In the player tunnel, the young group of Borussia Dortmund players were all very excited. Even though they had already participated in a Champions League match, facing Real Madrid was still something worth getting thrilled about.
Surrounded by big stars, yet they didn't seem quite so untouchable.
Aside from Raúl, Wesley Sneijder, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, the likes of Klaas‑Jan Huntelaar, Rafael van der Vaart, José Callejón, and Fernando Gago lacked the star power compared to the previous Galácticos era.
Real Madrid during the Calderón era was just like this—both the lineup and the quality of play were relatively modest. The head coach was also the German manager Bernd Schuster, who lacked any major championship titles.
For such a Real Madrid side, the Spanish media was still bragging frantically before the match. Having just scrolled through his phone in the dressing room, Jin Hayes saw the German media relaying a commentary from Marca:
"Real Madrid's only goal is to finish first in the Group of Death. Against Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid holds a massive advantage.
Although they were held to a draw away by Marseille in the last match, the powerful Real Madrid remains unstoppable.
Dortmund's group of youngsters will feel the grace of the nine‑time champions and the depth of a powerhouse club!"
Scrolling through the Kicker forum again, a bunch of Spanish fans had flooded in from nowhere, provoking others in English.
"Today, Real Madrid 3‑0! Tremble!"
"Borussia Dortmund, get on your knees!"
"Let you hicks see what a powerhouse club is!"
"At least five goals! Hala Madrid!"
The Dortmund fans were completely bewildered. What was going on?
...
On the way from the parking lot to the Westfalenstadion, the Heinrich family also noticed many rowdy Spanish fans. Along the way, many people were wearing Real Madrid's white jerseys, huddled together in small groups and singing loudly.
Whenever they saw someone wearing Dortmund colours, they would go up and taunt them to their faces.
"Real Madrid 3, Borussia Dortmund 0!"
"3 to 0! Oh oh oh oh oh—Real Madrid is the winner!"
The Dortmund fans present looked at each other in confusion; the match hadn't even started, and they had no idea what these people were so hyped about.
"These guys!"
With her fiery temper, Aunt Maria rolled up her sleeves, wanting to go up and argue, but she was stopped by Uncle Hans.
"Don't be impulsive; they are foreigners, after all." If a conflict were to occur, it would become an international dispute. Everyone had come out happily to watch the game and didn't want to cause trouble.
"They are so annoying!"
"It doesn't matter; Jin will teach these people a lesson for us."
"That's true." Aunt Maria hugged Hans's arm like a young girl. Anna, pushing her grandfather's wheelchair nearby, rolled her eyes. "How old are you guys? Still so lovey‑dovey."
However, this group of noisy Spaniards was indeed very irritating. Anna looked toward the stadium from a distance.
The club's bus should have already arrived; Jin Hayes was likely inside the stadium by now. Anna had researched Real Madrid's characteristics, especially their bald centre‑back, a violent fellow who specialised in malicious fouls.
*Fabio Cannavaro
With Jin Hayes's 'asking for it' style of play, he would surely be frantically targeted by that man. Whether Dortmund won or not wasn't important; Anna only hoped Jin Hayes could finish the match healthy and safe.
"Good luck, you must stay safe!"
The young girl's brow was tinged with worry as she silently prayed for Jin Hayes in her heart.
...
The 'Warrior Monk' Pepe. Jin Hayes had long heard of him. Now, the man was right beside him—tall, burly, and fierce‑looking. On the street, he would surely be a thug committing robberies; on the pitch, his notoriety was equally widespread.
Before the match, the coaching staff had emphasized multiple times that when facing Pepe's defence, he must avoid holding the ball too long and pass it early. Otherwise, there was no telling what hot‑headed thing he might do.
Jin Hayes's curious gaze caught Pepe's attention. He glared fiercely at the Asian youngster, trying to intimidate him with his expression. As it turned out, Jin Hayes only gave him a faint glance before turning to chat with Raúl, not taking Pepe seriously at all.
"See you on the pitch later; I'll definitely give you something to look at!" Pepe knew about this Asian player and had already resolved to shut him down completely.
"Jin, your recent performances have been excellent."
"Thank you." Compared to Pepe, Raúl appeared much more elegant and gentlemanly; he truly was the Prince of the Bernabéu. "Good luck in the match later."
