Chapter 140: Don't Bet Against Lin Quan, You'll Lose Miserably!
When the players of SV Werder Bremen gathered, there was still half an hour before the game started.
Some players took out snacks, while others brought out beer.
As they ate snacks, they enthusiastically discussed:
"Who do you think will win?"
"Bayern, definitely. They've won 14 games in a row and completely dominated Barcelona in the Champions League. Their form is terrifying!"
"I think Dortmund has a chance too. The atmosphere at Westfalenstadion is no joke!"
"Hey, since everyone has their own team, why don't we make a small bet?"
"Sure, I'll bet 5,000 euros on Bayern to win!"
"I'll also bet 5,000 on Bayern!"
"I'll bet 10,000 on Bayern!"
Everyone agreed and quickly joined the game with the cash they had prepared!
From the looks of it, this bet didn't seem spontaneous but rather premeditated!
...
The majority of players favored Bayern, with a total of 75,000 euros bet on them to win.
"Hey, since all of you are betting on Bayern, I'll bet on Dortmund!"
Arnautoovic saw that there was over 70,000 euros in chips on the other side. If he won, all of that would be his.
So, he took out 5,000 euros to try his luck and turn a little into a lot.
"Hey, that's not fair! You're betting 5,000 euros against our 75,000 euros!"
Arnautoovic's national team teammate Junuzovic was the first to protest.
He didn't expect his good friend to be so cunning, betting 5,000 to potentially win 75,000 euros. If he lost, he would only lose 5,000, but if he won, he could win 75,000 euros.
With so many of them betting on Bayern, even if they won, they could only split the 5,000 euros, which wasn't much!
"Yeah, if anyone else supports Dortmund, bet now to balance it out!"
The players who bet on Bayern clamored.
Good guy Fritz didn't want to dampen his teammates' spirits, so he took out 15,000 euros to bet on Dortmund to win.
"Captain, you're generous!"
"Well done, Captain!"
With Fritz leading the way, several other players followed suit and bet on Dortmund.
Even De Bruyne bet 5,000 euros on Dortmund to win.
He had watched Dortmund's matches at their home stadium with Lin Quan before and had a good opinion of their strength.
Although Bayern had the advantage on paper, Dortmund also had a chance, maybe around 5.5 to 4.5.
However, there weren't many players betting on Dortmund, with only 55,000 euros at stake, 20,000 euros less than the other side.
"That's enough, don't push it. Bayern is stronger, so the odds are in their favor. It wouldn't be fair for us to match your amount when your chances of winning are higher. That would be unfair to us!"
Arnautoovic shouted loudly, seeing that they couldn't raise the stakes anymore.
The players who bet on Bayern didn't argue further. They were just playing around, and getting too serious would ruin the fun.
"Lin, aren't you betting?"
After everyone placed their bets, they noticed that Lin Quan hadn't placed one and looked at him curiously.
"Um, I'm still on the youth team contract, and my annual salary is only 22,000 euros..."
Lin Quan shrugged, indicating that he didn't have the money.
Most of the players there earned over a million or two million euros a year, so his salary was the lowest, even less than their pocket change...
Actually, he wasn't really broke, he just didn't want to participate in his teammates' gambling.
Because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself and would end up winning all the chips on the field!
"It's okay, just call me brother, and I'll lend it to you!"
Arnautoovic put his arm around Lin Quan's shoulder, saying with a tone of 'follow me, I've got your back.'
Everyone knew that Lin Quan would go to a top club next season, and once he did, his salary would definitely skyrocket, with an annual salary of several million euros not being a problem.
So when he said he didn't have money, it was just for now. He would have money in a few months.
That was why Arnautoovic dared to lend him money, not fearing that he wouldn't pay it back.
They would even prefer if he didn't pay it back, leaving a favor behind wouldn't hurt.
Lin Quan gave Arnautoovic a nudge. "I didn't want to play, but you forced me!"
"Alright then, lend me 50,000 euros, and I'll bet on a draw between Dortmund and Bayern!"
"Uh, is a draw even an option?"
Arnautoovic scratched his head.
"If it's not available, just open one! Lin is going to a top club next season, this is his gift to us before he leaves!"
