章 134: The Shocking Defeat of Barça and Real Madrid
Watching the game from the stands is a completely different experience from playing on the field.
In the stands, it's easy to get caught up in the emotions of the thousands of fans around you.
A play that might seem ordinary to a professional player can feel extraordinary when the crowd roars with cheers or gasps in tension.
Once the match started, both teams played aggressively.
In the sixth minute, Dortmund intercepted the ball in the backfield. Reus carried the ball from near the center circle all the way to Real Madrid's penalty area. Facing Diego López, he calmly shot into the far corner, making the score 1-0.
This dreamlike start made the Westfalenstadion erupt like a volcano. The fans of the Yellow and Black Army went wild!
The sudden explosion of sound almost deafened Lin and De Bruyne.
Covering his ears, Lin felt puzzled:
He remembered Reus's shot being saved. In his memory, all of Dortmund's goals in this match came from Lewandowski. Why was reality different from his recollection?
Could it be the butterfly effect from his presence?
After scoring, Reus excitedly ran to the corner flag and struck a domineering celebration pose.
This shot was something he had learned from someone.
Before taking the shot, Reus had made a sudden pause, using the change in rhythm to deceive the goalkeeper.
Otherwise, with the skill of Real Madrid's goalkeeper, he could have saved the shot!
Lin, thank you for coming to support me in person. I scored this goal, learned from you, for you. Are you satisfied?
Lost in thought, Lin didn't notice this.
But De Bruyne, who had been watching Reus closely, noticed the resemblance.
Was it a coincidence that Reus's shooting style looked so much like Lin's?
---
After taking the lead, Dortmund's momentum surged.
Just a minute later, Dortmund executed a combination play on the wing. Götze sent a cross, and Lewandowski, sandwiched between two Real Madrid defenders, managed to stretch his leg and cushion the ball into the net.
2-0!
Less than eight minutes into the game, Real Madrid was two goals down.
Seeing this goal, Lin felt relieved.
The game seemed to be back on track; at least this goal was indeed scored by Lewandowski.
However, with Dortmund scoring an extra goal, would this match end with a different score than the one he remembered?
Real Madrid, unwilling to be left behind, launched a full offensive to try and equalize.
Even if they couldn't equalize, they needed to score an away goal. Returning home with a 0-2 score would put them in a severe predicament.
In the 24th minute, Real Madrid won a free kick in the attacking third.
Ronaldo showcased his trademark knuckleball technique.
De Bruyne, also a master of knuckleballs, felt excited watching Ronaldo take the kick.
Ronaldo's 30-meter free kick was of high quality but narrowly missed, being saved by the goalkeeper.
De Bruyne looked disappointed. He thought Ronaldo's kick was excellent and unlucky not to score.
Free kicks are never guaranteed. Scoring one or two out of ten is considered a good result.
Dortmund's counterattacks were highly threatening after Real Madrid pressed forward.
With Reus's speed and dribbling skills, Real Madrid's defense faced a tough test.
Reus's performance was outstanding, contributing both in attack and defense.
"This guy, did he drink fake wine today? He's playing so actively and even defending so deeply."
Seeing Reus defend near his own penalty area, Lin was surprised. Reus's defensive abilities were similar to his own, so his deep retreat showed exceptional commitment.
Even Real Madrid's Ronaldo, known for his offensive focus, frequently pressured Dortmund's players.
Both teams showed strong determination, with every player visibly eager for victory.
Could the Champions League be this captivating?
Having never played in the Champions League, Lin couldn't help but yearn for it.
Playing on a bigger stage against top-level players was an irresistible attraction for any player.
De Bruyne seemed to share the same sentiment, lost in thought. Lin asked:
"Who do you think will win?"
"Dortmund, I think. Their home ground is always tough, and with an early two-goal lead, Real Madrid's players look a bit anxious. If they can't score in the first half, they'll likely lose."
As they chatted, the game's situation changed.
In the 41st minute, Reus broke through Real Madrid's defense on the left wing and was fouled by Varane in the penalty area.
Dortmund's players believed it was a penalty, but the referee disagreed.
Real Madrid quickly counterattacked. Dortmund's goalkeeper made a mistake, missing the ball, and Ronaldo scored easily from Higuaín's cross.
The score became 2-1.
Real Madrid's goal brought boos from the Westfalenstadion. Dortmund's fans were furious.
They not only booed Ronaldo but also the referee.
In the eyes of Dortmund fans, if the referee hadn't missed the penalty, the score would be 3-0, and Dortmund would have one foot in the final.
But because of the missed call, not only did they not score, but they also conceded a goal.
An away goal was crucial; Real Madrid could accept a 1-2 away loss!
De Bruyne, who had just predicted Dortmund's win, felt awkward:
"Forget what I said!"
Lin laughed and said:
"I still think Real Madrid will lose, and maybe by a lot, like three or four goals."
"Don't joke. This is Real Madrid, one of Europe's top clubs. Plus, they have Mourinho, the best defensive coach. How could they lose so badly?"