"Welcome to Westfalen."
As opponents, the two didn't say much. After a brief chat and a friendly handshake, they were about to enter the pitch.
Accompanied by the Champions League theme melody, the players from both sides filed out of the tunnel. Surrounded by Champions League elements arranged by UEFA, it reminded the players that this was no ordinary league match, but the highest level of competition in Europe.
As a regular in the Champions League and the symbol of the white shirts, Raúl thought he had seen all sorts of grand scenes and wouldn't be shocked. However, the moment he stepped out of the tunnel, his eyes still widened.
Directly ahead was the famous TIFO area of the Westfalen South Stand. On the right side of the TIFO was the Real Madrid crest, while on the left was the back of a yellow number 10 jersey.
While Raúl was still wondering what this TIFO meant, the image actually moved. The yellow number 10 suddenly sprouted terrifying black wings, and a steel pitchfork in its hand pierced through the Real Madrid crest. Below it, two lines of large text were intentionally written in Spanish: "Welcome to Hell! You will be ended here!"
The giant TIFO, nearly twenty metres high, couldn't help but make the Real Madrid players tremble in their hearts. Raúl couldn't help but whistle. "What a grand display!"
...
"It's starting, it's starting!"
"Let me sleep a bit longer."
"Look quickly, our son is on the field!"
"Where? Where?"
On the sofa, Ding Ru, who had climbed out of bed at 2:45 AM, was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She usually had a healthy routine of sleeping at 10 PM and waking at 6 AM; she couldn't handle staying up late at all. Only because Jin Hayes was playing in the Champions League this season was she forced to stay up to watch her child's match.
Chen Jianping couldn't wake her no matter how he tried, but as soon as he said Jin Hayes was coming out, Ding Ru's eyes went wide. As it turned out, she didn't see any sign of Jin Hayes for a long time. The CCTV5 commentator, He Wei, was still chatting with the guest, and the screen showed Real Madrid's starting lineup.
"Where? You're lying again!" Ding Ru's fists rained down on Chen Jianping's back. Chen Jianping gritted his teeth and refused to give in: "Use a bit more strength; it feels like a good massage."
"Go away!" Ding Ru gave her husband an annoyed glare before focusing intently on the TV screen, waiting for a close‑up shot of Jin Hayes. The screen was filled with English names she couldn't understand and some unfamiliar faces.
"Is this Madrid team very strong? Are they a particularly powerful team?"
"Uh—they used to be okay, but they aren't particularly strong right now."
Based on Chen Jianping's understanding of the two teams, Real Madrid had some strength, but not that much. Dortmund had also been quite inconsistent lately; when in poor form, they almost lost to Hoffenheim, but when in good form, they could completely outplay Bayern Munich. Their performance was mainly unpredictable.
He Wei's voice could be heard on the TV: "…Let's look at Real Madrid's starting lineup." Looking closely:
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas;
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe, Marcelo;
Midfielders: José Callejón, Fernando Gago, Lassana Diarra, Wesley Sneijder;
Forwards: Raúl, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Soon it was the turn of the home team, Dortmund's starting lineup. Chen Jianping finally saw his son's official portrait photo. He still couldn't believe that his own child could battle on the same pitch as these Real Madrid stars.
Dortmund was still in a 4‑3‑3 formation. Goalkeeper: Roman Weidenfeller;
Defenders: Patrick Owomoyela, Neven Subotić, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer;
Midfielders: Sebastian Kehl, Nuri Şahin, Jin Hayes;
Forwards: Jakub Błaszczykowski, Alexander Frei, Marco Reus.
"Good luck, Jin." A big star had actually come from the Jin family. Chen Jianping picked up a beer and took a huge gulp. How satisfying.
"On Real Madrid's side, Schuster also places great importance on central defence." Regarding the starting lineups of both sides, Coach Gong Lei provided some explanation from a tactical level.
"Among the four midfielders, Callejón is a right winger, while only Sneijder is on the left. In reality, Sneijder plays the role of a defensive midfielder. In the attack, he should tuck inside more to act as an attacking midfielder, leaving the left corridor entirely to Marcelo, who has stronger attacking capabilities. The reason for not fielding a proper left winger is mainly to restrict the play of Jin Hayes and Nuri Şahin."
