"Şahin!!! What a sensational goal!! Marvelous finish!!"
On the evening of 21 August 2008, above the Vicente Calderón Stadium, only the away stands cheered. Yellow and black flags waved, and the traveling fans, dressed in their home colors, had already begun to sing, dance, and celebrate wildly. In contrast, the faces of the home supporters showed only numbness, bewilderment, and sorrow.
The camera captured a young fan, about eight years old, his face already streaked with tears. He didn't fully understand what this match meant. He only knew that the team he and his family supported would not be going to the Champions League this season.
Atlético Madrid had finally secured a top-four finish in La Liga, earning a spot in Europe's elite competition—but unfortunately, before they could even taste the Champions League group stage, they were facing the cruel reality of elimination.
On the scoreboard: Atlético Madrid 1–2 Borussia Dortmund (7–3 on aggregate). With the clock already showing 80 minutes, Atlético Madrid, facing a massive four-goal aggregate deficit, were powerless to turn the tide.
Sky Sports English commentator Jim Beglin did not hesitate to praise Nuri Şahin's recent goal. "What a stunning world-class strike! An amazing shot! In the final stages of the second half, Borussia Dortmund's attack delivered the decisive blow, putting an end to this knockout tie!"
"Atlético Madrid are truly unfortunate," Beglin continued. "Their strength in the Champions League qualifiers was genuinely formidable, but they just happened to run into the black-and-yellow storm sweeping across Europe. In today's match, Nuri Şahin performed exceptionally well, contributing perfectly in both attack and defence. It reminds one of Liverpool's midfield maestro Xabi Alonso—this young midfielder already has the composure of a master-class player. As for Jin Hayes, he performed his usual role. Both goals were inseparable from his creative input."
In the first leg at the Westfalenstadion, Borussia Dortmund had won 5–2 against Atlético Madrid. In the second leg at the Calderón, a tragic atmosphere now permeated the entire stadium. The huge goal deficit forced Atlético Madrid to attack furiously from the first whistle, desperately trying to close the gap as quickly as possible. Both players and fans displayed a do-or-die spirit on their faces. 5–2 was not an insurmountable scoreline. Just 3–0, and Atlético Madrid could achieve an astonishing comeback and book their ticket to the Champions League group stage.
Unfortunately, standing in Atlético Madrid's path was an unstoppable force wearing the number 10 jersey.
Just four minutes into the first half, Jin Hayes broke through the centre with a series of subtle feints, then suddenly delivered a through ball to the left flank. This pass was like a dagger slipped quietly through the ribs—precise, ruthless, and straight into the heart of Atlético Madrid's defence.
Critical hit.
What Marco Reus had to do was simple: adjust his shooting angle inside the box and curl a beautiful shot into the far corner.
0–1.
Borussia Dortmund led on the night.
Aggregate score: 6–2.
Despair.
An oppressive atmosphere settled over the Calderón. The home fans truly did not know how their team could overcome this black-and-yellow storm. Borussia Dortmund weren't theoretically that strong—on paper, Atlético Madrid arguably had the better squad. Yet time and again, they failed to contain Jin Hayes in the final third.
Even though Atlético's coach, Javier Aguirre, had set up a tight defensive scheme—using a man-marking plus zonal system that ensured Jin Hayes would face two or more players wherever he received the ball, cutting off his passing lanes and isolating him—the teenager still found a way.
Under that system, Atlético Madrid had indeed done well. For long stretches, Jin Hayes was largely invisible. Unfortunately, a five-second lapse in concentration allowed him to gain possession and create a goal. That was all it took.
After conceding, Atlético Madrid went completely wild. Every player seemed to unleash 120% of their energy, launching wave after wave of fierce attacks on Borussia Dortmund's backline. The visitors had no choice but to focus on defence.
Their less-polished high press temporarily lost its effectiveness, and they adopted a traditional low block, retreating deep and parking the bus. Agüero and Diego Forlán bombarded the Dortmund goal, but repeatedly missed by narrow margins.
The more anxious they became, the harder it was to stay composed.
However, Agüero is Agüero.
Just before the end of the first half, he relied on his powerful individual ability—suddenly bursting forward with the ball outside the box, changing direction to shake off Neven Subotić—and drilled a low shot into the net.
Atlético Madrid had equalised on the night.
Aggregate score: 6–3.
Still a three-goal deficit.
In the second half, Atlético Madrid remained in high spirits, constantly threatening Dortmund's goal. Just when it seemed they might break through again, Nuri Şahin delivered the best performance of his young career.
On the defensive end, he limited Atlético's progression, intercepting passes with impeccable positioning. On the offensive end, he orchestrated the midfield flawlessly, linking up with Jin Hayes, Sebastian Kehl, Reus, and Jakub Błaszczykowski to form multiple passing triangles. The one-touch play within these triangles made Borussia Dortmund's style vaguely reminiscent of peak Barcelona.
But compared to Barça, Borussia Dortmund were far more willing to play forward—to pass into space behind the defence. Attack, attack, and still attack. To attack was in the blood of this black-and-yellow youth storm.
With Reus and Błaszczykowski making intelligent runs and Jin Hayes carrying the ball dangerously through the final third, Dortmund also created multiple chances in front of goal. If Alexander Frei, the experienced Swiss international, had not been struggling to find his shooting form, Dortmund might have already made it 10–3 on aggregate.
Frei was sadly substituted in the 65th minute, replaced by 22-year-old German forward Christopher Kullmann, a youth team product. Kullmann was visibly nervous playing in such a high-stakes Champions League encounter, so the attacking effect remained limited.
Borussia Dortmund couldn't score. Atlético Madrid, in their desperation, also couldn't score. Both sides played an open, end-to-end game with lightning-fast transitions—one team attacking, then the other.
