"From the goal in the 7th minute, the game completely entered the rhythm of the home team, Dortmund. Their high press was quite fierce, leaving no room for Wolfsburg's two strikers to play. The ball couldn't even be passed out—"
"Yes, the high press severely restricts Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg's passing in the midfield and defence isn't smooth. Makoto Hasebe—unable to turn, Jin Hayes is putting pressure on him from behind—good, a back pass to the goalkeeper Diego Benaglio—Frei's pressing is very active! Diego Benaglio!! Oh oh oh, that was quite dangerous. Diego Benaglio kicked the ball long to midfield and almost had it intercepted."
Amidst Duan Xuan's exclamations, Diego Benaglio's long kick reached the centre circle.
"I'll take it!!!" A roar echoed on the pitch as Jin Hayes burst out from the crowd, leaping into the air. Makoto Hasebe, being shorter, was completely unable to compete for the ball with someone of Jin Hayes's height.
Some media had commented that Jin Hayes's height was a bit wasted playing as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder, and he could definitely try playing as a striker. But the facts proved that in such midfield contests, Jin Hayes's height gave him a significant advantage.
Dortmund's high defensive line forced the opponent to resort to long clearances. Next was Jin Hayes's aerial dominance. After Jürgen Klopp discovered his Jump Enhancement advantage, he readjusted his tactics, giving Jin Hayes a more important tactical role.
The contest for the first ball in midfield was almost always handled by Jin Hayes. Relying on Jump Enhancement, he perfectly controlled the ball, heading it back to captain Sebastian Kehl. As he landed, he pushed off the ground, leaving deep imprints in the turf, and then sprinted forward like an arrow released from a bow.
"Unstoppable!" Makoto Hasebe was a step slow, and then every step was slow. He couldn't win the header and was then outdistanced by Jin Hayes. His heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth, chasing back quickly.
Sure enough, Dortmund's midfield passing was even smoother than silk. "Kehl—Nuri Şahin—through ball down the middle! Jin Hayes!!"
The wide‑open pass was aimed directly at Jin Hayes. Other teams' short passing penetration almost always required a combination of wing play and central play, and only after continuous passing and shifting could they create enough space for the central attacking midfielder to handle the ball, which made it easier for players to receive and organise.
Dortmund was different.
After Klopp realised Jin Hayes's ball‑holding ability, he simply simplified things. No matter how narrow the space, as long as the ball reached Jin Hayes, it could create a threat.
The Brazilian Josué swore in Portuguese, rushing to block Jin Hayes's path. In his opinion, even if Makoto Hasebe couldn't win the header against Jin Hayes, he shouldn't let him go so easily.
The Japanese player had almost zero impact in this defensive play. Was Wolfsburg's defence entirely dependent on him? Josué was smarter this time; he didn't make a reckless tackle but lowered his centre of gravity, maintaining distance, and blocked in front.
Under defensive pressure, Jin Hayes could only choose to receive the ball with his back to goal. If Josué pressed closer to interfere, he would surely block Dortmund's attack.
"Player Josué! Good defence, Jin is forced to receive with his back to goal, which should slow down the attack rhythm—What?!!!" Commentator Junji Ogura was originally explaining the situation on the pitch in a serious manner. Jin Hayes's seemingly back‑to‑goal reception should not have caused any surprises, but the situation on the pitch changed in an instant.
Jin Hayes dipped his left shoulder, feigning a change of direction, but Josué remained unmoved. The Chinese player's feint was indeed a fake, as he actually flicked the ball to the right with his toe.
"I saw through you, didn't I!" Josué instinctively moved his feet to block the ball's path, feeling confident. In that instant, Jin Hayes once again performed an aerial sombrero flick, hooking the ball back from an extreme angle and nutmegging his opponent with a backheel.
Within the half‑second that Josué's brain froze, Jin Hayes had already turned from the left and slipped away, his movements from receiving the ball to turning and dribbling flowing like water. The entire Westfalenstadion stood up and applauded, a thunderous ovation.
"Incredible!! It appeared!!!" NHK commentator Junji Ogura no longer cared about cheering for Wolfsburg; Jin Hayes's magnificent breakthrough thrilled him.
The collapse of the midfield defence was too sudden, and Wolfsburg's defenders also panicked. Centre‑backs Andrea Barzagli and Jan Šimůnek committed a major defensive error, both rushing forward simultaneously, one in front and one behind.
