The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 73 Absolute Territory! The Eleventh Passive Skill! The Klopp Syndrome is Back! This is the Ruhr Derby!
When Dede collided with Hannover 96's Czech striker Steiner and fell to the ground in the 34th minute, everyone just thought it was a bad defensive play.

Because Steiner broke through Dede and crossed the ball from the right side of the penalty area to the front of the goal, he assisted Ivorian striker Didier Ya Konan to score a goal, giving Hannover 96 the lead.

But while the Hannover 96 players were celebrating their goal, Hummels and Subotic were shouting at the referee and the team doctor, which made Wang Shuo, who was in the attacking third, feel a chill run down his spine.

Dede lay on the ground, hugging his left leg, with a pained expression on his face.

Klopp Syndrome!

Is it coming again?

Team doctor Dr. Marcus Braun quickly rushed onto the field from the sidelines with three assistants.

As a top-tier team, Borussia Dortmund has a team doctor and three physical therapists.

Among them, Dr. Markus Braun runs a private clinic in Dortmund and is a highly authoritative expert in orthopedics and sports medicine in Germany.

All three assistants were also very experienced.

Peter Kuent, 47, has worked for teams such as Fiat and Nuremberg since the 80s, and has been working for Borussia Dortmund since 94.

Frank Zoller, 41, came to Dortmund in 90.

The youngest is 28-year-old Torben Foster, who worked in Bochum for four years before joining Dortmund this summer.

Also joining the team are fitness coach Oliver Bartlett and sports performance expert Professor Andreas Schlumberger.

Both Dortmund and Klopp are clearly well aware that Klopp's style of play is extremely physically demanding for the players, so in terms of medical support, it can be said to be the most luxurious setup in the Bundesliga.

However, since the beginning of this season, first captain Kyle suffered a serious injury, and now it's Ded.

Both players share a common characteristic: they are both close to or over 30 years old.

Kyle, needless to say, is a chronic injury-prone player.

In a way, this is another feud between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

In August 2006, during the Bundesliga opening match, Borussia Dortmund played against Bayern Munich, and Bayern player Hasan Salihamidzic kicked his studs directly into Kehl's left knee.

This kick sidelined Kehl for more than six months, completely ending his international career, after which he began to suffer from a series of injuries.

Kyle takes a break from playing almost every season.

A healthy Kyle is undoubtedly very strong, but he spends most of his time recovering from injuries.

Now, Dede has been carried off again.

The 31-year-old Brazilian left-back is the team's undisputed number one starter on the left flank.

22-year-old Schmelzer is very fast, but he is not as experienced, offensive or defensive as Dede.

When Wang Shuo saw Dede being carried off the field by the team doctors, he already had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.

Schmelzer came on as a substitute, replacing Dede.

Currently, there are still quite a few players in the team who are over 30 years old.

Our starting right-back, Owomoyela, will be 30 years old in November.

Brazilian midfielder Tinga will turn 32 in January.

These two players are still quite important to Borussia Dortmund at present.

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo turned his head and looked around at his teammates.

He noticed that his teammates were all somewhat downcast.

Klopp Syndrome was already well-known in Germany when Klopp coached Mainz.

Two players have already suffered major injuries this season.

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo couldn't help but recall Klopp's previous instructions.

After glancing at the time again, Wang Shuo made his decision.

We can't let the game continue like this!
This is not just 3 points, but a golden opportunity to break into the top of the standings!

Having climbed to the top of the table, Dortmund's morale will be greatly boosted.

If I can't get up there, I'm afraid I'll lose all my energy.

"Kuba".

Wang Shuo waved.

Kuba rushed over immediately.

"We need to find a way to score a goal before the end of the first half."

Kuba nodded repeatedly. "What do you want to do?"

"Watch your timing, cut diagonally to the right flank, and enter the penalty area."

“You’re faster than Constantine Rausch, you’ll definitely be able to outrun him.”

"how about you?"

Wang Shuo smiled confidently, "I'll pass the ball to you."

……

The game starts again.

Even after taking the lead, Hannover 96 did not reduce their marking of Wang Shuo at all.

Wang Shuo, on the other hand, kept leading the other side as they ran.

But he began to consciously move around in the area to the left.

In this match, Hannover 96 adopted a 4-4-2 formation, but focused more on counter-attacking.

The midfield effectively contained Dortmund.

Every time Wang Shuo retreats, he inevitably draws out one of the opposing center-backs.

