Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Battling for a Fourth Consecutive Hat Trick

The second half officially began.

Dortmund's tactics hadn't changed much, but Yecheng's eyes glimmered with a fierce determination.

He knew he was Dortmund's sharpest blade, and thus the opposing team would target him.

But if he couldn't score under such targeting, how could he face stronger opponents in the future?

This was an excellent opportunity to hone his skills!

"Welcome back, sports fans, to Sports Channel 5! I'm your commentator for today, Huang Jianxiang, joined by my partner, Teacher Zhan Jun!" Huang Jianxiang, having calmed down during the halftime break, opened the broadcast with renewed enthusiasm.

Zhan Jun smiled. "The first half was exhilarating in the early stages, but Cologne's defensive bus strategy in the latter half slowed Dortmund's attacking rhythm. This limited Yecheng to two goals so far. However, with these goals, Yecheng has claimed the top spot on the scorer's chart, one goal ahead of second-place Klaas-Jan Huntelaar."

Huang Jianxiang nodded. "The second half is about to begin. Will Yecheng score again to secure his fourth consecutive hat trick? Let's watch and find out!"

"It feels like a dream," Zhan Jun remarked. "A young Chinese player scoring in four consecutive Bundesliga matches, with three hat tricks already—it's simply unbelievable!"

In the history of Chinese players abroad, Dong Fangzhuo held the record for the most goals in Europe, with 39, though many of those were scored in the Belgian Second Division. In terms of the top five leagues, Yang Chen led with 16 goals.

Dong Fangzhuo had once won the Belgian Second Division Golden Boot with 18 league goals in a single season, but the Belgian league—especially its second tier—was far below the Bundesliga's level.

Now, Dong Fangzhuo was back in China recovering from injuries. Without them, he could still have played in lower-tier European leagues.

Yet Yecheng, in just four games, had already scored 11 goals—and the second half was just beginning. Fans were eagerly anticipating one more goal from him.

Four consecutive hat tricks...

Yecheng's name would be etched in Bundesliga history!

In fact, it already was. No player in Bundesliga history had ever achieved three consecutive hat tricks since the league's inception.

Now, Yecheng was challenging for a fourth.

With two goals already in the first half, his chances were high!

Cologne had made adjustments during halftime. A 2-0 score meant zero points for them, and with so many fans supporting them at the stadium, they needed to fight for their fans and for their honor.

At 53:24, Cologne's midfielder Lanig carried the ball past midfield, but Kehl and Sven Bender quickly double-teamed him. Lanig hastily passed to Podolski, but Subotić intercepted the ball and kicked it to the right, finding Piszczek.

Piszczek passed the ball to Götze, and Dortmund's counterattack was on.

Yecheng, Kagawa, and Schmelzer made decisive runs forward. Götze, advancing with the ball, was challenged by Eichner but sent a through pass to Yecheng at just the right moment.

As Yecheng received the ball, Kagawa's run cut through Cologne's defense like a knife.

Recognizing the movement, Yecheng accelerated and, just before defender Sereno could intercept, delivered a perfect through ball.

The pass was immaculate.

Goalkeeper Rensing hesitated to commit, and Kagawa received the ball comfortably.

Without hesitation, Kagawa shot, placing the ball into the far corner of the net. Rensing could only slam the ground in frustration.

Furious, Rensing jumped up and yelled at his teammates, "How are you even professionals? Can't you block a passing lane?"

But Sereno, the Portuguese center-back, wasn't one to back down. "If you're so great, why don't you save the shot? All talk, huh?"

Clearly, Cologne's struggles this season stemmed from a lack of unity.

Meanwhile, Signal Iduna Park erupted once more. Kagawa embraced Yecheng as they ran to the corner flag to celebrate with the fans.

This celebration made it clear: half of this goal's credit belonged to Yecheng.

In truth, Yecheng had a chance to shoot when he received the ball, but the angle was too tight, and Kagawa was in a better position. A selfish shot would have made him look uncooperative.

But Yecheng was a team player who valued positioning and collaboration, much like Karim Benzema.

Still, his hat trick was incomplete, and he needed to keep pushing!

After all, 100 points in the system equaled ten match victories—a significant reward.

And those "Predator" cleats in the system store? He wanted them badly. Not only did they boost player stats, but they were stylish—just like him, both strong and cool!

The match continued.

Cologne's resistance crumbled as Dortmund's attacks flowed effortlessly.

Klopp began making substitutions, bringing on Kuba for Kagawa and switching to a 3-5-2 formation. Later, he substituted Götze for the well-rested İlkay Gündoğan.

With both Kagawa and Götze off, a creative midfielder was essential. Gündoğan was the obvious choice from the bench.

With Gündoğan on the pitch, Dortmund soon scored their fourth goal.

At 75:28, Yecheng unleashed a powerful, precise long shot, but Rensing, in spectacular form, tipped it over the crossbar. Dortmund earned a corner.

Gündoğan's delivery found Hummels in the center. Rising above the defenders, Hummels headed the ball into the net before Rensing could intervene.

Dortmund fans were ecstatic.

Such a dominant 4-0 victory hadn't been seen since the 11th round of last season.

In the iconic South Stand, fans lit yellow flares, turning the stadium into a sea of gold.

With about 20 minutes, including stoppage time, remaining, Klopp instructed Moritz Leitner to warm up. He planned to sub Yecheng off at the 80th minute to let him soak in the fans' cheers—a tribute to his stellar performance.

After all, two goals and an assist in 80 minutes was already remarkable for a 17-year-old starter.

But as play resumed, Yecheng pressed forward aggressively.

Klopp froze, as did the Dortmund fans.

What was Yecheng doing?

Wasn't 4-0 enough?

Seeing Yecheng relentlessly pressing, Klopp and the players recalled his locker-room declaration: "Watch me. I'll get a hat trick today!"

He wasn't giving up.

Inspired, Kehl shouted, "What are you standing around for? Get moving!" and charged forward.

Dortmund's cohesion, the hallmark of their championship-winning squad, came alive again.

For Yecheng's hat trick, they would give their all!

For Yecheng, the sight of his teammates fighting alongside him brought a smile to his face. Whether or not he achieved the hat trick, this was an unforgettable experience.

But he knew breaking through Cologne's tightened defense wouldn't be easy.

Much like in mobile games, where victory might be secondary to ensuring a specific opponent's defeat, Yecheng found himself the target of relentless focus.

Cologne players crowded around him, determined not to let him score.

Everyone knew how legendary "four consecutive hat tricks" would be, and they refused to be the backdrop for such a record.

This time, they were fighting for Cologne's honor.