It turned out that Klopp's decision to include Jin Hayes in the matchday squad was the correct choice.
Borussia Dortmund, playing away, struggled significantly against Cottbus. Eighteen-year-old İlkay Gündoğan made his debut as a starter, and despite his talent and technical ability being on par with Nuri Şahin, his lack of match experience made it difficult for him to showcase his strengths. Dortmund's rotated lineup, largely composed of substitutes, had no control over the flow of the game against their hosts.
Instead, Cottbus took the lead in the first half, utilising a cross from a counter-attack down the flank. Bulgarian forward Dimitar Rangelov—a fellow countryman of Dimitar Berbatov—rose highest and headed the ball into the Dortmund net.
Cottbus 1–0 Borussia Dortmund!
"It seems the match against Atlético Madrid took a heavy toll on Borussia Dortmund; their rotated lineup's intensity is more than a notch below their starting eleven," observed German commentator Mehmet Scholl.
If Dortmund's first-choice lineup could be considered top three in the Bundesliga, their largely substitute-based rotated XI was at best a relegation-zone team, playing a tight match against relegation-threatened Cottbus. The gulf in quality was stark.
"In my opinion, Borussia Dortmund are missing the soul of their team." Oliver Kahn, the legendary goalkeeper, pointed out the problem acutely. Without Jin Hayes on the pitch, the Black and Yellows clearly didn't know how to play. Everyone's movements were rigid and lacked flexibility. Using the same 4-3-3 formation, their playing style from front to back had become formulaic and predictable, making it far too easy for opponents to read.
Cottbus's decisive counter-attack had precisely targeted İlkay Gündoğan's passing lane, successfully intercepting the ball and launching the move that led to the goal. The youngster looked distraught, but it was a harsh lesson in the demands of top-flight football.
At halftime, Klopp was furious in the dressing room.
"Actually, I don't differentiate between starters and substitutes. I treat everyone equally!" His voice echoed off the walls. "Whether you start or are included in the matchday squad depends entirely on your recent performance on the pitch and your training attitude."
"But you've already labelled yourselves—you see yourselves as substitutes, and you haven't played to your full potential. Well, I'm sorry, but if anyone performs like this again, they can expect to warm the bench for a long time!"
Klopp's harsh words—his version of a "tough love" speech—had some effect. Substitutes like İlkay Gündoğan, Antonio Rukavina, Felipe Santana, Daniel Gordon, and Bajram Sadrijaj listened intently, their expressions noticeably more serious.
Most professional players are not content to rot on the bench and collect a salary; everyone dreams of starting, everyone hopes to be a hero. Even if it's just to increase their market value and negotiate a better contract in the future, players must strive to compete.
After Klopp's reprimand, the team's morale visibly soared. Shoulders straightened. Eyes refocused.
However, after the players left the dressing room, Klopp quietly called Jin Hayes aside.
"Jin, warm up extra early in the second half. I might put you in at any time. How's your stamina?"
"Don't worry, Coach." Jin Hayes gave a thumbs-up.
His maxed-out physical talent, besides allowing his stamina to reach human extremes and doubling the effectiveness of his fitness training, also made his recovery speed several times faster than before.
Previously, playing two matches in a week would have nearly killed him—his energy would be almost exhausted after eighty minutes. Now, he still felt tired, and his stamina would still dip around the ninety-minute mark. But Jin Hayes only needed to stop and catch his breath for a moment, and his energy would slowly replenish, allowing him to continue running.
No matter how intense the previous match had been—even if it lasted 120 minutes and Jin Hayes was completely worn out from physical confrontations—he would recover to ninety percent stamina after one night's rest, and be fully recovered by the third day.
Jin Hayes could have started this match, but such an extraordinary recovery speed was simply unbelievable for a professional player. Under the advice of the coaching and medical staff, he had taken a seat on the bench.
"It's good that your stamina is fine. If we can't break the deadlock in the second half, we'll probably have to rely on you."
