"Teammates! We are Bayern Munich! We are the overlords of this nation!"
"The throne of the Bundesliga will forever bear our name. When facing any opponent, it is always the other side that bows its head!"
"We are fearless! Let's unleash our strengths! Attack, attack, and attack again!"
Arjen Robben scratched his bald head. Facing the gesticulating handsome blonde middle-aged man in the dressing room, Robben was a little at a loss. He lowered his voice and asked his scar-faced teammate next to him: "Is the coach always like this?"
"I don't know either." Franck Ribéry shrugged. "I'm not familiar with him either."
The arrival of new coach Jürgen Klinsmann had brought a surge of vitality to the entire Bayern dressing room. Compared to Ottmar Hitzfeld's era of iron-fisted discipline, Klinsmann's advocated "happy football" was quite popular among the players.
From the start of pre-season training, Klinsmann did not put Bayern Munich through any hellish devil training. Instead, they often played games on the training ground. Rondo, foot-tennis, one-on-one challenge matches—the training ground was always filled with laughter, and every player looked relaxed, without any pressure.
As the double champions of the Bundesliga last season, they felt they faced no real challenges in the league. Only in the Champions League could they meet strong opponents.
At the start of the new season, Bayern had two consecutive draws. But from the club to public opinion, no one thought this was a problem. As long as Bayern started their winning streak, rolling like a well-oiled machine, this war chariot would be unstoppable.
Bundesliga Round 3, the match against Borussia Dortmund, was Bayern's chance to recharge. The "Golden Bomber" Klinsmann had led the Germany national team to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup. He still had some level of skill. Everyone was willing to trust him.
It was just Arjen Robben, who had just joined Bayern that summer, who wasn't very trusting of this new coach. He always felt that Klinsmann was a bit unreliable.
According to the original course of history—if such a thing existed—Robben would have stayed at Real Madrid for another season. After his transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid, he was considered a key player for the Spanish giants, frequently making breakthroughs on the right wing with his signature cutting-in move. Unfortunately, frequent injuries prevented Robben from getting too many appearances.
Originally, Robben wanted to stay at Real Madrid to prove himself once his physical condition stabilised this season. He wanted to achieve a high market value before leaving the Real Madrid dressing room quagmire.
Unexpectedly, Bayern's offer was quite decisive: €30 million, a fixed price. They specifically named him, determined to bring Robben to the Allianz Arena, to let him dominate Bayern's right wing.
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß had been double-beaten by Borussia Dortmund last season. Jin Hayes's unstoppable breakthroughs on the right wing had already caused him psychological trauma. Hoeneß hoped someone could replicate Jin Hayes's threat and form a two-wing attack with Ribéry on the left. After a search of the market, Robben on Real Madrid's right wing was undoubtedly the best choice.
Thus, Robben arrived at the Allianz Arena one year earlier than his original destiny. Due to his recent recovery from injury, his body was not yet ready for play. Robben could only watch as a bystander, observing how his new teammates would deal with Borussia Dortmund. Having been double-beaten by Borussia Dortmund last season, all of Bayern's players were burning with fighting spirit, following Klinsmann's shouts:
"Attack! Attack! Attack!"
Tear Borussia Dortmund apart.
Revenge.
…
In the away dressing room, Borussia Dortmund seemed relatively calm. Jürgen Klopp emphasised tactics for the last time before the match: "Our high press is becoming more mature, but there are still coordination errors. Today's Bayern Munich is an excellent sparring partner. I hope you can demonstrate the characteristics of the high press today, giving the opponent no chances. How can a football match be safest? Always bring the battle into the opponent's half."
"Every inch of the pitch is our territory. We will not give up an inch. Like in war, fight for every blade of grass. There's no need to say more—I'm sure you can do it. Bayern is not an unbeatable opponent. We have already beaten them twice, and we can beat them again in the new season."
Compared to the relaxed and wild atmosphere in the Bayern Munich dressing room, the Borussia Dortmund players were equally full of fighting spirit, but more calm and confident. So what if they were the defending champions? They were merely vanquished foes.
…
Ahead of Bundesliga Round 3, Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund, Bayern's "big-mouthed president" Uli Hoeneß faced the media with strong confidence.
"Borussia Dortmund is a team made up of young players. The characteristic of young people is inconsistency—they can have winning streaks and losing streaks. Bayern is the defending champion. We are the rulers of this field. In the new season, Bayern will continue to dominate the Bundesliga. The Champions League is our true journey."
