The whistle for the second half blew, and the look in the Genoa players' eyes clearly changed.
They swarmed forward like an enraged beehive, and just as Nagelsmann had predicted, Genoa began to frantically bombard the flanks.
In the 48th minute, Veloso sent a curving cross from the right, and Pandev, like a ghost, got in front of Vogt to head the ball towards the goal.
"Bang!"
Hoffenheim's goalkeeper, Kobel, dove horizontally, pushing the ball over the crossbar with a single palm, and the entire Rhein-Neckar Arena gasped.
"Watch the second ball! Everyone, stay focused!" Nagelsmann roared from the sidelines, gesturing with his hands for them to contract.
The two defensive midfielders, Grillitsch and Amiri, immediately dropped back, sealing off the edge of the penalty area like two floodgates.
In the 51st minute, Genoa attacked again, Lazovic unleashed a surprise long-range shot, and Kobel once again performed a miraculous save, punching the ball out of the danger zone.
"Well, done!" Oliver gave Kobel a thumbs-up, then turned to see Veloso on the opposite side organizing a new round of attack.
This time, Genoa had learned their lesson; Veloso faked a pass and then pulled the ball back, suddenly sending a low, diagonal through ball.
Forward Pandev arrived in time!
1-2! Genoa still scored.
The Genoa players celebrated wildly, while Hoffenheim's defence looked at each other in dismay.
Nagelsmann was a little agitated; he had clearly emphasized this to his guys, but he quickly regained his composure and shouted towards the field:
"Stick to the plan! Don't panic! We still have the advantage!"
Oliver wiped away sweat, realizing his breathing was becoming heavy; the pace of an official match was more than twice as fast as training.
Genoa's counterattack came in waves, and it was only then that he truly experienced what it felt like to be a professional player.
In the 58th minute, it was Kobel again, with a world-class save, blocking Rossi's long-range shot.
"Substitution!"
In the 61st minute, Nagelsmann made his first move, Hack replacing Gnabry; Gnabry already had extensive professional experience, and the remaining time was now up to the newcomer, Hack.
This new left winger immediately created a threat upon entering the field; his speed kept Genoa's right-back Barreca scrambling, and Nagelsmann's substitution was perfectly executed.
Oliver 's positioning also began to change; he no longer stuck rigidly to the flank but frequently dropped back into midfield to receive passes.
In the 67th minute, he dropped back to the center circle to receive a pass from Grillitsch, executed a beautiful Marseille roulette to get past Veloso, and then delivered a precise long pass to Hack, but unfortunately, the latter's shot went high.
"Beautiful! That's the performance you should have!!" Nagelsmann uncharacteristically punched the air in applause.
The Hoffenheim fans in the stands gradually found their voices again.
They began to sing their team song, and whenever Oliver touched the ball, sporadic "Oliver! Oliver!" shouts would erupt.
In the 83rd minute, the magic moment arrived.
Oliver received a pass from Amiri near the right-wing center line.
Genoa's Lazovic immediately closed in, but Oliver pulled the ball back with his right foot, then lightly pushed it with the outside of his left foot, instantly dribbling past the first defender!
The stands began to stir.
The second player to rush up was Genoa midfielder Bertolacci.
Oliver lightly chipped the ball with his right foot; it was less than 20 centimetres off the ground but passed through Bertolacci's legs in a flash!
The entire movement was fluid, as if the ball was glued to his foot.
"Oh my God! What am I seeing? He's not Brazilian, nor is he Argentinian, he's English-Chinese! It's truly rare for an Asian player to perform such ball control, it's too magnificent!" The live Commentator's voice suddenly rose.
Genoa's last line of defense was Spolli.
This experienced center-back lowered his center of gravity, preparing to block the shot.
Oliver feigned pushing the ball with his right foot, but at the moment of contact, he lightly chipped it with his instep, and the ball drew a small arc over Spolli's head.
At the same time, Oliver darted around from the other side!
Nutmeg and run around!!!
"Criminal!!! Absolutely criminal!!! This dribble is full of provocation!!! Let's keep watching this kid, his performance isn't over yet!" The Commentator's voice almost broke.
The entire stadium erupted; some Hoffenheim fans even stood up in excitement, and it wasn't just the fans—the guys on the bench also stood up.
