The 2008-2009 Champions League group stage final match was between Dortmund and Juventus. With both teams' standings already determined, this match simply became an exhibition game.
Dortmund, first in the group, had 5 wins and 15 points. Juventus had 3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 10 points. Real Madrid had 2 draws, 3 losses, and 2 points. Marseille had 1 draw, 4 losses, and 1 point, finishing last.
Two matches kicked off simultaneously; Real Madrid, temporarily coached by Zinédine Zidane, was fighting for honour at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid's elimination from the Champions League group stage this season had already matched their worst record in Champions League history.
Except for the 1992/93 season and seasons they did not participate in, the world‑class giant had always reached at least the round of sixteen. Even during their lowest period from 2005 until now, at most they were criticised as the 'Champions League round of sixteen team'.
Was group stage elimination too much? So, the 'Group of Death' meant that after all that fuss, they were the ones who died.
As happy as Real Madrid fans were when the group draw was made, that's how much pain they were in now. There was nothing they could do; fans could only pin their hopes on next season. They hoped Florentino Pérez's return to the presidency would bring 'a little bit' of change to Real Madrid, and that the 'Galácticos 2.0' would be assembled quickly.
In contrast, at Westfalen Stadium, the atmosphere between Dortmund fans and the visiting Juventus fans was quite friendly. Both teams had advanced hand in hand, so the result of the final match was no longer important. A 'human wave' even started in the stands, with the visiting fans joining in and having fun with the Westfalen home fans.
The same was true on the pitch; neither side was passive, instead, they played an intense and exciting attacking game together. Juventus fans were stunned. Who are you? You're actually playing a fast‑paced attacking game against Dortmund?
"Juventus's counter‑attack is very fast, Giovinco dribbles forward, passes to Del Piero—a lob! Amauri!"
"The header on goal is saved—"
"Del Piero!!! Goooooal!! Juventus scores first!"
"…Dortmund's counter‑attack, moving into the final third—"
"İlkay Gündoğan!!! A sudden shot!!"
"It's a goal!! İlkay Gündoğan!!"
"İlkay Gündoğan, sent out with the substitute lineup, equalises! Wow, truly a youth storm!"
Reus, Hummels, Şahin, all 20 years old, and İlkay Gündoğan, 18—this group of young players from the Black and Yellows had other clubs in Europe drooling. Naturally, many scouts were mixed in among the spectators at this match, observing Dortmund's players. Unfortunately, the player they most anticipated was still sitting on the bench at this time.
In the second half, Juventus brought on David Trezeguet, a French veteran who was once a World Cup and European Cup winner. The 31‑year‑old striker, just one minute after coming on, received a cross from Pavel Nedvěd and scored with a header. 1‑2.
Seeing the team fall behind, Jin Hayes felt as if the bench was covered in nails, making him restless. He frequently checked his watch; there was still some time until the agreed‑upon 60 minutes.
It felt like the last class of the morning during school, when you had to rush to the cafeteria for food after class, and the last few minutes were spent watching the second hand tick by, each second feeling incredibly long.
"Coach, it's about time, isn't it? I've warmed up several times."
"Look how eager you are. It's already been reported to the fourth official. Get ready to change—" Before he finished speaking, Jin Hayes's figure flashed, and he was already standing by the sideline in his match jersey. Jürgen Klopp took off his black‑rimmed glasses and rubbed his eyes. "How did he get there so fast?"
Unfortunately, Jin Hayes didn't have much time, and Dortmund's main lineup wasn't on the pitch. The only person he could coordinate with was İlkay Gündoğan. His other teammates from the youth academy and reserve team found it difficult to keep up with Jin Hayes's rhythm.
Every time he dribbled past multiple defenders and entered the penalty area, he'd find no one there, only İlkay Gündoğan surging forward from deep to support him.
