After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

Game start.

At the start of the match, Spartak Moscow unsurprisingly deployed a solid 5-4-1 defensive formation in their own half, aiming to compress space.

Faced with a dense central defense, Hoffenheim opted for a strategy of patient maneuvering.

Their goal was clear: to firmly control the pace of the game and avoid being dragged into a brutal physical battle by their opponents.

"Keep your distance! Keep the three lines tight!" Captain Vogt's shout tore through the noisy background and clearly reached every teammate.

Left-back Schulz, like a cheetah receiving a command, immediately pressed forward, creating a highly threatening overlapping attack with Gnabry on the left.

On the right side, Yan Yuan did not rush to penetrate, but instead frequently roamed laterally in the right flank of the opponent's half.

Every seemingly casual touch and movement he made strained Sparta's defensive chain.

Right-back Kaderabek, understanding the situation perfectly, made rhythmic runs forward under Yan Yuan's cover, maintaining the width and tension of the attacking line.

Hoffenheim's three lines danced in perfect unison on the harsh winter grass, maintaining precise spacing.

Hoffenheim had a plan in place when the opposing striker, Fernando, began to harass them aggressively near the center circle.

Vogt stepped back, forming a safe triangular passing formation with the equally flexible Geiger and Demirbay.

Possession was quickly transferred between the defensive midfielder and the center-back, avoiding Fernando's attacks and slowly advancing the formation.

Yan Yuan would often drop back to the center circle to receive the ball. He would not hold onto the ball in the center circle. After passing the ball to a teammate in a better position with one touch, he would immediately turn around and move forward, his eyes sharply scanning every gap in the opponent's defense.

In the 18th minute, Yan Yuan received a diagonal pass from Demirbay on the right wing. Instead of forcing a breakthrough, he calmly controlled the ball and cut inside.

This instantly drew the attention of full-back Kombarov and center-back Zikia, who were closing in on him!

Just as the two came together, Yan Yuan's body weight shifted very slightly to the left, drawing more attention to his opponent, Rigia.

His left foot, however, kept the ball close to the grass and precisely passed it to the unguarded wing!

Kaderabek, like a fully charged spring, rushed over with great strides and, without any adjustment, swept a low ball towards the goal!

The ball was extremely fast, and Szalai, who was rushing in at the near post, made a desperate sliding shot, but unfortunately the angle was too straight and the goalkeeper Shelihoff instinctively blocked it with his leg!

A tremendous gasp and a roar of relief erupted from the stands.

"That was a real shame, but Yan's playmaking was excellent; he could see the location of every teammate!" the commentator said.

"Adrian, watch out on the flanks!" The Spartan coach waved his arms furiously on the sidelines, pointing to the rib area that Yan Yuan had just easily torn apart.

Midway through the first half, Hoffenheim's offensive focus began to subtly shift to the right, as observed by Yan Yuan.

Nagelsmann's targeted attack tactics were communicated to every player on the field.

Gnabry began to dribble and draw defenders more on the left flank, repeatedly outmaneuvering Sparta's right-back, Yesenko, gradually shifting the center of gravity of the entire Sparta defense towards Hoffenheim's left flank.

The space on their right side was repeatedly torn and expanded.

"Amiri, right flank!" Yan Yuan seized an opening in the opponent's defense that shifted to the left during a transition between offense and defense, and immediately shouted, while simultaneously gesturing to Amiri in the middle.

Amiri understood immediately and abandoned his partial dropping back to receive passes, instead frequently making sudden runs into the space between the opponent's right-back and right center-back.

This created wave after wave of layered attacks against Yan Yuan, who was operating between the flanks and the center.

In the 38th minute, Gnabry's sprint and pressing on the left side of midfield forced Sparta's midfielder Glushakov into a fatal mistake.

Demirbay reacted with lightning speed, like a precise scalpel, intercepting the ball without even pausing to adjust, and delivered an incredibly sharp straight-line through ball!

The target was the weakest link in the opponent's defense: the area between right-back Kombarov and the center-back!

The pass went over the defender's head and bounced precisely into Yan Yuan's forward run!

At this moment, only Kombarov, who was retreating in defense, stood in front of Yan Yuan!

He remained completely calm, even using his peripheral vision to confirm that the interior defensive team members were still quite far away.

There was a very subtle shoulder drop feint on his right shoulder, as if he was about to force a breakout to the bottom.

Kombarov's center of gravity was shaken and shifted slightly half a step towards the outside!

This half-step space is enough!

