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

As soon as the opening whistle blew, the atmosphere became tense.

In the commentary booth, the veteran commentator's tone was filled with professional amazement:

"Look! This is Real Madrid, aiming for a three-peat in the Champions League! The BBC trio is on the field together, during the ceremony... Hoffenheim, this incredible dark horse, can they create a miracle on their home turf?"

Hoffenheim switched back to the 4-2-3-1 formation today.

Baumann guarded the goal; the defense consisted of Schulz, Maguire, Vogt, and Kaderabek; De Jong and Amiri partnered in the double pivot; Grillitsch played in the attacking midfield position; on the left and right flanks were winger Gnabry and Yan Yuan, who had returned to his familiar position; and Uth remained the striker.

Just a few minutes into the game, Hoffenheim felt the pressure from Real Madrid.

Possession was like being drawn by a magnet, firmly held by Real Madrid.

Kroos and Modric, these two elegant masters, orchestrated the attack with precise and penetrating passes.

Their main attack was clearly and fatally directed at Hoffenheim's right flank, which was Kaderabek's defensive zone!

Cristiano Ronaldo frequently roamed the flanks, while Marcelo, the left-wing engine, pushed forward completely, forming a combined attack with his Brazilian national teammate Casemiro!

Kaderabek was instantly surrounded by the world's most expensive attractions!

Marcelo's overlapping runs and inside cuts, Casemiro's support and cover, plus Ronaldo's readiness to receive the ball in the flanks, turn and shoot, or make runs behind him.

Only Real Madrid can bring this kind of pressure.

The German commentator exclaimed, "Real Madrid's tactics are brilliant! They've been relentlessly attacking Hoffenheim's right flank from the start! Kaderabek is under immense pressure! He desperately needs support!"

Yan Yuan knew that his defensive responsibilities were equally heavy within this system.

When Marcelo once again made a high-speed run down the flank, Caderabek was briefly distracted by Ronaldo's inward movement.

Yan Yuan didn't hesitate at all!

He immediately sprinted back, running nearly 60 meters from his own half to catch up.

Just as Marcelo was about to cross the ball, he made a precise sliding tackle, his toe barely deflecting the ball out of bounds!

"Beautiful! Yan! Deep defensive tracking! Crucial clearance! Yan's aggressiveness effectively relieved the pressure on his teammates and also neutralized some of Real Madrid's attacking threats!" the commentator exclaimed.

This scene played out at least three times in the first half of the film.

Each time, it was Yan Yuan who, with his proactive pursuit and high level of engagement in the game, filled the crucial gaps on the shaky right flank.

However, no matter how solid Hoffenheim's defense was, it was difficult to withstand the brilliance of top stars and Real Madrid's precise overall attack.

In the 18th minute, after Real Madrid's attempt to penetrate through the middle failed, Kroos calmly passed the ball to Bale, who was making a run down the right wing.

Da Sheng cleverly broke the offside trap and received the ball near the right baseline when Yan Yuan was caught off guard and had not yet positioned himself properly!

Kaderabek was forced to charge at Bale with all his might, but he had already lost the initiative.

Bale spotted the middle and delivered a precise low cross back!

The ball was incredibly fast, it flew past the near post and headed straight for the penalty spot!

Benzema has arrived!

Vogt tried to intercept the ball before he could reach it, but the French striker beat him to it by half a step and used an extremely skillful inside-of-the-foot volley to send the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal!

Bauman was powerless to stop them! 0-1!

"Benzema! A fatal blow! Real Madrid take the lead away from home! A textbook combination play between the wings and the center! Hoffenheim's defense has been torn apart!" The commentator said with regret and solemnity.

After scoring, Benzema ran with his arms raised high, while Zidane nodded slightly on the sidelines.

Nagelsmann looked grave, chewing his gum vigorously, and appeared even more anxious.

The Hoffenheim home fans fell into a brief silence, broken only by the deafening cheers of the away Real Madrid fans.

Despite adversity, the young Hoffenheim team was not defeated.