Jin Hayes had already dribbled into the top of the box, casually performing a step‑over, then suddenly changing direction by pushing the ball outwards with his right foot. He feinted past Barzagli, then followed with a Marseille turn to complete the dribble and break into the penalty area.
Šimůnek was just about to rush forward when he saw Jin Hayes lift his foot as if to pass to Alexander Frei, who was in a better position. Šimůnek hesitated, then retreated to defend. Jin Hayes, however, faked a pass and truly dribbled, flicking his ankle to continue carrying the ball straight into the penalty area.
"You bunch of rubbish!!!" Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was truly frustrated. He abandoned his goal, moving across Jin Hayes's path, attempting to block the one‑on‑one shot with his hands. Jin Hayes gave him no chance, stepping on the ball to pop it up, barely chipping it over the goalkeeper, and even having enough composure to jump and avoid Benaglio's foul.
"The goalkeeper has been beaten too!! Jin Hayes!! He's in! Facing an empty net!" Chinese and Japanese commentators exclaimed simultaneously at that moment. The Westfalen stands had already risen, ready to cheer. The charging Jin Hayes was unstoppable.
Behind him, Dortmund teammates were already standing in place, raising their hands to celebrate. In the despairing eyes of the Wolfsburg players, Jin Hayes carried the ball to the goal line, carefully pushing it gently, letting the football roll into the net.
"Nice goal!! Jin's signature solo goal!! Dortmund leads by two goals!!" The NHK commentator roared passionately for a long time before remembering his identity, then added, "This is really troublesome. Wolfsburg, where player Hasebe plays, has been hit hard again. Their winning streak has been ended, and winning the championship will become increasingly difficult."
Duan Xuan had no such concerns; he was simply excited. "Jin Hayes!! A beautiful solo goal! Dortmund scores again! Hahahahaha, Jin Hayes's performance today is as brilliant as ever. He has already shown a dominant display in the Bundesliga.
If Bayern still fails to regain its competitiveness this season, we are very likely to see a Chinese player lift a top league championship trophy in Europe for the first time!"
Duan Xuan's words automatically ignored Dong Fangzhuo of Manchester United, who had barely played in two seasons—lifting the trophy had nothing to do with him. Only Jin Hayes was a genuine starter, winning a championship in one of Europe's top five leagues.
Of course, the season wasn't over yet, so Duan Xuan couldn't pop the champagne too early. "The season is still long, but I hope this young storm can maintain its current momentum as much as possible."
...
Leading 2‑0 at halftime, Wolfsburg had almost lost their fighting spirit. Especially the second goal: Jin Hayes's solo breakthrough brought not just a goal, but a heavy psychological blow to the opponent.
The defensive tactics practised for so long before the match, a defensive line composed of so many top Bundesliga players, were actually toyed with by a 16‑year‑old. Any team would find this unacceptable.
Any team broken by Jin Hayes's solo effort would inevitably receive a morale debuff. Defensive players would usually fall into self‑doubt, either becoming overly aggressive or timid when defending against him again. Attacking players, on the other hand, would enter a frantic state, eager to equalise the score, leading to a loss of composure.
Wolfsburg was not without chances in the second half. In the 56th minute of the match, taking advantage of a lapse in Dortmund's high press, Makoto Hasebe's through ball pierced two lines of defence. Grafite dribbled deep, drawing Mats Hummels into the penalty area.
If he had stopped, turned, and passed horizontally to Edin Džeko on the left, that goal would surely have been scored. However, the Brazilian Grafite got hot‑headed and, under Hummels's interference, blasted a shot that hit the side netting. Wolfsburg fans thought the ball had gone in and were about to cheer, only to be disappointed.
"Nice!"
"Beautiful defence!!"
An excited Roman Weidenfeller hugged Hummels, planting a fierce kiss on his forehead.
"Go away, go away!" Hummels pushed him away in a fluster, like a shy young wife. Nuri Şahin, Jin Hayes, and Neven Subotić all laughed at him from behind.
"Mats, you might as well give in."
"You bunch of bullies!" Hummels grumpily kicked out, but Şahin dodged it.
Grafite, nearby, collapsed backward onto the grass. It was too late for him to regret now. A missed golden opportunity would be punished.
Indeed, Dortmund's counter‑attack three minutes later created a threat. Jin Hayes, while performing fancy dribbling in the middle, was brought down by Josué, earning the Brazilian defensive midfielder a yellow card. Şahin took the free‑kick, curling a shot towards the far post, and Subotić headed it in.