Yan Yuan decisively spiked the ball with his right foot!

The movements were small, but the timing and speed were perfectly controlled!

The ball rolled through the gap where Kombarov tried to intercept it.

The first spike had already gotten past the opponent, but Yan Yuan didn't pause at all, and immediately flicked the ball outward with his left foot!

Another series of movements, like deep-frying a meatball!

He instantly shook off the staggering Kombarov who was chasing back and the left center-back Bocchetti who rushed up to cover him in the paint!

In the blink of an eye, Yan Yuan was already facing the goal near the corner of the penalty area.

He didn't even look up to see where the goalkeeper was; it was purely instinct that drove him to sweep the ball with the inside of his left foot towards the bottom corner of the goal!

"brush"!

The ball skimmed the cold grass, speeding past the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Shelihoff, and crashed into the near corner of the net!

1-0! A moment of suffocating silence fell over the entire Luzhniki Stadium, followed by a roar of suppressed cheers from hundreds of Hoffenheim fans in the away stands!

"Terminator, Yan!!!!"

"Strict, hero Yan!!!"

Yan Yuan calmly turned around and ran to the sideline to celebrate, pointing his finger at his temple—his new celebration gesture.

[Celebration gesture: See? This guy scored with his brain.]

"Perfect reading! Perfect execution! This is a targeted attack!" the German television commentator exclaimed excitedly. "Look at the despair in Koumbarov's eyes! He and his defense have been instantly dismantled by a young man with unparalleled football intelligence and skill! Hoffenheim's rising star has seized upon a fatal weakness!"

Shortly after the halftime whistle blew, the Hoffenheim players ran toward the tunnel, patting each other on the shoulder and back.

Nagelsmann didn't say much in the midfield dressing room, he just reiterated the importance of defensive toughness, transition efficiency, and self-protection.

In the second half, the storm came faster and more fiercely than expected. Less than five minutes after the opening whistle blew, Spartak Moscow had already made a radical change to a 3-5-2 formation!

Attacking midfielder Promes moved up to the front line, while dribbling expert Samedov moved to the wing.

The entire formation resembled a ferocious beast with its jaws wide open, charging out with a do-or-die momentum! The pressure instantly crashed down on Hoffenheim's backfield like a mountain.

"Demirbay! Retreat!" Captain Vogt roared urgently.

Without hesitation, Demirbay immediately dropped back between Hübner and Vogt, forming a temporary three-center-back system.

Gnabry also received clear instructions, and he dropped back significantly to the left defensive midfield position to help full-back Schulz tightly mark the opponent's highly impactful Samedov.

The Spartan siege was like a tidal wave, one wave higher than the next.

Intense physical confrontations and fierce tackles filled every corner of the field.

On the bench, Nagelsmann frowned, leaned slightly forward, and unconsciously tapped his fingertips on the tactical board due to tension.

Just when the home team was about to completely crush Hoffenheim, the conversion efficiency that Nagelsmann emphasized was transformed into a sharp weapon by Amiri and Yan Yuan!

In the 56th minute, Amiri managed to steal the ball back from Fernando's feet during a fierce midfield battle!

He even ignored the opponent's fierce tackle from the side, stumbled for a moment, but quickly regained his balance thanks to his desire for victory and excellent sense of balance.

He dribbled the ball like an arrow shot from a gun, speeding forward along the middle!

Sparta's players exposed huge gaps in their own half by pressing forward aggressively.

Right center-back Bocchetti was forced to leave his area of ​​responsibility and rushed toward the high-speed advancing Amiri, attempting to block him with his body!

Just as Bocchetti was about to collide with Amiri, Amiri saw Yan Yuan waving high in the air.

He decided to drive diagonally!

The ball, with the precision it displayed in training, skimmed the grass, tracing a tricky arc, and barely cleared the remaining Spartan defensive line.

He slipped into that deadly, unguarded gap on the right flank.

"Good shot! Amiri!" Nagelsmann roared!

Yan Yuan activated it.

He had been observing Amiri's movements, and the moment Amiri made the decision to pass diagonally, Yan Yuan had already sprang out like a cheetah!

This is the perfect opportunity to break the offside trap!

Without the slightest delay!

He pierced through the opponent's defense like a ghost, and as Bocchetti looked back, Yan Yuan received this wonderful pass on the right edge of the penalty area.

He even had time to make a calm stop and adjust, which showed his absolute control over the rhythm.

At this moment, Sparta's goalkeeper, Shelihoff, hesitated due to the sudden counterattack and positioned himself slightly closer to the near post.

