As the ball left his foot, Ye Chen had a strong feelingâthis shot was going in!
Yet, just as the ball soared towards the goal, center-back Dante leaped high into the air!
At 188 cm tall, Dante had judged the ball's trajectory accurately and positioned himself right in its path.
But he underestimated Ye Chen's shot speed!
When Dante made contact, he only managed to graze the bottom of the ball.
The ball slightly changed direction but continued heading for the corner of the net...
That slight deflection was enough to send a chill down Ter Stegen's spine mid-air!
He already knew the shot was difficult to save.
Ye Chen's shot was powerful, fast, and precisely aimed.
Now, with the deflection, the angle seemed even more impossible...
"Whoosh!"
The ball brushed past Ter Stegen's fingertips!
Desperately, he turned his head, watching the ball spin rapidly inside the net...
"Seriously? A goal on just the second shot?"
Ter Stegen was devastated.
Mönchengladbach had been defending Ye Chen closely.
For ten full minutes, Ye Chen, the core of the attack, barely managed to advance with the ball.
Their defense was seamlessâif he got past one defender, another immediately stepped in.
But just one lapse in those ten minutes gave Ye Chen the chance for a clean strike...
And he scored!
"Gooooooooal!"
The passionate voice of the legendary Kahn echoed through the stadium, and Dortmund fans erupted in wild celebration!
The fans instantly began chanting Ye Chen's name, expressing their love for him through song.
"Ha la ha la, Ye Chen, Ye Chen!"
Meanwhile, Mönchengladbach's fans fell silent.
At first, they thought Ye Chen looked pretty coolânow, the more they saw him, the more annoying he seemed!
"Hmph! Borussia-Park does not welcome this guy!"
Ye Chen, overjoyed, sprinted toward the corner flag with a wide grin.
Instead of a "siu" celebration, he opted for a stylish knee slide, drifting to a halt as his teammates charged at him!
Leitner was the first to leap on him, pinning Ye Chen at the bottom of the pile...
Even Gündogan, Grosskreutz, and Schmelzer from the backfield joined in.
Cough, cough...
Buried under the enthusiasm of his teammates, Ye Chen silently vowedâno more knee slides in celebrations!
"They never sprint this fast during a game!"
"What a stunning turn and shot!" Kahn roared immediately.
"But credit must go to Dante for the assistâif not for him, Ter Stegen might've saved it!"
Beside him, commentator Stiel's mouth hung open. "This kid from China is unbelievable! One chance in ten minutes, and he scores? I thought Stevens was exaggerating, but this kid really needs tighter marking!"
Kahn grinned. "Feeling nervous, Jörg? Remember, if Gladbach loses, you promised to streak across the field!"
Stiel remained calm. "It was just a slip-up. When this tiger wakes, Dortmund won't stand a chance!"
Kahn's smile widened. "I think Ye Chen looks more like the tiger!"
"Wait and see. I'm a loyal Gladbach fanâI watch every game. They haven't shown their full strength yet!"
Gladbach's defense, under Favre this season, wasn't flashy but was rock solid.
They had conceded the fewest goals in the Bundesligaâonly 9 in 14 matches!
Now, with this goal, the tally rose to 10 in the 15th round.
Klopp, watching from the sidelines, exhaled in relief.
Though strategically they could afford to drop this game, Klopp had a feeling Ye Chen was a player who could create miracles.
That's why he put him in the starting lineup.
Otherwise, Kuba or Barrios could have started instead.
Fans askedâif they were expected to lose, why start Ye Chen at all?
In China, on the GuGu Sports live stream, commentator Jan Jun smiled brightly.
"Ye Chen looks sharp today! That turn and shot were seamless! Despite Gladbach's tight marking, they haven't resorted to rough tactics. Seems like the Bundesliga's warnings are working!"
Zhang Lu nodded. "True, harsh fouls were too common. Now with stricter regulations, players are more cautious. But Ye Chen must stay injury-freeâhe's a rare gem for Chinese football. His success might inspire more interest in the sport."
"Let's get back to the match! Players are returning to the center circle," Jan Jun pivoted. "I'd talk about Chinese football more, but honestly, it's a painful topic..."
As long as reforms remain stagnant, prodigies like Ye Chen will struggle to rise.
Ye Chen isn't the first, and he won't be the last.
Recently, fans on social media even suggested Ye Chen change nationalities. Jan Jun stayed neutral but quietly observed.
"If things don't improve, maybe representing another country wouldn't be such a bad idea..."
On the field, Ye Chen was oblivious to this.
After the goal, Klopp immediately instructed the team to tighten the formation and focus on defense.
As expected, Gladbach pushed forward aggressively after conceding.
Their momentum felt like they wanted to devour Dortmund whole.
At 12:24, Reus broke down the wing.
Against Ovossiela, a physical powerhouse, Reus seemed like a nimble fighter jet against an aircraft carrier.
By the time Ovossiela reacted, Reus had changed direction twice.
Grosskreutz had no choice but to foul Reus from behind, earning a yellow card by the 13th minute.
Gladbach won a free kick.
At 12:51, Reus delivered the ball into the box.
Dante rose again, redirecting the ball towards the far post!
Weidenfeller couldn't reach it, but luckily, Grosskreutz cleared it off the line at the last moment.
Gladbach won a corner.
"Stay sharp! Hold the line!" Klopp shouted.
But then Klopp called to Ye Chen, "Ye, don't drop back!"
It wasn't a reminder to Ye Chenâit was a warning to Gladbach.
Essentially: "Ye Chen is staying up frontâdon't get too comfortable pressing forward."
A brilliant tactical move.
At 13:23, Gladbach launched another attack.
Dante once again rose like a rocket, this time narrowly missing the goal.
Dortmund's goal remained under siege...
Ye Chen glanced at Danteâhis skill was a cut above the rest.
"No wonder Bayern snatched him later. With talent like that, he stood out even in the Bundesliga."
Still, Ye Chen had to admitâwhen it came to Bayern, he preferred their version of Reus.