3‑0.
"Another goal! Dortmund seems to have shaken off the shadow of offensive sluggishness and rediscovered the feeling of scoring big!"
Duan Xuan was overjoyed; commenting on Jin Hayes's matches was simply exhilarating. In the days when Chinese football was in disarray, only Jin Hayes was the bright spot for domestic fans. This time, it was again his activity in attack that earned the team a free‑kick goal opportunity.
On the sideline, coach Jürgen Klopp finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that the team's recent finishing problems would be exploited by Wolfsburg. If Grafite and Džeko found their form, their proud attacking play might suffer. At the crucial moment, it was Jin Hayes's one assist and one goal in the first half that set the tone for the match, completely stifling Wolfsburg's comeback momentum.
"Honestly, what would we do without Jin?"
"That would be difficult."
Assistant coach Željko Buvač sighed, spreading his hands. The team seemed to be thriving, but in reality, it all depended on a 16‑year‑old. Otherwise, this Dortmund team had not yet reached its full potential; it would need at least two or three seasons of development to truly unleash its power.
Jin Hayes, however, with his unparalleled skills, had forcibly activated Dortmund ahead of schedule, pushing the team onto a fast track, speeding ahead.
As Klopp celebrated with a raised arm, Felix Magath on the other side had already slumped into his chair. His gold‑rimmed glasses had slid down his nose, looking a bit dejected in the close‑up shot, completely lacking the sharpness he displayed when trash‑talking before the match.
"Can't even defeat him?"
Last season, he had been defeated twice by the "coach killer." Thanks to the club's trust, Magath was able to stay at Wolfsburg and continue coaching. This new season, he was again defeated by Jin Hayes. If they lost again in the second leg and failed to win any trophies this season, Magath's coaching career might enter a countdown.
"This is truly unlucky." This famous Bundesliga coach even had a thought: "When can the Chinese player go wreak havoc in other leagues? Please, don't stay in the Bundesliga." As long as Jin Hayes was in the Bundesliga, the head coaches of the other 17 Bundesliga teams would have to worry about their jobs.
Magath, in his chair, had already begun seeing his life flash before his eyes. Everything happening on the field seemed unrelated to him. Until the referee's three whistles brought him back to reality. He looked at the scoreboard, still 3‑0. Magath breathed a sigh of relief; at least it wasn't more embarrassing.
In fact, Dortmund, with a 3‑0 lead, was also conserving energy. They weren't pressing aggressively or continuing to attack. High pressing was very physically demanding, and both teams tacitly wasted the remaining garbage time, allowing Wolfsburg to finally be relieved.
Jin Hayes, who played the full 90 minutes, raised his hands after the match to applaud and thank the fans, which triggered a thunderous applause lasting over a minute throughout the Westfalenstadion. "The Song of Jin Hayes" once again echoed over Dortmund. "Jin Hayes! Jin Hayes! Westfalen crowns you!"
Amidst the stadium's fervent celebration, Jin Hayes suddenly spotted the Heinrich family in the front row of the south stand. Hans, Maria, Fritz—they were all waving frantically at Jin Hayes. Jin Hayes quickly ran over, and with the help of the advertising board's height, he lightly jumped onto the stand. He embraced his family from his second home over the railing.
"Jin!! You're amazing!!"
"Well done!!"
After hugging Hans and Maria one by one, Jin Hayes moved to his left and suddenly saw Anna, whose face was flushed to her ears.
"Uh—"
"This—"
Anna had already half‑opened her arms to embrace him but then shyly pulled them back. The camera had already locked onto Jin Hayes, and the stadium's big screen was focused on the two of them. If she hugged him—just thinking about it made her hair stand on end and her heart race.
Looking at the girl's shy appearance, how could Jin Hayes care about being on the big screen?
Driven by the impulse of victory, Jin Hayes stepped forward and embraced the slender girl. Anna's delicate body seemed to melt in his arms. Her unique shower gel fragrance was still the scent Jin Hayes liked. He had thought the reserved girl would be very shy and push him away. She had said long ago that she hated public displays of affection.
Unexpectedly, Jin Hayes suddenly felt a pair of small hands wrap around his waist.
"Well done."
The girl's shy whisper in his ear, at this moment, drowned out the roar of Westfalen.