Upper Bracket:
Chelsea vs Porto
Villarreal vs Liverpool
Lower Bracket:
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester United
Carrington Training Ground.
On the cafeteria TV, a football program from BBC Sport was playing. The host Gary Lineker, England legend John Hartson, and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp were discussing the Champions League draw results from last night.
"This is a good draw for the Premier League." The current Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, was delighted. Three Premier League teams made it to the Champions League quarter-finals, which seemed to have nothing to do with Tottenham. But Arsenal didn't make it. They had just been eliminated by Borussia Dortmund, which gave Redknapp the motivation to record the BBC program.
"Chelsea and Liverpool are far stronger than their opponents. It's highly probable that both teams will reach the semi-finals. To be precise, the probability is at least 90%. If those two teams don't make it to the semi-finals, I'll eat this table." Redknapp's joke did not provoke any doubt. Everyone laughed; it was practically a foregone conclusion. It could now be guaranteed that at least one Premier League team would advance to the final.
As for the lower bracket, the situation was more complex. Barcelona and Bayern Munich would clash in a monumental encounter. The winner of that match would then face the defending champions and the strongest contender for the title, the Red Devils, Manchester United. Host Lineker couldn't help but ask: "Leaving aside the Barcelona and Bayern clash, why are you so sure Manchester United will reach the semi-finals? Why not Borussia Dortmund?"
"From a tactical perspective—" Redknapp's expression grew serious: "Manchester United's current defensive counter-attacking tactics are quite effective against Borussia Dortmund. In terms of counter-attacking progression, Manchester United should be the best in all of Europe. The Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher double pivot, combined with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić, the strongest centre-back pairing in Europe, their frontal interception ability is absolutely top-tier in Europe—"
As Manchester United's opponent, Redknapp didn't hesitate to praise Sir Alex Ferguson. "Sir Alex is really good at disciplining a team tactically. Their excellent defensive coordination is enough to withstand Borussia Dortmund's attack."
"With Marco Reus absent, Borussia Dortmund's only attacking threat is the magical young player—"
"Indeed, it's hard for us to contain this young genius, but Manchester United only needs to contain his teammates."
"Next up is the battle of offensive efficiency. Carrick's midfield distribution, the attacking combination of Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Nani, their threat level is definitely greater than Jin Hayes's."
"Manchester United might not be able to stop Jin, but they can guarantee scoring more goals than Borussia Dortmund."
Redknapp used the electronic tactics board to analyse the specific tactical details of both sides, including Jin Hayes's running habits, Borussia Dortmund's attacking characteristics, and Manchester United's wing counter-attacking routes after interception. Redknapp spoke convincingly, as if Manchester United already had one foot in the semi-finals.
Lineker added: "Actually, before the Round of 16 matches began, we also analysed the Arsenal match, and everyone unanimously believed that Arsenal would eliminate Borussia Dortmund."
"Facts prove that you cannot predict this team with common sense. The Yellow and Black's youthful storm can do anything, including eliminating Manchester United. Even if Manchester United seems invincible, and is the most likely team to defend the Champions League title, Borussia Dortmund still has a chance—"
"Bullshit! That's total nonsense!" In the cafeteria, the hot-tempered captain Gary Neville couldn't help but complain. The analysis had been thorough enough; anyone could see that Manchester United was bound to win, yet Lineker was saying they could be eliminated?
"Actually, he has a point. Dortmund is quite strong." Veteran midfielder Paul Scholes said calmly.
"What?" Gary Neville was the big presence in the Manchester United dressing room; even Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't dare to go against him. Only a few old legends from the Class of '92, Scholes and Giggs, could directly challenge Gary Neville.
"Yeah, I think you're taking them a bit lightly." Giggs said with a smile.
"Fuck you, what if I'm taking them lightly?" Gary Neville glared at his old buddy.
"Brothers, we'll definitely win if we play normally, no need to argue." Rooney quickly spoke up to ease the atmosphere. When the Class of '92 retired, Rooney would be a core force for Manchester United, and he felt a sense of responsibility for the entire team.
While his teammates were discussing their Champions League quarter-final opponent, Borussia Dortmund, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was usually the most attention-seeking and flamboyant, was unusually quiet, eating his food silently.
"Ronaldo, what do you think?" Rooney couldn't help but nudge him. The Manchester United players were also curious about their star player's opinion.
"Me? What else is there to say? Just crush them." Cristiano Ronaldo used the word "crush," and his overflowing self-confidence was already evident. His imaginary enemy had always been Barcelona's genius player Lionel Messi. No matter how strong Jin Hayes was, he still wasn't as strong as Messi. As long as he defeated Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo would achieve two consecutive Ballon d'Or awards and two consecutive Champions League titles.
