Red Card and Penalty

After Coach Schaaf finished explaining the tactics, he looked seriously at the players under his command.

"I know this is difficult. You have to withstand their relentless attacks while conserving energy for the final counterattack—especially the attacking players who've played the full match!"

Schaaf turned to Lin Quan as he spoke and asked, "Lin, do you still have the strength to run?"

Lin Quan nodded. Though his stamina was heavily drained, he still had the Stamina Potion from the system as a backup.

If it came down to it, he could spend a few Points to buy a Stamina Potion, which would last exactly thirty minutes.

"Good, then I won't substitute you out. The team needs your breakthrough ability to change the scoreline. In the second half, pace your energy to make sure you have the strength for a final sprint. Understand?"

Lin Quan nodded firmly, clearly feeling the weight of expectation in the Head Coach's tone.

Fifteen minutes later, the match resumed.

The frantic goals in the final stage of the first half had fully shaken the Dortmund players out of their dazed start.

They believed they were invincible at home, and no opponent could stop their assault.

So, as the second half kicked off, Dortmund's players resolutely continued their high-press tactics.

This kind of relentless running was probably only sustainable by a team like Dortmund, which always played with such intensity.

Werder Bremen's players clearly couldn't keep up—they simply couldn't outrun their opponents.

Of course, this style of play had major limitations.

As players aged and injuries piled up, the execution of these tactics would severely decline.

Moreover, once other league opponents grew accustomed to this approach, they quickly developed counter-strategies.

Thus, after a few peak seasons, if the team couldn't further refine and adapt their tactics, their results could plummet.

Historically, Dortmund's performance began to decline after the 12-13 season, and by the 14-15 season, they were even fighting relegation.

If not for a late-season resurgence—earning 13 points in six matches to escape the drop zone—they might have actually gone down.

Squeezing every ounce of stamina and potential like this easily led to injuries for players. Take Dortmund's summer signing Reus, for example: after joining Dortmund, he began suffering frequent injuries, missing National Team matches multiple times because of them.

A large part of that was caused by Klopp's tactical system.

Just like this season, Liverpool was plagued with injuries.

Klopp was a good coach, but he wasn't suited for every player.

Lin Quan, for instance, felt he wouldn't fit Klopp's tactics well—and the same went for Simeone at Atletico Madrid.

On the pitch, Dortmund's players pressed and ran with great effort.

But their opponents no longer played along. Werder Bremen didn't speed up to match them like they had at the start of the first half, nor did they trade blows in an open attack.

Instead, they set up an Iron Bucket Formation, packing their own half with numbers and using dense defense to stifle Dortmund's attacks.

Dortmund's offensive firepower was indeed fierce, but when the opponent parked the bus, they had no great solutions.

There were too many bodies in the box, and Werder Bremen had brought on several fresh-legged players.

These players' aggressive challenges repeatedly thwarted their attacks, so Dortmund began trying long shots from outside the box.

Long shots and set pieces were the standard tools against packed defenses.

Since Werder Bremen dared to use the Iron Bucket Formation, they were prepared for that.

Through zonal defense, they limited Dortmund's passing, ensuring that the most dangerous midfield and forward players always had a defender nearby to disrupt their shots.

With their shots under pressure, Dortmund's players fired several high shots that failed to threaten Werder Bremen's goal.

On the sidelines, Klopp couldn't sit still. This tactic from the opponent was utterly infuriating.

He wanted to ask Schaaf: You're trailing on the scoreboard—what's the point of defending?

If the match dragged on like this, Dortmund would be the ones winning in the end!

Were they really willing to accept a loss like that?

If the leading team were Barca, then the opponent parking the bus would just hand Barca a victory.

They could waste time by passing the ball around and grind the opponent down.

But Tiki-taka wasn't Dortmund's style, and they didn't have that tactical option.

So Klopp could only tell his players to be more patient. They were the ones leading on the scoreboard; the opponent should be the ones panicking.

