Chapter 137: Barcelona and Real Madrid Shock the Football World with Devastating Defeat, and the Biggest Beneficiary Turns Out to Be Lin Quan?
Sitting in the stands watching the game is completely different from playing on the field.
Sitting in the stands, it's easy to be influenced by the emotions of the tens of thousands of fans around you.
Initially, seeing an attack, with the professional eye of a player, may seem ordinary, nothing special.
But with the roar of the fans nearby and the collective cheers or nervous boos, it's easy to get carried away.
Once the game started, both teams were very active.
In the sixth minute, Dortmund stole the ball in the backcourt, and Royce dribbled the ball near the center circle all the way to the Real Madrid penalty area. Faced with Diego Lopez, he calmly shot to the far corner, changing the score to 1:0.
This dreamy start made the Westfalen Stadium erupt like a volcano, and the fans of the yellow and black army boiled instantly!
The sudden eruption of sound left Lin Quan and De Bruyne with ringing ears.
Lin Quan covered his ears with one hand, feeling puzzled:
He remembered that Royce's shot was saved by the goalkeeper. All the goals in this game for Dortmund came from Lewandowski. But the actual situation seemed different from his impression?
Could it be because of the butterfly effect he brought?
After scoring this goal, Royce ran excitedly to the corner flag, making a very domineering celebration gesture with his hands behind his back.
This shot just now was the result of his learning from someone else.
Before taking the shot, Royce paused for a moment, using this rhythm change to shake off the goalkeeper.
Otherwise, with the strength of the Real Madrid goalkeeper, he would have been able to save his shot completely!
"Lin, thanks for coming to cheer me on. I used the method I learned from you to score a goal for you. Are you satisfied?"
Lin Quan, lost in thought, didn't notice this.
But De Bruyne, who had been paying extra attention to Royce's every move since the start of the game, noticed this difference keenly.
That guy's shooting style is a lot like Lin's. Is this just a coincidence?
...
After taking the lead, Dortmund's momentum immediately surged.
Just a minute later, Dortmund organized an attack on the right side. Gotze sent a cross, and Lewandowski, amid pressure from two Real Madrid defenders, managed to get to the ball and poked it into the goal with his long legs.
2:0!
In less than eight minutes into the game, Real Madrid was already two goals behind.
Seeing this goal, Lin Quan breathed a sigh of relief.
The game seemed to be back on track, at least this goal was indeed scored by Lewandowski.
However, with Dortmund scoring another goal, could the score of this game be different from that of another dimension?
Real Madrid, unwilling to fall behind, launched a vigorous attack in the following matches, trying to equalize the score.
Even if they couldn't equalize, they at least wanted to score an away goal. Otherwise, returning to their home stadium with a 0:2 score would make their qualification very difficult.
In the 24th minute, Real Madrid got a free kick in the attacking half.
Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his free-kick skill to everyone.
De Bruyne was also good at free kicks. Seeing Ronaldo take this free kick, he felt excited.
Ronaldo's 30-meter free kick was of high quality, but it was still a little off, and was saved by the goalkeeper, failing to find the net.
De Bruyne looked regretful. He thought Ronaldo's free kick was already very good, and not scoring was just a bit unlucky.
But free kicks are never guaranteed.
Scoring one or two out of ten free kicks is already a very good result.
With Real Madrid pressing, Dortmund's counterattacks were threatening.
With Royce, a fast and strong player, Real Madrid's defense was severely tested.
In this game, Royce's performance was excellent, whether in attack or defense, his presence was felt.
"This guy, is he drinking fake wine today? He's so active, even retreating to defend so deep."
Seeing Royce returning to the edge of their own penalty area to participate in defense, Lin Quan was surprised. This guy's defensive ability is almost the same as mine, and he's retreating so deep. His attitude in this game is really commendable.
But not just Royce, even Ronaldo, the only privileged player in Real Madrid, often pressed Dortmund players in their half.
The players of both sides in this game were very active, and the desire for victory could be seen on everyone's faces.
Does the Champions League really have such great charm?
Lin Quan, who had never played in the Champions League, couldn't help but have fantasies about the Champions League stage.