Other teammates quickly covered Arnautoovic's mouth, afraid that he would refuse Lin Quan's bet by saying there wasn't that option.
If that happened, they would lose the 50,000 euro prize!
Was it really a gift?
De Bruyne saw the slightly embarrassed smile on Lin Quan's face and felt that things weren't that simple.
Thinking back to the match between Dortmund and Real Madrid they watched before, where Dortmund accurately predicted that Real Madrid would suffer a devastating defeat.
De Bruyne regretted a bit: if only I had bet on a draw with him.
Amidst the players' noise, the match between Dortmund and Bayern Munich began.
This match wasn't just a rehearsal for the Champions League final, but also the 100th official encounter between Dortmund and Bayern in all competitions.
In their previous 99 encounters, Bayern held the advantage with 45 wins, 29 draws, and 25 losses.
However, in the last five matches, Bayern hadn't won against Dortmund.
Last season, they lost all three matches in the league and cup, losing thoroughly.
This season's first encounter at home also ended in a draw of 1-1.
If you ignored the teams' current form and just looked at their recent history of matchups, Dortmund had a slightly better chance of winning.
But Bayern came with a terrifying momentum, having won 14 consecutive league games and sweeping Juventus and Barcelona in the Champions League.
The previous match records were no longer relevant, and based solely on the teams' current form and strength, Bayern clearly had the upper hand.
That's why everyone was favoring Bayern!
For Bayern, winning this match would tie the Bundesliga's winning streak record, and they had a chance to break it in the following matches.
As for Dortmund, defending their honor at home and refusing to be a backdrop for Bayern's record-breaking was their main goal.
Plus, Dortmund had already won six consecutive league games by now. If they could win this match, they would also set a new club record for consecutive league wins.
"What the hell, why are there so many substitutes playing?"
When they saw the starting line-ups, the SV Werder Bremen players were stunned.
Both Bayern and Dortmund had fielded a large number of substitute players.
Bayern adjusted seven starters directly, with mainstays like Lahm, Gotze, Robben, and Ribery not even making the 18-man squad.
Their bench only had two main players, Thomas Muller and Martinez, along with four substitutes under 20 years old.
Dortmund wasn't much better.
Except for Gotze's absence due to injury, Klopp chose to rotate five players for this match.
Grosskreutz, Santana, Sahin, Kirch, and Schieber got the chance to start.
Reus and Hummels were on the bench.
It seemed like Klopp had more integrity than Heynckes; at least his main players were on the bench, unlike Bayern, where there were hardly any players on the bench.
"Heynckes is really bold, he doesn't care about the league's 15-game winning streak record just to hide his cards."
Seeing both teams' line-ups, Shaaf couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
This match saw extensive rotation from both sides, aimed at not allowing the opponent to figure out their current form, so as to avoid being targeted in the Champions League final.
In comparison, Dortmund, playing at home, hoped for a victory, so they made fewer changes to their main lineup. Several key players on the bench should still come on in the second half.
But Bayern took it to the extreme, with their main players not even making the squad, showing they didn't really care about the outcome.
Seeing the starting line-ups, the faces of the players who had favored Bayern turned green.
If both teams fielded their absolute best players, Bayern would certainly have the advantage.
But now, with both sides fielding a mix of main players and substitutes, Dortmund actually had the upper hand.
"Wuwuwu, I don't want to play anymore, give me my money back!"
Junuzovic, who had bet on Bayern to win, looked regretful as he reached out towards the prize pool.
"Smack!"
Arnautoovic, eagerly waiting to split the prize money, swatted away his hand: "A bet is a bet, how can you back out now?"
"Hehe, with 50,000 plus 75,000 euros, I should still get 10 or 20 thousand, right?"
Seeing him drool over the money, it was as if he had already won.
But the game had only just begun!
Although both teams had rotated many main players, the match's entertainment value was not lacking.
The match between Dortmund and Bayern Munich started off extremely intense.
Dortmund, with the home advantage, launched a fierce attack on Bayern from the beginning.
Meanwhile, Bayern utilized the advantage of their two wings to frequently launch rapid counterattacks.
The pace of the game was very fast, and it looked extremely intense.
And the goals came quickly too. In the 11th minute, Dortmund launched an attack on the left.
