Weser Stadium, Bremen.
Schalke 04's interim coach, Mike Büskens, leaned back in the dugout seat, cradling his head, legs crossed, looking completely relaxed and at ease. In the first half of the season, after former coach Mirko Slomka was ousted—coincidentally following a defeat to Jin Hayes's Dortmund—Büskens took over and had since secured the team's third-place position in the league.
The management had already promised that if they qualified for the Champions League, Büskens would be granted the permanent head coach role. Currently, Schalke 04 were leading by one goal away from home, and Büskens's position was basically secure.
"Mike, they scored over there."
"Really?" Büskens's expression changed slightly, then immediately returned to a calm demeanor. "Bayern have already won the league. It's understandable if they take it easy."
Despite saying that, Büskens was still a little uneasy. Bayern should have been the ones to stop Borussia Dortmund! If Dortmund actually beat Bayern, the pressure would fall right back onto Schalke. The more Büskens thought about it, the more flustered he became. His hands trembled as he twisted open his water bottle, inevitably spilling water all over his carefully prepared suit.
"Damn it!!"
…
Allianz Arena, Munich, away stands.
The Borussia Dortmund fans who had traveled to the match wore headphones, listening intently to the progress of the game at the other venue. When they heard that Schalke 04 had scored, the smiles on their faces gradually froze. Even if Dortmund truly defeated Bayern in this match, they would very likely have to bid a regretful farewell to the Champions League—and possibly even to European football altogether.
Close-up shots captured the Dortmund fans in the stands. Despite their team leading on the pitch, their expressions were instead very confused.
"Old Chen, why aren't these people happy? Didn't we score?" Ding Ru asked.
"It should be because Schalke 04 also scored," Chen Jianping explained. "That means Dortmund might not make it to the Champions League."
"What does that mean? Chen won't be able to play next season?"
"Well…" Chen Jianping didn't know how to explain the significance of the Champions League to his wife in that moment. Especially after climbing from the quagmire of 13th place all the way to 4th, enduring a brutal winning streak through a devilish schedule in the latter half of the season—to miss out on the Champions League by such a narrow margin felt as regrettable as losing the championship itself.
After Chen Jianping briefly explained the situation, Ding Ru was quite open-minded. "No matter what, as long as the child wins the matches he should win, then there will be no regrets."
Chen Jianping hadn't expected his wife to speak such sense. He just hoped the situation on the other side wouldn't affect his son's performance on the field.
…
"The Miners have scored."
Allianz Arena.
Jin Hayes felt his stamina slowly draining away. Leading by one goal, Dortmund had proactively tightened their defense and switched to counter-attacking, allowing Bayern Munich to push forward freely. Bayern's fierce offensive surged wave after wave, and in just thirty minutes, the Dortmund players were already approaching their physical limits.
At that moment, an unusual murmur rose from the stands. The players quickly guessed what had happened: Schalke 04 were leading. No matter how hard they tried next, they couldn't change the outcome at the other ground.
Jin Hayes noticed his teammates' morale gradually dropping. Everyone's eyes were filled with confusion, unsure of the meaning of their desperate struggle on the field.
This feels bad.
Jin Hayes tried his best to defend against Ribéry, coordinating with his teammates to essentially freeze the Frenchman's movements. But Ribéry turned and passed the ball to Bastian Schweinsteiger. Schweinsteiger's precise long pass switched play to the right, and Hamit Altıntop delivered a cross from a 45-degree angle.
Then, disaster struck. In front of goal, Mats Hummels made a major error—he forgot to mark the most dangerous man in the box, Miroslav Klose. The veteran striker never missed such chances. He cushioned the ball first-time into the net.
"Oh!! Hahahaha, Bayern Munich have scored! Klose helps Bayern equalize!"
In the 32nd minute of the first half, Duan Xuan's hearty laughter seemed to mock the Dortmund players on the pitch.
Then, in the 34th minute, Dortmund suffered another blow.
"Demichelis!! Header! That's a goal!! Bayern take the lead! They are leading Borussia Dortmund 2–1 at home!"
It's over. Everything is over.
Whether it was Jin Hayes's fan club, Dortmund's fan club, or Arsenal's fan club, countless fans of Jin Hayes were lamenting.
"It's completely hopeless. Next season we'll only be watching the UEFA Cup."
"Bayern are too ruthless."
"The main problem is Dortmund have lost heart. Everyone except Lord Jin is sleepwalking."
"They shouldn't be worrying about the other match—they should focus on playing their own game!"
"There's no way not to care. The final round always affects you."
"Then what should we do? Is there really no chance for Dortmund to get into the Champions League?"
"Unless the Bundesliga suddenly gets four spots. Otherwise, no chance."
"It's all Bayern's fault!"
Other disappointed fans cursed Bayern Munich, while Bayern fans felt wronged.
"Our Bayern just wants to win. What's wrong with that?"
"You've already won the league! Can't you take it easy?"
"No way. Taking it easy would be an insult to Lord Jin."