He would then be the undisputed number one in the world. So, even if he had a slight apprehension about Jin Hayes, Cristiano Ronaldo had to overcome Borussia Dortmund—to face Messi head-on. It was a bit of a pity that he didn't meet Messi in the Champions League final.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a vague feeling that Barcelona and Manchester United would meet in the Champions League final for an epic showdown. That would be an epic battle. If he eliminated Barcelona in the semi-finals this year, wouldn't he have to face Chelsea in the final again? Too boring.
"This—" Rooney was stunned. Everyone was talking about the quarter-final battle. Cristiano Ronaldo was already thinking about the final; he didn't even put Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona in his eyes.
"I think that boy is very much like you two years ago, Ronaldo."
"Ah? He's like me?" Cristiano Ronaldo felt a bit strange, not entirely pleased. But Gary Neville said it, and Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't do anything about him. "Exactly, you both like these flashy dribbles, these fancy moves."
"So, if Borussia Dortmund only has him as a threat, then they are nothing to fear."
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't know if he was praising himself or insulting himself, but as the captain said, there was no need to worry about Borussia Dortmund at all.
Compared to the relatively relaxed atmosphere of the entire Manchester United team, Jin Hayes clearly felt that the Borussia Dortmund dressing room was clouded, and the atmosphere was somewhat solemn.
"What's going on? Is someone arguing?" Jin Hayes quietly asked Mats Hummels next to him. He had stayed a bit longer in the gym and didn't understand what had happened to the team.
"No, no one's arguing—oh, we just talked about the Champions League draw, and they're a bit desperate."
"Huh? It's not that bad, is it?" Jin Hayes had a bewildered expression. Worrying about Manchester United was normal, but despair was really unnecessary. Manchester United still played with 11 men, and before the match, it was always a 50/50 chance. How could they be intimidated before the battle?
"Cristiano Ronaldo is too fierce; he'll probably score over 40 goals this year."
"Yeah, Mats, are you confident you can defend him?"
"No—"
Mats Hummels thought about it and truly wasn't confident in defending Cristiano Ronaldo. Moreover, Manchester United also had Wayne Rooney and the wild card Nani, so the defensive pressure would definitely be maxed out.
"You guys are really enough! Manchester United has Cristiano Ronaldo, but we have Jin too! Who's afraid of whom?!" As everyone's spirits were low, Marco Reus's voice suddenly rang out. Marco Reus's Achilles tendon injury was recovering quickly, and the cast on his ankle had already been removed.
These past few days, he had been undergoing rehabilitation training in the base's gym and was expected to start ball training this week. His return to the field was already counting down. He had long been eager to fight. Seeing his teammates boosting the morale of their opponents and undermining their own, he couldn't help but speak up.
"That's true, we still have Jin." Nuri Şahin suddenly smiled. "With Jin, we don't need to fear anyone!"
"No need to exaggerate that much."
Since he was mentioned, Jin Hayes felt it necessary to say a few words.
"Guys, you're right. Manchester United is very strong. It's already difficult for us to have come this far, and it's normal if we can't beat Manchester United."
"If we fall in the quarter-finals, European media might even praise us a few times."
"But! What do we play football for, if not to challenge our limits and surpass ourselves?"
"If we surrender now, our professional careers might just end here—"
"What if we really defeat them? What if we really can overturn a world-class giant, overturn the Champions League champions?"
"The match hasn't even started! Instead of imagining the outcome and scaring ourselves, why not go all out and fight them head-on?!"
"You know, they are the giants, the defenders of the throne. They are the ones who should bear greater pressure!"
"We are the challengers. Losing is no loss, winning is—a huge gain!"
Jin Hayes clenched his fists, his fluent German passionate and stirring. He had only intended to stand up and encourage everyone, but he himself got a little fired up, though he wasn't sure why. At this moment, the locker room seemed to have turned into some beer hall. What was with the small mustache on his upper lip and his bangs becoming a side part? He wasn't an art student!
"Exactly! Let's just do it!"
"Yeah!!"
"You're right! It's just Manchester United, let's go for them!" His good friend Hummels was the first to jump up in support. Other teammates also became excited, and the locker room became lively again.
Jürgen Klopp wasn't here today; the head coach hadn't returned from UEFA headquarters in Zurich. Assistant coach Željko Buvač was leading the training. Seeing Jin Hayes's performance in the locker room, Buvač habitually pushed up his glasses and silently recorded the moment.