In the 22nd minute, Hoffenheim managed a rare successful interception in midfield, and Grillitsch quickly passed the ball to Yan Yuan on the right wing.

Yan Yuan received the ball, glanced at the defense, and then instantly started his run!

Facing Casemiro's direct interception, he used his signature move, the Phoenix Tail Spin, swinging his upper body and using the twisting force of his core to get past the burly Casemiro.

Then, in the instant he caught a glimpse of the opposing player out of the corner of his eye, he used a lobbed pass and a perfect dodge to successfully avoid Marcelo's cover!

"Yan beat Casemiro, then quickly blew past Marcelo, beat two Brazilians, Yan is still putting on a show!!!" The commentator was stunned.

After carving a bloody path through the enemy lines in a flash, before the opposing center-back could fully take his position, Yan Yuan unleashed a beautiful, curved cross with his right foot!

The ball bypassed the defense at the near post and accurately found Ute leaping high in the middle.

Ute overpowered Varane and headed the ball at a difficult angle.

However, a white figure suddenly dove to the side—Navas! The world-class goalkeeper made a divine save, tipping the ball over the crossbar with one hand!

"Oh my god!!!" A huge sigh of regret and astonishment erupted from the audience!

"Yan Yuan! Brilliant breakthrough! Perfect cross! Uth headed it beautifully! Navas! Unbelievable! Is this the difference between world-class and non-world-class? This goal is such a pity, it was such a crucial chance." The commentator's voice was filled with regret and shock.

If this ball goes in, the situation will completely change.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

As the match progressed, Nagelsmann made a decisive adjustment.

He made several clear gestures toward De Jong:

De Jong dropped deeper into position, falling between Vogt and Maguire to help distribute the ball and relieve the pressure of being pressed high up the pitch in the backfield.

Meanwhile, Amiri was given a more important role, moving forward and more actively moving into the left flank to actively look for Kroos to match up against!

The purpose of this move is to wear down Kroos.

Nash intends to keep Real Madrid's key playmaker near the center circle to help with defense.

This would free up as much space and time as possible for Yan Yuan to engage in one-on-one combat on the right flank!

The effects are beginning to show.

Yan Yuan now has significantly more space to hold the ball on the right wing than before.

In the 38th minute, Grillitsch switched the ball to the open space on the right wing, where Yan Yuan received the ball facing right-back Carvajal.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed the ball down with the outside of his right foot!

Speed ​​up! One-two between the player and the ball!

He attempted to use his speed to overpower Carvajal.

The experienced Carvajal was instantly left half a body length behind, and in desperation, he pulled Yan Yuan down from behind as Yan Yuan was about to accelerate.

This was a tactical foul.

The referee didn't hesitate: yellow card!

And a stern warning was issued to Carvajal!

Although no shot was taken, Yan Yuan's explosive and ambitious breakthrough, along with the yellow card he drew, greatly boosted the morale of Hoffenheim.

"See that! Yan is conscious and skilled. Carvajal, that old hand, has to be fouled to stop him!" the commentator exclaimed.

Then, in the 41st minute, Hoffenheim was once again engulfed in a storm.

After De Jong broke free near the center circle, Yan Yuan received the ball in the open space on the right flank.

Instead of attempting a breakthrough, he suddenly delivered a surgical through ball that passed perfectly through the only narrow gap between Modric and Casemiro, tearing apart Real Madrid's central axis.

Gnabry sped off like a cheetah, cutting at high speed into the huge gap behind Ramos!

He received Yan Yuan's pass.

Once again, a single strike!

Gnabry took a step back, faced the onrushing Navas, and unleashed a low left-footed shot!

The ball grazed the outside of the right post and slammed into the side netting.

"Oh no!!! Gnabry!!!" the commentator screamed, clutching his head.

"What a pity that the ball didn't go in! Yan Yuan's pass was simply divine! Precise! Deadly! Gnabry... just a hair's breadth away!"

Gnabry knelt on the ground, pounding the turf with his fists, filled with remorse.