Jin Hayes almost wanted to find an opportunity to dribble past Gianluigi Buffon and score into an empty net. Unfortunately, Buffon was not going to rush out; he simply wouldn't give Jin Hayes any chance for a solo run into an empty net.
"This guy!"
Another Dortmund attack was thwarted; Jin Hayes crossed to a teammate, and substitute striker Bajram Sadrijaj headed the ball in the penalty area. Buffon easily caught the ball. He was smiling happily, looking at Jin Hayes with open hands, as if saying: "Your teammates' shots are weak; why don't you take a shot yourself?"
Since that was the case, Jin Hayes wouldn't be polite. In the last 10 minutes, he kept looking for opportunities to dribble past players, trying to trigger Causality Shot Enhancement. Sometimes, even after dribbling past a defender, Jin Hayes would pull back and dribble past them again.
"Jin Hayes, breaking through from the flank, a beautiful step‑over to get past him! He shakes off Giorgio Chiellini and bursts into the box!!" "Huh? He suddenly slows down, dribbles back out, comes to the edge of the box, Chiellini is still hounding Jin Hayes—" "Hahahahaha, since the match doesn't matter for the standings, Jin Hayes is simply playing freestyle football on the Champions League stage."
Today, He Wei didn't get to commentate on Jin Hayes's match; he could only go to another channel to cover the Real Madrid match. Viewers who stayed up until 5:30 AM could only endure Duan Xuan's excited voice.
"Oh! That ball, beautiful!"
Then, Jin Hayes was seen juggling the ball in front of Chiellini, his right and left feet circling the ball, catching it smoothly before it could touch the ground. When Chiellini, unable to bear it any longer, lunged for the ball, Jin Hayes's ankle stuck to the ball, pulling it behind him, bouncing it off the ground, and using his body to absorb Chiellini's impact. While shielding the ball, he smoothly turned to the other side, instantly shaking off the Italian defender.
The Italian champion defender, the backbone of the Serie A defence, the core of Juventus's backline, was like a child being toyed with on a street football pitch in front of Jin Hayes. Chiellini wished he could do something drastic; this kid was too infuriating.
After getting past Chiellini, the starting centre‑back Nicola Legrottaglie was still in the penalty area, blocking Jin Hayes's path. At this moment, Jin Hayes made a decision that surprised everyone. He actually chipped the ball high at the edge of the penalty area, and as Legrottaglie looked up at the ball, he slipped past him.
"This guy!!" Legrottaglie's turn was a beat too slow; when he chased to the penalty spot, his pupils constricted. That mischievous player had actually launched himself into the air.
"What is he going to do?!"
"Jin Hayes!!!"
"What?!!"
The commentators, fans, and players from both teams were all petrified at that instant. Everyone stared dumbfounded at Jin Hayes's movements.
Actually, Jin Hayes had messed up. He knew Gianluigi Buffon was afraid of him dribbling past and scoring into an empty net, so the goalkeeper tried his best not to rush out and stayed on the goal line.
Since that was the case, Jin Hayes simply chipped the ball over the last centre‑back, attempting to equalise with a header in the air. Although his heading ability was average, at least it wasn't cursed. A header from the penalty spot had a certain possibility of scoring.
But when Jin Hayes chipped the ball to a certain height, it was already out of his control. He realised he had chipped it far too high. It almost went over the top of the goal frame. A jumping header would probably be too late; Buffon had already seen through his plan and was rushing out to catch the ball in the air. Before he could head it, Buffon would surely punch it away.
Since that was the case, in a flash of lightning, Jin Hayes didn't hesitate; during his sprint, his left foot stomped heavily on the ground, and he launched himself into the air. With Jump Enhancement, Jin Hayes was almost comparable to a basketball player—he was an aerialist in the sky above the Westfalen penalty area.
In mid‑air, he used his waist to flip forward, upside down, and a familiar ethereal feeling spread from the top of his head to his feet. It was here. Causality Shot Enhancement!