Gnabry was mesmerized by Oliver 's performance: "Is this still the good friend I know?"
Oliver strode forward, catching up to the falling ball, and before it landed, he dramatically leaned his body, and just before completely losing balance, he volleyed a shot.
"Swish!"
The ball flew like a cannonball, straight into the far corner! 3-1!
The Rhein-Neckar Arena exploded instantly.
"17-year-old Oliver!!!! A young talent from Paris Saint-Germain's youth academy!!!! Two goals on his debut, this is a super perfect report card, let's cheer for this kid!!!!!" The German Commentator shouted frantically.
Hoffenheim fans jumped wildly, some even smashing beer bottles.
Oliver finally shed his restraint this time; he ran towards the corner flag and performed an passionate knee slide!
It was a good thing the pitch had been watered beforehand today, otherwise he would have definitely caught his knee and fallen.
"Fantastic, kid!" Teammate Schulz was the first to pounce on him, pinning him down.
"Oliver, you're a f***ing genius!" Amiri shouted, rubbing his hair.
Nagelsmann on the sidelines smiled like a child, turning to embrace his assistant coach tightly.
He should be the happiest person in the stadium right now; a promising young star had emerged, and for a coach who loves to develop young players, this was much more satisfying than signing an already famous superstar.
All the players on the bench rushed to the sidelines; some held water bottles, shaking them like champagne.
The Genoa players' eyes had gradually lost their focus.
They attempted a last-minute counterattack, but in the 87th minute, Hübner made a textbook slide tackle, clearing Genoa forward Andre's one-on-one shot out for a goal kick.
When the final whistle blew, the score was set at 3-1.
Oliver was surrounded by his teammates; Vogt even carried him on his shoulders.
The cheers from the stands echoed like a thunderstorm, lasting endlessly, and many fans began chanting "MVP! MVP!"
Although it was just a friendly match, everyone still enjoyed the victory, and the chemistry between Oliver and the Hoffenheim guys grew deeper.
While everyone was chatting happily, Nagelsmann walked over, a rare bright smile on his face:
"Kid, two goals on debut, multiple precise passes, and that damned magic show just now…"
He patted Oliver 's shoulder, "I've decided, you're allowed to be an hour late for training tomorrow, you can sleep in a bit."
"You know, Coach, I only arrive early."
"No, being an hour late is an order. Your training sessions these past two days have been too crazy, and when you do arrive, start with tactical lessons. You can slightly reduce your physical training for these two days."
"Alright, I'll try my best."
As everyone walked towards the player tunnel, Oliver looked up, once again at the scoreboard.
It clearly displayed:
Hoffenheim 3-1 Genoa
Goals: Oliver 23', 83', Gnabry 41'
There were still many fans waiting on both sides of the tunnel.
A small boy wearing a Hoffenheim jersey with no number was riding on his father's shoulders, shouting:
"Oliver! Can you sign for me?"
"Of course, little friend." Oliver stopped, took the pen, and signed for him carefully.
The little boy looked at Oliver signing, saying somewhat apologetically: "I'm sorry, Oliver, your jersey hasn't gone on sale yet. The next time I ask for your autograph, I'll definitely be wearing your jersey."
This sentence touched Oliver; he felt a strange warmth in his heart.
"It's okay, little friend, if you need, we can also take a photo."
"Okay! My dad brought a camera, wait a moment!"
Finally, Oliver held the child and completed the first photo with a fan in his professional career.
Although Hoffenheim's stadium was not as luxurious as Prince Park Stadium, for Oliver, this place was already truly home.
…
After the match, the locker room was still filled with the sounds of victory; Oliver sat in his spot, untying the bandage on his ankle.
Teammates, in twos and threes, finished showering; some hummed songs, others loudly replayed the match's highlights.
Gnabry walked over shirtless, sat on the chair next to him, and grinned: "How does it feel to score two goals on your debut, isn't it great?"
Oliver smiled, and before he could answer, the locker room door opened.
Nagelsmann stood at the doorway, his suit jacket already off, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, and his tie loosened.
He scanned the room, his gaze landing on Oliver.
"Oliver, come here for a moment."
Oliver got up and walked over; Nagelsmann led him to the hallway and closed the locker room door behind them.