A huge sigh rose from the stands, but it was immediately drowned out by cheers of "Hoffenheim! Hoffenheim!"

Zidane's expression finally turned serious as he stared intently at Yan Yuan's figure, growing more and more fond of him with each glance.

Nagelsmann waved his arms on the sidelines, both excited about the opportunity and regretful for missing it.

At halftime, the 0-1 scoreline was particularly glaring.

Hoffenheim put up a strong fight against Real Madrid's powerful pressure and had two excellent chances to equalize.

In the second half, Hoffenheim did not play conservatively despite being behind.

Nagelsmann's tactical design on the right flank is more refined, forming a dynamic triangle!

Yan Yuan is the absolute core of the triangle attack, while right-back Kaderabek moves forward to provide support and width.

Attacking midfielder Grillitsch actively shifted to this side to provide support, while Amiri sometimes tucked inside the flanks and sometimes moved to the wing to receive the ball, creating a local 3-on-2 or even 3-on-1 numerical advantage!

This tactic caused Real Madrid considerable trouble for a period of time.

When Yan Yuan receives the ball on the wing, he often attracts the attention of 2-3 Real Madrid players, creating space for other teammates to make runs.

However, Real Madrid's defensive system is very flexible. They quickly made adjustments led by Modric, who moved significantly to the right and personally came to Yan Yuan's side to strengthen the defense and cover, forming a siege with Carvajal and Casemiro!

As soon as Yan Yuan got the ball, Modric immediately stuck to him, Carvajal was responsible for blocking the inside cut, and Casemiro was on the side protecting the second ball.

In the 58th minute, the most breathtaking moment on the field occurred!

Real Madrid launched a quick counter-attack, with Modric delivering a brilliant long pass over the top from the center circle.

The ball flew straight towards the left side of Hoffenheim's penalty area!

There, a black lightning bolt appeared—Cristiano Ronaldo!

He launched himself with an explosive start, completely outmaneuvering Maguire and Vogt! One-on-one!

Goalkeeper Baumann chose to rush out of his goal!

Just as the heart of the entire Sinsheim was about to stop beating, and Ronaldo had already raised his leg to prepare for a chip shot!

A blue and white figure, like a burning meteor, suddenly appeared from the side at an incredible speed!

It's Yan Yuan!

He sprinted back from the right flank of midfield like a jet engine with all its engines turned on!

There are at least 25 meters to go to the goal.

The commentator wasn't even aware of what was happening!

"Hoffenheim's far post is open... Ronaldo! One-on-one! A chip shot?! No!! It's Yan!! My God!!!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose, filled with a tearing shock, "He's chasing! He's still chasing!! He's caught up with Ronaldo! God! He's poked the ball away!!"

Just as Ronaldo raised his foot to flick it over Baumann's head at the last second,

Yan Yuan, relying on his extreme speed and reckless sprint, managed to catch up!

Instead of a direct tackle, he used the incredible speed of his last three steps to lower his center of gravity, extend his long leg from the side and back, and with all his might, poked the ball away with his toe before Ronaldo could touch it!

The movements were clean and efficient.

He himself, however, was completely unable to stop due to the enormous inertia and crashed hard into the goalpost along with Bowman, who was rushing out of the goal!

Bang!! A huge impact! The goalposts seemed to be shaking!

The ball was poked out of bounds, and the attack was stopped.

Cristiano Ronaldo watched the ball roll away, clutched his head in his hands, and stared incredulously at the number 17 who was struggling to get up from the ground.

The entire Rhein-Neckar Arena fell into absolute silence for a moment.

Immediately, a deafening roar of applause and shouts erupted, almost lifting the roof off!

"YAN! YAN!" It sounded like the beating of war drums.

Yan Yuan rubbed his sore shoulder, grimaced, and waved to Bowman, who was giving him a thumbs-up, to indicate that he was alright.

The person was actually fine, just a little dazed from the impact for a moment.

The commentator continued excitedly, repeating: "Unbelievable! An epic comeback! A textbook defensive play! He recovered from the one-on-one chance against Ronaldo! This level of commitment, this fighting spirit! This is the quality of a top superstar! And he's only 18!"

