The 3‑0 lead in the first half had made the Borussia Dortmund players a bit overconfident. Back in the dressing room, the teammates were already on the verge of popping champagne.
"There's still a half to go! Don't get ahead of yourselves. No score is safe. If any of you aren't focused enough, go reflect on it in the reserves."
Jin Hayes was just about to remind his teammates, but Jürgen Klopp had also noticed the problem and roared, throwing a bucket of cold water over the team. It couldn't be helped; young people are prone to getting carried away. Klopp only needed to manage the intensity; with a mix of carrot and stick, he was more than capable of controlling these youngsters.
In contrast, in the visiting Real Madrid dressing room, Bernd Schuster had clearly lost control. He was drawing and writing on the tactical board, but many big‑name stars weren't listening to a word he said, treating the head coach as if he were invisible.
There was the Spanish faction led by Raúl and Sergio Ramos, the Dutch faction consisting of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Klaas‑Jan Huntelaar, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, as well as the Portuguese‑speaking faction with Marcelo and Pepe, and neutral players like Lassana Diarra and Fabio Cannavaro. The different cliques were all doing their own thing. When they won, relations were decent, but when they lost, they naturally blamed one another.
Sneijder, van Nistelrooy, and the other Dutch players criticised the defensive line for its lapses, being repeatedly broken through by a 16‑year‑old. Ramos, Marcelo, and others were also criticising van Nistelrooy for being invisible all game and Sneijder for his chaotic midfield organisation—was the attack supposed to rely solely on José Callejón and Raúl?
What started as minor friction quickly escalated into a heated argument as everyone chimed in.
"That's enough!" Schuster reached his breaking point and kicked a trash can. The loud noise interrupted the stars' bickering. The German coach rubbed his aching temples. He had only been coaching Real Madrid for a little over a season, but he felt more exhausted than he had in half a lifetime of coaching.
Everyone thought managing Real Madrid was an honour, but in reality, it was a shackle. "Anyone else can have this damn job; I really can't be bothered to serve these prima donnas anymore!" While roaring furiously inside, Schuster maintained a calm exterior.
"Stop arguing. No matter what happens in the second half, improve the coordination and at least score a goal. You don't want to be shut out by a fourth‑seeded team, do you?" For a prestigious giant to be shut out by a fourth‑tier team would indeed be quite embarrassing.
...
In the second half, the Real Madrid players buckled down and managed to form a rare moment of cohesive play. In the 56th minute, Callejón broke past Marco Reus on the right and played a wall‑pass with Sneijder.
He sent a cross in from the edge of the penalty area. The "King of the Six‑Yard Box," van Nistelrooy, controlled the near post and executed a subtle flick‑on header. Raúl, lying in wait at the back post, slotted the ball home with a cushioned volley.
3‑1.
Real Madrid successfully pulled one back.
Raúl was also very happy after scoring. He kissed the ring on his finger and was halfway through his celebratory sprint when he suddenly realised something was wrong. He quickly ran back to the goal to grab the ball.
Real Madrid was still trailing.
The goal greatly boosted the morale of the Los Blancos, and almost the entire team pushed forward, intending to use this momentum to equalise.
Borussia Dortmund's high‑pressing game had been very effective in the first half, but in the second half, due to excessive physical exertion, several gaps began to appear. Klopp simply instructed the team to drop back, adopting a traditional low‑block counter‑attacking style.
Real Madrid attacked with abandon, but whenever they lost possession, it was met with a fierce counter‑attack from Dortmund. The ball went back and forth as the tempo suddenly accelerated.
"After Real Madrid pulled one back, both sides have engaged in an end‑to‑end battle, repeatedly threatening the goals. A header attempt by van Nistelrooy!! Saved by Roman Weidenfeller! Now it's Dortmund's turn to counter!! Jin Hayes—well played!! Passing it to the left! Reus with a curling shot—beautiful!! Oh! Iker Casillas with an incredible save!" He Wei's mouth never stopped, providing continuous commentary like a machine gun.
He noticed that whether it was the elegant Los Blancos or the steady Old Lady, when playing against Dortmund, they were always drawn into the Bumblebees' rhythm by their frenetic fast breaks, unable to resist trading blows.
In doing so, the rapid counter‑attacks of the Dortmund youngsters found their perfect opportunity. Real Madrid's threats decreased significantly, while Dortmund frequently put pressure on Casillas.