Nowadays, Bundesliga players have a lot of experience and insights into marking Wang Shuo.

For example, try to prevent Wang Shuo from starting it.

Even when receiving the ball with your back to the goal, you must immediately engage in close physical contact.

That's right, they're just taking advantage of your poor physical strength.

If there's no time to engage in a confrontation, then commit a foul decisively.

In this situation, Wang Shuo faces multiple fouls in every match.

But he himself has also accumulated a wealth of experience in struggle.

Especially after possessing a national-level "weak foot".

His mastery of both feet allows him to move with ease at any time.

Just like this time.

When he once again dropped back from the center of the field to the left flank and raised his hand to ask for the ball, Hannover 96's center-back Karim Hagi closed in on him without leaving his side.

Haji, who is 1.9 meters tall and weighs 86 kilograms, always stayed close to Wang Shuo.

When Sahin passed the ball to him, Wang Shuo immediately felt immense pressure from behind.

Haji won't let him turn around.

How to do?
Wang Shuo waited motionless for the ball to come, judging the distance.

When the ball reached his expected position, he suddenly took a step forward and leaned to his right.

Want to break through and escape to the left?
dream!

Haji also stepped forward immediately, trying to further block Wang Shuo's breakthrough route.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shuo did not touch the ball with his right foot. Instead, after stabilizing himself, he used the outside of his left foot to guide the ball towards his left hand.

At the same time, he pushed off with his right foot, turning his body to the left and circling around Haji.

damn it!
Is this okay?

Haji felt an urge to break down and cry.

He clearly saw it and wanted to intercept it, but his body, which had shifted its weight, ruthlessly told him: "I can't do it!"
Fortunately, there were people around and behind him.

Haji felt a little relieved.

Just as Wang Shuo turned around and got rid of Haji, the deep-lying midfielder Balic had already moved up to cover him.

But Wang Shuo caught up with the ball, and with a right foot, he executed a powerful crossover, as if to push the ball away, but then suddenly pulled it back.

Balic could never have imagined that Wang Shuo would act so quickly.

I was completely fooled.

After Wang Shuo created a gap, before Haji could react and pounce, Wang Shuo immediately dribbled the ball forward with his left foot, and suddenly accelerated forward to break through.

The whole process sounds long, but it actually happens in a very short time.

Even the fans of Hannover 96 didn't expect that Wang Shuo would seize the opportunity to break through the defenses of Hagi and Balic in such a short time.

This caused a gasp from everyone in the stadium.

Wang Shuo dribbled the ball forward.

Blocking his path was the sweeper Schulz.

But at the same moment he broke through, Kuba on the right flank had already received the signal and made a diagonal run behind Schulz at top speed.

The rest is simple.

Wang Shuo delivered a diagonal pass, finding the ball behind Schulz.

Kuba quickly caught up, broke into the penalty area, and unleashed a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty spot, sending the ball into the Hannover 96 goal.

1 is better than 1!

After scoring, Kuba immediately rushed towards Wang Shuo and grabbed him around the waist.

"You're absolutely amazing!"

"That was such a perfect pass!"

At this point, the match had been going on for exactly 38 minutes.

Dortmund equalized in less than five minutes after conceding the goal.

But Wang Shuo was still not satisfied.

"There's still time. Let's put in a little more effort and try to turn the score around in the first half!"

"it is good!"

The Dortmund players responded in unison.

Just over four minutes later, Dortmund created another chance.

It's still Wang Shuo's retreat.

But this time he didn't go to receive the ball; instead, he signaled to Sahin to pass it to Grosskreutz on the left wing.

After receiving the ball near the left sideline, Da Shizi immediately dribbled it forward and accelerated to catch up.

Hannover 96's right-back Steve Cerendolo relentlessly tracked back to defend.

Wang Shuo made a rapid forward run down the left flank, prompting Hannover 96's two center-backs to also quickly retreat to defend.

But Wang Shuo had been observing the battle on the left flank.

Grosskreutz isn't particularly fast, and he doesn't actually have an advantage against the 1.72-meter-tall American defender Cherundolo.

So they were caught up very quickly.

But the big cross was also clever; after a sudden stop, he dribbled the ball inside with his right foot.

At this moment, Wang Shuo decisively slowed down and received the ball on the left side of the arc area.

"Give it to me!"

Grosskreutz immediately made a cross pass.

Wang Shuo had a keen eye for his surroundings. Just now, center-back Haji had been doing his best to chase after Wang Shuo back to defend, but now he had overdone it.