The game continues.

Real Madrid maintained the initiative, but Hoffenheim relentlessly attempted counterattacks using the "dynamic triangle" and patiently seized fleeting opportunities.

Yan Yuan continued to create threats on the right wing, forcing Modric to constantly cover the right wing, which exacerbated his physical exhaustion.

In the 67th minute, in the backfield, Hoffenheim successfully cleared the ball to the vicinity of the halfway line.

De Jong got the ball first!

At this moment, Real Madrid's midfield line had not yet fully returned to their positions due to their recent involvement in the attack, leaving only Kroos nearby attempting to win the ball back.

De Jong didn't panic. He immediately looked up to observe the area ahead. Yan Yuan was in the right attacking third, but was being closely marked by Casemiro!

Without the slightest hesitation, De Jong did not even choose to pass to a teammate who seemed to be closer but was surrounded. Instead, he decisively used his non-dominant left foot to send out a long diagonal pass!

The ball was powerful, drawing a precise arc in the air, aiming directly at Real Madrid's left flank defense.

More importantly, the ball perfectly bypassed Casemiro, who was supposed to be sweeping around that area!

Casemiro saw the ball go over his head and tried his best to chase back, but it was too late.

Waiting there was none other than Yan Yuan!

With his back to the goal, Varane strode up to him, sticking close to his back and using his arms to push and shove him.

Ramos also quickly initiated, blocking possible turning routes while cutting off the connection between himself and either the tucked-in Grillitsch or the forward-moving Amiri.

It appears that Yan Yuan's counter-attack was immediately met with a tight encirclement by Real Madrid's two center-backs.

However, at that very moment!

Yan Yuan made a move that surprised everyone!

He had his back to Varane, facing the ball, and didn't even seem to intend to stop it!

In the fraction of a second before the ball bounced off the ground, he shifted his weight slightly to the left, and at the same time, he subtly and deftly tapped his right heel behind him and to his right rear!

A brilliant backheel flick pass!

The ball changed direction, passing directly through Varane's instinctively outstretched leg to intercept, and rolled precisely into the uninhabited area on the right side of the center.

There, Amiri, who had just exchanged a glance with Yan Yuan, was now cutting in at full speed.

At the same time, after completing the backheel pass, Yan Yuan did not turn around to observe the effect of the pass or retreat to receive it like a normal player. Instead, he used his right foot as the axis and spun his body like a top in the completely opposite direction, which was his own left front (the left side of the goal).

Suddenly accelerate and start reverse insertion!

This change of direction and run completely disrupted Varane's balance!

Varane's instinctive reaction was that Yan Yuan would turn to receive the ball (to the right), and his body weight had already instinctively shifted to his right (Yan Yuan's left) in preparation for interception!

Yan Yuan's seemingly illogical move to the left and forward instantly created a one-body gap between him and Varane.

And it charged straight at Ramos's back!

Ramos didn't expect Yan Yuan to run like that; his attention was instantly drawn to Amiri, who had the ball!

"Amiri got the ball! There's an opening! He's going to pass... Wait! Yan Yuan! Yan Yuan is making a run behind the defense! An unbelievable run!" The commentator went crazy!

Amiri perfectly captured this subtle yet deadly movement.

He barely looked up; he completely trusted Yan Yuan's signal.

The instant the ball rolled to his feet, Amiri made no adjustment and poked it with the toe of his left foot!

A straight through ball with perfect control of force and angle!

The ball, as if guided by a navigator, skimmed along the grass and tore through Real Madrid's last seemingly impenetrable defense.

It landed right on the line where Yan Yuan started accelerating and was about to overtake Ramos!

Offside trap broken! One-on-one!

The Rhein-Neckar Stadium fell into absolute silence as tens of thousands of eyes were fixed on number 17 as he received the ball, accelerated, and dribbled into the penalty area!

Facing Navas, who had narrowed his angle and decisively launched an attack, they found themselves in a difficult situation.