Coach Gong Lei pointed out the problem incisively: "After losing Arjen Robben, Real Madrid is struggling to support their wing play with Callejón alone. The coach's idea was good—having Marcelo create an advantage on the left and using three players in the middle to limit Jin Hayes. But neither has been achieved.
In this high‑tempo transition game, it's hard for Real Madrid to generate enough threat. Dortmund only needs to limit Sneijder's passing, as Raúl and van Nistelrooy are finding it hard to even touch the ball in the box."
As he spoke, an overly rushed through ball from Sneijder was intercepted early by Mats Hummels. He poked it directly to Nuri Şahin, who turned and curled a clever ball forward to find Jin Hayes.
Dortmund's counter‑attack crossed the halfway line in an instant.
Lassana Diarra and Fernando Gago double‑teamed him simultaneously; even if he couldn't stop Jin Hayes, Gago was prepared to foul. At worst, it would be a tactical foul—pulling him down and taking a yellow card—but he absolutely could not be allowed to pass the ball.
But they still underestimated Jin Hayes's touch. As the waist‑high ball arrived, Jin Hayes cushioned it with his chest and flicked it up with his knee, turning left to trick Lassana Diarra into moving his feet.
The two defensive midfielders were now in a straight line. At that moment, Jin Hayes suddenly spun the other way, his right heel lightly cushioning the ball. The ball obediently looped around to the right.
Jin Hayes successfully changed direction, dribbling out of the double‑team. With a simple set of movements, he had toyed with two Real Madrid midfielders. It looked as if Jin Hayes was about to enter a completely open field.
In a fit of pique, Gago grabbed Jin Hayes's back collar and pulled him directly to the ground. However, just before losing his balance, Jin Hayes still managed to send a through ball straight to the left wing.
The high‑difficulty flick‑over just now had activated 'Heartfelt Pass,' and this lofted ball caught Cannavaro completely off guard. By the time he turned, Reus had already surged forward at high speed.
"Reus!! Beautiful! He's in!!!"
"The referee has both arms out, signalling play on with the advantage!!"
"Jin Hayes managed a sublime pass before hitting the deck!"
He Wei watched excitedly as Reus received the ball easily, took a comfortable touch forward, and entered the penalty area. Cannavaro was left in his wake, and Pepe was still some distance away. Casillas desperately abandoned his line.
Almost all Dortmund fans were already making the gesture to throw their arms up in celebration, while the Real Madrid fans held their heads with looks of terror. In the box, Marco Reus was nervous, but he adjusted his breathing and used his most confident technique to wrap his foot around the ball, curling an elegant shot.
He remembered Jin Hayes once telling him: "Marco, you are very strong, definitely a world‑class player! You must believe in yourself at all times; the stage is set, just waiting for you to bloom."
At that time, Reus had just been promoted from the youth team and had been subjected to long‑term psychological pressure from the youth coaches. He was full of self‑doubt and always hesitant when shooting.
The first time he partnered with Jin Hayes on the training ground, Jin Hayes had clearly given Reus a great ball in the box, but Reus had passed it back. Jin Hayes was stunned at the time.
Wait? What do you mean by passing it back to me? You want me to shoot?
After the training match, when the brothers were reviewing the session, Reus introvertedly admitted that he had hesitated when shooting, fearing he would miss. Jin Hayes had patted Reus on the shoulder then, his eyes full of certainty about the future. "Am I really, as Jin said, the future iconic figure of Dortmund? Do I really have a chance to play for the German national team?"
Regardless, this match was the chance to prove himself. Against Iker Casillas, he could do it. He could score a brace.
Bang— the right‑footed curler was crisp and decisive, with perfect speed and angle. As soon as he hit it, Reus had a strong feeling: This one's in!
Jin Hayes shared that same intuition; the first thing he did upon getting up was raise his hands in celebration. Sure enough, Casillas dove but couldn't reach the ball. The shot had the satisfying effect of a 'nothing‑but‑net' three‑pointer in basketball.
Boom— the Westfalenstadion erupted like a volcano once again.
"Goooooooaalll!!" The stadium DJ dragged out the final syllable to express his excitement. The Dortmund fans went wild, frantically waving their yellow and black scarves and hugging the strangers around them.
"It's in! It's in!!"
"Yes!!"
"We are the champions!!"
At this moment, with the team leading Real Madrid 4–1, the confidence of the Dortmund fans swelled like never before. The Bumblebees were invincible. They could crush any team.
"It's over. It's finished."
