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

The nightmare continues.

Five days later, in the third round of the Champions League group stage, Borussia Dortmund flew to Belgium to play against Club Brugge away.

This match was crucial for qualifying for the next round, and head coach Terčić dared not be complacent at all. Apart from Sun Yang, he fielded almost the entire starting lineup he had available.

The continuous autumn rains in Belgium turned the turf into a muddy mess. For Borussia Dortmund, who are used to passing and controlling the game on the ground and accelerating their pace, every step the players take puts double the strain on their lungs.

With their overwhelming superior strength, Dortmund indeed won. Haaland and Reus scored in the first and second halves respectively, securing a clean 3-0 away victory.

But these three points came at a terrible cost.

In the 40th minute of the match, veteran captain Reus, while making a forward run and changing direction, suddenly let out a painful groan, lost his balance, and fell directly into the mud. He clutched the muscles on the back of his thigh tightly, his face contorted in pain.

There was no resistance; the hamstring tear was caused by accumulated fatigue.

A stretcher was brought onto the field, and Reus was carried off, his hands covering his face. The team doctor's initial diagnosis from the sidelines was devastating: he would be sidelined for at least a month.

In the 70th minute, veteran Piszczek landed in a hole in the grass while contesting a high ball. His ankle suffered a horrific outward twist, and even the tough guy was seen being carried off the field by two team doctors, his eyes bloodshot with pain.

As the match neared its end, midfield stalwart Dahoud, after a reckless sliding tackle, collapsed flat on his back in the mud. He clutched his groin in pain and desperately gestured for a substitution towards the coaching bench.

A match that was originally a foregone conclusion ended with the loss of three key players.

When the final whistle blew, there was not a trace of joy on the faces of the Dortmund players on the field. Haaland, panting heavily, didn't even bother to take off his mud-covered jersey, and rushed straight to the locker room to check on Reus's injury.

At the post-match press conference, Terčić looked exhausted and had an unshaven beard. Facing the rows of cameras and microphones below the stage, he completely lost his temper and slammed his fist on the table, launching into a tirade.

"Those suit-wearing gentlemen sitting in their Geneva offices scheduling matches should actually get down here and run a couple of laps themselves! Two matches a week straight, the players haven't even had a chance to catch their breath. This isn't football, it's fucking hell!" Terčić's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. "We did take three points, but now I can't even get my starting eleven together for the weekend!"

A gloomy, dark cloud hung heavily over Westphalia.

Because in four days, it will be the seventh round of the Bundesliga. The most talked-about and most intense national derby in all of German football.

Borussia Dortmund will face the formidable Bayern Munich at their intimidating home ground.

The media's instincts are always sharper than a hyena's. Before the match even started, a deluge of pre-match previews and provocative interviews had already ignited the pot of hot oil.

Just a month ago at the Allianz Arena, in the German Super Cup final, Borussia Dortmund dominated Bayern Munich, bombarding them relentlessly and snatching the championship trophy from the Munich side.

Going back further, last season, a rookie Haaland even stepped over the shoulders of the super striker Lewandowski to snatch the Golden Boot, which symbolized the Bundesliga's strongest attack.

Säbener Straße, Bayern Munich's training ground.

Head coach Flick, holding a tactics board, was loudly instructing his players on the details of high pressing in the zonal area from the center of the field. Bayern's squad is now incredibly complete; in the last round of the Champions League, they thrashed Red Bull Salzburg 6-2. The key players are all in high spirits and eager to avenge their previous defeat.

Immediately after training ended, Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich's new generation spiritual leader and midfield prince, gave an interview to Bild's column.

Kimmich wiped his sweat in front of the camera, his expression arrogant, making no attempt to hide his condescending tone.

"Last month's Super Cup? That was just a warm-up upset. We had just won the Champions League, and everyone's legs were still full of lead," Kimmich sneered. "But things have changed now. This week, we're at our training base in Munich, with enough stamina to destroy any team."

The reporter, a seasoned veteran, immediately posed a controversial question: "Dortmund is currently suffering from a severe injury crisis, with most of their first-team players resting in the medical room. Will this make it very easy for Bayern to play away?"

"That's their problem." Kimmich spread his hands and curled his lip. "I heard their injury-prone captain pulled a muscle again? That's the cruel reality of professional leagues. If they can't even get through a packed schedule, then this team simply doesn't have the foundation to compete for the title."