It's that fraction of a second of opportunity!

Yan Yuan took a step, adjusted his footwork, and stared intently at the far post of the goal.

With a tense right leg and a powerful push, he calmly unleashed a low, high-speed shot with the inside of his foot!

Goalkeeper Shelihoff desperately shifted his body to the left, stretching his arm as far as it could go! His fingertips even brushed against the cold air!

The ball rolled precisely into the far corner of the goal, skimming the inside of the goalpost.

2-0!

This goal was like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the flames of a comeback that had just been ignited at Luzhniki Stadium.

The commentator exclaimed in disbelief, "A textbook example of a counter-attack! Amiri broke through, and Yan Yuan calmly finished! Hoffenheim's counter-attacking efficiency is terrifying! Yan's attack is too sharp!!!"

Nagelsmann immediately slid down to celebrate on the sidelines in place of Yan Yuan.

The blow of being down by two goals was like an avalanche, completely shattering the Spartan players' mental defenses.

The formation inevitably became disjointed in many areas, and center-back Zikia's mentality was clearly unbalanced.

He even began to blindly push forward to participate in the attack, completely ignoring the ever-growing gaps in the space behind him, like a gambler who had lost his mind.

Hoffenheim's pack of wolves keenly sensed the scent of their prey losing its blood.

In the 68th minute, the attack started from the left flank.

Schulz's cross from the wing was barely blocked by the opposing defender, but Gnabry cleverly intercepted the falling ball.

Facing the onrushing defender, he didn't act recklessly, but cleverly cut inside from the side!

This threw the entire defensive formation into disarray.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Geiger inserting himself, and the two of them tacitly executed a wall-bumping move.

When Gnabry got the ball again, he had already cut into the penalty area!

Without adjusting, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner of the goal, facing goalkeeper Shelihoff, whose angle was still slightly off!

"Bang!"

3-0!

Unstoppable! The collapse of Sparta is already visible to the naked eye.

In the 72nd minute, Hoffenheim controlled the ball in their own half, and the Spartacus players seemed to have lost all their spirit.

Vogt calmly received the ball a step behind the center circle, looked up to observe, and delivered a precise diagonal long pass without hesitation.

The target is the right flank!

This time, Yan Yuan received the ball.

With his back to the goal, on the right corner of Sparta's penalty area, he forcefully used his body to hold off Bouchetti, who was struggling to catch up.

Bocchetti tried to pull away and interfere, but Yan Yuan's core strength made him as steady as a rock in the confrontation.

Just as Bocchetti was struggling to regain his footing and preparing to stop Yan Yuan from turning around...

Yan Yuan made a move.

He didn't even turn completely to face the goal.

He relied solely on his outstanding core strength and anticipation, taking advantage of the slight time difference caused by Bocchetti's downward pressure.

As you suddenly turn your left foot halfway back, use the outside of your left foot to skillfully slide the ball inward!

The entire movement was as fluid as flowing water and drifting clouds!

Bocchetti's leg extension was a beat too late.

He had done his best, but could only watch in vain as Yan Yuan slipped past him.

Yan Yuan adjusted his position and immediately charged into the right side of the penalty area's edge!

At this moment, several Spartan players were frantically chasing back, but it was too late.

Yan Yuan's gaze was fixed on the goal, but the near post area seemed to be blocked by goalkeeper Shelihoff and some of the retreating defenders.

This space is enough!

He lifted his left foot, drawing a beautiful arc in his body!

The ball, like a precision-guided cruise missile, bypassed the wall of players and nestled into the top left corner of the goal.

With his vision obstructed, Shelihoff was too far away to make a save!

"4-0! Hat-trick!!!! Oh my god! Yan Yuan! This is Yan Yuan's second hat-trick!!!! He is the first player in the history of the Champions League group stage to score hat-tricks in two consecutive matches!!!!" The commentator's voice was completely drowned out by the frenzied celebration.

The bright red 4-0 on the huge electronic scoreboard completely shattered the last shred of reason.

Despair spread like a plague in the eyes of the Spartan players, followed by an uncontrollable surge of violence.

In the 82nd minute, Hoffenheim intercepted the ball in midfield again and launched a quick counter-attack.

Yan Yuan received the ball on the right wing. At this point, Sparta's defenders were completely stunned, and their defense was in disarray.

Yan Yuan easily dribbled the ball to the right edge of the penalty area.