Facing Ramos, who came over to cover and tried to physically challenge him and push him off course!

At this moment, Yan Yuan's mind was almost in overdrive: Navas's position, his usual save methods, the angle and force of Ramos's impact from the side and rear, the spatial distribution of the top left and right corners of the goal...

He had analyzed and observed all of these things in his notebook.

Yan Yuan noticed a subtle sign that Navas was subconsciously lowering his center of gravity to block the near corner.

The moment Ramos slammed into his shoulder, almost knocking him off his shooting trajectory!

Yan Yuan withstood the powerful impact!

At the same time, he took a tiny step forward with his left foot in a very subtle way!

This step wasn't to adjust the shooting posture, but to move the ball closer to his body, creating a tiny distance of less than half a meter.

Then, with his body almost off balance from the impact, he suddenly straightened the outside of his right foot and exerted force, just one step inside the penalty area line.

This shot wasn't a push shot or a lob shot, but a powerful shot like an arrow released from a bow!

The ball skimmed the grass, like a cannonball, hurtling towards the goal with lightning speed.

Near angle position!

Navas reacted swiftly, immediately falling to the ground and extending his leg to block!

However, his subconscious lowering of his body earlier affected the speed at which he could fully extend and reach the ground.

The ball narrowly missed him by a hair's breadth, just before his left leg had fully touched the ground.

It slammed into the bottom corner of the near post!

"GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAL!! YAN! YAN!!!!!" The commentary booth went completely wild! Their voices were deafeningly high-pitched. "Goal! Unbelievable!!! A masterpiece! Hoffenheim has equalized! The finisher Yan!!! He initiated the attack with a backheel pass! He made a run past Varane! He perfectly received Amiri's through ball! Then, holding off Ramos! He unleashed a powerful shot into the near corner, piercing Navas!!! Calm! Powerful! Perfect!!! 1-1!! This is his most resounding response to Real Madrid!!!"

The moment the ball went into the net, Yan Yuan was knocked to the ground by the tremendous force of Ramos's impact.

But he didn't care whether he had fallen or not, and immediately got up from the ground.

First, he roared to the sky!

He shouted out almost all the pressure he had accumulated throughout the first half and all the doubts from the outside world!

He then spread his arms wide and charged wildly toward the sidelines, roaring as he received the tidal wave of teammates rushing toward him!

Maguire, Vogt, Amiri, Grillitsch...

Everyone pounced on him and pinned him down.

All the players on the bench rushed to the sideline.

Nagelsmann excitedly kicked away the water bottle at his feet, jumped up and down like a child, waving his fists and hugging the teaching assistants tightly.

Zidane helplessly touched his smooth head on the sidelines, then immediately began discussing the matter with his assistant coach.

The Hoffenheim home ground was truly ignited at this moment!

A tsunami of ecstasy swept across the entire stadium! A miracle was shining brightly above this small stadium!

However, less than two minutes later, Nagelsmann made a decision that was both surprising and unsurprising.

He immediately made a protective substitution.

In the 69th minute, Oakes stood on the sidelines, ready to replace Yan Yuan, who had just scored the equalizer.

Yan Yuan also saw the substitution card.

He paused for a moment, but quickly calmed himself down with deep breaths, nodded understandingly, and after receiving a quick spray of cooling from the team doctor, walked to the sidelines.

Amidst deafening shouts of "Yan! Yan!" from almost the entire audience, he gave Nagelsmann a high-five and a hug.

"Great job, kid! Now, get some rest! Leave the rest to the other guys!" Nagelsmann said excitedly in Yan Yuan's ear.

After Oaks came on, Hoffenheim's formation immediately tightened up.

Nash doesn't plan to attack anymore; holding onto a draw for the remaining time would be a good result. His protégé did a great job today.

Schulz moved inside to become the de facto third center-back, with Oakes and Gnabry on the left and right wing-back respectively, Uth as the lone striker, and De Jong and Grillitsch in midfield.

A solid 5-4-1 defensive formation has been formed.

