In less than half a match, Mark completed a hat-trick!
And this time, it wasn't the "hat-wearing joke" the media often teased, but a genuine hat-trick!
After scoring, Mark ran to the camera near the sideline, raising his thumb, index finger, and middle finger one by one, signaling that he had scored not one, not two, but three goals!
Immediately afterward, he had a flash of inspiration, brought the three fingers together to snap, making a "snap" sound, and then pointed towards the camera.
Snap your fingers, witness the miracle!
After finishing his cool display, Mark didn't forget to raise both arms and wave to the fans in the stands!
And the fans began singing "The Mark Song": "Mark... Mark... One of us!"
"The best one!"
"Mark... Mark... His dribbling is like dancing!"
"The most elegant dance moves!"
"This song is dedicated to Mark Lane!"
"Beating three players is routine, no one on the field can stop him!"
"Who is he?"
"Mark~~~ Lane!"
This goal not only removed all suspense from the match in the first half.
It also made Mark, at nineteen years and six days old, the youngest player in Wolfsburg's history and the youngest player in the Bundesliga to score a hat-trick since statistics began being recorded in 1988!
And the Stuttgart players became the backdrop for this new record!
Down by three goals, all scored by the same player.
Stuttgart's morale and fighting spirit were completely shattered.
For the remainder of the first half, the Stuttgart players were like walking dead, mechanically passing the ball with numbness, showing no desire to attack further.
The Wolfsburg players didn't rub salt in the wound, merely keeping possession until the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half.
After a brief halftime break, both teams returned to the pitch and switched sides for the second half.
In the second half, the Stuttgart players, trying hard to lift their spirits, continued to push forward on the attack.
However, their minds were no longer focused on winning the match, but on a single objective:
To score one goal at home, to save some face!
Being whitewashed by the opponent at home would be a massive blow to the team's morale and fighting spirit!
It could even affect subsequent matches!
This is why Stuttgart abandoned defense and pressed forward entirely in the second half.
However, as their formation pushed far forward, the space left behind them was as wide as the ocean.
In the fifty-second minute, Mark received the ball in the center, looked up, and immediately delivered a through ball over the top.
"Emperor of Confidence" Bendtner successfully beat the offside trap, went one-on-one against Ulreich, and scored with a low shot!
Zero to four!
Seeing their team collapsing, many Stuttgart fans began leaving the stadium early.
This sight deeply provoked the Stuttgart players.
Stuttgart's coach, Stevens, on the sideline, began roaring, "Do you have any sense of shame left?!"
"Even if you can't score, you can't let the opponent pass the ball into the final third so easily!"
"Show some manly spirit!"
Under the coach's furious shouting, the Stuttgart players had a fire ignited deep within them!
Consequently, Stuttgart not only ran more actively in the attack but also suddenly became rougher in defense.
Seeing the increased intensity and aggression of the Stuttgart players' defense, and after Mark was continuously fouled and brought down several times.
Hecking, on the sidelines, quickly called a retreat and substituted Mark off.
As he left the field, Mark's white away jersey was already covered in mud and grass clippings.
Seeing Mark frowning, Hecking's heart jumped to his throat, and he quickly asked with concern, "Are you okay? Are you injured anywhere?"
One must remember, Mark had just recovered from an injury!
Fortunately, Mark just shook his head and patted his backside: "Just fell on my butt a few times, nothing serious."
Hearing this, Hecking finally relaxed.
With Mark leaving the field, Wolfsburg's attacking threat was immediately diminished significantly.
Hecking also waved his hand, instructing the team to retreat into a defensive shell and protect the scoreline.
As Wolfsburg ceded possession, Stuttgart's offense became increasingly fierce.
And in the final moments of the match, Stuttgart managed to pull one goal back from a set piece.
Ultimately, thanks to Mark's hat-trick and Bendtner's goal in the second half, Wolfsburg secured a four-to-one victory over Stuttgart away from home!
Mark, who scored a hat-trick and provided one assist in the match, was naturally chosen as the Man of the Match.
After the match, he walked onto the pitch from the substitute bench and received the match ball from the referee.