He deceived the left center-back Tasci, who was marking him, with his eyes. After making a feint to cross from the byline, he quickly pulled back his left foot and delivered a low, triangular cross.

The ball wasn't fast, but it passed through several recovering defenders and the disorganized goalkeeper in the middle!

Striker Szalai, arriving from the center, easily slotted the ball into the empty net!

5-0!

However, in the midst of the celebrations after the goal, just as Yan Yuan was dribbling the ball back to his own half to participate in the defense, a sudden change occurred!

"Watch out!!! Be careful!!!" Nagelsmann's pupils shrank suddenly on the sidelines, and he roared in shock!

late!

Tashcher, whom he had just beaten, charged at him from the side and behind like a runaway locomotive!

He leaped high, not towards the ball, but with his shoulder and arm, he rammed solidly and fiercely into Yan Yuan's unsuspecting ribs!

"Ugh!" Yan Yuan felt an irresistible force slam into his left rib. The intense pain made his vision go black, and he lost his balance. Like a puppet with broken strings, he was thrown into the air and crashed heavily onto the cold, hard artificial turf!

A dull thud resounded.

Yan Yuan instantly lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground like a felled log.

"Damn it!!!" Gnabry's eyes widened in fury!

He was closest and could see it most clearly.

That looked like a fight, but it definitely wasn't; it was naked revenge!

He was the first to rush over!

Shaolai had already reached his position when he heard the exclamation and turned around to see this scene. Enraged, he ran towards the perpetrator and shoved Tashcher, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"What the hell do you want to do?!" Vogt, as the captain, was already furious. He led Amiri, Demirbay and others to surround Tashcher in an instant.

The scene instantly descended into chaos!

The players from both sides were entangled, pushing and shoving each other, and cursing!

A piercing whistle rang out, and the referee rushed into the crowd, flashing a yellow card at Tashcher without hesitation.

This is already the third yellow card Sparta has been frantically requesting!

Nagelsmann's heart was in his throat!

He immediately turned to the bench and roared, "Ochs! Quick! Get ready to come on and replace Yan!!!"

His face was ashen, and he looked anxiously into the arena, praying that his beloved student was alright.

Yan Yuan lay on the ground, curled up, his right hand tightly clutching his right rib.

The intense pain made him furrow his brow, gasp for breath, and turn pale.

"How are you? Yan, where does it hurt? Is it your right rib?" The team doctor rushed onto the field immediately, and Gnabry and Saloi knelt down beside Yan Yuan, anxiously asking him questions.

Yan Yuan endured the pain, waved his hand, and managed to squeeze out a few words: "...ribs...ribs...a little sore...it should be nothing serious..."

The team doctor quickly examined her.

Fortunately, although Tasci's attack was fierce, the angle and point of impact were not particularly malicious.

Yan Yuan's relatively strong physique and his subconscious slight avoidance action played a protective role.

After an examination, the team doctor indicated that there was nothing seriously wrong for the time being; the ribs were fine, but the soft tissue outside the ribs was definitely bruised, and the player had to leave the field for protection.

Nagelsmann immediately replaced Yan Yuan with the young Oakes.

The moment the substitution board lit up, Nagelsmann personally ran to the sidelines and held Yan Yuan's hand tightly as he was helped off the field, his eyes filled with heartache and anxiety.

"Yan, are you really alright? Are you sure?" He repeatedly asked, while gently patting Yan Yuan's back to help him catch his breath.

"It's nothing, Coach... Ouch... It's just... My ribs hurt a little." Yan Yuan moved his right arm, which aggravated the injured soft tissue.

"Damn it, what a bunch of barbaric players! Yan, you sit still and make sure you get a full medical check-up when you get back." Coach Nadal rarely swore when he saw his protégé cry out in pain.

Nasser was slightly relieved after receiving a reassuring look from Yan Yuan, but still patted him on the shoulder with concern.

Yan Yuan was assigned to the bench and immediately wrapped himself in a thick down coat to keep warm.

In the remaining minutes, Nagelsmann decisively changed formation to a five-defender system to stabilize the situation: Hübner moved to the left to form a three-man defense with Vogt and Schulz, Kaderabek dropped back to the right wing-back position, and defensive midfielders Ochs and Amiri made safe lateral passes and controlled the ball in midfield to wear down the defenders.

Spartak Moscow's morale has been completely shattered; they seem to have even lost the will to commit a foul.

The match drew to a close with safe passing rounds.

On the Hoffenheim bench and in the away stands, everyone's eyes were focused on the 17-year-old boy sitting on the sidelines wrapped in a thick coat.