"I believe in Lord Jin. If he's truly a hero, he'll step up."
"He's just a kid…"
Looking at Jin Hayes's tired expression in the camera, everyone suddenly realized that Jin Hayes was still just a child. Such a heavy burden was actually being placed on a child's shoulders.
…
If Jin Hayes knew at that moment that domestic fans were feeling sorry for him, he would surely have been dumbfounded. Who had time to think about such things on the pitch?
Right now, Jin Hayes's mind was only on scoring. He had to get one back before halftime to boost morale. Otherwise, the Dortmund players would continue to drift. If Werder Bremen managed to beat or draw with Schalke 04, and his own team didn't seize the opportunity, that would be the most regrettable thing of all.
"Nuri," he called out, "when you pass later, try to aim a bit more toward the center. Let's coordinate."
"Will it work?" Nuri Şahin had already lost confidence.
"Trust me."
"Okay."
If anyone could still change the situation when the team was at a disadvantage, it was probably only Jin Hayes.
The match entered the 42nd minute, and Bayern Munich had already slowed their attack and started to control the ball.
Just as both teams seemed ready to head into halftime with a 2–1 scoreline, Jin Hayes, Nuri Şahin, Marco Reus, and the other Dortmund players had not given up. They were still desperately looking for opportunities. Mats Hummels was also locked in a battle with Luca Toni. He had to redeem himself for the goal conceded due to his earlier marking error.
"Bayern in possession. Ribéry tries to take on Jin Hayes but can't get past."
Director Tao Wei noticed Jin Hayes's defensive work. "Don't just look at Jin Hayes's flashy dribbling—his defending is actually very solid. His positional sense and anticipation are top-notch."
Ribéry attempted a strong surge down the touchline but was instead out-muscled and out-positioned by Jin Hayes, forcing the Frenchman to quickly pull back and shield the ball with his back to goal.
This kid is really a pain in the backside!
Unable to progress down the left, Ribéry passed horizontally inside. Bastian Schweinsteiger was about to receive the ball and attempt a switch of play when a sudden figure appeared in his blind spot, forcing him to hurry his pass.
"Nuri Şahin!! So close to making an interception!"
Şahin's aggressive pressing caused Schweinsteiger to loft the ball toward the center. Luca Toni tried to flick it on with his head, but this time Hummels wasn't giving him an inch.
"No chance!"
Bang—
Hummels rose highest and headed the ball clear.
Nuri Şahin quickly moved forward to collect it, cushioning the ball with his chest, then lightly flicking it up with his knee. In one fluid motion, he glided past Schweinsteiger.
"Great play!! Nuri Şahin with a clever piece of skill! Borussia Dortmund are on the counter-attack!"
The technique Jin Hayes had taught him was working perfectly. Şahin used that very method to beat Schweinsteiger, then lifted his head to scan the pitch. Jin Hayes appeared to be drifting out wide on the right, but in reality, he was already primed for the break.
"Jin—go!"
The attack hadn't even fully developed yet, but Ribéry instinctively started tracking back, carefully watching Jin Hayes on the wing. Nuri Şahin shaped to pass into the center, and Ribéry didn't immediately react. When he turned to locate Jin Hayes again, he was shocked.
Where was he?
He snapped his head around. Jin Hayes had already suddenly burst into motion, sprinting toward the ball's landing zone.
"Track back!! Track back!"
The entire Bayern Munich team went on high alert. Whenever Jin Hayes appeared in the final third with the ball at his feet, any defense in the league would sound the red alert.
Zé Roberto arrived in a flash. The veteran Brazilian used all his experience to jostle for position, trying to prevent Jin Hayes from receiving the ball cleanly. But he had been in Europe for so long that he had almost forgotten the flair of Brazilian football.
Facing the aerial ball, Jin Hayes did not try to control it with a first touch. Instead, when the ball was still a body length away, he suddenly launched himself into the air, extending his foot to intercept it mid-flight. The moment he landed, the explosive power from his plant foot allowed him to defy common sense—he burst past Zé Roberto before the Brazilian could even react.
What? Not going for the ball?
Zé Roberto was stunned. Who runs past his marker without bothering to control the football first? Had the Asian youngster made a mistake? He instinctively let Jin Hayes go, intending to collect the ball himself.
But just as the two crossed paths, Jin Hayes—as if he had eyes in the back of his head—perfectly judged the ball's bounce after landing and subtly flicked it with his heel.
The ball looped gracefully over both their heads.
Zé Roberto's expression changed. By the time he turned to chase, Jin Hayes had already used his explosive acceleration to open up a decisive gap.
"OHHHHHH—"
"What a magnificent feast this is!! He just dribbled past like pure magic!!"
This scene made Sky Sports English commentator Jim Beglin shout until his voice cracked. He called that piece of skill a "magical feast." But Jim Beglin could never have imagined that this dribble was just the beginning.
And this clip of his English commentary would go on to become a classic segment, repeatedly replayed by YouTube users and football channels around the world for years to come.