Lionel Messi. The man regarded as one of the 'Twin Peaks' alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. As Kaká gradually faded, the battle for the world's best was solely between these two. In the predicted timeline, this was roughly the situation.
The next 10 years of world football would be dominated by them. Until the 2022 World Cup, when a 35-year-old Messi lifted the World Cup trophy, signaling the grand finale of the Twin Peaks' drama. Two football superstars who had competed for over a decade then made their exit. The ones who would then carry the torch of football were... well, the future didn't seem entirely clear.
Still, Messi and Ronaldo's dominance was strong enough, with each holding absolute sway for a period of time. At this very moment, in 2008, both were just beginning their explosive rise. Cristiano Ronaldo had just won the Ballon d'Or, only to be eliminated by him.
Next, it was the turn of the so-called 'Sextuple-winning' Messi, who walked past him, his head reaching just about the tip of his nose. Jin Hayes had to lean down slightly to shake hands with Messi. However, Jin Hayes dared not underestimate him because of his height; Jürgen Klopp and his entire coaching staff had studied for half a month to devise a strategy to defend Messi.
At the same time, Messi also looked up at this young man with a youthful face and clear, bright eyes. Cristiano Ronaldo was eliminated by him, so Messi likewise dared not be negligent. Their hands briefly clasped, both feeling the other's strong fighting spirit.
After Messi, the next person to shake hands with Jin Hayes was another familiar face—the former 'King of Highbury,' the biggest gun in Arsenal's arsenal, Thierry Henry. During his time following Arsenal, he loved Henry's unstoppable runs down the left flank. In the 'Henry Zone' in front of the penalty area, his shots almost always found the target.
Just as both teams were posing for a group photo, the Westfalen Stadium created an atmosphere by playing the exciting Champions League anthem. "They are the best teams, they are the ultimate teams, the winners of the most important competition, the kings, the Champions!"
In junior high, the most exciting moment was sneaking out of bed at 2:45 AM, creeping into the living room, turning on the TV, quickly muting the volume with the remote before the sound came on, then turning it up just a tiny bit. He would sit on a small stool in front of the TV, listening to the Champions League anthem playing.
Watching Arsenal on screen, facing Barcelona in the Champions League final, Henry dribbling into the enemy's formation—fans who have had similar experiences, who have had a favorite team and were immersed in watching games, can probably understand that kind of tension and excitement. Now, he was a starting player standing on the field. The star he once admired was on the opposite side, having just shaken his hand. Today's opponent was none other than Barcelona.
"Hah! The misheard lyrics 'kick Barça, kick Barça,' and today we're really kicking Barça!" Jin Hayes felt that fate was like this, enjoying toying with people.
Borussia Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl and Barcelona's Carles Puyol exchanged pennants, and Kehl successfully guessed the coin toss, winning the kickoff. Players from both sides returned to their half, forming a circle. Feeling the strength of his teammates' hands around him, Jin Hayes heard Kehl take a deep breath, his German accent strong and clear. "No more talk, lads—they're called the 'Dream Team,' no one favoured us before the match—" "But today is our home ground! We must defend it!"
"Heja—BVB—"
"Heja!! BVB!!"
"Let's go!"
Borussia Dortmund's entire team's emotions soared to their peak, awaiting the ultimate battle about to begin.
Jin Hayes came to the centre circle, facing Alexander Frei. Barring any surprises, he wouldn't have many more matches partnering with the Swiss international.
"Ready, brother?"
"Of course."
The two exchanged a glance, then Jin Hayes turned to look at his teammates; everyone had confirmed they were ready. Good, the show has begun.
"CCTV, CCTV, this is a live broadcast of the 2008-09 season, a pivotal match in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals."
"Borussia Dortmund, the biggest dark horse of this Champions League, is hosting the title favourite Barcelona!"
"On the field, wearing yellow jerseys and black shorts, is Borussia Dortmund—wait!! That ball!"
"Borussia Dortmund launched a quick attack at the start, this is their signature lightning strike!" He Wei didn't even have time to finish his sentence; Borussia Dortmund had already launched their offensive right after kickoff.
Alexander Frei flicked the ball, Jin Hayes passed it back to Kehl, and both were already sprinting towards Barcelona's penalty area. At the same time, Marco Reus on the left and Jakub Błaszczykowski on the right, both standing on the halfway line, ran at full speed. The four were like sprinters on a 100-metre track, moving in unison the moment the starting gun fired.
"Just as expected!" Messi's eyes lit up. Borussia Dortmund's signature lightning strike was no longer a secret. Before the match, coach Pep Guardiola had predicted their move and had deployed defensive tactics.
Their positioning before kickoff: Messi, Thierry Henry, and Samuel Eto'o were on the centre circle line, in a ready-to-sprint stance.
At the same time, the positions of the three midfielders Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets were more concentrated, subtly moving forward. Barcelona's attacking and midfield lines were quite dense overall, as if shrinking into a ball. And their defensive line exchanged glances, like soldiers marching in formation, maintaining absolute alignment.