"Borussia Dortmund's number 10, Sun Yang, has finished his vacation and is ready to return from injury for this match. You've suffered quite a few losses against him in the past few games. Will Bayern's midfield have any specific tactics to counter him this time?" the reporter continued to probe.

Upon hearing the name Sun Yang, Kimmich's relaxed expression vanished, his face quickly darkened, and he clenched his teeth while staring at the camera.

"That show-off Asian kid? He can certainly run fast. But he seems to have forgotten that this is the Bundesliga, where every inch of ground is crucial, not a track and field championship about lung capacity. He was lucky last time, but this time in Westphalia, I'll personally teach him a lesson." Kimmich held up one finger to the camera. "I'll show him just how terrifying Bayern's strangulation net really is. I'll make these crippled, stinking wasps swallow a bitter defeat on their own turf!"

This fiery interview, once published, immediately triggered a massive online upheaval.

Haaland is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. After seeing the news, he didn't hesitate for a second and directly reposted Kimmich's interview video on his personal social media, along with a provocative caption.

"Besides bragging in front of the camera, what else can you do, Joshua? Bring a couple more shin guards for Saturday night; my brother's powerful shot will blast the ball and your fragile defense into the goal!"

Below the tweet, die-hard fans of both sides instantly turned into online trolls, with all sorts of German profanities in regional accents flying around.

Meanwhile, Sun Yang, at the center of the storm, was standing alone in the indoor training ground of his own villa.

On the 80-inch TV on the wall, technical analysis videos of Bayern Munich's recent matches were playing on a loop.

Sun Yang stared blankly at the screen. Lewandowski's terrifying nose for the penalty area, Müller's unpredictable runs down the flanks, Gnabry and Sané's speed on the wings…

Bayern Munich is not a pushover; it's a prehistoric behemoth that goes berserk at the mere smell of blood.

Dortmund's dressing room is like a field hospital right now. With Reus out, the midfield and defense are stretched thin, and there are only a handful of players available.

To break through this formidable opponent on home soil, relying solely on brute force and physical prowess is suicidal. A superior combination of technical skill and strategic thinking is needed to dismantle their supposedly formidable defense.

The day before the big match, in the Dortmund tactical meeting room.

Terčić had drawn red and yellow arrows across the tactics board. He looked at the group of players sitting below, many of whom had ice packs on their ankles and calves, and the air in the room was so heavy it felt like it was about to drip water.

"Guys, the media outside is all pessimistic about us. Those pundits are betting on whether we'll concede five goals to Bayern at home!" Terčić slammed his fist on the blackboard, the sound so loud it made the windowpanes vibrate.

"But I, Terzchi, refuse to believe this! Even if we only have eleven men left who can stand up straight, we'll still bite two pieces off the Southern King's throat!"

Sun Yang sat in the very center of the first row. On his left arm was tightly wrapped the yellow and black captain's armband that belonged to Royce.

He stood up with a stern face, turned around and looked at his injured teammates, then slapped them hard twice.

"Brothers, the crown of German football doesn't just belong to Munich, it belongs to the Ruhr region! Tomorrow night, let those arrogant bastards open their eyes and see clearly what the most terrifying devil's home ground in all of Europe truly is!"

Westphalia's fury was completely ignited on this stormy evening.

The following night, dark clouds loomed over the Ruhr region.

Due to health restrictions, the Westfalen Stadium, which can hold tens of thousands of people, only opened its iconic south stand and a small portion of the stadium tonight.

Even with only a little over 10,000 fans in attendance, the unified chants and deafening boos still made the stadium feel as bloody as the ancient Roman Colosseum.

Inside the players' tunnel, under the stark white lights, the starting players from both sides lined up in two rows, waiting to enter the game.

In the cramped space, the players from both teams breathed heavily, and the air was thick with a tense atmosphere that could ignite even a spark.

Kimmich stood at the front of the Bayern Munich team, chewing gum and raising his chin slightly. He turned his head and looked defiantly at Sun Yang and Haaland, who were standing at the front of the Dortmund team.

"What, didn't you bring your team doctor's wheelchair with you tonight, Captain?" Kimmich deliberately lowered his voice and threw out a sarcastic remark in a Bavarian accent.

Sun Yang didn't even glance at him. He simply lowered his head, slowly adjusting the captain's armband that was tightening a bit on his left arm, his tone as calm as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather.

"Go check your cleats, Joshua. I'll make you lose your bearings in a minute."

At the end of the passage, on the steps, the referee put the whistle in his mouth, grabbed the game ball, and waved it around.

A life-or-death battle is about to erupt!