Hoeneß left no room for himself. His words revealed his absolute certainty of victory against Borussia Dortmund. A reporter from German Sport1 couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him with an awkward laugh: "Borussia Dortmund are in excellent form recently. They have won four consecutive matches and thrashed Atlético Madrid home and away. Is Bayern Munich perhaps being too optimistic?"
"Do you think we will lose?" Hoeneß's rhetorical question left the reporter speechless.
Since this was a live interview on Sport1, Hoeneß's words had just been spoken and were already being widely discussed on the German Kicker forum. Before the Bayern vs. Dortmund match, Hoeneß's reply instantly garnered hundreds of replies.
"That's just how Hoeneß is."
"So classic!"
"Is there a problem? Will Bayern lose?"
"Have you forgotten last season? Who beat Bayern twice?"
"Last season doesn't mean this season. It's hard to say who will win."
"Still dreaming of the league championship? This match will bring you back to reality."
"Bayern 3 – 1 Dortmund."
"Bayern 0 – 5 Dortmund."
"The one upstairs is too much. Bayern should at least score one goal. Losing by five goals at home is a bit disrespectful."
Last season's double defeat had turned Borussia Dortmund fans into Bayern's sworn enemies. During the off-season, Bayern fans had incited arguments on forums daily, slandering Dortmund and Jin Hayes everywhere. They clamoured for revenge and for Jin Hayes to be on the receiving end of a hard tackle. How could Dortmund fans allow others to insult their king? Jin Hayes was not someone to be cursed at.
Dortmund fans fought back. Initially, their counterattack wasn't strong enough. Bayern still had a larger fanbase worldwide, while Dortmund's fanbase was relatively smaller. However, soon, Chinese students and overseas Chinese communities across Europe joined in, becoming a continuous reserve force for Borussia Dortmund supporters.
Some fans even reposted the online war of words from the Kicker forum to Chinese internet platforms, calling on everyone to join the verbal battle on foreign websites.
At this moment, there was no need for sophisticated internet tactics. Jin Hayes's fans in Asia—in a vast, surging tide—used Google Translate's machine-translated German to completely flood the Kicker forum.
For a time, Bayern fans were so overwhelmed that they couldn't even mount a proper rebuttal. Borussia Dortmund achieved a phased victory. All Bayern supporters could only endure in silence, waiting for this day. As long as Bayern defeated Dortmund today, they could fight back and curse them right back.
Hoeneß's words had clearly become the fuse, prematurely igniting the confrontation between the two sides. Jin Hayes was busy with the pre-match rituals at that time and had no chance to check his phone. Otherwise, he might have logged in with an alternate account to join the verbal sparring and vent a little.
Recently, with team training and the competitive matches against Schalke 04, Cottbus, and Atlético Madrid, Jin Hayes had grown increasingly comfortable in the attacking midfield position. Currently, only two shortcomings remained that could not be resolved immediately: 1) finishing, and 2) passing in extreme situations.
Finishing, of course, needed no introduction. At present, he could only score difficult goals through his Technical Talent – Causality Shot Enhancement or score headers through Physical Talent – Enhanced Jumping.
Under normal circumstances, his best chances to contest headers came from set pieces. The wingers, Reus and Jakub Błaszczykowski, had the tactical responsibility of cutting inside to shoot. When Alexander Frei was out of form, the two wide players were expected to finish, and crosses were rarely delivered.
As for passing in extreme situations, Jin Hayes's current passing level—according to Pro Evolution Soccer standards—was probably around 74. Fast-paced short passing combinations were not a major problem. Passing power, trajectory, and other aspects generally met the standards of Europe's top leagues.
Combined with Jin Hayes's naturally expansive vision and ability to read the game, he could often deliver a killer pass from the attacking midfield position. When faced with an absolute chance, he could always resort to using difficult dribbling moves to trigger Technical Talent – Heartfelt Pass, ensuring a 100% successful delivery.
However, there were always fleeting windows of opportunity—a subtle run from a teammate creating a potential excellent chance—where a regular 70-point passing level made it difficult to deliver a surgical pass, to perfectly thread the ball through a crowd.
