The match was scheduled for the next evening, so the team spent the morning practicing tactics and analyzing their opponent.
Marko Marin, the star of Werder Bremen, lived up to his reputation. As a winger, he had scored six of the team's sixteen goals, tying him with Ye Chen for fifth place on the top scorer list.
Since "M" comes before "Y" in the alphabet, Marin's name was listed before Ye Chen's.
...
This was Ye Chen's second away game.
To be honest, he deeply admired the football culture in Germany.
It was simply overwhelming!
A previous report had revealed that Germany had 7 million registered football players, compared to only 50,000 in China.
The gap was staggering.
Shaking off his thoughts, Ye Chen calmed himself down.
Although he was a substitute, he still joined the warm-ups on the pitch.
But the moment he stepped onto the Weser Stadium field, the surrounding fans started hurling insults.
Some Werder Bremen fans even unfurled a massive banner that read: "Ye, OUT!"
Below it was a line in English: "Even the Premier League rejects, we don't want!"
Ye Chen noticed it immediately but didn't say a word. He simply took a deep breath and continued warming up.
Kagawa came over at this moment. "Ye, stay calm. When I first came here, they taunted me too. They're not very welcoming to Asians."
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Ye Chen forced a smile and refocused on his training.
By the time Ye Chen got off the bus, Lina had already arrived. She was wearing Dortmund's team kit as usual, her hair tied into a lively ponytail.
She had arrived early and grabbed a hotdog at the entrance, taking a selfie to send to Ye Chen.
However, the crowd was so dense that Ye Chen couldn't spot her after looking for a long time.
He only knew the general direction she was in.
After the warm-ups ended, the players returned to the locker rooms.
Klopp reiterated the tactics and gave some specific instructions.
"Marin is fast and technically skilled. Keep your distance. If he breaks through, commit a foul to stop him... but be smart about it. Avoid picking up yellow cards too early!"
"Got it, boss!"
"This season started rough for us, but we're back on track now! I checked the standings: if we beat Bremen today, we'll move back into the top four. So my demand is simpleâwin! Got it?"
"Got it, boss!"
Pleased with the team's morale, Klopp nodded. "Alright, let's go. Show me what you're made of!"
The players entered the tunnel, with Ye Chen and the other substitutes following Klopp out of the locker room.
"Hey, look! That kid's here!"
As Ye Chen appeared, Werder Bremen's players all turned their attention to him.
"Kid, watch your ballsâI'll break them!" Naldo, cold-faced and ruthless, spat out the threat.
The Brazilian international was one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga. Many Premier League clubs had shown interest in him, but he had no plans to leave Bremenâhe loved everything about the club.
"We're not Augsburg. Don't even think about scoring today!"
"We'll show you why flowers are red!"
"Why are you even talking to him? He might not even get on the pitch!" Marko Marin scoffed.
"Oh yeah, he's just a substitute!"
At this, everyone burst out laughing.
Ye Chen, however, remained silent amidst their chatter.
A barking dog doesn't bite. Let them bark.
But his fists were already clenched.
Don't let me play. If I get on, you'll see what a real slap in the face looks like!
"Alright, that's enough!" Dortmund's captain Kehl finally spoke up. "Be men and settle it on the field. All this jabbering makes you sound like a bunch of wimps!"
Kehl's words immediately angered the Bremen players.
"We're second in the league, and you're sixth! What are you so cocky about?"
"We're the Bundesliga champions," Kehl said flatly.
"We've scored sixteen goals. You've only scored thirteen. What are you bragging about?"
"We're the Bundesliga champions," Kehl repeated coldly.
"..."
The Bremen players exchanged frustrated looks. Kehl's calm arrogance was infuriating but impossible to counter.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen and the others had already left the tunnel and taken their seats on the bench.
The match soon kicked off!
Werder Bremen was playing exceptionally well today.
The ball moved swiftly between their players, their coordination seamless. Marin's sharp runs tore Dortmund's defense apart, leaving them in disarray.
At 14:42, Marin broke down the left flank.
Owomoyela had already positioned himself, and Hummels shifted slightly to provide backup. While Owomoyela lacked speed, he made up for it with his physical strength and positional awareness, making it hard for opponents to get past him.
Marin feinted towards the baseline and accelerated, forcing Owomoyela to adjust his balance. But just as Owomoyela reacted, Marin suddenly cut inside.
Finding space, Marin unleashed a powerful shot!
Hummels immediately moved to block it.
The ball deflected off him but didn't go out of bounds. Instead, it ricocheted toward the near post.
Weidenfeller, Dortmund's keeper, felt a chill and dove to save it...
But the ball found its way into the net!
A deflection goal!
The strike instantly ignited the passion of the Bremen fans.
Dortmund's players looked visibly frustrated.
Hummels let out a sigh.
As a defender, he had to block shots, but this time, Lady Luck smiled on Marin.
Despite their pre-match preparations, Marin had still managed to score.
Bremen had clearly settled into the game faster, pressing Dortmund relentlessly. The old saying held true: if you defend for too long, you'll eventually concede.
Werder Bremen was showcasing the strength of the league's second-place team!
After scoring, Marin raced to the corner flag and made a hand gesture alternating between 7 and 4.
The message was clear: he had now scored seven goals, moving up to fourth in the top scorer rankings!
No longer tied with someone for fifth.
As he returned to the center circle, Marin made another gestureâa 6.
This indicated Ye Chen's current standing in sixth place.
"That's too much!" Kagawa couldn't hold back. "Ye, you've got to shut him up when you get on!"
"No rush," Ye Chen said calmly.
But this wasn't directed at Kagawaâit was a reminder to himself.
Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Stay composed.
Let him show off for now. The wind will scatter the leaves in time.
Still, Ye Chen couldn't deny his burning desire to step onto the field and punch this guy in the face.
You scored? Fine. But taunting me? Alright thenâjust wait and see if I don't score today!