"That's right. Jin Hayes's recent performances have been consistently brilliant. In the match where they defeated Juventus, there were many instances of him breaking through with the ball.
Letting Lassana Diarra defend him alone would be too much pressure, so Gago had to be sent on to increase the midfield density. When necessary, Sneijder will also actively participate in the defence."
He Wei followed up on Coach Gong's words with his own commentary. In his view, Callejón would also participate in the defence; Real Madrid was actually using four defensive midfielders to restrict Jin Hayes. To deploy such a formation against a 16‑year‑old player could be said to show enough respect.
Jin Hayes's breakthroughs on the European stage were indeed enough to strike fear into the hearts of many club managers. A year ago, He Wei wouldn't have believed this—that a young player could make the managers of European powerhouses jump at shadows and go to such lengths to defend him.
When playing against Barcelona in the league, Schuster hadn't even defended Lionel Messi like this, although Real Madrid still lost, being easily defeated 2‑0.
"It seems Jin Hayes is giving Schuster a real headache," He Wei joked lightly.
At the coach's bench, Schuster's brow was furrowed. He didn't want to deal with a 16‑year‑old like this either. He simply had no choice. With the instability of President Ramón Calderón's position, Florentino Pérez was secretly rallying votes to run for the new Real Madrid presidency.
Calderón's management had already issued an ultimatum to the coaching staff: it would be best to win at least one trophy in the league or the Champions League next, otherwise, they could pack their bags and get out.
A championship? Schuster's head was spinning.
With the current lineup, even advancing through the group stage wasn't guaranteed. But there was no helping it; as the Real Madrid manager, one had to bear many inexplicable pressures.
Schuster simply copied Juventus and used a 'four defensive midfielder system' to restrict Jin Hayes. As long as Jin Hayes was neutralised, Dortmund's formula shouldn't be able to threaten the Real Madrid goal.
And if all else failed, there was still the 'world's number one goalkeeper,' Casillas. As long as they withstood Dortmund's initial onslaught, Raúl and van Nistelrooy in the front line would use their rich experience to teach these youngsters a lesson.
The ideal was beautiful, but reality was usually quite harsh.
...
After the match began, the powerhouse Real Madrid fell into a completely passive state, almost being pinned to the ground and beaten by Dortmund.
"Jin!"
"Coming!"
Facing Real Madrid's defence, Jin Hayes and Şahin's movement was very active. With a series of one‑touch wall passes, they shook off Callejón in an instant. Jin Hayes received the ball and charged toward the heart of Real Madrid's territory.
Before Gago and Lassana Diarra could step up to intercept, Jin Hayes's eyes were constantly observing his teammates' positions. At the same time, the football at his feet seemed like his pet; with a simple La Croqueta, he easily evaded both men, slipping through the pincer movement of the defensive midfielders.
"Jin Hayes's breakthrough with the ball! Beautiful!! Facing the powerhouse Real Madrid, the youngster is playing with composure, not showing any stage fright at all!"
"In front of the penalty area, Jin Hayes is gradually closing in—"
"Is he going to try a shot himself?" He Wei frowned. Jin Hayes didn't seem like someone who would take a long‑range shot himself, yet he suddenly unleashed a cold arrow, unexpectedly choosing to chip the goal.
"WTF?" Casillas hurriedly scrambled toward the far post. Didn't they say he couldn't shoot? Why did he go for a chip directly. However, once the ball was halfway through its flight, Casillas breathed a sigh of relief. This shot was a bit outrageous; it was actually an outside‑of‑the‑foot curve, swerving outward—oh no!
Casillas only realised it now. It wasn't a shot; it was a pass. Frei drew the centre‑backs toward the near post, while a player in yellow suddenly flashed at the far post, connecting solidly with a header.
"Jakub Błaszczykowski!!"
Clang— Casillas almost surrendered, but the football hit the post and bounced out of bounds.
At this moment, all the fans supporting Real Madrid nearly had a heart attack. Dortmund's first wave of offense at the start was actually so sharp. Shouldn't two martial arts masters test each other out first? How could he strike with a lethal sword the moment he moved.
That guy simply showed no sportsmanship.