Football: He suffered a broken leg at the start of the game, but partnered with Haaland!

On the broadcast cameras, Sun Yang's extremely arrogant shooting gesture had already swept across European football's social networks like a virus.

But inside the closed-off management of the Lisbon hotel, this massive media storm was completely blocked by the heavy glass doors.

The entire Borussia Dortmund team has enjoyed a well-deserved rest period. There are still six days until their next Champions League semi-final match.

According to UEFA's strict epidemic prevention regulations, all participating teams are strictly prohibited from leaving their hotels and training grounds. Forget about going to nightclubs to party; they're not even allowed to buy a cup of coffee on the street corner.

Apart from two hours of grass recovery training every day, these energetic young people can only stay in the hotel playing billiards or staring blankly at the TV in their rooms.

Inside a luxury suite on the fourth floor of the hotel, the television screen flickered with light and shadow.

With a "click," Haaland slammed the game controller onto the carpet in frustration, grabbing his blond hair and yelling, "When will this damned life ever end! I'm fed up with eating boiled chicken breast every day and being locked up in this crappy box like I'm in prison! God, I've lost ten consecutive games of Pro Evolution Soccer to you!"

Sancho sat cross-legged to the side, chewing gum vigorously, and rolled his eyes: "Give me a break, big guy. Look at Son, besides sleeping, he's either lifting weights in the gym or wearing headphones watching game footage. You, the Norwegian White Bear, don't even have half his focus, no wonder you can't even manage a single shot in ten minutes."

Sun Yang ignored their bickering. He leaned back on the edge of the sofa, holding a tablet computer in his hand, on which was repeatedly playing Arsenal's defensive highlights from this season.

His eyes were fixed on the movement of the opponent's two defensive midfielders, not missing any defensive gaps.

The door to the room was pushed open. Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre and assistant coach Johan Terčić walked in.

Favre clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the three young key players.

"Guys, put on your jackets, the bus is waiting downstairs. Tonight we're taking you to the Alvalade Stadium for the Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid match."

He pointed to the wall clock: "Let's go to the scene and see how good our prey is in the semi-finals."

Upon hearing that he could go out, Haaland sprang up from the carpet like a spring, almost knocking over the bottled water on the coffee table.

Alvalade Stadium at night.

The 40,000 empty green seats gleamed with a cold, dim light under the spotlights. There were no shouts from fans; only the heavy breathing of the players, the dull thuds of muscles colliding, and the sound of the ball hitting the grass, carried by the night breeze directly into the VIP boxes on the second floor.

The entire Borussia Dortmund team is sitting here, watching this classic battle of offense and defense below.

On the sidelines, Atletico Madrid's manager Diego Simeone, dressed in his signature black suit, was waving his arms like a raging lion. He was issuing a brutal, all-out attacking order to his team.

The midfield trio of Koke, Saul, and Thomas formed a meat grinder, closely marking every Arsenal player with the ball from the very first second of the whistle.

People and horses tumbled on the grass, sliding tackles followed by tactical fouls, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

But Arsenal, as a traditional Premier League powerhouse, had their inherent technical prowess fully unleashed. Manager Arteta patiently instilled his possession-based style into the defense. Facing Atletico Madrid's relentless double- or triple-teaming tactics, defensive midfielder Xhaka consistently found subtle passing options.

One touch, no holding onto the ball. The ball is like a hot potato at Arsenal's feet, yet it moves with remarkable fluidity.

In the 22nd minute, an Atletico Madrid striker brutally fouled Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos near the center circle on the right flank.

The referee immediately blew his whistle.

Arsenal didn't hesitate for a moment, quickly taking a free kick straight into the flank. Saka surged forward on the left wing like a sports car, tearing apart Trippier's defense, and unleashed a penetrating low cross with his right foot as he ran.

Inside the penalty area, Aubameyang arrived like a ghost. He used his body to block Gimenez and deftly poked the ball out.

The ball skimmed along the grass, slipping past goalkeeper Oblak's fingertips into the corner.

1:0.

"Holy shit! Are those Arsenal guys on grease? They passed the ball so fast!" Haaland leaned heavily back in his leather seat, his brows furrowed. "Those Atletico Madrid workhorses are doing nothing. They were just about to tackle when the ball was already gone."

Sun Yang gripped the railing of the VIP box with both hands, his eyes fixed on the red and white formations retreating rapidly below, without turning his head.

"It's not that they play the ball quickly, it's that Arsenal are very clever. They're using the width of the pitch to 'walk the dog' (i.e., outmaneuver the defense.") Sun Yang pointed his index finger at the sidelines of the field. "Look at their full-backs, they're all positioned beyond the halfway line. As soon as the middle is shut down, Xhaka immediately launches a long pass to find the weak side of the defense. Atletico Madrid's relentless pressing is the most exhausting, and with all that back-and-forth running, their defense will definitely break down after seventy minutes."

Terzic, sitting in the back row, had a bright idea. He quickly picked up his tactics notebook and wrote down this insightful analysis.

As expected, Atletico Madrid's stamina waned in the second half. Arsenal, with their almost ruthless possession dominance and highly efficient finishing, ultimately secured a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid.

The final whistle blew.

Below the pitch, Arteta excitedly rushed onto the field to celebrate with the players.

Sun Yang slowly straightened up and put his hands back in his pockets. He looked down at the Arsenal players who were running wildly across the grass.

Those wearing jerseys with the Arsenal logo were the same people who had kicked him out like trash just months before.

"Let's go." Sun Yang turned around.

"Next game, we'll kick their asses to pieces." Haaland strode over, his iron arm gripping Sun Yang's shoulder, his eyes fierce. "Buddy, for you, we'll make those London idiots who only know how to wear suits cry their way back to England!"

Sun Yang sneered, said nothing, and strode into the dark passage.

What surged in his eyes was nothing but a bloodthirsty fighting spirit.

……

The next day, August 14th, evening.

The same empty stadium.

But this match attracted the attention of broadcasters worldwide, and even the entire Dortmund team in their VIP boxes held their breath.

Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona.

It's like Mars colliding with Earth.

Barcelona fielded a dream starting lineup led by Messi, Suarez, Pique, and Busquets. This seasoned squad was once a nightmare for the entire European football world.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, having just lost their domestic league title to Borussia Dortmund, were seething with pent-up rage. They needed a sacrifice.

Barcelona became the unlucky one.

The course of the entire match not only shattered the expectations of the Dortmund players in the stands, but also sent chills down the spines of fans around the world.

This was not a tactical contest between evenly matched forces; it was an extremely brutal one-sided massacre.

Just four minutes into the game! Thomas Müller executed a clean one-two pass on the edge of the penalty area, then blasted the ball past Barcelona's goal with his left foot.

Although Bayern defender Alaba later scored an own goal in a bizarre turn of events, this meager "return gift" hardly even amounted to a fig leaf.

In the 21st minute, Perisic outmaneuvered Semedo on the left wing and unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle that slammed into the net!

In the 27th minute, Gnabry crushed Kaigle like a heavy tank, unleashing a merciless shot inside the penalty area!

In the 31st minute, Kimmich provided a pass on the right wing, and Müller scored again in front of the goal!

Before the first half was even over, the scoreboard had already jumped to a bloody 4-1.

The private room was deathly silent. Haaland's eyes widened, while Sancho even forgot to chew his gum.

A massive tragedy that has engulfed the entire European football world is unfolding wildly under the Lisbon night sky.