Seeing this goal, the hearts of the Real Madrid players went completely cold. So much so that when the referee gave Fernando Gago a retroactive yellow card, his face remained expressionless. "It doesn't matter anymore; we've already lost."
Players like Raúl, Wesley Sneijder, and Fabio Cannavaro still maintained their fighting spirit, but with the team's morale so low, it was difficult for them to play a decisive role.
Head coach Bernd Schuster had completely given up, making no substitutions despite the heavy deficit, sitting in his chair with his arms crossed as if it were none of his business. Since he had already decided to step down, what did Real Madrid's poor results have to do with him?
Only then did Jürgen Klopp, who had been tense throughout the match, breathe a sigh of relief. With an irrepressible smile on his face, he excitedly hugged his assistant, Željko Buvač, in celebration. "They did it!! These rascals did it!!"
Buvač, as usual, offered a cool‑headed critique. "It's just a Champions League group stage match; look how excited you are."
"You don't understand; the significance of beating Real Madrid is different!" If they could remain unbeaten in the return legs against Juventus and Real Madrid, Dortmund would prove one thing: they had returned to the ranks of Europe's elite giants.
Seeing that Real Madrid had completely lost their will to fight, in the 86th minute, Klopp intentionally substituted Jin Hayes, who had performed brilliantly all game, allowing him to enjoy the cheers of the 80,000 people at the Westfalenstadion. As the 16‑year‑old hero walked off the pitch, the applause and cheers almost broke the sky.
"Jin Hayes's rate of growth has exceeded all our expectations. A year ago, he was just a newcomer from a talent show whose potential was spotted by Arsenal, hoping he would develop in the Bundesliga.
Who could have imagined that today he would be leading his team to defeat Real Madrid, and at the age of 16, helping his team stand at the top of the Group of Death! Jin Hayes, well done!" He Wei spoke from the heart, though he couldn't say the second half of his thought out loud.
If only the person in charge of the Youth Management Office acted like a human being, they wouldn't have missed out on this genius. In a way, it was a good thing Jin Hayes hadn't joined.
He Wei knew well that his individual strength couldn't change that muddy pool; instead, he would only have been stained by the sludge. Expecting a 16‑year‑old to change Chinese football? Too naive.
Let him grow as much as possible in an environment far away from that foul atmosphere. Perhaps one day, he would be strong enough—strong enough to ignore all external forces and possess decisive influence. At that time, maybe he really could save Chinese football. But not now, nor in a few years, but at some unknown moment.
Perhaps that moment will never even come. Who knows?
Watching Jin Hayes under the spotlight raising his hand to acknowledge the fans, getting closer and closer, Anna's heart beat faster and faster. To have single‑handedly led the team to crush the powerful Real Madrid in front of his fellow townsfolk—he was practically the hero on a white horse from a fairy tale, a heroic champion.
Anna's blue eyes were now completely filled with the image of Jin Hayes. No matter how reserved or silent she usually was, she couldn't hide her excitement now.
"Jin!! Over here!"
"Hmm?"
Amidst the noise of tens of thousands of people, Jin Hayes keenly captured the familiar voice. His gaze quickly shifted, and in the densely packed stands, he spotted that familiar blonde girl at once. At this moment, everything around them seemed to blur. Jin Hayes, with a victorious smile, waved to Anna in the stands.
Unexpectedly, Anna—who knows where she learned it from—crossed her right index finger and thumb to make a finger‑heart for him. She was clearly not used to such a direct way of expressing herself, and a deep blush quickly spread across her snowy‑white cheeks.
The interaction between Jin Hayes and the girl across the distance was too conspicuous and soon attracted the attention of the media. One of the photographers captured the two of them in the same frame with a click of the shutter. Amidst the chaotic crowd, the heroically glowing Jin Hayes and the girl in the stands were exceptionally prominent.
"Jin's girlfriend? This is interesting."
A few minutes later, the referee's whistle finally declared the end of Real Madrid's imprisonment. The Los Blancos players lowered their heads and hurried away from this place of misfortune.
A group of substitute players in yellow rushed onto the pitch to hug and celebrate with their teammates.
As for head coach Klopp, he came to the centre of the pitch and performed his trademark celebration. With a wild, toothy grin on his face, Klopp threw three consecutive punches into the air. Each one received a fervent response from the entire stadium.
"Oh oh oh oh oh~~~"
"Yeah!!"
"Yeah!!"
"Yeah!!"