"You don't need to go to the press conference later," Nagelsmann said directly.
Oliver was stunned: "Coach, was my performance not good enough?"
Nagelsmann chuckled: "Quite the opposite, your performance was too good, but what you need most right now is rest, not facing that pack of hungry journalists."
He patted Oliver 's shoulder, "Facing interviews is harder than playing a match. I don't want you to get confused by those tricky questions; there will be plenty of opportunities later."
Oliver nodded, relieved; he was indeed not ready to deal with the media's barrage of questions.
Next, in the press conference room of the Rhein-Neckar Arena, flashbulbs flickered non-stop.
Nagelsmann adjusted his suit collar and sat down at the long table, in front of which were several bottles of mineral water and microphones with the club's logo.
He glanced at the empty seat beside him; the match's MVP, Oliver, should have been sitting there, but he had specifically sent the 17-year-old back first.
The journalists below were already impatient. The first to ask a question was Mike, a senior journalist from Kicker: "Coach, how do you evaluate your players' performance today? Especially the resilience the team showed when facing Genoa's counterattack?"
Nagelsmann clasped his hands on the table:
"Overall, I'm very satisfied; the players executed the tactics very well.
We analysed the weaknesses of Genoa's three-center-back system before the match, and the players perfectly implemented the flank penetration tactic."
He paused, "As for resilience? This team is developing a characteristic: not arrogant when leading, not flustered when conceded. This is a more valuable gain than victory."
His answer was flawless, affirming the players without revealing specific tactical details.
A Bild journalist immediately raised his hand: "Regarding Gnabry, Bayern loaned him to Hoffenheim hoping he would get more playing time. What do you think his role in the team is?"
There was a trap hidden in this question; any discussion about "Bayern" could be misinterpreted as a judgment of a big club.
Nagelsmann was an extremely cautious person, and he could certainly see the journalist's intention. He said: "Serge (Gnabry) scored a fantastic direct goal from a corner kick today, which showed his skill and courage."
He cleverly shifted the topic to specific performance: "As for his role, he is one of the team's important attacking options, just like other players."
A few chuckles broke out in the room; the journalists realized that Nagelsmann was indeed not easy to deal with. His words did not criticize any team, and his answers were very fair.
Finally, someone asked the question everyone was concerned about.
A female journalist from Süddeutsche Zeitung raised her voice recorder: "Oliver started and played the full match today, and also scored two goals. How do you evaluate the breakout performance of this 17-year-old?"
Nagelsmann's expression suddenly became animated. He leaned slightly forward, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table:
"Honestly, I still can't understand Paris Saint-Germain's decision. They would rather spend nearly 400 million Euros to sign Neymar and Mbappé, yet they let go of a player with unlimited potential like Oliver for free.
If you only watched today's match, you might think this kid was just a flash in the pan.
But those who have witnessed his daily training know that Oliver possesses all the qualities to become a top star: technique, football IQ, and what's even rarer, he has the self-discipline unique to Asian players, as well as the tactical understanding of European players."
He paused for a moment, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "Current Paris Saint-Germain now boasts the world's most expensive attacking combination, but I dare say that five years from now, when people look back at this transfer operation, letting Oliver go for free might be one of the most memorable decisions.
Oh, and off-topic, besides his talent, he also has market value that can drive sponsors crazy. His exquisite skills combined with that face that appeals to both East and West, I think our marketing department should be quite happy this season."
"So, do you think he has any weaknesses at the moment?" a journalist asked.
"If I had to find a weakness…" Nagelsmann shrugged, "His celebration moves are really terrible. That punch after the first goal, it was like swatting a mosquito. I'm considering whether to arrange a celebration move training session for this kid."
He mimicked Oliver 's stiff movements, eliciting another round of laughter.
The atmosphere lightened.
A Hoffenheim Daily journalist seized the opportunity to ask: "Does this victory give you more confidence for the new season?"
Nagelsmann sobered his expression and said earnestly: "Confidence is built brick by brick by the players through their performance on the field. Today, Oliver, Gnabry, and Amiri all showed their strength, but we need more performances like this."
He looked down at his watch.
"The road is still long, but at least we've had a good start to the season. Alright, gentlemen, ladies, the press conference is over."