"Impossible!" Buffon had just jumped up, preparing to catch the ball in the air, but was shocked to see Jin Hayes in front of him already completing a bicycle kick.
Bang!
It was as if someone had fired a gun next to his ear. An intense roar, accompanied by a whistling wind, swept across his face. The goalkeeper felt a sudden sense of fear, like escaping death.
The football, almost earth‑shattering, transformed into a meteor and pierced through the goal.
"Holy crap! A bicycle kick!!! Goal!!! That's a goal!!! Jin Hayes—Jin Hayes's bicycle kick is truly spectacular!" Duan Xuan would definitely have his salary deducted; the exclamation he instinctively blurted out couldn't hide his inner shock. If he wasn't going to score in the Champions League, fine, but if he did, why make it such a stylish goal?
Westfalen Stadium went even crazier. Both home and away fans gave Jin Hayes the most enthusiastic applause. Fans almost clapped their hands red, whistling and screaming wildly. At this moment, team results and championships didn't matter. Jin Hayes's spectacular bicycle kick made all the fans rediscover the purest excitement and joy of football.
Of course, his bicycle kick from the penalty spot also equalised the score before the end of the match. Dortmund shook hands with Juventus in a 2‑2 draw, advancing together to the Champions League knockout stage.
On the other side, Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid finally secured their first Champions League win of the season, beating Marseille 1‑0 with a goal from Raúl. In the stands of the Bernabéu, the director captured a meaningful close‑up shot: a fan held up a banner in Spanish.
"Florentino, can you bring Jin to the Bernabéu?"
Beating Real Madrid 5‑0 not only didn't make fans dislike Jin Hayes but instead made them want him to join. If you can't beat them, join them—it's human nature.
At this point, the Champions League group stage officially concluded.
In Group A, Chelsea and Roma secured the top two spots. Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux and the fringe team CFR Cluj had no competitiveness. The strong Chelsea swept through their group and had a chance to compete for this season's Champions League title.
In Group B, there was also an upset. Bundesliga runners‑up Werder Bremen, who were highly anticipated, were tragically eliminated from the group stage. With an ageing midfield featuring Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski, Werder Bremen was no longer the league champion they once were.
Greek league team Panathinaikos surprisingly took first place in Group B, defeating Werder Bremen 3‑0 away, showing considerable strength. Serie A champions Inter Milan had to settle for second place.
In Group C, the powerful Barcelona had no suspense, completely dominating throughout; neither Sporting CP nor Shakhtar Donetsk offered any resistance. Sporting CP secured second place in the group.
Group D: Liverpool and Zenit Saint Petersburg successfully advanced. With the perfect performance of Fernando Torres, Liverpool's combat strength was outstanding this season.
They could contend for the title with Manchester United in the league and had no rivals in the Champions League either. In the list of Champions League winner odds, Liverpool ranked fourth, trailing only Manchester United, Barcelona, and Chelsea, which spoke for itself.
Group E: Manchester United and Villarreal advanced. Scottish Premiership club Celtic and the minnows Aalborg were merely making up the numbers.
In Group F, Bundesliga defending champions Bayern Munich and strong Ligue 1 side Lyon advanced. Bayern, who were crushed 5‑1 in the league, could finally find some confidence against other teams in the Champions League. However, under Jürgen Klinsmann's command, their combat strength remained puzzling, and if they encountered a strong team in the knockout stage, it would still be a question mark.
In Group G, Porto and Arsenal advanced. When the draw was initially announced, all of Europe expected Arsenal to take first place in the group without any suspense. However, they were defeated by Porto, prompting the Portuguese champions to remind everyone of their own Champions League pedigree.
Group H: Dortmund and Juventus.
Next up was the thrilling Champions League knockout stage draw. Coincidentally, Marco Reus was discharged from the hospital on crutches, and he planned to invite his good friends from the club to his house for a barbecue party, and watch the knockout stage draw ceremony together.