If time could turn back 90 minutes, Marseille fans would certainly not have wanted to provoke this group of Germans. Hatem Ben Arfa would not have underestimated this Borussia Dortmund side so easily.
If they had played more cautiously, they might have had a 10% or 20% chance, but Marseille's goal in the first half made both players and fans arrogant, leading to a misjudgment of the relative strength of the two sides.
Marseille was completely stunned.
After Jin Hayes assisted Alexander Frei to equalise, he used his dribbling to evade two defenders in the second half, then suddenly executed a difficult chip from the edge of the arc.
Marco Reus, in the penalty area, rushed up in time to finish it.
As there was still a Bundesliga match the following week, Jürgen Klopp began making substitutions after securing the lead. He successively brought off Nuri Şahin, Reus, and Frei, bringing on İlkay Gündoğan, Mario Götze, and the young substitute forward Bajram Sadrijaj.
This counted as Mario Götze's first Champions League experience, and he was extremely excited after coming on.
...
"Jin! Is this the Champions League? It feels quite different from the league!"
"Calm down, it's just the same game." Jin Hayes wanted to advise the kid to stay calm, but Götze was immersed in the excitement of his Champions League debut, running all over the pitch and playing quite desperately.
But he seemed to be trying a bit too hard.
As a left winger, off‑the‑ball movement and finding spaces to run into are more important, but Götze spent more time fighting and wrestling with opposing players, even sprinting back to defend in the middle. This led to his legs feeling weak when he needed to attack, and he ended up fumbling the ball in the penalty area.
That's how young people are.
"It's okay, just seize the opportunity next time."
"Don't worry, Mario, you've already done quite well."
Teammates came over to comfort Götze one after another, but the teenager lowered his head, sinking into deep self‑reproach. His first Champions League match should have helped the team extend their lead, but instead, he had nearly cost them the victory.
Götze even began to doubt whether he was really cut out for football. If he couldn't keep his composure in a Champions League group stage match, what would he do when he encountered a truly critical final?
"Mario, this is all normal. As long as you are human, you will make mistakes. Even the world's top superstars have had their moments of blunders. The past has already happened, the future has not yet arrived, and you can create any possibility."
Jin Hayes didn't know where he had read this motivational line, but he wanted to comfort Götze a little and get him to cheer up as soon as possible. As a result, the kid's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Thank you, Jin. I know what to do now."
Wait, what? What did I say? Jin Hayes was left stunned by him.
...
In the last ten minutes, Marseille started attacking frantically, attempting to equalise at home. After all, a 1–2 scoreline wasn't very safe, and the suspense remained. But in the end, it was Jin Hayes who stepped up and personally ended the match.
"Gündoğan, Sebastian Kehl, Gündoğan—Jin, Jin has the ball!! Jin! Stop him, stop him!"
France's largest paid sports channel, Canal+, was broadcasting this critical Champions League battle live. Millions of French viewers were sitting nervously in front of their televisions, and some elderly fans were holding onto their armrests to steady their nerves.
There were three Ligue 1 teams in this Champions League. Bordeaux had a three‑game losing streak at the start, basically facing elimination from the group stage; Lyon had just lost to Bayern Munich and drawn 2‑2 with Fiorentina, putting them in a precarious position in the group—they might not even qualify as the runner‑up.
Many fans pinned their hopes on Marseille. Although Marseille had lost to Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, they had drawn 1‑1 with Real Madrid.
If they could take down Borussia Dortmund in this match, they might have a chance to break out of the Group of Death. They had become the hope of all of France, but at this moment, they were facing a 1–2 scoreline, and Borussia Dortmund's attack could end the game at any moment.
Jin Hayes's movement with the ball forward made all French fans nervous; this 16‑year‑old was simply a relentless attacking force, a nightmare for any defence.
Canal+ commentator Pierre Ménès was almost screaming his voice out; he was even more nervous than the fans. "Jin, he's in, he's in! Oh no!! He's past Modeste M'Bami, still carrying the ball, he's in the penalty area!"
Just as the French commentator was almost suffocating, Jin Hayes, while moving quickly, performed a step‑over and cut diagonally into the penalty area, attracting two defenders to surround him. Then he pulled the ball back in a V‑shape and passed it to the left wing with a rabona.
"Mario Götze!!"
Götze stabbed forward, and the moment he received the ball, he wasn't offside. He took a touch forward, and in an instant, he had arrived in the six‑yard box. All Marseille fans felt complete despair; their hearts turned cold. Could it be that they were really going to be beaten twice by Borussia Dortmund?
The Marseille goalkeeper hadn't given up yet; he was the French national team's starting goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda.
"Don't even think about it!" Mandanda calmly moved to the near post, certain that the young Götze would shoot himself, as no one could resist shooting from the six‑yard box. The angle for the shot had been completely sealed off by him, and he lowered his centre of gravity, ready to make a save at any moment.
Götze really did aim at the goal and lift his foot; it looked like a powerful strike to the top corner. Mandanda reacted quickly, pushing off with his feet, already prepared to dive. However, just as Götze's foot was about to connect, he subtly flicked his ankle.
The football was gently chipped toward the centre.
"Oh no!!"
Mandanda had been tricked. His heart sank, and he rushed out of the six‑yard box in a panic to pounce on it. That Chinese player had quietly lurked into the penalty area, chest‑trapped the chip, and used his left foot to juggle the ball to avoid a defender's tackle.
Goalkeeper Mandanda stepped forward to try and grab the ball, but Jin Hayes gently hooked it with his right foot, and while hooking the ball back, he turned around to bypass the goalkeeper.