Just as he was about to pounce, Wang Shuo used the inside of his right foot to deflect Großkreutz's cross into the penalty area in front of his right side, and then immediately chased after him.

Inside the penalty area, Hagi didn't dare to make a move, while Schulz had just reacted and hadn't had time to adjust his center of gravity.

After catching up, Wang Shuo unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.

The football flew at incredible speed into the right side of Hannover 96's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

Goal!

"In the 43rd minute, Wang Shuo helped Dortmund score another goal!"

"2 to 1!"

"In less than 10 minutes, the two teams scored 3 goals in a row!"

"Dortmund went from falling behind to equalizing and then coming back to win; it was a very dangerous situation!"

"At the crucial moment, Wang Shuo contributed a goal and an assist, helping Dortmund take the lead!"

……

The moment referee Günter Per blew the final whistle, the Borussia Dortmund players rushed to Wang Shuo, surrounding him and celebrating their team's hard-fought victory.

1 is better than 2!

This is the final result on the scoreboard.

Borussia Dortmund came from behind to defeat Hannover 96 thanks to a goal and an assist from Wang Shuo just before halftime!

This means that the team now has a record of 5 wins and 1 loss, with 15 points, overtaking Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg to take the top spot in the standings!

After shaking hands and hugging his teammates one by one, Wang Shuo was the first to walk to the sidelines.

"Well done, King!" Buvac was the first to greet him.

He still remembers what Wang Shuo looked like when he first joined the Mainz first team last year.

Who would have thought that, just one year later, Wang Shuo would become the core of Dortmund's attack?

Even the soul and core of the entire team!

"You've worked hard, Your Majesty!"

"Great job, Wang! Keep it up!"

"We're the leaders now, King, haha..."

"Wow, wow, we're going to go from being the leader to the champion!"

The coaches and staff on the sidelines, as well as the teammates on the bench, all looked very happy.

After shaking hands or hugging each of them, Wang Shuo came to Klopp.

"How is Dede?"

Wang Shuo asked with concern.

Klopp sighed, shook his head, and looked quite helpless.

"I have a torn meniscus in my left knee. I will be hospitalized for a while to reduce inflammation before surgery."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart.

"Approximately how long will it take?"

"It will take at least three months," Klopp said, frowning.

3 months?

For a veteran who is about to turn 32, after undergoing meniscus surgery and taking a 3-month break from competition, how much of his form will he have left when he returns?
This is actually a question that you should know without even thinking about it.

"We shouldn't have let that Korean go this summer," Klopp said with some regret.

Lee Young-pyo didn't actually make many appearances for Borussia Dortmund.

Last season, Borussia Dortmund had three left-backs: Dede, Lee Young-pyo, and young Schmelzer.

Dede is a key player, but he missed most of the first half of last season due to a torn cruciate ligament.

At that time, the team's main player was the inexperienced Schmelzer.

South Korean veteran Lee Young-pyo took turns playing alongside Schmelzer, holding out until Dedal recovered from his injury and returned to the court.

But who could have imagined that Dede would suffer another serious injury this season?

“It’s okay, you still have me, right?” Wang Shuo raised an eyebrow at Klopp and smiled.

Klopp felt quite uncomfortable after hearing this.

Borussia Dortmund's current situation is actually not ideal.

Players adapting to tactics is one issue, and Kehl's serious injury causing instability in the midfield is another.

Fortunately, Wang Shuo's performance has been outstanding as always during this period.

So far this season, he has scored 9 goals in 6 Bundesliga matches.

It's like one person is dragging Dortmund down with them!

This reminded Klopp of the time when he promoted Wang Shuo to the Mainz first team.

Back then, who would have imagined things would turn out this way?

But of all his words, Klopp ultimately summed it up in just two words.

"Thank you."

……

Dede has returned to Dortmund ahead of everyone else.

This made the atmosphere on the bus returning from Hanover somewhat somber.

For professional athletes, injuries are always the most terrifying thing.

Klopp has also decided to field a reserve and young squad for Wednesday's German Cup away game against Karlsruhe.

Because they will be facing Schalke 04, coached by Magath, this weekend.

If Mainz staged a dark horse miracle last season, then Magath's Wolfsburg staged a comeback.

They performed poorly in the first half of the season, but relied on a comeback in the second half to eventually top the Bundesliga.

After winning the championship, Magath left Wolfsburg and went to coach Schalke 04.

Many people were surprised; why did he leave?