Zidane reacted immediately, replacing the exhausted Bale with Vázquez and switching to a 4-3-3 formation for a strong attack!

The final 20 minutes became the ultimate showdown between Hoffenheim's willpower and Real Madrid's attacking firepower!

Ronaldo charged left and right, Vazquez constantly tried to create scoring opportunities, and Marcelo completely transformed into a wing-forward.

Hoffenheim's defense was like a small boat in a storm, in danger of capsizing at any moment.

But everyone unleashed power beyond their limits!

Maguire repeatedly pressured the ball into the box; Vogt averted danger with precise tackles and crucial blocks; Schulz's sweeping play after tucking in was extremely important!

In the 81st minute, a truly dramatic moment occurred when Modric delivered a lobbed pass from outside the penalty area!

Cristiano Ronaldo shrewdly moved to the far post, and before the ball hit the ground, he leaped into the air, preparing for a bicycle kick.

The movements are fluid, yet the force is immense!

The ball whistled as it flew straight towards the goal!

At that critical moment, a huge figure slid sideways and flew onto the goal line.

Maguire!

He used his entire body as a cannonball to block Ronaldo's seemingly inevitable bicycle kick with his shin.

"Maguire!!! My God! A divine clearance! He saved the team!" the commentator exclaimed.

Bowman excitedly got up and hugged the defensive pillar.

In the 85th minute, Modric received a pass back from his teammate at the right edge of the penalty area and unleashed his signature right-footed curler into the far corner.

The ball traced a beautiful arc, passing by Bowman's fingertips...

With a loud "clang!!!", the ball slammed into the inside of the left post and bounced back into the penalty area!

Ramos attempted a follow-up shot, but it was instinctively blocked by Baumann, who was in excellent position, with his leg.

Kaderabek cleared the ball with a long kick.

"The post! My God! Real Madrid! Modric's shot hit the post! Hoffenheim escaped again! Did they get a kiss from Lady Luck?" The commentator's voice was filled with unbelievable relief.

The stoppage time was long and brutal.

Every corner kick and set piece by Real Madrid made Hoffenheim's hearts leap into their throats.

When Real Madrid won a corner kick on the right in the final moments, Hoffenheim's entire defense displayed unprecedented discipline.

As many as six players quickly retreated into their own penalty area, forming a moving wall of players.

Kroos takes the kick-off, looking for the far post.

Vázquez outjumped Ochs to head the ball, but right next to him, Grillitsch, anticipating the ball's trajectory, jumped almost simultaneously with Vázquez as he powerfully headed it, forcefully interfering with him using his shoulder and back.

Vázquez's header ultimately lacked power and was easily caught by Baumann.

"Beep—! Beep—! Beep—!!!"

The referee finally blew the final whistle!

The moment the whistle blew, Hoffenheim's players seemed to have all their strength drained away, collapsing onto the grass in large numbers.

Maguire lay on the ground, his chest heaving violently, looking as if he didn't even have the strength to throw a punch.

Vogt knelt on the ground, covering his face with his hands.

Gnabry lay on his back, his entire body soaked in sweat.

Bowman excitedly patted each of his teammates who approached him.

The ecstasy of surviving a disaster, the unbelievable excitement, the exhaustion beyond one's limits... a complex mix of emotions flowed through everyone.

After the match ended, Yan Yuan came onto the field from the bench and hugged all his teammates and coaches tightly.

Nagelsmann slapped his disciples on the shoulders and backs, yelling, "You did it! You were amazing! You were fucking amazing!!" His eyes were even a little red.

Before the second leg at the Bernabéu, Hoffenheim tenaciously defended their home ground and scored a goal that will go down in club history against the defense of a top Champions League club!

It was scored by their 18-year-old core!

The Real Madrid players left the field quickly, their faces showing disbelief and a hint of frustration.

Zidane looked at the scoreboard, shook his head helplessly, but his eyes remained calm.

The fans sang and cheered with great enthusiasm!

This draw had no losers. Hoffenheim proved to the whole of Europe that even against Real Madrid, they dared to show their strength and leave their mark.