The cold wind at Luzhniki Stadium was still biting. Although Yan Yuan had suffered a minor injury, he was still very happy because the team had secured three points.

The match ended with Hoffenheim securing a resounding victory.

Yan Yuan, who was on the bench, also stood up abruptly the moment the final whistle blew, unable to resist celebrating for the team.

But the moment he stood up, the spot on his right rib where he had been hit still throbbed with pain, causing him to gasp for breath and furrow his brow.

"Hiss... Ah..."

But this brief pain was instantly washed away by the overwhelming joy and satisfaction that swept over her entire body.

Instead of immediately heading towards the wildly celebrating fans, the Hoffenheim players turned around.

I rushed toward the figure sitting quietly on the plastic chair, wrapped in a thick down coat.

Gnabry was the first to rush to Yan Yuan, his face still flushed with the excitement of scoring a goal, but his eyes were full of tension.

He had intended to pat Yan Yuan on the shoulder in celebration, but stopped abruptly halfway through, carefully instead supporting Yan Yuan's elbow.

"My God! That looked really painful! Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yan, what did the doctor say just now? Did you injure any bones in your ribs?" Amiri bent down to look at Yan Yuan, her brows furrowed.

The joy of winning the game was now completely replaced by worry.

Shaoluoyi squatted down and carefully examined the area on Yan Yuan's right rib that he was clutching. "That dog...that bastard is so filthy! How are you feeling, Yan? Is your breathing easy? If it hurts a lot, don't try to hold it in!"

Shaolai refrained from uttering the word "bastard".

Demirbay, Kaderabek, Schulz, and even goalkeeper Baumann—all the players on the field gathered around.

The spirit of unity and solidarity in the locker room, facing tough battles together, carried over into the moment of victory off the field, only the focus shifted to protecting their injured core members.

Everyone's movements were deliberately gentle and careful, and the pats on the back and handshakes automatically avoided Yan Yuan's injured right side.

Geiger only dared to lightly touch Yan Yuan's uninjured left shoulder and whispered, "Hat trick and assist, Yan, you're a hero, but you really scared us to death."

"I'm really fine, guys, it's just a minor injury," Yan Yuan tried to make his voice sound relaxed, even though the dull pain in his ribs continued to irritate his nerves.

Looking at the faces surrounding him, filled with concern and joy at victory, his weariness was enveloped by a deeper warmth.

"Alright, stop crowding around me! We won! We won! That's five goals!" Yan Yuan raised his voice slightly, trying to shift his teammates' focus from him to this resounding victory.

His words eased the tense atmosphere slightly, and everyone smiled with relief; this was probably the unspoken understanding between men.

"Silence! Silence! Don't push!" Nagelsmann's voice rang out, tinged with urgency.

Na Shuai squeezed in from outside the crowd, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

He waved to his teammates, signaling them to step back a little: "Give Yan some space! He's been injured and needs fresh air! Be gentle! Don't touch his wounds!"

While gesturing for his teammates to pay attention, he personally bent down to carefully examine Yan Yuan's face: "Let me check again, kid, is your breathing okay? No nausea or anything else?"

Yan Yuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he looked at the undisguised tension and heartache in his mentor's eyes.

"It's really nothing, Coach. It just hurt a lot when I bumped into it, but it's much better now. My bones are fine, it's really nothing."

Nagelsmann finally let out a long sigh of relief, his expression of relief overshadowing his excitement after the victory.

He muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Those Caucasian bastards... thank goodness you're tough enough..."

He straightened up, his face regaining its usual composure, but with a warmth that was more pronounced than ever before.

"Alright, lads, you played exceptionally well today! You overcame the cold, the pitch, and all the difficulties! Yan laid the foundation for our victory," he said, giving Yan Yuan a special look.

"You guys protected the victory! That's a true team! Now, go thank our fans! They deserve the best cheers! And then! Hurry up, back to the locker room, don't let Yan stay here in the cold wind for too long!"

The team members dispersed knowingly and walked in an orderly fashion toward the stands, clapping, bowing, and waving to the sea of ​​white that had resounded throughout the stadium for them.

But their peripheral vision still occasionally swept towards the figure surrounded by the coach and team doctor, preparing to leave the field early.

Under the protection of the assistant coach and team doctor, Yan Yuan left the field early and headed towards the players' tunnel.

With each step, a slight, pulling pain shot through Yan Yuan's ribs, a clear reminder of how hard-won this arduous yet exhilarating victory was.