De Bruyne didn't believe Lin. Real Madrid wasn't Werder Bremen. How could they concede four or five goals to Dortmund?
"Football is unpredictable!"
Lin didn't bother to explain, knowing the final score was beyond normal expectations.
In the second half, both teams made no substitutions.
Unwilling to settle for a one-goal lead, Dortmund and determined to avoid an away loss, Real Madrid both decided to attack more.
However, Dortmund adapted better to this pace.
In the 50th minute, Dortmund attacked on the right wing. Reus's shot from the edge of the box was mishit but rolled to Lewandowski, who easily scored, making it 3-1.
After this goal, Dortmund's morale soared. Five minutes later, Lewandowski completed his hat-trick, making it 4-1.
De Bruyne was stunned; Lin had predicted correctly.
But it wasn't over.
In the 67th minute, Reus was fouled by Alonso in the penalty area, and this time, the referee awarded a penalty.
Lewandowski calmly scored, completing his four-goal haul and making it 5-1!
Sensing danger, Mourinho made frantic substitutions, bringing on Benzema, Di María, and even Kaká.
But these changes had little effect. Kaká, rarely playing, couldn't be the savior to rescue the team.
Seeing Kaká working hard and running all over the field to help his team win, Lin felt emotional. The former "Son of God," after leaving San Siro, had become a marginal player at Real Madrid.
Anyone would feel sorrowful seeing this.
Kaká's severe decline was due to injuries.
Lin knew he needed to earn enough points to exchange for top-level injury prevention skills!
---
"So, how did I do in this match?"
Reus, proud of his performance with a goal, a penalty, and an assist, asked smugly.
"Not bad!"
Lin knew Reus was showing off, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Tsk, your standards are high. But with your skills and vision, I guess my performance was just passable!"
Reus didn't mind: "Let's go eat; it's on me. You pick the place. I want authentic Chinese food!"
Reus, happy after the win, kept his promise to treat Lin.
As long as someone was buying, finding a place to eat wasn't hard for Lin.
---
After the Champions League semi-finals, the football world was shaken.
Dortmund beat Real Madrid 5-1 at home, and Bayern Munich defeated Barcelona 4-0 at home.
These results surprised almost everyone!
Before the matches, most people favored the two La Liga giants.
Many La Liga fans dreamed of their teams meeting in the Champions League final. But now it seemed the final would be between two Bundesliga teams.
Although the second legs remained, overcoming a four-goal deficit was extremely difficult!
Historically, no team had overturned a four-goal deficit in the Champions League knockout stages.
The biggest comeback was Deportivo's 5-4 aggregate win over AC Milan, having lost 1-4 away but winning 4-0 at home.
But that was a three-goal deficit, and now both La Liga teams were four goals behind.
Real Madrid had an away goal, but Barcelona had none.
Back at home, Barcelona needed at least four goals to tie, without conceding. If Bayern scored, Barça needed six goals to advance.
So after the matches, almost everyone thought Barça was doomed.
Even for a team as great as Barça, this seemed impossible.
Real Madrid theoretically had a better chance, but given their performance, it seemed hopeless.
In the group stage, Real Madrid had faced Dortmund twice, losing once and drawing once, without any advantage.
Now, after a heavy away loss, expecting them to beat Dortmund by four goals seemed unrealistic.
The heavy defeats of the two La Liga giants made people who had overlooked or underestimated the Bundesliga start paying attention.
When they checked the Bundesliga standings, they were stunned.
A team that beat Real Madrid 5-1 wasn't even ahead of a team called Werder Bremen.
Many fans unfamiliar
with the Bundesliga were shocked to see Werder Bremen 11 points ahead of Dortmund.
Who were Werder Bremen?
So strong?
Was the Bundesliga really full of hidden talents, with another big boss besides Bayern and Dortmund?
Curious, they watched Werder Bremen's highlights.
They were amazed by Werder Bremen's offensive power, especially their number 10 player.
His dribbling and scoring efficiency were incredible.
Checking the Bundesliga top scorers list, they were even more shocked to find this player had scored 38 goals.
And he had scored against both Bayern and Dortmund.
Comparing, Messi didn't score against Bayern.
Ronaldo scored only once against Dortmund, but Lin had scored over ten goals against both teams combined!
Seeing his age, people were left with one thought:
This guy is a monster!
Without direct comparison, people might not realize Lin's strength.
But after these two shocking defeats, they saw the power of this 17-year-old!
In just a few days, Lin's name spread quickly among fans of the top five leagues.
As a result, Lin's Bluebird account followers increased significantly.
From 500,000, it soared to over 1 million.
Previously, his fanbase was limited to Werder Bremen and Spanish national team fans.
Now, fans from the top five leagues were following him.
This sudden change surprised Lin:
The match was between Bundesliga and La Liga giants, but the biggest beneficiary was him.
Was this like a pie falling from the sky?
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