Chapter 33 Simultaneous Kick-Off

From the thirty-third round of the league onwards, all Bundesliga matches kicked off at the same time, a measure taken to avoid any shady dealings.

This simultaneous kick-off effectively prevented the occurrence of fixed matches or collusive play.

Thus, at 9:30 PM Beijing time on May 11th, the golden hour, all nine matches of the Bundesliga's thirty-third round began simultaneously.

Borussia Dortmund faced Wolfsburg away.

This match garnered significant attention as it was Dortmund's first game after defeating Bayern Munich and taking the league lead. If they were defeated or tied by Wolfsburg away, their stint at the top might be short-lived.

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, were hosting Augsburg at home.

Dortmund fielded their full strength, holding nothing back.

Just five minutes into the game, Sven Bender scored on a rebound, giving Dortmund the lead!

"Sven Bender! His goal is as rare as an iron tree blooming! It's only his second goal this season!" Duan Xin exclaimed. "But his goal gives Dortmund a great start! It looks like Dortmund will win this match!"

Many shared Duan Xin's sentiment, believing that Sven Bender's early goal foreshadowed an easy victory for Dortmund.

At the same time, Bayern Munich's match remained goalless at 0-0.

However, the match unfolded differently than many expected.

In the fourteenth minute, Perišić equalized for Wolfsburg, Dortmund's lead lasting only nine minutes…

But that wasn't all. In the twenty-second minute, Perišić scored again, putting Wolfsburg ahead!

"Good heavens! It's Perišić again! He's scored twice!" Duan Xin exclaimed.

"Dortmund is actually trailing Wolfsburg away! It seems the Dortmund players haven't recovered from the excitement of beating Bayern Munich…" Marcel Reif said. "The Bayern Munich fans at the Allianz Arena must be overjoyed at this moment!"

Many Dortmund fans thought things were already bad enough, but four minutes later, they realized it could get worse!

In the twenty-sixth minute, Wolfsburg's Brazilian center-back Naldo scored with a direct free kick, his signature powerful shot blasting the ball into Weidenfeller's net!

"3-1!!! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Dortmund, who could defeat Bayern Munich a week ago, are so vulnerable against Wolfsburg! There's a serious problem!"

The TV broadcast showed close-ups of some Dortmund players, their faces blank, as if they hadn't yet processed what was happening…

"Before the match, we said that although they won against Bayern Munich, the remaining two games would be equally challenging for Dortmund, and they must approach these two opponents with the same mindset as they did Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, our prediction came true…"

Klopp looked furious on the sidelines, roaring with gritted teeth.

※※※

News of Dortmund's 3-1 deficit reached the Bayern Munich coaching staff immediately.

Sports director Sammer excitedly told Heynckes, "They're down by two goals!"

Heynckes remained silent, but others around him couldn't hide their excitement: "Fantastic!"

Soon, a huge cheer erupted from the stands as Augsburg players controlled the ball—Bayern Munich fans had also learned the news.

The commentator for Munich Radio excitedly announced: "It seems that God is a Munich native today!"

Perhaps encouraged by this news, Bayern Munich broke the deadlock in the thirty-eighth minute, with Müller scoring to make it 1-0! Bayern Munich took the lead!

The broadcast also showed a live scoreboard, indicating that Bayern Munich had overtaken Dortmund by two points, reclaiming the top spot in the league.

"This is so thrilling. After the direct confrontation between the two teams, the situation can still reverse… It reminds me of the 2006-2007 La Liga season, where the title race between Barcelona and Real Madrid was so close…" Duan Xin said.

※※※

Dortmund failed to score before halftime, entering the break trailing 3-1.

In the locker room, Klopp transformed into a "heavy metal hairdryer"—just like his "heavy metal football" style—roaring at everyone.

"...Wake up! Get your brains back! Don't think we can win the championship easily just because we beat Bayern Munich! Both Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim are formidable opponents! Anyone who isn't awake, raise your hand, and I'll substitute you out right now!"

"If we lose the league title because of losing to Wolfsburg after beating Bayern Munich, I guarantee, you all will become the laughingstock of Europe! You'll be ridiculed by everyone until the next idiot as stupid as you appears!"

During halftime, various broadcasting agencies analyzed and reviewed the first half. Before this round, Wolfsburg had forty-one points, ranking eleventh, safe from relegation and with no hope of qualifying for European competitions. Logically, such a team with no ambitions shouldn't cause Dortmund much trouble. Everyone believed that Dortmund's final match at home against Hoffenheim would be the most dangerous, and if Bayern Munich wanted to reverse the situation, the final round would be the best opportunity.

Who would have thought that Wolfsburg would stun Dortmund in just one half?

The score of 3-1 was extremely disadvantageous for Dortmund. More importantly, Wolfsburg had built momentum, making it difficult for Dortmund to recover. Even if they miraculously scored two goals in the second half, tying the score at 3-3, it would be meaningless. A draw would be equivalent to a loss for Dortmund, as they would be overtaken by Bayern Munich by a single point.

"We said earlier that Dortmund would never let the hard-earned league lead slip away… Now it seems they actually dare to!"

※※※

After halftime, as the second half was about to begin, Dortmund made a substitution. Kuba was replaced by Großkreutz.

When a desperate effort was needed, Großkreutz was clearly more capable. Because he was a die-hard Dortmund fan, he would stop at nothing, risking everything for Dortmund's victory.

This was evident from his constant involvement in verbal battles.

Bringing on Großkreutz wasn't a tactical adjustment, but a declaration of intent, telling everyone—Dortmund is going all out!

After entering the game, Großkreutz's active running and slightly aggressive movements did help Dortmund regain control.

In the sixty-second minute, Zhou Yi passed the ball from the center to the left wing, intending for Großkreutz to stop the ball and then cross it.

But Großkreutz, who had run to the wing, felt that Zhou Yi's pass was too comfortable. The thought of taking a direct shot suddenly popped into his head. Although the position wasn't directly facing the goal and the angle wasn't ideal, Großkreutz couldn't suppress the sudden idea in his mind.

He was a very impulsive person. Since he had the idea, he simply wouldn't suppress it. Just do it!

So he adjusted his steps, drew back his bow, and volleyed the ball with his left foot!

"Großkreutz crosses… huh?" Marcel Reif paused, realizing that the movement and force didn't look like a cross, but more like… a shot!

It wasn't just commentator Marcel Reif who was surprised, but also Wolfsburg goalkeeper Benaglio. He was anticipating a header after the cross, never expecting the ball to curve in the air and head towards the far post!

He hurriedly jumped up, raising his arms to try and push the ball away.

But he didn't touch the ball!

The ball flew over his hand, then dropped… grazing the underside of the crossbar and plunging into the net behind him!

"toooooooooooooooooooooooooooor!!!! Großkreutz!! A world-class goal! Spectacular!" Marcel Reif screamed, dragging out his words.

"'Big Cross'! Beautiful! A world-class goal! A small-angle volley directly into the net!! Dortmund is now only one goal behind!" Duan Xin shouted excitedly. "Klopp's substitution of Großkreutz has had an immediate effect. It's truly a magical and crucial substitution!"