Son Heung-min played for 60 minutes, scoring a goal and initiating an attack.
However, Ye Chen matched this performance in just 5 minutes!
First, he scored the crucial go-ahead goal, and two minutes later, assisted in another counterattack goal!
The difference in performance was clear as day!
But did you think it ended there?
Ye Chen was just getting started.
A true dominant victory isn't just by one or two goalsâwinning by three or more is what counts as a real thrashing!
As the ancient art of war says: "Strike with vigor the first time, weaken the second, and exhaust the third."
Hamburg's surge came at the end of the first half when they scored a crucial goal, hoping to strike while the iron was hot and add another.
Their second wave of momentum came at the start of the second half, as they saw hope after scoring an equalizer.
But Ye Chen's appearance was like Thor wielding Mjolnir.
Scoring one goal wasn't enoughâhe orchestrated a second!
He completely crushed the fighting spirit of Hamburg's players!
On the sidelines, Thorsten Fink realized something was wrong...
Even though his team needed to attackâonly by scoring could they keep their hopes aliveâhe knew if they didn't stabilize the situation, conceding another goal could lead to a disastrous defeat.
And what would a big loss mean?
Low morale!
It could even affect the upcoming matches!
So... they absolutely couldn't suffer a heavy defeat!
Thorsten Fink decisively made a substitutionâMarcell Jansen off, RajkoviÄ on!
A forward out, a defensive midfielder in!
But this adjustment drew heavy dissatisfaction from the fans...
"Boo..."
"Do you even know how to coach?"
"We'd rather die standing than live kneeling!"
"Fink out!"
"Stop ruining Hamburg! You're leading us to relegation!"
Fans near the bench voiced their anger, cursing Thorsten Fink loudly.
But as the head coach, he had his judgment.
Stabilizing the game was the top priorityâno disastrous loss could be allowed!
The match resumed.
To his credit, after RajkoviÄ came on, Hamburg's defense stabilized.
No more goals were scored, but at least they didn't concede again!
In the 71st minute, Klopp made his move.
He subbed in Mané for GroÃkreutz on the right wing.
Son Heung-min had made a hard tackle, striking GroÃkreutz's calf and causing muscle discomfort.
Watching Mané on the sidelines, Wang Chu's eyes were full of envy...
Of course, with Mané's entry, Dortmund had used up all their substitutions.
"Brother Chen, I'm here!" Mané greeted Ye Chen in Chinese as he ran onto the field...
Ye Chen twitched his mouth, "It's Brother Chen, not Brother Chun! Brother Chun is someone else!"
"Got it, Brother Chun!" Mané nodded eagerly.
Ye Chen was speechless.
After Mané came on, Dortmund's right wing became much more active. De Bruyne sought Mané several times.
Unfortunately, while Mané's dribbling and pace were dazzling, his crosses lacked precision.
Seeing Mané's frustration at losing possession, Ye Chen approached him. "Don't blindly cross. Sometimes, cutting inside works. After beating your man, pass to me or take the shot yourself!"
Mané nodded heavily.
At 78:15, Ye Chen took the ball down the right wing.
Mané was already making a run, but Bruma was tightly marking him.
Noticing this, Ye Chen didn't pass immediately.
As he observed the play, Son Heung-min rushed up. "Don't think Dortmund's lead means you've won. Our stats are the sameâwe both have one goal!"
Ye Chen's expression remained calm. "Whatever makes you happy."
Disdain.
Once again, Son Heung-min felt that disdain!
Gritting his teeth, Son Heung-min bent forward slightly. "Hmph, if you're so good, try getting past me!"
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.
To be honest, direct one-on-ones like this rarely happen in official matches.
But thinking of his system's task, Ye Chen hesitated.
As they exchanged words, De Bruyne came forward to receive the ball, but Ye Chen gestured for him to wait.
De Bruyne understood and drew away the defending player.
On the big screen, Ye Chen and Son Heung-min became the focus of the entire stadium!
Even the referee stood nearby, watching intently...
"Eon!" Son Heung-min shouted, shifting his stance slightly to allow Ye Chen's left side to open up.
Ye Chen's left foot was his weaker footâif Ye Chen tried to cut left, his dribbling and ball control would weaken.
Ye Chen's gaze sharpened.
No longer calm, his eyes showed steely determination.
If he wanted to crush Son Heung-min, he had to show real skill!
Ye Chen took a step left, his shoulder dipping slightly as if he was about to break left.
Son Heung-min tensed but stayed put, sensing a fake move.
Ye Chen nudged the ball left, prompting Son Heung-min to lungeâonly for Ye Chen to suddenly cut right!
This was the famous shoulder-drop feint, a classic Messi move.
Son Heung-min took the bait.
Ye Chen's explosive speed allowed him to bypass Son Heung-min with ease.
But Son Heung-min didn't give upâhe grabbed Ye Chen's arm and swung his right leg in a reckless tackle!
The ball could pass, but Ye Chen couldn't!
Though Son Heung-min is known as Asia's best, his aggressive playstyle has earned him three red cards in one season!
Seeing the dangerous lunge, the referee's whistle was about to blow.
But Ye Chen leaped lightly, dodging the tackle!
The referee held his whistle and signaled advantage!
Son Heung-min's eyes widened in disbelief.
How did he know I'd go for the foul?
Others might not understand Son Heung-min's style, but Ye Chen knew all too well.