Indeed, when the opening whistle blew, Borussia Dortmund launched a quick attack as expected. The moment the ball was passed back to Sebastian Kehl's feet, Barcelona moved simultaneously. They didn't rush to retreat to their own half, but rather all three lines simultaneously charged into Borussia Dortmund's half, closing in on Dortmund's central defenders and midfielders.
Especially Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, both like vanguard generals on a battlefield, were the first to use their speed advantage to rush over and entangle Kehl and Nuri Şahin.
Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets formed the second chain, instantly blocking passing lanes. Barcelona's defensive line—Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol, and Éric Abidal—all sprinted forward at the same time. When Marco Reus, Alexander Frei, and Jakub Błaszczykowski charged into the opponent's half, they happened to cross paths with Barcelona's defensive line.
"Uh—"
"Huh?"
"Wait a minute!"
Reus immediately stopped, alerted, but inertia still carried him forward. It was over.
Hiss—
Jürgen Klopp was instantly alarmed, turning his head to look at Pep Guardiola. Normally, no team would dare to charge forward with everyone in the opening stages; at least a few defenders would stay behind to protect. But Barcelona was different.
As inheritors of Johan Cruyff's philosophy, they emphasized total football, everyone attacking and defending, maintaining a highly compact and coordinated formation—if they charged, they charged together, all three lines pushing up simultaneously. This actually countered Borussia Dortmund's lightning attack.
Guardiola, in his suit and tie, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips. "It's an offside trap. I added an offside trap."
Originally, Kehl could quickly make a long pass to the front, giving it to Jin Hayes to create a threat. If Kehl was entangled, he could let Şahin make a long pass to the front. But Kehl and Şahin were entangled immediately. As Şahin shook off Eto'o and lifted his foot to prepare for a long pass, all four players in front were in an offside position, two body lengths beyond the offside line. It must be offside... wait?
Şahin didn't hesitate at all, kicking a long pass. As all of Borussia Dortmund's players rushed forward, Jin Hayes was the most alert. He slammed on the brakes, keeping pace with Barcelona's defenders.
Bang!
The moment the pass was made, Jin Hayes accelerated again. Puyol next to him had intended to interfere with his body, but it was like hitting a wall, his entire body shaking violently.
"What?" As Puyol was momentarily stunned, Jin Hayes had already burst several metres away. He jumped, lifted his foot, and gracefully brought the ball down. Accelerating with a powerful dribble—attacking Barcelona's goal. As long as no one else touched the ball, Jin Hayes's reception of the ball was not offside. And Reus, Frei, and Błaszczykowski could still charge forward a second later. Thanks to Jin Hayes's quick reaction, they instantly broke Barcelona's offside trap. He had anticipated their anticipation, and countered them. Barcelona paid the price for their confidence.
"Jin Hayes!!! That's not offside!! It's a 4-on-1 in the front!! Only one goalkeeper!" Guardiola's smile froze on his face. Now it was Klopp's turn to grin.
"My goodness!!" Goalkeeper Víctor Valdés went crazy; he had been massively let down by his defence. Valdés could only rush towards the penalty area line, attempting to stop Jin Hayes's shot and thwart the attack.
Thump-thump!Thump-thump!
Jin Hayes's heart rate had soared. He accelerated, dribbling the ball near the penalty area, even seeing Valdés's nose hair. Happiness came so suddenly—success or failure hinged on this one moment.
At this crucial moment, his extreme calmness prevented him from attempting a dribble or a shot immediately. Valdés would use his rich experience to extend his arms and disrupt the ball. Jin Hayes looked up to his left; Reus and Frei were both coming in behind. He deliberately lifted his foot and pushed the ball sideways, even pushing it a short distance.
Valdés didn't doubt it, instantly pushing off and changing direction, ready to dive for Reus. In that instant, Jin Hayes incredibly managed to hook the ball back with the outside of his foot, accelerating and changing direction to shake off Valdés, and dribbling towards the goal.
"It's over!"
Many Barcelona fans had just turned on their TVs, not yet having time to pop open a beer. But they watched Jin Hayes already dribble past the goalkeeper, accelerating straight towards the goal. A powerful shot from the goal line.
Boom! Goal. Net.
"Huh?"
"Que?"
"What the heck?" Almost everyone in the world was stunned; the goal came so quickly.
"Goal!!! Goal!!!" He Wei was almost jumping up and down. "Just 13 seconds into the match, Jin Hayes scores a one-on-one goal!"
"Borussia Dortmund with a dream start, leading by 1 goal temporarily!"
"Bow drawn like a full moon, arrow flying like a meteor—Jin Hayes, he has once again stepped up in a crucial battle!"
The Westfalenstadion erupted into a deafening roar, the yellow wall swaying in celebration as the players mobbed Jin Hayes. He had done it—again. Against the odds, against the best, he had struck first. But the match was far from over, and Barcelona's response would be swift and ruthless. This was only the beginning.