August 5, 2012, 7 o'clock in the evening.
The Allianz Arena was brightly lit, and flags were flying.
Around 50,000 people had gathered in the stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000, for today's match.
The majority of the stands were filled with Bayern fans wearing red jerseys.
Only the corner of the east stand was occupied by approximately 2,000 Werder Bremen fans wearing green jerseys.
Bayern is situated in Bavaria, southern Germany, while Werder Bremen belongs to northern Germany.
The distance between the two places is relatively far, which meant fewer Bremen fans were able to attend the game due to the limited number of away team tickets.
The match had not yet started, and both teams' players were warming up on the field.
Compared with the Werder Bremen players, that almost no one paying attention to, On Bayern's side the likes of Arjen Robben, Ribery, Lahm, Gomez, Schweinsteiger, and other Bayern stars received a warm welcome from the audience.
Even young players such as Kroos, Thomas Muller, and Alaba received applause from the fans.
Whenever a Bayern player executed a remarkable move on the field, it immediately drew enthusiastic cheers from the attending supporters.
On the other hand, the Werder Bremen players were completely ignored by the home fans. They weren't even subjected to boos, as if the Bayern fans considered them unworthy.
On the field, Lucas and De Bruyne were practicing free kicks together.
Observing the scene, Lucas nudged De Bruyne on the shoulder and asked, "Are you nervous?"
De Bruyne looked at him skeptically and responded, "Why should I be nervous? Playing at Stamford Bridge is not unheard of for us."
Lucas pouted, thinking to himself, "Can Chelsea's dilapidated home stadium even compare to the Allianz Arena?"
However, upon realizing that De Bruyne was genuinely not nervous, Lucas felt relieved.
The outcome of the game would depend on whether the defense could withstand Bayern's formidable attacks, and the performance of both Lucas and De Bruyne.
De Bruyne served as the offensive core in the frontcourt, and his passing ability would directly influence the quality of Werder Bremen's counterattacks.
If he were too nervous or in poor form, their chances of winning would be at risk.
Twenty minutes later, the warm-up session for both teams came to an end.
The players began returning to the locker room one after another, preparing for the final pre-match preparations.
Noticing that the players had changed their jersey and got ready to ply, Schaaf clapped his hands to gather their attention.
"Hush, listen quietly. Can you hear that sound from outside?" he asked.
"Let me tell you, that's the sound of Bayern fans singing the team's anthem. And the name of the team song is 'Always Number One'!" he exclaimed.
"Do you think Bayern fans are very arrogant? 'Always Number One,' as if there can be a team that always stays at the top in the world!" Schaaf continued.
"But in the Bundesliga, Bayern is indeed number one and has always been number one.
Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and even us at Werder Bremen have challenged them in the past, but their reign is unshakable.
They have won 21 Bundesliga titles, 15 German Cup trophies, and 4 Champions League trophies!"
"And what about us? Our last league championship was ten years ago! So, before the game, nobody is optimistic about us. Everyone thought we are definitely going to lose!"
"Do you share the same view?" Thomas Schaaf scanned the players with sharp eyes, and almost everyone avoided his gaze by instinct, bowing their heads.
Only Lucas looked at him blankly, wondering why the coach was using such strong language.
He was accustomed to Schaaf being gentle, refined, and humble.
Caught off guard, Lucas momentarily forgot to divert his gaze.
Observing Lucas's unwavering gaze, Schaaf was surprised for a moment but then showed a satisfied expression. "This kid has courage. A newborn calf is not afraid of tigers!" he thought.
Schaaf continued, "Don't worry, I share the same view!"
His statement caused an uproar. The players raised their heads in astonishment, doubting whether they had heard correctly.
"You were just expressing your true feelings loudly, so you definitely have the desire to win!" Schaaf added.
"That's right, I do have the desire because on paper, Bayern Munich is stronger. All of their players are stars, worth ten times more than you, and have incomes dozens of times greater than yours. Wherever they go, they enjoy fan adoration and media attention. They drive luxury cars and have beauties by their side."
"Compared to them, you are just a group of underdogs, seemingly insignificant!"
The players' eyes filled with anger, whether provoked by the direct comparison or the coach's belittlement.
"Why, are you angry? Are you not convinced? If you're not convinced, go out there and show them, show them what you're made of! Knock them off their damn throne, trample them, and dominate them!
If you're not convinced, prove to the world with your actions that you are no less than them!"
"Tell those singing fools that football matches aren't about past honors or who has more trophies! It's not about who's worth more or earns more money, who basks in the spotlight, and wins everything!
If that were the case, Real Madrid, with stars like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham, would have long ruled European football!"
"Werder Bremen aims to crush any opponent who underestimates us. If you can't do that, then accept that you are a bunch of trash, inferior to them, and undeserving of victory!"
"Now, tell me loudly, are you garbage?"
"No!"
The players shouted in unison.
"Are you weaklings? Louder, I can't hear you!"
"We're not weaklings!"
"Very well, then go prove yourselves on the field!"
Captain Fritz extended his hand, and the other players placed their hands on his.
"Werder Bremen! Let's go!"
The Werder Bremen players left the locker room with high morale, proceeding to the player tunnel, ready to step onto the field.
The Bayern Munich players had already assembled in the tunnel before coming out.
While still in the locker room, they could hear the commotion coming from the visiting team's locker room.
Observing the curious gaze of the Werder Bremen players as they emerged, along with their high spirits, the Bayern Munich players were taken aback.
"What's going on? Are they really that confident after being drawn against Bayern? Don't they realize winning at the Allianz Arena is no easy task?"
At 7:30 in the evening, both teams took the field promptly under the referee's guidance.
Lucas's first official game after joining Werder Bremen, and it is about to begin.
(End of chapter)