"Congratulations..."
"Thank you."
Looking at the ball in his hands, Mark flashed a brilliant smile.
"Where should I put this ball at home..."
Just as he was considering whether to get a display case for his trophies and match balls, an unfamiliar voice called out from behind him: "Mark!"
Turning around, he saw the youthful Werner standing in front of him: "Can we swap jerseys?"
Hearing this, Mark immediately smiled: "Of course!"
After swapping jerseys with Werner and taking a commemorative photo, Mark, wearing the jersey, walked to the interview area near the sideline.
"Mark, first of all, congratulations on your return to the pitch."
"Thank you, it feels great to be back playing on the field!"
"This was a perfect victory, and you scored a hat-trick. What are your thoughts?"
"My first career hat-trick, this means a lot to me."
"Of course, I also want to thank the trust of the coach and my teammates..."
"This is my first hat-trick, and I hope it won't be my last, haha..."
"Your team has achieved ten consecutive wins, the best start in Bundesliga history. You have created new history. How many more consecutive wins do you think the team can achieve?"
"We certainly hope to keep winning! Ideally, we'll win the championship with a perfect record!"
Hearing this, the interviewing reporter's eyes lit up, and he followed up: "Do you mean that your goal for this season is the championship?"
Mark did not hide his thoughts: "Of course! We run hard and fight hard on the field, and we're certainly not doing it just to watch Bayern win the championship!"
As soon as he said this, the reporter's eyes widened, showing a look of astonishment.
And waves churned in his heart.
Holy cow, that's huge news!
Any fan who knows the Bundesliga knows that Bayern dominates the League.
Although every year teams shout the slogan of "contending for the title."
However, by the end of the season, it is still Bayern who lifts the salad bowl.
Mark's statement was clearly an expression of dissatisfaction with Bayern's dominance of the Bundesliga, a declaration of intent to rise up against it!
The last person to do something like this was Klopp!
Before anyone realized it, time had moved into the bleak, autumnal month of November.
At the same time, ten rounds of Bundesliga matches had been played.
After ten rounds, Wolfsburg, having achieved a terrifying ten consecutive wins, remained firmly at the top of the League table with 30 points.
Ranked second was the strongly recovering Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga hegemon only managed a record of six wins, three draws, and one loss in the first ten matches, accumulating 21 points.
Ranked third was Mönchengladbach, one of only two undefeated teams in the League, with five wins and five draws, totaling 20 points.
Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, both with 16 points, were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
As for Dortmund, they suffered a terrible five-game losing streak in their last five matches!
After ten rounds of the League, they had only managed to accumulate seven points.
Such a disastrous run of form caused their ranking to plummet all the way to last place!
...
Dortmund, who were competing with Bayern for the Bundesliga title just two years ago, had actually fallen into the relegation zone!
If anyone had said before the start of the season that Dortmund would fall into the relegation zone this season, everyone would have thought they were crazy.
But the reality was cruel.
Dortmund's rapid decline left everyone bewildered.
Why did "The Yellow Wall" Dortmund, who were the Bundesliga runners-up last season, turn into "The Little Bees" who couldn't beat anyone this season?
Could the departure of star striker Lewandowski have had such a massive impact on the team?
Or did the team encounter some insurmountable problems?!
However, with Dortmund exiting the title race early, the suspense for the Bundesliga championship resurfaced:
Would Wolfsburg emerge suddenly and break Bayern's monopoly;
Or would Bayern rally later in the season and maintain their dominance?!
Although Wolfsburg already led Bayern by nine points.
However, no one dared to say that the title was already secured for Wolfsburg.
You must remember, the League is a long marathon, not a 100-meter sprint.
Just like the tortoise and the hare, running fast doesn't necessarily mean you'll be the first to cross the finish line.
Mark's championship declaration during the post-match interview became a hot topic for the media.
"We run hard and fight hard on the field, and we're certainly not doing it just to watch Bayern win the championship!"
This sentence was viewed by fans and media alike as a declaration of war against Bayern!
Given Wolfsburg's current nine-point lead over Bayern, they certainly had the qualifications to make such a statement.
