This match was always destined to be the highlight of this round.
After all, in the Bundesliga standings, Dortmund was first, and Borussia Mönchengladbach was second!
The pre-match buzz had pushed this game to the forefront of attention.
Dortmund's unstoppable momentum had everyone eager to see them stumble.
Including Dortmund's Ye Chen!
Since his debut in the Bundesliga, Ye Chen had been unstoppable, seemingly capable of anything.
However, many experts believed Ye Chen's strength came down to three factors:
1. Dortmund's overall strength â they were last season's league champions.
2. Dortmund's opponents were relatively weak. Teams like Bayern, Bremen, and Schalke 04 were conveniently ignored.
3. His personal ability.
Most thought Ye Chen's performance was boosted by his strong team, merely adding the finishing touch.
To them, Ye Chen was a merciless forward who only excelled against weaker opponents.
Now, facing Mönchengladbach, known for the best defense in the Bundesliga, no one believed in Ye Chen.
Especially since Dortmund was playing with an entirely second-string lineup.
Many people sat in front of their TVs, eagerly waiting for Ye Chen to embarrass himself!
But once again, Ye Chen silenced the so-called experts with a hat trick!
This time, they couldn't credit the lineup, could they?
Dortmund's starting lineup was mainly substitutes!
The relentless taunts from the crowd only fueled Ye Chen's fire.
Standing by the sidelines, Ye Chen made a gesture mocking the critics, which enraged Mönchengladbach fans.
Coins, lighters, and drink bottles flew in his direction from the stands!
Fortunately, a wire mesh fence separated the stands from the field.
The objects clanged against the fence.
Ye Chen stood firm, cupping his hand behind his ear, signaling them to yell louder!
Enraged fans rushed to the fence, shaking it violently and hurling insults.
"You yellow-skinned ***, you're asking for it!"
"You son of a *!"
"Fk you!"
While Ye Chen continued to taunt the crowd, Mönchengladbach's left-back, Dahms, stormed over and shoved him hard!
It was a powerful push!
If Ye Chen had taken the hit, he would've been knocked to the ground.
But Ye Chen, standing sideways, caught Dahms in his peripheral vision.
With a swift and nimble move, he dodged just in time.
Dahms, missing his target, lost balance and fell flat on his face!
The fans gasped in shock.
Moments later, someone shouted, "He hit him! Ye Chen hit him!"
"Beat him up! Ye dared to hit someone at Borussia Park!"
"He knows Chinese kung fu! He used internal force to knock Dahms down!"
Hearing the shouts, Mönchengladbach players couldn't hold back. They charged angrily!
But Barrios stepped in front of Ye Chen.
"What the hell are you trying to do? Lay a hand on Ye and see what happens!" Barrios growled, eyes blazing. "I'll take you all down!"
At 1.88 meters tall with a muscular frame, Barrios looked like a towering giant.
"Come on, bring it! Your guy started it! We were defending ourselves!" GündoÄan shouted.
Barrios and GündoÄan were jostled as the tension escalated.
Meanwhile, Dahms, still on the ground, was accidentally stepped onâtwice.
He howled in pain.
"Aahhh..."
His cries further inflamed Mönchengladbach's players.
"Ye didn't hit him! Why else would he scream like that?"
"Hand over Ye!"
The Mönchengladbach players roared.
Dortmund captain Kehl pulled Ye Chen aside. "Ye, you didn't hit him, did you?"
"No, he tried to push me, and I dodged. He fell on his own," Ye Chen replied honestly.
"That's all I needed to hear," Kehl nodded and shouted, "Dortmund players, back off! Let's see who dares to touch one of us!"
In the Bundesliga, Kehl was a seasoned veteran with serious respect.
His words calmed most players.
However, not everyone was intimidated by Kehl.
At that moment, the referee sprinted over, blew his whistle, and pulled a red card from his pocketâshowing it directly to Dahms!
Only then did the referee glance at Ye Chen. "You alright?"
"I'm fine!"
The referee nodded and called both captains over.
But the fans were livid.
"Why? What about Ye?"
"Give Ye a red card!"
"This referee is siding with Dortmund!"
"Damn it, I'm filing a complaint!"
"Cheater!"
"Cheater!"
"Cheater!"
Over 50,000 Mönchengladbach fans roared in unison.
But the referee remained unfazed.
The big screen replayed the incident.
Ye Chen's celebration was controversial, but disciplinary action would be handled post-match. Dahms' intent to injure was clear.
The red card? SimpleâDahms not only shoved Ye Chen but also tried to stomp on him.
The fans quieted briefly but soon erupted with a new chant:
"Fk Ye!"
"Fk Ye!"
"F**k Ye!"
Over 50,000 voices united in insult.
Ye Chen simply smiled.
Go ahead.
The louder you shout, the more excited I get!
The match resumed, and the small skirmish didn't escalate into a full-on brawl.
Of course, that made sense.
They were professionals, after all.
A few players losing their cool was understandable, but with coaches and captains present, a brawl was unlikely.
Trailing by two goals and down a player, Mönchengladbach struggled to press forward.
Especially with Ye Chen prowling up front.
Mönchengladbach's late attempts at attack fizzled out.
Finally, at the six-minute mark, the referee blew the whistle.
Full-time!
Dortmund's second-string lineup secured a miraculous away win, solidifying their lead!
Meanwhile, Bayern won 4-1 against Bremen, climbing to second.
The clash between Dortmund and Mönchengladbach was over, but a new battle ignited online!
As the final whistle blew, assistant coach Buvac quickly led Ye Chen into the locker room.
No matter what, they had to protect their star!
The other players stayed to thank the fans before heading back.
Dortmund's officials swiftly gathered evidence of the fan abuse to submit to the Bundesliga committee.
Mönchengladbach would surely protest, as Ye Chen's celebration had been provocative.
For the third time, the Bundesliga committee convened an emergency meeting to discuss the incident...
The committee had met three times because of Ye Chen already.
At this point, they had one thought for the chairmanâ"We need a raise!"