At that moment, if he had the master-level passing skills of Xavi, Iniesta, or Scholes, he might better seize those opportunities and create more threats. Only then would Jin Hayes consider himself worthy of standing among the top three players in world football.
"If only I had passing technique that surpassed Xavi…"
His inner self remained calm. No response.
Damn it. Did it not trigger?
Jin Hayes still didn't know what he needed to sacrifice to complete the third talent activation.
"Let's go, Jin! Time for the handshakes!"
After the pre-match team photo, the Bayern Munich players stood in a line. The away team players came forward one by one to shake hands. Bayern's starting lineup was still those familiar faces from the previous season: Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Franck Ribéry, Hamit Altıntop, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Massimo Oddo, Lúcio, Martín Demichelis, Philipp Lahm, and goalkeeper Michael Rensing.
As for Borussia Dortmund, their 4-3-3 formation had become increasingly mature and stable. With two matches in a week, they used the same lineup as against Atlético Madrid: Roman Weidenfeller; Patrick Owomoyela, Neven Subotić, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer; Nuri Şahin, Sebastian Kehl, Jin Hayes; Jakub Błaszczykowski, Marco Reus, and Alexander Frei.
As Jin Hayes passed Ribéry, the short, scar-faced player looked up defiantly, his gaze fierce and fixed on him. Jin Hayes didn't mind—he simply increased the pressure in his handshake in return.
Hiss— Ribéry clearly felt the pain, but he held it in, not even flinching. Good, he's a tough guy.
It wasn't until Jin Hayes released Ribéry and shook hands with Bastian Schweinsteiger behind him that Ribéry finally grimaced. Nuri Şahin, following behind, was bewildered by the exchange.
"I didn't even use much force," he muttered to himself.
The match began. Bayern Munich kicked off first at home. The Bundesliga Round 3 highlight match was underway.
The Sport1 commentators were the familiar duo, Mehmet Scholl and Oliver Kahn. As Bayern legends, they showed no politeness toward their former club, instead offering sharp commentary.
"Hoeneß's words put a lot of pressure on the players. If Bayern loses now, public opinion will definitely turn against them."
"No choice. Mr. Hoeneß is just like that." Kahn was slightly more reserved, as he still planned to run for Bayern's presidency in the future. Hoeneß's big mouth was well-known in German football circles.
The two were chatting about off-field gossip but were quickly drawn back to the action on the pitch. Just forty-five seconds into the game, Borussia Dortmund's high press resulted in a turnover.
"Beautiful!!! Şahin's anticipatory defence, stealing from Schweinsteiger! To Jin Hayes!"
"Jin!! Oh my god!"
Amid the exclamations of tens of thousands of Bayern fans at the Allianz Arena, Jin Hayes leaned his side against Mark van Bommel. Facing Şahin's pass, he suddenly flicked the ball up with his heel, turned, and charged to the other side—a silky smooth, high-difficulty piece of skill that caught Bayern completely off guard. In that moment, van Bommel saw a glimpse of the legendary Dutch master, the Ice Prince Dennis Bergkamp.
Easily past van Bommel, the ball was flicked a bit higher than intended, still in the air. Hamit Altıntop came across from the right, ready to challenge Jin Hayes for the header. He desperately positioned himself, using his body to try to muscle the younger player out. But Jin Hayes's physical condition was no longer what it had been.
According to Pro Evolution Soccer's rating scale, he had improved from 75 to 82 over a single summer. The max-level physical talent produced training effects that left Altıntop utterly shocked. Instead, Altıntop was pushed half a step back, unable to contest the ball immediately. He could only try to block Jin Hayes's path.
Then, tens of thousands of Bayern fans in the stadium—and millions watching on television—witnessed the unexpected. Jin Hayes extended his left foot, hooked the ball back first, and began to turn to the right. Just as he was about to change direction and dribble past, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
Shoot!!
Could it be…?Causality Shot Enhancement?
Under the floodlights, watched by countless eyes, Jin Hayes—from thirty-five metres out—flicked the ball up and immediately struck it.
A turning volley.
Bang!
The entire stadium fell silent.
The ball flew through the air with a sharp whistle, then dipped rapidly in front of the goal. Goalkeeper Michael Rensing had no reaction, watching helplessly as this unstoppable knuckleball grazed the underside of the crossbar and plunged into the net.
Less than one minute into the match.
Jin Hayes's brilliance stunned everyone. The Allianz Arena was frozen in disbelief.