It's actually quite simple; Schalke 04 offered more.

He is the managing director of sports affairs and head coach at Wolfsburg, overseeing all sporting matters.

But what about Schalke 04?
Board members, general manager, sports director, and head coach.

Schalke 04 is currently in trouble, and it is hoped that Magath can lead the club to complete the reform.

If Klopp syndrome leads to frequent player injuries and makes the team prone to injury waves, then compared to Magath, it's nothing.

Putting everything else aside, Klopp's tactical style at least still values ​​possession of the ball.

Uncle Beard emphasizes high-post pressure and fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions, but he also attaches great importance to ball possession.

Therefore, there is a lot of ball-related training in the curriculum.

What about Magath?

Sorry, but it's known for its extreme physical training, claiming to build an iron will and physical reserves.

His specialties are mountain climbing and weight training.

Note that the mountain climb here is not an ordinary mountain, but a snow-capped mountain.

Another thing is that if you disagree with someone, the punishment is to run laps.

Klopp at least regularly calls the players over to have heart-to-heart talks and discuss things, just like a friend.

But what about Magath?
Known for its strictness and discipline.

In comparison, Klopp is much better.

In the current German football scene, opinions on Magath are quite divided.

For example, Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeneß once said that Magath's almost insane training methods were pushing players to their physical limits and causing great harm to their bodies.

While it may bring short-term success, it is a disaster for the club's long-term development.

This also represents one perspective.

Of course, many people also believe that Bayern Munich certainly has the right to say that.

For the vast majority of Bundesliga teams, however, success remains an unattainable dream.

Magath's coaching may have some drawbacks, and his management style may be strict, but if it can lead to success, then it is worth it!

Putting aside everything else, Wolfsburg started investing in the Bundesliga in 07 and accumulated an astonishing 1.2 million euros before finally winning the title.

Schalke 04 also invested heavily but failed to achieve any results, instead incurring huge losses.

Wang Shuo wouldn't stoop to commenting on whether Klopp or Magath is better or worse.

Based on the information he received, he certainly wouldn't want to play for Magath if he could.

Playing for Klopp is tiring, but at least he's a good person.

Thinking about these things, Wang Shuo, like everyone around him, closed his eyes to rest.

……

"Post-match summary: 8 passive points gained."

As soon as Wang Shuo entered the God of Football system, he immediately received this message.

He went to his personal attribute panel and checked his passive values.

Including today's 8 o'clock, it's exactly 150 points.

According to Wang Shuo's original intention, he wanted to accumulate these passive values ​​and, once they reached 500 points, upgrade [Breathing] from the intercontinental level to the world level.

He wanted to see what he could gain after breaking through.

He had always had a strong feeling that spending 500 passive points to upgrade would bring substantial benefits.

It can help him break through his limits!
But now, with the team suffering a series of serious injuries, Wang Shuo needs to shoulder more responsibility, so he needs to improve his skills as soon as possible.

With that in mind, Wang Shuo approached the giant soccer ball that was suspended in mid-air.

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade the passive skill [Coordination] from Class Level to Region Level?"

"Yes!"

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade the passive skill [Eagle Eye] from professional level to regional level?"

"Yes!"

After the special training this summer and repeated use over the past period, Wang Shuo felt that these two passive skills were indeed very useful.

Needless to say, his coordination is excellent; when he makes moves on the court, he always moves with ease and confidence.

【Eagle Eye】makes him exceptionally perceptive of details, always able to see details that others cannot.

Now, upgrading these two passive skills will greatly benefit Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo used the remaining 50 passive points to draw a new passive skill.

It's a 12-sided pentagon, and 10 sides are already lit up. Wang Shuo is also curious about what the remaining 2 sides are.

As the giant soccer ball slowly stopped spinning, Wang Shuo immediately received a notification from the system.

"Congratulations! You have used 50 passive points to draw the professional-grade passive skill [Life Force]."

"Regeneration: Improves the body's recovery ability, optimizes cell metabolism, and slows down the rate of telomere shortening."

When Wang Shuo saw this message, his first reaction was that it was a passive skill that focused on recovery.

"生息" means continuous growth and renewal.

But what do "optimizing cell metabolism" and "slowing down telomere shortening" mean?
Wang Shuo didn't understand it, but his attention was drawn to a line of small print below.

"The skill enhancement effect of [Life and Rest] can be stacked with the effects of domain skills in some cases."

Field skills?
Shrimp rice cake?

Could it be that the last passive skill is called "Domain"?