Being able to compete on a bigger stage with more high-level players seems irresistible to any player.
De Bruyne seemed to have the same feeling. Seeing him lost in thought, Lin Quan asked:
"Who do you think will win?"
"Dortmund, probably. Their home field is always difficult to play on, and they've taken an early lead of two goals. The Real Madrid players seem a bit impatient. If they can't score in the first half, their chances of winning this game are very slim."
As the two were chatting, the situation on the field suddenly changed.
In the 41st minute, it was Royce again. He dribbled past the Real Madrid defense on the left side, entered the penalty area, and was pushed down by Real Madrid's right back Varane.
Dortmund's players thought it was a penalty, but the referee didn't signal.
Real Madrid took the opportunity to launch a quick counterattack. Dortmund's goalkeeper made a mistake in rushing out and failed to grab the ball. Ronaldo received a pass from Higuain in the penalty area and easily shot the ball into the empty net.
The score became 2:1.
Real Madrid's goal brought a chorus of boos at the Westfalen Stadium, and Dortmund fans were very dissatisfied.
They not only booed Ronaldo, who scored the goal, but also the referee.
In the eyes of Dortmund fans, if the referee hadn't missed the call just now and had given them a penalty.
Then the current score on the field would be 3:0, and Dortmund would have almost stepped into the finals.
But because of this missed call, they not only didn't score, but also conceded a goal.
This was an away goal, even if Real Madrid ultimately lost 1:2 away, they would definitely accept this score!
De Bruyne, who had just said that Dortmund would win, felt a bit embarrassed after seeing this goal:
"Forget what I said earlier!"
Lin Quan smiled and said:
"I think Real Madrid will still lose, and they might lose badly, like three or even four goals."
"Don't joke, this is Real Madrid, one of Europe's top giants; and coached by Mourinho, who is the best defensive coach in football. How could his team lose so badly?"
De Bruyne didn't believe Lin Quan's words at all. Real Madrid isn't Werder Bremen, how could they possibly concede four or five goals to Dortmund?
"Football is round!"
Lin Quan didn't bother to explain, because the final score indeed exceeded everyone's imagination.
In the second half, neither side made any personnel changes.
Dortmund, unwilling to win by just one goal, and Real Madrid, unwilling to lose away, almost simultaneously made the same choice—intensifying their attacks!
But Dortmund seemed more adapted to this pace.
In the 50th minute, Dortmund organized an attack on the right, Royce's long shot from outside the penalty area was deflected, but unfortunately rolled to Lewandowski's feet.
The latter easily scored, changing the score to 3:1.
After this goal, Dortmund's morale soared. Five minutes later, Lewandowski scored another goal, completing his personal hat-trick and changing the score to 4:1.
De Bruyne was already a little dumbfounded. He actually guessed right according to Lin Quan's words.
But it's not over yet.
In the 67th minute, Royce dribbled into the penalty area and was pushed down by Alonso. This time, the main referee finally awarded a penalty.
Lewandowski calmly scored the penalty, completing his poker while changing the score to 5:1!
Mourinho clearly smelled danger. He understood that if they returned to the Bernabeu with a 1:5 deficit, Real Madrid's chances of advancing to the Champions League final would be very slim.
And if they lost in this season's Champions League, he would definitely be sacked by Real Madrid.
So Mourinho began to make frantic substitutions. Benzema, Di Maria, and even Kaka, attacking players, were all brought on.
But these substitutions had little effect. Kaka, who had been out of action for a long time, did not play the role of savior for the team in this match.
Seeing Kaka on the field actively fighting and running all over the field, just to help the team win.
Lin Quan couldn't help but feel emotional. The former golden boy, after leaving San Siro, gradually became a marginal player on the Galacticos' spaceship.
This scene would evoke sighs from anyone.
And the reason for Kaka's severe decline in performance during the match ultimately comes down to injuries.
So, it's time to quickly earn enough points to exchange for top-level injury talents!
...
"How do you think my performance was in this game?"
With a splendid performance in this match, scoring a goal, winning a penalty, and even contributing an assist, Royce seemed somewhat pleased with himself.
