In the dressing room, Borussia Dortmund players were trying their best to replenish their energy. Mats Hummels tore off a banana and began to devour it.
In the first half, he was exhausted from fighting off the relentless attacks from Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi, and Thierry Henry. As for Nuri Şahin, whose physical fitness was relatively poor, the midfielder was like a dead dog, leaning back in his seat panting and resting with his eyes closed.
Tired.
Jin Hayes looked around the dressing room, and everyone's expression had only one word: exhaustion. It was only 45 minutes. Jin Hayes really couldn't imagine whether the team would still be able to run after 80 minutes of the game. At the very least, he had his physical enhancements.
If he didn't use skills like Man of Steel and Limit Overload frequently, his stamina could be continuously restored. But consuming too much energy in a short period of time could easily lead to a dip in form.
Jin Hayes valued physical fitness above all else—it was absolutely crucial when fighting against Barcelona. If they lacked stamina in the second half, Barça's passing and control would inevitably create huge gaps, and he could exploit almost any opening.
Barcelona's second-half goals accounted for a significant portion of their total this season, with many coming in the final stages of matches. It was evident that this team was adept at exploiting the difference in physical strength to defeat their opponents in one fell swoop. Head coach Jürgen Klopp was well aware of this, so he let everyone rest as much as possible to recover their strength.
"Everyone played well today. It's not your fault for conceding a few goals. We did a great job."
"In the second half, we need to focus on a few key points: try not to let them stretch our formation, and keep our midfield compact."
"They like to overlap on the flanks and cross the ball; let them cross as they please. We just need to block the inside line."
Pep Guardiola's Barcelona lacked a traditional tall striker in the attacking third, resulting in ineffective crosses from the wings; most of their goals came from penetrations through the middle and the half-spaces. Klopp simply abandoned defense on both sides, allowing the team to focus on intercepting the front.
"In addition, we should focus our attacks on Jin. You don't need to feel guilty. You don't need to make too many adjustments before passing the ball."
"Ah?"
Klopp's words brought a slight sense of relief to the players. This aligned somewhat with the fundamental principles of football—following the training habits of everyone starting from youth, you must observe carefully and pay attention to the positions of your teammates before passing the ball; when passing, adjust to a suitable position and aim carefully to give your teammate a comfortable opportunity to receive it.
Otherwise, if the ball is passed poorly, it's like making your teammates take the blame, which is a big no-no on the pitch. But today, Klopp took the initiative to ask everyone to abandon the habit of adjusting and to pursue passing speed rather than passing quality.
Is that correct?
"You must learn to trust Jin!"
"No matter how outrageous your passes are, believe that Jin can receive the ball and believe that he can create threats! Understand?"
The Dortmund players then understood Klopp's intention. They didn't need to give Jin Hayes comfortable opportunities to receive the ball; just letting him get the ball was enough. The pressure could be completely shouldered by Jin Hayes. All the others did was pass the ball out immediately.
"We've practised one-touch passing for so long, don't give up just because the opponent is strong."
"The stronger the opponent, the more confident we must be, and the more daring we must be in fighting!"
"Jin, is there anything else you'd like to add?"
"I?"
Jin Hayes was stunned. Klopp was giving a proper second-half pep talk, so why was he being pulled into it? However, since Klopp had identified him, Jin Hayes didn't hold back.
"Brothers, maybe one day, I mean maybe—we will lose faith in football. The Champions League and league remain dominated by world-class powerhouses. Teams like Borussia Dortmund struggle to defeat these giants and reach that ultimate honour."
"But I don't think today is the right day."
"Perhaps one day, we won't be able to continue on the pitch. We might never reach the Champions League semi-finals again."
"But I don't think today is the right time!"
"Today, we're down by a goal against the mighty Barcelona! But we still have a fighting chance, and we still have a stadium to defend!"
"I hope everyone can have no regrets in the final 45 minutes!"
"Heja! BVB!!"
....
After halftime, the atmosphere within the Barcelona team was relatively relaxed. Having two goals stolen by that Asian kid wasn't fatal. The formidable Barcelona team could still dominate the second half through sheer team strength, ending the suspense in the first leg. Barcelona's fighting strength increased as the battle progressed.
Messi was even chatting and laughing with Dani Alves and Gerard Piqué, as if the game was already a sure thing. However, looking at the other side, the Borussia Dortmund players were surprisingly in high spirits, marching confidently out of the player tunnel. Despite being behind, they felt no dejection or fear, only confidence in victory.