But Wang Shuo quickly dismissed this possibility.

As he has always said, the Ball God System follows the old-fashioned style, taking things in a very serious and methodical way, even the naming is very down-to-earth.

Choose a name that corresponds to the type of skill.

Not to mention the exaggerated naming style, there isn't even a small note, giving people a very rigorous feeling.

field?

This is different from practical names like "breathing," "aura," and "spherical sense."

It's too empty.

So……

Wang Shuo immediately thought of a possibility.

What the hell!

To advance from Intercontinental to World-class, do you mean you need to acquire a completely new skill called Domain?

Field skills?
That sounds incredibly awesome!
The more Wang Shuo thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and the more excited he became.

For example, what was Van Nistelrooy's nickname?

The king of the penalty area!

Isn't that penalty area Van Nistelrooy's exclusive territory?

What about Inzaghi?
Ferguson said he was a striker who lived on the offside line.

Isn't the offside line Inzaghi's exclusive territory?

There are also areas like the Del Piero zone, Romario's penalty area, Henry's left flank, and the Ronaldo zone and Messi corridor that La Liga media have been hyping up recently...

Those world-class stars almost all have their own preferred areas and offensive routes.

In other words, by upgrading passive skills such as [Breathing] and [Aura] from intercontinental level to world level, one can possess their own unique domain skills!
And there's more than one!
This is absolutely an amazing discovery!
My goodness, Wang Shuo is now so eager to accumulate 500 passive points and unlock the domain skill. It's absolutely awesome, isn't it?

However, after his initial surprise, Wang Shuo quickly calmed down and thought about it. He felt that the domain skills of the Ball God System should still be considered passive skills rather than active skills.

It should be an area skill that evolves from an existing basic skill after being upgraded.

For example, upgrading [Breathing] from Intercontinental to World level will unlock exclusive domain skills.

As for what it is, Wang Shuo currently has no idea.

But it's definitely related to breathing, and the effect will be amazing.

After this period of adjustment, Wang Shuo has realized very clearly that the effect of passive skills is not only no less than that of active skills, but is even stronger.

Those passive, exclusive domain skills must be incredibly powerful.

Otherwise, why would 500 passive points be used?
and many more.

Upgrading from Intercontinental to World Class, from 100 points to 500 points, unlocks exclusive domain skills.

What about upgrading from world-class to legendary?

Increase from 500 points to 1000 points.

What can be unlocked from that?
Wang Shuo suddenly had a very unbelievable feeling.

He even began to feel that the previous intercontinental level and below passive skills were merely basic skills.

What's truly impressive is upgrading to world-class and unlocking exclusive domains.

It might even reach the legendary level, that's truly awesome!
"Won't I become Superman wearing my underwear on the outside?"

Wang Shuo himself found it funny.

But given the old-fashioned nature of the God of Football system, he wasn't worried at all.

However, he was also fairly certain of one thing.

The Ball God System still has enormous untapped potential.

And my professional career has only just begun!
……

Having upgraded his passive skills [Coordination] and [Eagle Eye], and gained a brand new passive skill [Life Force], the first thing Wang Shuo did after returning to Dortmund was to find Oliver Bartlett.

"Slow down telomere reduction?"

Upon hearing Wang Shuo suddenly ask such a technical question, Bartlett and Professor Schlumberger exchanged a glance and laughed in unison.

"Has someone been trying to sell you any health supplements?"

"No, I just... overheard it by chance."

The two smiled at each other again.

"No doubt about it, you must have heard it from your girlfriend. Girls all like pretty girls," Bartlett teased jokingly.

Wang Shuo simply acquiesced.

“Let me tell you, Wang, Lina is already very beautiful and has a great figure. There’s no need for her to use those health supplements. They exaggerate their effects, but in reality, they’re not very effective. It’s much better to maintain fitness and exercise.”

"Yeah, I understand."

Wang Shuo nodded knowingly, "So what exactly is the telomere reduction rate?"

"how to say?"

Professor Schlumberger carefully considered his words, trying to explain in a way that Wang Shuo could understand.

"This is related to cell metabolism. Slowing down the rate of telomere reduction is essentially the same as delaying aging."

Wang Shuo suddenly realized.

So it turns out that "life-restoring" not only has a restorative function, but can also slow down aging?
Good heavens, does that mean I'll live to be a hundred years old?
No, over a hundred years old?
Wang Shuo was overjoyed at the thought of this.

