Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
At this moment, Stuttgart fans were already singing their team anthem passionately. Who would have thought their team could lead Dortmund at home?
Dortmund and Bayern Munich are the current giants of the Bundesliga.
Especially after Dortmund broke Bayern's monopoly last season, their status among clubs and fans skyrocketed.
Now, leading Dortmund at home â and with their key midfielder injured â was nothing short of fantastic news!
However, Ye Chen had already started warming up.
As soon as the fans saw him warming up, they began to boo.
The reason was simple: during pre-match warm-ups, Ye Chen accidentally kicked his own teammate, Shinji Okazaki!
This instantly made Ye Chen the least popular player.
But did he care?
Ye Chen continued warming up with a blank expression. He had every reason to win this match!
"Ah!"
65 minutes and 12 seconds in, Lewandowski was fouled by Kuzmanovic in the frontcourt. The referee saw it clearly.
A yellow card was shown immediately!
The team doctor entered the pitch, revealing a clear imprint on Lewandowski's ankle.
Klopp made a swift decision â Ye Chen substituted Lewandowski.
As Ye Chen stepped onto the field, Klopp hugged him and whispered into his ear, "I was going to let you rest this game, but we need your speed! I know this isn't fair, and it might end your hat-trick streak, but the team needs you!"
Ye Chen remained expressionless â he couldn't bring himself to smile because of the national team situation.
Records didn't matter to him.
He just wanted to win this match with his team!
"Boss, trust me!"
"Go get it!"
Lewandowski, supported by the medical staff, limped off the field. He took a deep breath as he passed Ye Chen. "Watch out for their tackles. Don't get hurt!"
Ye Chen nodded. "Thank you!"
And with that, he sprinted onto the pitch.
Now it was his turn to shine!
In the live broadcast on Sports Channel 5, Huang Jianxiang and Zhan Jun instantly became animated.
Huang Jianxiang shouted excitedly, "For those who have watched over 60 minutes, this is the moment you've been waiting for!"
"Ye Chen is substituting for Lewandowski!"
"Wait, what's Ye Chen doing? Is he going to take the free kick?"
Zhan Jun seemed displeased, as the director had just reminded him to stick to match commentary and avoid discussing the football association.
That irritated him â there are other broadcasters for Bundesliga. Maybe I won't come next time!
With Lewandowski's injury, Dortmund was awarded a free kick in the frontcourt.
Ye Chen, who had just come on, walked up to Kagawa and whispered, "Shinji, let me take this one, okay?"
Shinji Kagawa nodded. The distance was too far â not within his range.
It didn't matter who took it.
As Ye Chen picked up the ball to place it, a notification echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Since the host's free-kick ability has surpassed 85, all set-pieces will no longer count as long-range shots, and the 'Guaranteed Long-Range Goal' card will not activate!"
"Ding! Main quest issued â lead Dortmund to victory after trailing by one goal. Reward: Golden Treasure Chest!"
No penalties this time!
But that Golden Chest was something Ye Chen had dreamed of.
Plus, the adjustment to the long-range goal card was exactly what he wanted.
Long shots are long shots â they shouldn't be confused with free kicks.
Of course, when he scored that 35-meter free kick or netted directly from a corner, he wasn't complaining!
Maybe that's just how it is.
The goal was about 27 meters away â perfect for a knuckleball shot. If the distance was too short, the ball wouldn't dip.
But Ye Chen wasn't aiming for the goal.
Stuttgart's wall was set, and Ye Chen stood calmly in front of the ball.
Beep!
The referee blew his whistle. Ye Chen took a deep breath and began his run-up.
Suddenly, he tightened his whole body. All his strength concentrated in his instep â a powerful strike!
Boom!
Ever seen a bullet fired?
It was just like that!
The ball turned into a white blur, almost impossible to track under the afternoon sun.
Its target â the wall!
Thud!
The ball struck Kuzmanovic's chest with force!
Sven Bender had already clashed with this guy and got injured. Lewandowski's injury? Also him.
His foul on Bender had been brutal, ball and man taken down together.
Since he got the ball, the ref didn't blow.
But that foul forced Bender off, leaving Dortmund vulnerable without him.
The constant fouls, and only a yellow card for Kuzmanovic â home-field advantage was glaring.
Ye Chen was furious.
Forget tactics â just hammer a shot!
The strike knocked Kuzmanovic to the ground, gasping for air.
Ye Chen clutched his head, pretending to be disappointed.
Everyone knew Ye Chen was a long-range specialist, so no one suspected foul play.
Soon, the stretcher arrived. Kuzmanovic, the villain behind Bender and Lewandowski's injuries, was carried off.
Stuttgart had to adjust, substituting Gentner for Kuzmanovic. The latter was taken directly to the hospital.
Ye Chen's shot was brutal.
The match resumed!
Ye Chen brought defensive energy to the team.
His relentless pressing made Stuttgart rush their passes. Dortmund quickly regained possession.
However, Götze seemed off today. Klopp subbed him out in the 72nd minute for GroÃkreutz.
Dortmund kept their 4-2-3-1 formation.
They were out of substitutions. Any injuries now would leave them a man down.
71:24 â Kagawa passed to Ye Chen. With his back to goal, he shielded the ball from Tasci, who tried to foul him but missed.
Ye Chen was taken down.
A free kick from 23 meters, slightly left of center â perfect for a curling shot!
Isn't this tailor-made for a curving full-moon blade?
Kagawa jogged over, but Ye Chen held the ball. "Shinji, let me take this. I'm confident!"
"This is my range; I'd like to take it," Kagawa hesitated.
"Okay, I'll take this one. The rest are yours," Ye Chen compromised.
Kagawa nodded. "Fine, but don't waste it with power shots â finesse it!"
"I know. Trust me."
Images of Beckham's free kicks flooded Ye Chen's mind.
Calmly placing the ball, he measured his steps and awaited the whistle.
The Stuttgart wall nervously shielded their bodies.
Ye Chen stood poised, eyes locked on goal...