Neutral fans watched with great enjoyment. Unfortunately, twenty minutes passed with both sides only brushing the woodwork, unable to find the net.
Then, in the 82nd minute, Jin Hayes drove into the penalty area from the half-space. Drawing the attention of three defenders, he unexpectedly delivered a rabona pass back to the edge of the box.
"Cut-back pass! Nuri Şahin!!"
Şahin, who had surged forward from deep, was already waiting. This was a set play he and Jin Hayes had practised every day after training—thousands of repetitions, sweat soaking the training ground, all for this one moment in a real match.
Bang!
From twenty-two metres, Şahin unleashed a world-class strike. The ball whistled like a cannonball, tearing into the top corner of Atlético Madrid's goal.
At that moment, Şahin's shot shattered Atlético Madrid's Champions League dream completely.
Match score: 1–2.
Aggregate: 7–3.
If Atlético Madrid couldn't score four goals in eight minutes, they would completely lose their chance at Champions League qualification. Four goals in eight minutes? Atlético Madrid had given up completely.
Coach Javier Aguirre stood on the sideline, his expression already numb. There were already rumours that the club was in contact with former Spain international and Atlético Madrid legend Abel Resino. Javier Aguirre's new season had effectively died before it had even begun.
Equally disappointed was Sergio Agüero. The 20-year-old had always been a prodigy. He rose to fame at a young age with Independiente in Argentina, making his senior debut at fifteen and going on to appear 56 times, scoring 23 goals.
At eighteen, he arrived at Atlético Madrid with a €20 million transfer fee—the most expensive signing of that season for the club. After Fernando Torres's departure, he secured a starting position and led Atlético Madrid all the way to fourth place in La Liga.
Atlético Madrid hadn't tasted Champions League football in twelve years. Agüero, in his first full season as a starter, had helped the team qualify. He could have been full of ambition—ready to dominate in Europe, compete against the continent's giants, and fulfil his promise to his good friend Lionel Messi: to meet in the Champions League final and battle at the pinnacle of the sport.
Unfortunately, that Asian teenager stood in his way.
Agüero had tried his best, but still couldn't get past him. The number 10 on the opponent's back seemed like an insurmountable mountain. And that wasn't all—how would he explain this to the Atlético Madrid fans? They had waited twelve years, hoped for twelve years, and this was the result? Two qualifying matches, and the Champions League journey ended before it even began?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment the referee blew the final whistle, Sergio Agüero could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down his face. He hated himself for not being strong enough, hated himself for missing several key opportunities.
"Damn it!!! Fuck!!!" Agüero lay powerlessly on the grass, clenching a handful of turf in his fist, then releasing it dejectedly.
"Hey, Agüero."
"What?" He opened his eyes and saw that annoying Asian kid looking down at him.
Was he laughing?
Agüero quickly got up, instinctively wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and glared fiercely at Jin Hayes.
"What are you looking at, you idiot? I'll give you two punches!"
"Speaking of, you played well. If this were the Champions League group stage, you could at least make it to the knockout rounds."
"I don't need your comfort! Losing is losing."
"I'm not comforting you, you crybaby coward. You're not worth my comfort."
"Damn it!!" Agüero's anger surged. He realised that this kid was not only obnoxious on the pitch—using his fancy footwork to mess with opponents' heads—but also had nothing good to say off it. It was a miracle he hadn't been hacked down yet.
"I'm leaving. If we meet in the Champions League next season, remember not to cry. It's a bit ugly."
"Damn it!!!"
Agüero could only watch Jin Hayes walk away. That black number 10 on his back became an unshakeable obsession. The pain and self-reproach from the loss quickly faded, replaced by pure anger and a burning desire for revenge. No matter what, he had to get into the Champions League next season—and defeat this guy fair and square, until he knelt and begged for mercy.
Atlético Madrid's star striker Diego Forlán had been comforting his teammates, worried that young Agüero might be disheartened. Unexpectedly, Agüero's eyes burned with fury as he stared at the player tunnel, looking exactly like an enraged bull.
"Agüero, what's wrong?"
"Diego, I want revenge! We must play well this season and get back into the Champions League!"
"Good!" Forlán's eyes lit up. Agüero's unyielding attitude would surely make him a world-class superstar in the future. Little did he know, the fire had been lit by a few taunting words from their opponent.
…
Just as Borussia Dortmund secured their Champions League group stage spot and were about to depart from Madrid early the next morning, heading directly to Munich for their upcoming Bundesliga clash, the front page of Marca had already been freshly printed.
"Borussia Dortmund's Nemesis with Two Assists Eliminates Atlético Madrid – Coach Killer Strikes Again!"
"Champions League Dream Shattered: Atlético Madrid Coach Javier Aguirre Resigns in Press Conference"
"German Coach Killer Slashes Another! Dortmund Successfully Advance to Champions League Group Stage"
Seeing the newspaper at the airport, Jin Hayes inevitably faced teasing from his teammates.
"Jin, you really are a coach killer! How many coaches have fallen by your hand now?"
"Oh no, I'm a bit worried for Klinsmann."
"Klinsmann himself is absurd—his Bayern is a joke."
"Jin, whatever you do, don't take down Klinsmann. I want to watch Bayern completely rot."
"Bayern's management firing coaches—I can't control that!" Jin Hayes didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He just led the team to wins. At most, he was the spark. The coaches of those teams already had deep-seated problems; their dismissals were only a matter of time. Why was he taking all the blame?
Still, looking at everyone's attitude towards Bayern Munich, they didn't seem worried about the upcoming crucial match. With four consecutive wins to start the season, the black-and-yellow youth storm was gradually stirring up a bloody storm across Europe.