The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals was scheduled to begin on April 8th. The lower bracket matches were scheduled for April 9th. There were about three weeks until the matches. To allow the team to focus entirely on the Champions League and avoid any worries, Borussia Dortmund planned to gain as many league points as possible during this period.
Bundesliga Round 25: Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen; Bundesliga Round 26: Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga Round 27: Borussia Dortmund vs Cologne. Between Rounds 25 and 26, there was also a German Cup quarter-final match: Borussia Dortmund vs Hamburg. With four matches scheduled in less than three weeks, Borussia Dortmund had little time to rest and prepare. They needed to get through this difficult period as best they could, despite not having a full squad.
Mario Götze and Jin Hayes, these two 16-year-olds, were undoubtedly the most exhausted. In the Bundesliga Round 25 match against Werder Bremen, Götze did not play and was placed on the bench. His body was already quite fatigued, and he had been severely warned by the medical team that excessive muscle fatigue could lead to a strain at any time.
Without Götze's threat, the away match against Werder Bremen was relatively difficult. Whenever Jin Hayes got the ball, at least 3-4 players would form a circle around him. They didn't tackle him but merely restricted Jin Hayes's movement space, preventing him from connecting with his teammates. Borussia Dortmund's left flank was neutralised, but the right flank performed excellently. Jakub Błaszczykowski used his speed advantage to constantly attack Werder Bremen's defence.
"Jakub Błaszczykowski—a breakthrough on the wing! He's reached the edge of the box!" He dribbled past two players with sheer speed, sending alarms through Werder Bremen. The players assigned to mark Jin Hayes had to move over to support. Seizing the moment, Błaszczykowski didn't cross directly but instead suddenly stopped and delivered a cut-back pass.
"Błaszczykowski lays it back, Jin!!" Jin Hayes strolled in place, making the Werder Bremen players relax their guard. Just as Błaszczykowski was about to deliver the cut-back pass, Jin Hayes surprisingly accelerated to receive the ball, scaring the Werder Bremen players into a frantic sprint, lunging into a reckless tackle. The Werder Bremen defensive midfielder aimed for Jin Hayes's forward path. If he had taken the ball forward, he would undoubtedly have been tackled to the ground. A penalty or a free-kick decision didn't matter, as long as they could stop him—
What?!! Still can't do it? Damn it!!
The Werder Bremen defensive midfielder, Germany veteran Torsten Frings, watched his expression change from fierce to shocked during the tackle. Jin Hayes didn't take the ball forward; instead, he slightly let the ball pass him, intentionally letting it go behind him. Facing the goal, he incredibly used the outside of his right foot to flick the incoming ball up, then turned and used his left foot to hook the ball back, changing direction to burst into the penalty area from the left.
In terms of technique, it wasn't an irreplicable move, but Jin Hayes always managed to complete dribbles in the most intense confrontations with the most effortless and elegant style. How else could he be the most popular player in the Bundesliga, the darling of Westfalen?
"Jin!! He's in!! Directly threatening the goal!!" Accompanied by the commentator's passionate voice, Jin Hayes, just before the defender could intercept, curled a delicate chip pass. He effortlessly toyed with Werder Bremen's entire defence. His dribbling move just now triggered the Heartfelt Pass effect. Alexander Frei on the other side was unmarked and simply headed the ball in from a standstill. Werder Bremen's defence was breached.
Neither side scored again afterward. To give Jin Hayes more rest, Klopp substituted him in the 70th minute. The final score remained 1-0. With this goal, Jin Hayes defended Westfalen; Borussia Dortmund remained undefeated at home this season.
Good news: The Black and Yellows continued to hold firmly onto the top spot in the Bundesliga. Bad news: Wolfsburg, who were chasing behind, defeated Bielefeld 3-0. Their points difference with Borussia Dortmund remained a delicate 3 points. Pressure constantly loomed over the entire Borussia Dortmund team, including the coaching staff.
In the stands, a young man with an East Asian face witnessed Jin Hayes's performance throughout the match. "Son, next German Cup quarter-final, it's your turn to start. Are you confident?"
"This—" Son Heung-min hesitated. Coming from Korea to Hamburg, Son Heung-min only had one person to challenge: his national team senior, Manchester United's main player, Park Ji-sung. As long as he defeated Park Ji-sung, he could become the next "Asian No. 1."
However, an insurmountable mountain suddenly appeared, blocking Son Heung-min's path—Jin Hayes. To become the strongest in Asia, he had to overcome this player.
"I don't know. I'll try my best next match." If Son Heung-min had some confidence before, witnessing Jin Hayes's performance today, his confidence had long vanished.