple cracks as well. Watching this goal in real-time, your first instinct is to be absolutely convinced that it took a deflection.

The strike is arrowing straight at the wall before veering into the upper-left corner; the only explanation is a heavy deflection off the wall. But upon viewing the replay, you realize that’s a lie. This is a pure wallop from Arnold, and then the ball megs the keeper on the way out. Brilliant.

The Bundesliga channel named this video “Bend It Like Arnold,” which is appropriate because I don’t remember David Beckham ever lacing one quite like this. What a pearler from the 23-year-old German.

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