"Wang, let me tell you, many health products advertise that they have this function, but in reality? I can tell you with certainty that it is negligible, even close to zero," Professor Schlumberger warned.

“It’s all a lie!” Wang Shuo nodded very seriously.

It's like those health supplements that claim to prolong life, refresh the mind, promote sleep, improve complexion, or even cure all diseases.

It is said that the best-selling product is a "miracle drug" that some people boast about, claiming to help Grandpa Zhang, who is always 6:12, regain his midnight vigor.

Dude, fairy tales are all lies!

but……

Wang Shuo really wanted to say, "This isn't a fairy tale, I'm cheating!"

[Life and Growth], I love it, I really love it!
This name is absolutely perfect!
"What's wrong with you?" Bartwright and Professor Schlumberger were both quite puzzled.

As soon as he came back, he started asking all sorts of questions, especially his expression...

"It's nothing, I'm just here for extra practice."

"Extra training?"

Both of them nearly fell over.

You've just finished a game, coming back from an away match, and you're already doing extra training?
Did you misspoke, or did we both mishear you?

But Wang Shuo is full of energy and vitality. Without saying much, he got on the stationary bike.

This left Bartlett and Professor Schlumberger speechless.

Indeed, a badass life needs no explanation.

Just do it and it’s done!
……

Neuer has always felt that being outmaneuvered by Wang Shuo last season was the greatest humiliation of his career!
This is also the main reason why his development in the national team has not been smooth!

Especially this season, he has been thinking about Wang Shuo a lot.

In the midweek German Cup match, Schalke 04 cruised to a 3-0 away victory against Bochum, advancing to the next round.

After returning to the league and taking a short break, Neuer and his teammates set off for Dortmund.

Dortmund fans were anything but polite to them.

From the moment they entered the Westfalenstadion area, they chased after the Schalke 04 team bus, hurling insults at them.

When they entered the stadium for training, the fans in the stands were still cursing.

When they returned to the locker room after the game, they were still cursing.

The stadium, which holds over 8 people, was filled with shouts and curses, especially from the south stand.

"These Dortmund fans are crazy!"

Young defensive midfielder Christopher Moritz exclaimed repeatedly.

"This is nothing. You'll see once the game starts," Captain Westerman laughed.

"This is the world-famous Ruhr derby!" Lucas Schmitz exclaimed excitedly.

Both 19-year-old Moritz and 21-year-old Schmitz are participating in the Ruhr derby for the first time.

However, Moritz was born in Düren and grew up in Aachen, both of which belong to the Ruhr mining city cluster, but are not actually in the core area.

Both cities are located west of Düsseldorf.

On the contrary, Lucas Schmitz, who grew up in Bochum, right between Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund, knows the Ruhr derby better.

"That's right!"

Westman said loudly.

"Today is the Ruhr derby. Whoever helps Schalke 04 defeat Dortmund in today's match will be the hero of Gelsenkirchen!"

The two young players, Moritz and Schmitz, immediately became excited.

Neuer then turned to look at Rakitic and noticed that the Croatian midfielder didn't seem very excited.

Because he won't be starting today.

Or rather, he lost his starting position after Magath took over as the team's head coach.

The Iron-Willed Coach is the Iron-Willed Coach!

He took office and immediately began drastic and decisive crackdowns.

Not only Rakitic, but Kuranyi was also affected, and he wasn't even included in the squad for this match.

This is the Ruhr derby.

Can you imagine that Kuranyi wouldn't be included in the squad when he's healthy and not injured?

Magath likes young players like Moritz and Schmitz who are hardworking and give their all.

It's okay if your technique is a little rough; the most important thing is strong tactical execution.

“Manuel, you need to keep an eye on Wang Shuo today,” Westman said, walking over and giving Neuer careful instructions.

The other players in the locker room also turned to look at Neuer.

Last season, the scene where Neuer was outmaneuvered by Wang Shuo was something they either witnessed firsthand or saw on newspapers and television, and they still remember it vividly.

"Don't worry, we'll do our best to help you block him. Just be careful about your positioning and timing."

Magath used a 4-4-2 formation against Schalke 04.

The back line is staffed with four players with very strong defensive abilities.

From left to right: Westermann, Boden, Zambrano, and Höwedes.

This can definitely be considered the most formidable defense in the Bundesliga.

"I know, I will absolutely not give him another chance to score!" Neuer said through gritted teeth.

Sitting next to him, veteran Boden patted him on the shoulder, saying, "We won't give him an easy chance to face the goal!"