"My God!"
French commentator Pierre Ménès had completely surrendered. He had never seen anyone dare to chip the ball to get past players in the six-yard box, let alone dribble past the goalkeeper.
Shouldn't a normal player just shoot directly?
What was the point of chipping the ball, turning, and dribbling past the goalkeeper?
Those unfamiliar with Jin Hayes might even think this was an insult—using a level of technical superiority to humiliate the Marseille defence. The two sides were simply not on the same level.
After elegantly controlling the ball and turning past the goalkeeper, Jin Hayes had already reached the goal line.
Even if his shooting technique were poor, it would be impossible to miss with one foot on the goal line, right?
He finally could use his right leg with full force, smashing a volley before the ball hit the ground. Boom—the football almost tore through the net, leaving a deep indentation in the netting behind.
"Sure enough, a powerful shot is still the most satisfying—it's just a pity I can't experience it more often."
The goal that sealed the victory didn't make Jin Hayes feel much; he was just savouring the joy of striking the ball cleanly.
1–3. With little time left, Marseille was beyond saving.
...
"Double victory—Marseille have been brutally beaten twice by Borussia Dortmund in the group stage! This match is already over."
Canal+ commentator Pierre Ménès sat slumped in the media section, revealing a helpless, bitter smile. "This means that for us to qualify from the group, we must fight to the death against Juventus and Real Madrid. We must win both remaining games to have a chance of qualifying, and at the same time, we have to look at Borussia Dortmund's attitude. It's best to pray that Borussia Dortmund can beat Juventus twice, and beat Real Madrid twice—"
It is truly painful to be unable to defeat your opponent with all your might and then have to rely on your opponent's mood.
Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux—these teams are basically Champions League regulars, but they never go far. The strongest Ligue 1 club, Lyon, has only reached the Champions League quarter‑finals at most.
Pierre Ménès couldn't help but sigh: "When will we in Ligue 1 be able to stand at the very peak of the Champions League and compete for the championship with the world's strongest teams?"
Perhaps this day will never come. Who can Ligue 1 count on? Marseille? Lyon? Could it be Paris Saint‑Germain? Ridiculous.
*That same PSG has won it back to back lol!!
...
The night of French fans' lamentation was the night of Borussia Dortmund fans' celebration. Four consecutive wins in the Champions League group stage—12 points secured a qualifying spot!
In second place stood Juventus. Juve had lost 3‑1 to Borussia Dortmund in the first match, beaten Marseille 1‑0, and defeated Real Madrid 2‑1 in Turin.
In the return leg at the Bernabéu, Juve drew 2‑2 away. With two wins, one draw, and one loss in four games, they sat second in the group with seven points. Real Madrid had zero wins, two draws, and two losses, with only two points, ranking third. Marseille had one draw and three losses, bottom of the table with one point.
On the day of the Champions League group stage draw, no one predicted this outcome. Even the most die‑hard Borussia Dortmund fans only hoped to sneak into second place. Real Madrid and Juventus were both powerful giants, and snatching a qualifying spot from them seemed as difficult as climbing a mountain.
Who would have thought that Borussia Dortmund would actually take off?
So what if it's the Group of Death?
Borussia Dortmund is the Grim Reaper itself.
...
Bild had already let loose, crazily boasting about this Bumblebees team that kept surprising people.
Just as the results of the fourth round of the Champions League group stage were released, news broke from Spain.
"Champions League qualification difficult + El Clásico shadow looming, Real Madrid board fires German coach overnight."
"According to Marca, early this morning, Real Madrid officially announced the termination of their contract with head coach Bernd Schuster."
"This German coach, who once led Real Madrid to win the La Liga title, ultimately failed to escape the 'Champions League curse'."
"In the 4‑1 home loss to Borussia Dortmund, the Galácticos' defence was repeatedly toyed with by the young Chinese player. After this defeat, the Galácticos have not won in four rounds of the Champions League group stage, setting the worst European record in club history."
"This 16‑year‑old completed eight successful dribbles and created four goals in a single match, making Real Madrid's midfield and defence, worth over €100 million, look like nothing. The board specifically pointed out: 'Every touch of that boy questioned our team‑building philosophy, and Schuster had no response to it.'"
"Now, the title of 'coach killer' is spreading wildly in European football, and Schuster's bleak departure undoubtedly adds the latest footnote to this terrifying legend."
"Currently, Real Madrid is urgently contacting potential successors like José Mourinho, but the grim reality is right before them: if they cannot create a miracle in the last two rounds of the Champions League, this century‑old giant will be eliminated from the group stage for the first time in history."
...
The next day, waking up in Marseille's five‑star hotel, Jin Hayes came to the restaurant to get some French croissants, only to see several teammates gathered together looking at their phones.
"What's going on?"
"Schuster has been fired. Another coach has been kicked out by you."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"You are the coach killer!"
Jin Hayes felt he was taking the blame a bit unfairly; those coaches were people who were going to leave anyway. Losing to Borussia Dortmund was just the final straw; the factors behind it were very complex.
The media likes to push all responsibility onto one person.
Jin Hayes had become a terrifying legend among European head coaches—already carrying a curse. Even if other teams' coaches didn't believe in such things, they would shiver when they encountered Borussia Dortmund.
Fine, coach killer it is.
Jin Hayes didn't care much about external evaluations. What he cared about more were those European giants. After four rounds of matches, the Champions League qualification picture was gradually emerging. Jin Hayes would face them in the upcoming knockout stages...
Just thinking about it made him excited.