Jürgen Klopp had high expectations for the new season. He hoped Borussia Dortmund could at least contend for a top-three finish in the Bundesliga and secure Champions League qualification once again. If possible, he aimed to challenge for the championship. What kind of team was Cottbus? A team from whom they must take three points, whether home or away. A draw or a loss was an unacceptable result.
In the second half, the half-substitute lineup of Borussia Dortmund performed slightly better, but not by much. They could barely push forward and create threats on goal. Unfortunately, multiple consecutive shots failed to produce a goal. Twenty-two-year-old Serbian substitute striker Bajram Sadrijaj had three clear-cut chances to score but failed to convert any of them.
Klopp watched, clutching his head and cursing under his breath.
"What the hell are they doing?! Get him off!"
"Jürgen, we have no more strikers. Alexander Frei's stamina isn't up to playing condition," assistant coach Buvač reminded him.
"This—"
During the summer transfer window, Borussia Dortmund had sold several strikers, including former fan favourites Zidan, Petrić, Nelson Valdez, and Argentine tall centre-forward Klimowicz.
To accommodate the single-striker 4-3-3 formation, the original seven-man striker squad had been reduced to just three: starting centre-forward Alexander Frei; substitute centre-forward Bajram Sadrijaj; and youth academy centre-forward Christopher Kullmann.
The latter two were relatively unknown—even die-hard Dortmund fans might struggle to recognise them, and their abilities were accordingly limited. Moreover, Kullmann was injured, leaving only Sadrijaj available. Even if he couldn't score, he could at least act as a target up front, holding up the ball and supporting his teammates.
At this point, Klopp did not yet realise the seriousness of the problem. He believed Borussia Dortmund's striker shortage was only temporary. When Alexander Frei found his form, with strong midfield support behind him, Dortmund wouldn't have to worry about scoring goals.
"Tell Jin to get ready. He's coming on."
Klopp had already surrendered. His tactics could not lead the substitute lineup to victory; only the team's soul, Jin Hayes, could save them.
Taking advantage of a stoppage in play, Borussia Dortmund made a substitution.
"Number 8 attacking midfielder Giovanni Federico is coming off. Number 10—Jin Hayes—is coming on!"
When Jin Hayes stood on the sideline, high-fived his departing teammate, and stepped onto the green pitch, the Cottbus home crowd erupted in a thunderous chorus of boos. They were panicking. The player they least wanted to see had appeared. This meant that their 1–0 lead could be wiped out at any moment.
The 16-year-old had become a psychological shadow for the other seventeen Bundesliga teams. As long as Jin Hayes touched the ball on the pitch, the hearts of all opposing fans would leap into their throats.
"Listen to these boos—isn't it a bit harsh on a sixteen-year-old kid?" Scholl spoke up in sympathy.
Kahn, however, didn't think much of it. "I used to get booed by opponents all the time. Later I realised: the louder the boos, the more afraid they are. It's a recognition of your ability."
Kahn didn't know that his statement perfectly aligned with Jin Hayes's own philosophy. Jin Hayes had once lectured Nuri Şahin in exactly the same way. After coming on and hearing the jeers, Jin Hayes even cupped his hand to his ear, theatrically urging the home fans to boo even louder. The gesture only intensified the noise—but also seemed to energise his teammates.
"As expected of Borussia Dortmund's team soul—he's revitalised the frontline attack as soon as he came on!"
"He dribbles past one, then breaks through! He's in the middle as if there's no one there!"
If Jin Hayes could charge through Atlético Madrid's defence seven times, Cottbus's backline was practically non-existent by comparison.
After a dazzling sequence of step-overs, drag-backs, turns, and explosive bursts, Jin Hayes had already entered the box, drawing the attention of the goalkeeper and centre-backs. Almost the entire Cottbus team was swarming to defend Jin Hayes, leaving Sadrijaj completely unmarked.
Inside the box, Jin Hayes used the "Heartfelt Pass" effect he had just accumulated, sending a brilliant back-heel pass through the crowd. Sadrijaj was practically facing an open goal.
Perhaps the goal was too simple; Sadrijaj had no reaction, failing to anticipate that Jin Hayes could pass it there. His hurried shot incredibly hit his own standing leg and rolled tamely out for a goal kick.