"Not bad!"
Lin Quan knew this kid was showing off, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Tsk, you have high standards, but with your talent and insight, I guess my performance in this game can only be considered passing in your eyes!"
Royce didn't mind: "Let's go, let's have dinner. My treat, but you decide where to go. I want to eat Chinese food, the authentic kind!"
After winning the game, Royce seemed very happy, fulfilling his promise to treat.
As long as someone else pays the bill, finding a place to eat wouldn't pose a problem for Lin Quan.
...
After the Champions League semi-finals, the entire football world was shaken.
Borussia Dortmund won 5-1 at home against Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich won 4-0 at home against Barcelona.
This result was beyond the expectations of almost everyone! Before the matches, most people favored the two powerhouses of La Liga.
Many La Liga fans dreamed of their two teams meeting in the Champions League final. However, the Champions League final will now see two Bundesliga teams face off, a scenario nobody anticipated.
Although the second leg of the matches is yet to be played, both teams are trailing by four goals, making a comeback extremely difficult!
Moreover, historical data shows that no team has managed to overturn a four-goal deficit in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stages.
Previously, the biggest comeback in the Champions League was when Deportivo La Coruña, after losing 4-1 away to AC Milan, won 4-0 at home, advancing with a total score of 5-4.
But that was only a three-goal deficit, while now both La Liga teams are behind by four goals.
Real Madrid is in a slightly better position because they scored an away goal. But Barcelona is in a dire situation as they failed to score away.
To level the score at home, Barcelona needs to score four goals without conceding, and Bayern just needs one more goal to force Barcelona to score at least six goals to advance.
So, after the match results, almost everyone believes Barcelona is doomed.
Even if they are a super team, it won't matter.
As for Real Madrid, while theoretically there's hope, judging by the match results, they are virtually hopeless.
This season, Real Madrid faced Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, with one loss and one draw, gaining no advantage.
Now, losing by such a wide margin away against an opponent they've never beaten, it's extremely difficult to believe they can score four goals against them.
The humiliating defeat of the two La Liga giants has led many who previously ignored or underestimated the Bundesliga to start paying attention.
And when they looked at the Bundesliga standings, they were astonished.
Borussia Dortmund, who defeated Real Madrid 5-1, was already considered extremely strong in their eyes.
But unexpectedly, Borussia Dortmund was actually behind another team called Werder Bremen in the standings.
Many fans who hadn't followed the Bundesliga were very unfamiliar with Werder Bremen, a relatively unknown small team.
So when they saw Werder Bremen had 11 more points than Borussia Dortmund, they were shocked.
Who is this Werder Bremen?
Are they that good?
Could it be that the Bundesliga is truly a hidden powerhouse, with another big boss besides Bayern and Dortmund?
So, they looked for highlights of Werder Bremen's matches, watching with curiosity.
Surprisingly, Werder Bremen's offense was quite fierce, especially their number 10 player.
The way he dribbled and his goal-scoring efficiency were extraordinary.
Looking at the Bundesliga's top scorer list, people were even more surprised to find that this guy had already scored 38 goals in the Bundesliga.
And he scored against both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Comparison is always key. Messi didn't score against Bayern Munich, and Ronaldo only scored one goal against Borussia Dortmund. But what about Lin Quan?
He has scored more than 10 goals in total against these two teams!
Looking at his age, people only had one thought in their minds:
He's a freaking monster!
Without direct comparison, people might not have realized Lin Quan's strength.
But with the two disastrous defeats of Barcelona and Real Madrid, they finally realized the immense power of this 17-year-old!
So, within a few days, Lin Quan's name quickly spread among fans of the top five leagues.
As a result, the number of followers on his social media account increased significantly.
Previously, his fan base was limited to Werder Bremen and the Spanish national team fans.
But now, fans from the top five leagues are following him.
This sudden change even surprised Lin Quan himself:
Clearly, it was a showdown between the Bundesliga giants and the La Liga giants, but unexpectedly, he was the one who benefited.
Is this like winning the lottery?
(End of chapter)