The people around nodded in agreement.

Freeze Wang Shuo!

This is not only what they want, but also the number one task assigned by head coach Magath!

“And also, for Lina!” Lucas Schmitz shouted excitedly.

“That’s right, let Lina see what this guy is really like!” Moritz also got excited.

Only then did everyone realize that these two young men actually had such a personal grudge against Wang Shuo.

But that's right.

A Chinese guy comes to Germany to play football, so it's fine if he gets a little attention.

You even stole our number one beauty from Germany!

Who the hell can tolerate this?
Fuck him!

……

From the very first minute of the match, Schalke 04 made no attempt to conceal their tactics.

Counter-attack!

Magath is a very stubborn head coach.

Both teams played in the German Cup midweek, and both won 3-0.

Borussia Dortmund won convincingly away against Karlsruhe, but fielded a reserve squad.

What about Magath's Schalke 04?
They fielded their strongest lineup against Bochum away from home, and only made two substitutions during the match.

In this Ruhr derby, he used the same starting lineup as before, without even making any changes.

This is also Schalke 04's best-coordinated lineup so far.

Goalkeeper: Neuer;

Defense: Westermann, Boden, Zambrano and Höwedes;

Midfielders: Schmitz, Moritz, Kenya, and Rafinha;
Forwards: Farfan and Altintop.

Magath not only promoted two young players, Schmitz and Moritz, but also moved Schmitz and Rafinha, who originally played as full-backs, to the flanks of midfield.

In addition, the 4-4-2 formation itself is advantageous for defense.

It's easy to imagine how difficult it is for Schalke 04 to play right now.

Dortmund will continue to use a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Goalkeeper: Weidenfeller;
Defense: Schmelzer, Hummels, Subotic and Owomoyela;

Midfield: Sahin and Sven Bender form the double pivot, with Grosskreutz, Feulner and Kuba in front;

Forward: Wang Shuo.

After the game started, the Hornets continued with their usual tactical approach.

Amidst the deafening cheers of over 8 fans, they launched the first attack against Schalke 04.

Led by Wang Shuo, the forwards relentlessly pressed Schalke 04's defense.

But Magath's team built an impregnable wall around their own penalty area.

The strategy is clearly to play a defensive counter-attacking game.

Farfan and Altintop Jr. were their weapons for counterattack.

Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, had the advantage.

After the start of the game, Wang Shuo moved to the left wing, dribbled the ball and broke through, creating a corner kick opportunity.

Unfortunately, Subotic's header in front of the goal went wide.

Grosskreutz also had a long-range shot that went wide.

In the 11th minute, Wang Shuo was still on the counter-attack. After attracting two defenders, he sent a through pass to the right side of the frontcourt. Kuba took a shot from a tight angle, but it went wide.

Three minutes later, Owomoyela made a forward run down the right flank and delivered a diagonal pass.

Wang Shuo quickly rushed into Schalke 04's penalty area, but Neuer, who had rushed out of his goal, managed to catch the ball first.

The funniest part was in the 26th minute when Sahin made a forward run down the left flank and crossed the ball into the penalty area. Neuer rushed out of his goal again and snatched the ball from over Wang Shuo's head.

As he landed, the Schalke 04 goalkeeper turned around and grinned at Wang Shuo.

His eyes seemed to say: Your heading ability is terrible!
“This kid is provoking you!” Feulner also noticed Neuer’s actions.

"You really ruined him last season."

How could the proud and arrogant Neuer accept becoming Wang Shuo's background?

We definitely have to get our revenge.

Wang Shuo looked at Feulner and said, "Isn't this all your fault? You passed the ball so badly today."

"Can you blame me? They set up this impenetrable defense, what could I do?" Feulner was also frustrated.

The match continued intensely and closely.

Wang Shuo also got a chance in the first half.

A long-range shot from 20 meters out was saved by Neuer.

He insisted on extra training every day, especially physical training, which he never stopped.

My physical fitness has indeed improved, but it still needs more time.

To Wang Shuo's great surprise, during halftime, when the score was 0-0, Magath substituted Greek full-back Plyacikas for Rafinha.

This 21-year-old full-back also joined Schalke 04 this season and can play as a full-back and a deep-lying midfielder.

His characteristics are the same as Moritz and Schmitz: they all fight very hard in the game.

Magath was clearly unhappy with Dortmund creating numerous chances on Schalke 04's right flank in the first half.

Rafinha is a Brazilian player with strong attacking ability, but he doesn't put much effort into defense.