Goal kick.
Both Cottbus and Dortmund fans were stunned.
"WTF?!!!" Klopp threw his hat to the ground in utter disbelief. "How can someone miss a goal like that?!"
"There are players who can, Jurgen. There are." Assistant coach Željko Buvač calmly reminded him from the side. Jin Hayes was that kind of player; he could miss even point-blank shots. Klopp opened his mouth to retort, then thought better of it and fell silent.
Jin Hayes at least had world-class individual breakthrough ability; no one could dispossess him when he had the ball, and his tactical impact was undeniable. Sadrijaj, on the other hand, had no speed, no skill, and no shooting ability—it was unclear why the club had signed him. Reus and Jakub Błaszczykowski were not on the pitch. Dortmund's left-winger was the veteran Delron Buckley, and the right-winger was a German winger known more for pace than finishing.
"So, none of the four players up front can shoot?" Krawietz asked rhetorically.
"Yes, that's the lineup you chose." Krawietz's deadpan response once again pierced Klopp's heart. The coach rubbed his temples, already planning a serious conversation with the sporting director about striker options.
"However, let's still believe in Jin. He also has the ability to score in crucial moments," Krawietz added.
Commentator Mehmet Scholl also realised this problem. "Dortmund's finishing ability is an issue; perhaps it still has to fall to Jin Hayes. He usually misses easy goals but scores the most difficult ones—like this one!"
Dortmund attacked in the final third. Jin Hayes tried to drag the ball past an opponent in the middle and was roughly fouled by a Cottbus defensive midfielder. The opponent practically wrapped his arms around Jin Hayes's waist in a wrestling-style tackle, earning a well-deserved yellow card. Jin Hayes got up from the ground, not seeking revenge, but simply filing it away, lurking in the penalty area.
İlkay Gündoğan was responsible for the free kick. He originally aimed to send it into the centre but suddenly saw Jin Hayes at the back post on the right side of the goal, subtly signalling to him.
"No problem!" İlkay Gündoğan knew exactly who the team's leader was. He calculated the distance, and his right-footed curling delivery was incredibly precise, arcing directly towards Jin Hayes.
But he overlooked the opponent's positioning. A Cottbus centre-back got a slight touch with his head, deflecting the ball's trajectory towards the byline.
"Oh no!!" A good chance was gone. "Cottbus's headed clearance!" the commentator sighed, thinking the attack was over.
No one in the stadium expected what happened next. Just before the ball flew out of bounds—
"Jin Hayes—"
The 16-year-old number 10, wearing the black away jersey, appeared as a blur in mid-air. With his back to goal, he actually stopped the ball using his right heel in the air. The Cottbus players were caught completely off guard; no one moved to intercept Jin Hayes. Everyone watched, frozen, as he completed the subsequent masterpiece.
Jin Hayes controlled the ball in mid-air, and the moment he descended with the ball, he smoothly pivoted on his right foot. Before the ball touched the ground, his left foot was already in a shooting motion—a volley, all in one fluid motion.
"Causality Enhanced Shot!" 100% guaranteed goal.
Bang—whoosh! From almost a zero-degree angle, Jin Hayes's mid-air trap, turn, and volley—like a rainbow piercing the sun—rocketed into the intersection of the far post and the crossbar, nestling perfectly into the top corner.
The Cottbus home stands, both sets of players, the commentators, reporters in the media box, and all fans watching the live broadcast—everyone simultaneously had a massive exclamation mark flash through their minds. They trembled uncontrollably.
Commentator Scholl was stunned. At that moment, he couldn't utter any coherent commentary, only a strangled sound from his throat. After a half-second brain short-circuit, Scholl finally regained his voice.
"World-class goal!!!! Jin Hayes's world-class goal!!"
"He has helped Borussia Dortmund equalise the score!!"
"Wow!! This goal simply overturns our understanding of what's possible! It is one of the most spectacular goals I have ever seen!"
"This is Jin Hayes—he doesn't score easy goals. He scores the most difficult ones—just like this one!"