"That's interesting."
Messi simply chuckled and followed his teammates back onto the pitch. If the opponent had a weak will and empty eyes, he wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment even if he beat them today. This was the Borussia Dortmund that deserved to stand on the semi-final stage with Barcelona. The disappointment of not being able to face Cristiano Ronaldo was somewhat alleviated, because Messi had another rival—Jin Hayes.
...
The second half began with Barcelona kicking off the attack.
From the very beginning, Guardiola's team began their reign of possession.
"Neither side made any personnel changes, nor did they change their formations; the game remained the same as the first half."
"Barcelona controlled the ball in the attacking third, but the pace was relatively slow as they patiently looked for opportunities."
"Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi—then pass to Iniesta, return to Xavi—"
He Wei felt breathless seeing such steady passing and teamwork. Barcelona had taken passing and possession to the extreme.
Jin Hayes, Sebastian Kehl, Nuri Şahin, Marco Reus, and Jakub Błaszczykowski launched a relentless attack on Barcelona from the start. They hoped to catch the visitors off guard, seize possession of the ball, and launch a blitzkrieg. But Barcelona simply wouldn't give them that chance.
Their fluid passing and teamwork made them look like they were playing a different sport. To ensure the stability of the defensive formation, the others dared not rush forward and could only continue to hold their positions.
"Hmm? An opportunity!" Xavi was slowly thinking about passing and stretching the defence when he suddenly noticed that the opposing right-back, Patrick Owomoyela, had been drawn away by Thierry Henry and moved slightly forward.
"Now!"
If nothing unexpected happened, there was one person who would definitely notice it too. Xavi advanced to about 30 metres in the front court. Iniesta's positioning had already taken Kehl away, leaving only Şahin by his side. Xavi, without any pressure, delivered a surprise lob pass over Şahin.
"Huh? Xavi!! Pass straight into the penalty area!" Samuel Eto'o was marked by a defender, and Henry pulled the full-back along.
So who would run to this spot?
Seeing that familiar figure of number 10, He Wei felt a chill run down his spine.
"Messi!!! He suddenly made a diagonal cut and received the ball in the penalty area!!"
"Shoots with his left foot!!"
Bang—
Messi deliberately placed the ball with his left foot, bypassing the desperate Roman Weidenfeller and sending it into the bottom corner.
2-5.
T/N: It seems that I made an error, the first half ended at 2-4. The fourth goal wasn't described, just a near miss.
Barcelona extended their lead once again.
One word: despair.
Even He Wei didn't know how Borussia Dortmund would win this time.
After the goal, the entire Barcelona team sprinted to the away stands to celebrate. Borussia Dortmund players were almost all collapsed on the ground. Just two minutes into the second half, had Borussia Dortmund's fate already been sealed?
On the field, only one player stood proudly. This scene brought tears to the eyes of German TV commentator Mehmet Scholl: "The yellow and black number 10, the king of Westfalen, the amazing Asian teenager—he hasn't fallen yet!"
"He can still fight!"
"Now that things have come to this, all Borussia Dortmund needs to do is fight for honour. Whether they are eliminated or not, I hope they will have no regrets."
In the studio, both Oliver Kahn and Jürgen Klinsmann were completely demoralised. They'd started trying to make excuses for Borussia Dortmund.
"It's very difficult. Borussia Dortmund has actually done a great job here."
"Yes, as the dark horse that emerged from the group of death, their Champions League semi-final spot is enough to prove their excellence!"
"These young men are awesome!"
In slow motion, Xavi and Messi's perfect connection left Kahn in awe. Barcelona had mastered their skills; they were truly invincible this year. No one could threaten this team anymore. Even a powerhouse like Manchester United would likely find it difficult to compete with Barcelona.
However, they were commenting with mixed feelings on Xavi's brilliant pass and Messi's agile movement. The scene suddenly cut back.
"Holy crap?!"
Commentator Scholl, without thinking, blurted out a curse. It was Víctor Valdés retrieving the ball from inside the goal. The bald goalkeeper, furious, slammed the ball into the net in a fit of rage. The Borussia Dortmund players were celebrating joyfully. The score had been pulled back by one goal.
3-5.
What exactly had happened?
"Borussia Dortmund hasn't been killed yet? They're still fighting!!"
The yellow wall roared back to life, and the Bumblebees, bruised and battered, refused to surrender.
The game was far from over.