This substitution completely transformed Schalke 04 into an impenetrable fortress.

"Isn't this too outrageous?"

On the sidelines, in the home team's coaching bench, Buvac was incredulous at Magath's substitution.

"He's at least a top European coach, one of the best in the Bundesliga, how can he be so conservative?"

Klopp was also speechless.

"It seems... the whole world is waiting for us to run out of energy..."

Buvac, Kravitz... as the row of coaches on the bench passed by, all of them were dumbfounded.

They all wore expressions of bewilderment, unsure of how to react.

This is indeed a rather embarrassing situation.

Klopp believes Magath is definitely waiting to make substitutions after 60 minutes to strengthen the attack.

"What do we do now?" Buvac asked anxiously.

The second half has already lasted for more than fifty minutes.

Time is running out for Borussia Dortmund.

"Don't rush. Look at Wang. He's more active than usual today. He's still full of energy."

Klopp, on the other hand, remained completely calm.

As long as Wang Shuo is fine, then he is fine.

"You know what, with him up front, Schalke 04's defenders were really worn out."

"By the time we've exhausted our energy, they probably won't have much left either."

At this point, Buvac himself laughed.

What would it be like if Magath wanted to launch a counterattack but found that his own defense was also exhausted?
"No, no, no, Zelico, the most threatening moment for the King is just about to arrive!"

Klopp's words drew nods of agreement from Buvac, Kravitz, and others.

Those who haven't experienced it a few times will never know just how abundant Wang Shuo's physical strength is.

He's like an inexhaustible water buffalo!
Especially when you think he's about to fail, that's precisely when he's most threatening.

More importantly, Wang Shuo is the kind of player who becomes calmer and performs better in big situations.

I believe his high energy today is due to the Ruhr derby!

This is one of the most important matches for Dortmund every season!

In the two derby matches last season, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 both ended in a draw.

The season before that, Dortmund suffered a crushing defeat, losing 1-4 away and 2-3 at home.

If the previous record was considered to be evenly matched, then in recent seasons, Dortmund's performance has been inferior.

Schalke 04 has started to defecate and urinate on Borussia Dortmund's head.

How can Hornets fans tolerate this?

"Listen to the roar of the more than 8 fans at Westfalenstadion!"

As Klopp finished speaking, he quickly walked off the bench, turned around, and waved his hands repeatedly at the Dortmund fans in the stands, urging them to shout louder.

Give the players on the field more support!
Come on, Hornets fans, let our arch-rivals experience what the devilish Westfalen looks like!
With Klopp's passionate encouragement, the fans in the stadium were immediately roused.

The shouts from the stands were deafening, sweeping across the entire stadium.

The visiting team's coach, Magath, sitting to the side, glanced at Klopp and gave a disdainful snort.

He turned away, secretly spitting out his own saliva, not wanting to see this ungentlemanly, slovenly guy again.

Looking at the time on the big screen again, it's almost 60 minutes.

"Quickly, get Sanchez and Asamoah ready to warm up!"

Magath shouted at the assistant coach.

"Dortmund's stamina is almost depleted. They definitely won't be able to hold on for more than 65 minutes and will have to retreat!"

"At that time, we'll press on with full force and fuck them to death!"

In the end, Magath clenched his fist and swore through gritted teeth.

There's nothing he can do, he gets angry whenever he sees Klopp!
Why is he and his Dortmund team able to occupy the top spot?

Thinking about this, Magath couldn't sit still any longer.

He stood up from his seat and walked to the sidelines, shouting loudly at the players to keep their composure.

Borussia Dortmund is on its last legs!

If we hold off this attack until they're exhausted, the rest of the game will be ours!
But little did Magath know that at that very moment, Schalke 04's defenders were also under immense pressure.

Especially Zambrano.

The Peruvian center-back was already panting heavily.

But Wang Shuo still walked briskly.

When Zambrano dropped back to receive the ball, he hesitated slightly and failed to immediately close down the ball.

Wang Shuo seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; after receiving the ball, he calmly turned around.

The moment Zambrano made eye contact with Wang Shuo, he noticed the way Wang Shuo was looking at him.

It's like a hunter holding a gun, watching a wild beast fall into a trap.

When Wang Shuo started dribbling the ball, Zambrano felt a chill run down his spine.

I felt like a flying insect that had run into a spider web, watching the spider slowly approach.

Damn, why does his eyes look so excited?!

Zambrano sensed danger.

(End of this chapter)