This was Ye Chen's first derby. Surrounded by deafening chants, his adrenaline surged.
But Schalke 04's players seemed even more fired up.
2 minutes 21 seconds.
Ye Chen received a pass from Götze in the middle of the pitch. As he turned, a powerful force sent him crashing to the ground.
Before he could see who fouled him, a deep roar erupted behind him.
"Why are you falling like a little girl? Can't handle a bump?"
Ye Chen looked up and saw Schalke 04's youth academy player â Baumjohann.
This guy was once considered a football prodigy, hailed as the next Matthäus by German football. His refined footwork made him a sensation in video games, gaining widespread recognition.
But reality didn't match the hype. As he aged, his performance declined, eventually relegating him to a second-division player.
Baumjohann's taunt snapped Ye Chen out of it. He shot up from the ground without hesitation, headbutting him.
"What did you just say? You've never been knocked down before?"
Ye Chen was holding the ball near the center circle â far from a dangerous area. Baumjohann's reckless challenge was blatant bullying.
Before the two could exchange more words, Götze rushed over and shoved Baumjohann aside.
"Touch Ye again, and you'll regret it!" Despite his youthful face, Götze exuded an imposing aura.
Baumjohann fell to the ground, prompting Schalke 04's players to rush over.
The match had barely begun, but sparks were already flying!
The referee intervened, pulling both Ye Chen and Baumjohann aside.
"Ref, I couldn't stop in time â it wasn't intentional!" Baumjohann protested.
"Foul. Consider this your first warning." The referee dismissed his excuse.
Typically, two or three fouls would warrant a yellow card, depending on the severity.
"Control your emotions. If there's an issue, report it to me." The referee advised Ye Chen.
With Ye Chen's rising stardom, the Bundesliga committee issued new directives â protect talents like him at all costs.
The Bundesliga thrived on young players. If a rising global star like Ye Chen faced constant fouls without intervention, other young players might hesitate to join.
After all, a recent referee emergency meeting aimed to curb on-field violence...
Frankly, Ye Chen was lucky. If not, Rüdiger's violent foul could have ended his career prematurely.
"Got it," Ye Chen replied before jogging off.
To diffuse tensions, the referee refrained from issuing cards, opting for even-handed warnings.
The game resumed. Ye Chen realized Schalke 04 learned from Bayern's mistakes â they tightly marked him.
With Ye Chen's stats speaking for themselves, failing to lock him down could result in another Bayern-like defeat.
It wasn't just Schalke 04. Every team facing Ye Chen began drafting "Ye-lock" or "Ye-stop" tactics. However, their effectiveness would only be proven on the pitch.
In Schalke 04's strategy, Baumjohann was the first line of defense.
Behind him were defensive midfielders Jermaine Jones, center-backs Matip and Papadopoulos.
Wingers Holtby and Draxler also dropped back to assist.
With Dortmund fielding three forwards, the central pressure was immense.
As the match progressed, yellow smoke filled the South Stand.
The entire Westfalenstadion was shrouded in yellow haze, intensifying the atmosphere.
Schalke 04 launched the first threatening attack.
10 minutes 24 seconds.
Raúl dropped deep to receive the ball, passing it to Baumjohann.
Baumjohann lofted it to Huntelaar, who leaped and narrowly missed, his header grazing the crossbar.
A collective sigh of relief echoed among the fans. Weidenfeller was powerless.
11 minutes 43 seconds.
Dortmund counterattacked.
Götze dribbled past Draxler with a swift turn, toe-poking the ball to Barrios ahead.
Barrios sprinted, fending off Papadopoulos, and swept the ball across goal.
Lewandowski slid but missed by inches.
12 minutes 12 seconds.
Raúl took possession but was taken down by Santana.
The 34-year-old took his time getting up.
With set-piece specialist Farfán injured, Huntelaar's shot smashed into the netting behind the goal.
The match was fast-paced. Neither side prioritized defense, thrilling the fans but making goals inevitable.
Ye Chen, full of energy, played actively.
14 minutes 44 seconds.
From the right flank, he delivered a curling cross to Barrios, whose header tested Unnerstall.
Unnerstall, however, was in top form.
"As we hit the 20-minute mark, Schalke 04 is dominating!"
"Their passes are more threatening â Dortmund looks shaky!" The commentator, Mike, voiced concern.
Jack nodded. "Four shots in 15 minutes â three on target!"
"Oh, Ye's long shot! Close, but just wide!" Mike exclaimed.
23 minutes 35 seconds.
In a rare attack, Ye Chen fired a surprise long shot from 25 meters.
Unnerstall was startled but relieved as it missed by a margin.
Schalke's coach, Stevens, roared from the sidelines.
"Jermaine! Press him â don't let him shoot!"
Jermaine Jones nodded firmly. Letting Ye Chen find his rhythm would spell disaster.
Schalke 04 continued pressing.
24 minutes 58 seconds.
On the left, Fuchs drove forward, passing to Baumjohann.
Baumjohann, orchestrating play, distributed the ball to Holtby, who slipped it into the box.
Huntelaar rose above the crowd, nodding it past Weidenfeller.
Schalke 04 led at Westfalenstadion!
Huntelaar celebrated passionately, embraced by teammates.
The stadium fell silent except for Schalke's jubilant fans.
Blue flares lit up the stands, Royal Blue dominating Dortmund's home ground.
Dortmund fans retaliated with insults. Schalke fans responded in kind.
Bottles, lighters â even bras â flew across the stands.
Chaos erupted.
Police stationed outside rushed in to quell the disturbance, halting the match.