Bayern's players were focused on the opposition's wingers and forwards, neglecting Dortmund's right-back Grosskreutz, who made a swift run from behind.
When Grosskreutz stormed into the penalty area, a pass from his teammate arrived at his feet.
After receiving the pass, he volleyed the ball into the goal.
Neuer couldn't do anything about this goal because he didn't expect the final shot to come from the opposition's right-back.
This goal excited Dortmund's fans because Grosskreutz was considered a lucky charm for Dortmund.
In the previous 20 games, whenever Grosskreutz scored, Dortmund always ended up winning.
And now, by helping the team open the scoring, he relieved many Dortmund fans' worries.
Although superstition is not science, when it succeeded 20 times in a row, would this time be an exception? The fact proved that superstition is indeed unreliable.
Ten minutes later, Bayern equalized with a header from Gomez.
This was Gomez's 138th goal in the Bundesliga, surpassing Schiller on the Bundesliga's all-time top scorer list, rising to 16th place.
After scoring, Gomez's tense face finally showed a smile.
Due to injuries this season, his starting position was taken by Mandzukic, who was originally supposed to be his backup. This made him very dissatisfied.
But no matter how dissatisfied he was, there was nothing he could do. Mandzukic's style of play was more suitable for Bayern, and he was more favored by the head coach.
This season, he only played 11 games in the Bundesliga, which was too few.
With so few opportunities to play, it was difficult for him to stay in form.
Considering that next year was the World Cup year, Gomez didn't want to be abandoned by the national team, so he came up with the idea of transferring.
After Guardiola arrived at Bayern and took over the coaching reins, he would talk to him and see if there was a place for him in Guardiola's plans! If there really was no place, then he could only transfer away and seek more playing opportunities.
This World Cup was very competitive, and perhaps this was the best opportunity for the German team to win the championship.
Gomez didn't want to miss this opportunity!
After both sides returned to the same starting line, the game became more and more intense.
In the 28th minute, Bayern launched an attack on the right.
Right winger Shaqiri sent a low cross, but Gomez's shot went wide of the goalpost, missing the chance to change the score.
Dortmund immediately responded!
In the 31st minute, Lewandowski accelerated past Van Buyten and Boateng on the left side of the penalty area, received a pass from his teammate, and took a shot from a tight angle, but Neuer blocked it with his body, sending it out for a corner.
Both sides attacked relentlessly but missed several opportunities to change the score.
With the score still at 1-1 after 60 minutes, the players of SV Werder Bremen were all at a loss.
With this score, everyone would lose all their money after the game, except for Lin Quan, who had bet on a draw.
Just when everyone felt anxious and the score seemed unchangeable, a major incident occurred on the field.
A long shot from Dortmund hit the hand of a Bayern player inside the penalty area, and the referee, Mr. Gagelmann, clearly saw it and decisively awarded a penalty!
"Wow, Jackpot, my jackpot!"
Seeing Lewandowski step up to take the penalty, Arnautoovic, who had bet on a Bayern win, was ready with his bag to collect the money.
If Lewandowski scored this penalty, it would be 2-1, and Dortmund would win! How could Flying Dragon Horse lose? However, to everyone's surprise, Neuer saved Lewandowski's penalty...
Arnautoovic and his bag were petrified on the spot.
Afterwards, although Rafinha of Bayern received two yellow cards and was sent off within 2 minutes.
But with one man down, Bayern stubbornly resisted Dortmund's attacks and held the 1-1 score until the end.
When the referee blew the final whistle, there was silence in the SV Werder Bremen activity room.
"You guys are too kind, insisting on giving me money, then I won't be polite!"
Lin Quan snatched the bag from Arnautoovic, who had been petrified for thirty minutes, and quickly stuffed all the money into it.
Then he pointed out 50,000 euros and gave it back to Arnautoovic.
"Thank you all, I'm very satisfied with your gifts!"
Lin Quan lifted the bag full of money in his hand and thanked everyone politely.
I said I didn't want to play, but you didn't listen. Now do you regret it?
Betting against a reborn person like me, I wonder what you were thinking.
Oh, by the way, you didn't know I was reborn?
That's okay!
(End of this chapter)