However, many people felt offended by Mark's arrogant remarks.
Especially the executives at Bayern!
Bayern Board Chairman Rummenigge also gave his opinion during an interview: "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, so Mark's words are understandable. However, the young man is too impatient..."
"The season isn't over yet, and the outcome is still undecided. Youngsters shouldn't be too arrogant..."
Although he was "lectured" by the Bayern executive,
Mark's statement received recognition and support from the fans of Wolfsburg and the other sixteen teams.
"Mark isn't wrong, is he? If players aren't fighting for the championship, they might as well quit and just hand the trophy to Bayern!"
"Exactly."
"If a record-breaking ten consecutive League wins isn't grounds for arrogance, then when is?!"
"Besides, if Bayern is so capable, let them get ten consecutive wins at the start of the season too!"
"Defeated opponents, step aside!"
The Bayern fans, who had always been dominant in the Bundesliga, started trading insults online with Wolfsburg fans.
"Heh heh, someone who didn't know better would think you've already won the championship."
"Just wait and see, you'll start falling behind soon."
"It's only a nine-point difference. I don't believe you won't lose a game!"
Of course, for Mark, he was just speaking his mind.
In this Bundesliga title race, Wolfsburg, leading by nine points, certainly had the upper hand.
However, for Wolfsburg, the next twenty-four matches were the key to whether they could ultimately win the championship!
Nevertheless, the team's smooth sailing in the League allowed Hecking greater flexibility when setting up the lineup.
For example, Hecking rotated the squad for the Champions League away trip to Lisbon, Portugal, four days later.
In their first encounter, Wolfsburg lost to Sporting CP at home.
This time, playing away at the Estádio José Alvalade, the rotated Wolfsburg squad aimed for a draw but strived for a win.
However, Hecking still underestimated the strength of the Portuguese League's Big Three.
Years of participation in the Champions League allowed Sporting CP players to exchange ideas and compete with other giants, accumulating valuable experience while also improving their individual abilities.
In contrast, most players in Wolfsburg's rotated lineup were rookies who had never played in the Champions League before.
Furthermore, playing away, under the terrifying atmosphere created by tens of thousands of cheering home fans, they were somewhat restrained.
As a result, they were immediately suppressed by Sporting CP's fierce offensive!
"Slimani... shoots!"
"Benaglio saves the day! He keeps that certain goal out!"
Although they didn't deploy Klose, that liability in defense, again for this match, and goalkeeper Benaglio performed excellently.
Nevertheless, Wolfsburg's goal was the first to fall under Sporting CP's relentless attack!
In the twenty-sixth minute of the match, Sporting CP created chaos inside the Wolfsburg penalty area from a corner kick opportunity.
And Adrien Silva scored a goal amidst the confusion.
However, led by Mark, Wolfsburg quickly responded!
Five minutes later, Mark held the ball on the right flank, drew the attention of two or three defenders, forced his way through, and delivered a curving cross.
Dost's header struck goalkeeper Patrício and rebounded out.
Perišić followed up with a rebound shot and put the ball into the net!
Aside from the two goals, both sides created many chances in the first half but failed to capitalize on them.
Mark, playing as the right winger in this match, was still the most active player for Wolfsburg.
Throughout the match, he repeatedly crossed the ball from the right wing, attempting to assist Dost.
Unfortunately, Dost was simply a bit unlucky in this match.
In fact, his competition with Olić still existed this season.
Although Dost was the primary striker the team focused on developing, judging by age.
Regrettably, his form was mediocre, and despite playing more minutes than Olić this season, he still scored fewer goals.
This was why Hecking assigned Mark to play right winger in this match, instructing him to feed Dost more scoring opportunities!
The one-to-one scoreline remained unchanged until the seventy-eighth minute of the second half, when it was finally altered again.
And the goalscorer was none other than the Dutch Divine Striker, Dost!
"Mark takes the ball..."
"Facing Oliveira's defense, what will he do?"
"No hesitation whatsoever, acceleration! Change of direction!"
"Mark is past him!"
"Cross!"
"Dost!!!"