If it weren't for playing at home, he might have pulled the team back to their own half for a counterattack.

But judging by the opponent's posture, if they really did pull back, the other side might not push forward either.

If neither team attacked and both just parked the bus in their own halves, how ugly would the match be? The home fans would be roaring with boos!

Klopp cared about his pride. Since they were leading, there was no need to go that far.

If the team could score one more goal, the match's outcome would be settled, and there'd be nothing to worry about!

Klopp hoped for another goal, but that hope went unfulfilled.

Under Werder Bremen's united defensive effort, Dortmund stormed forward for over twenty minutes but never managed to breach the opponent's goal again.

In those twenty-plus minutes, they had over 70% possession, fired off seventeen shots—twelve of them from long range—and were practically laying siege to the opponent's goal.

Unfortunately, while the number of shots was high, fewer than half were on target, and not a single one found the back of the net.

With no goals for an extended stretch and the earlier adrenaline boost wearing off, Dortmund's players began hitting a physical wall, their running speed and intensity on the pitch dropping noticeably.

In the 55th minute, seeing the opponent's stamina flag and their pressing intensity wane, Werder Bremen's players finally launched their counterattack!

They instantly cranked up the tempo, abandoning their previous defensive shell to charge at Dortmund.

Dortmund's players were clearly caught off guard—after being pinned down and ground into the dirt for over twenty minutes, they'd almost gotten used to the idea that their opponents wouldn't fight back.

But the moment they eased up, the opposition stormed back with a vengeance.

That sent a chill through Dortmund's squad.

"Could this be your tactic—not going all out for the full game, just the first five minutes and the last five?"

Dortmund's Head Coach Klopp was the first to catch on, guessing the opponent's intent.

The memory of those sharp counterattacks at the start of the match and the two goals conceded made his heart lurch as he sensed the danger.

"Quick, drop back! Don't let them break out!"

If Werder Bremen could pull off the same terrifying counters they'd shown in the first half, Dortmund's goal would be in serious jeopardy!

They were only up by one goal—if the opponent scored, both sides would be back on level ground!

And with so little time left in the match, a tie would leave them with no chance to snatch a winner.

If that happened, they'd be dragged into a Penalty Shootout!

So that's your real aim, isn't it?

Klopp turned to look at the opposing bench, where Werder Bremen's coach stood at the sideline, eyes fixed on the pitch, watching this counterattack unfold.

Klopp's guess was spot on—Werder Bremen indeed wanted to force the game into a Penalty Shootout.

After a full match, their stamina was nearly spent, barely enough to fuel one high-quality counter.

If this attack succeeded, the boost in morale might carry them through a desperate defensive stand for the final minutes of regulation.

If it failed, they'd have no strength left to change the scoreline and would have to accept defeat.

This counterattack was the reward for the team's all-out defensive effort in the second half, preventing the opponent from widening the gap.

Otherwise, if the deficit grew beyond one goal, even a successful counter would be meaningless.

So they absolutely couldn't waste this chance!

The ball zipped from Werder Bremen's back line to the front, landing at De Bruyne's feet.

Under a tug from Dortmund's number 5, he gave it everything, managing to pass the ball just before hitting the ground.

As he fell, he spotted the green-clad number 10 sprinting at full speed up front.

Lin, it's all on you—you've got to score!

Lin Quan didn't want to waste De Bruyne's assist. He'd spent the second half jogging for over ten minutes, conserving energy for this one lethal strike.

And now, it was time to use it!

After receiving the ball, he cut sideways to dodge Dortmund's number 7, Leitner, then burst into the box with a quick step, slipping past the recovering Ginter.

No defenders stood in his way now—only the goalkeeper remained!

So Lin Quan lifted his foot without hesitation, aiming for the net.

But just then, a figure charged in from his side and behind, sliding in to poke the ball away before Lin could shoot.

The ball was knocked clear, and Lin Quan tumbled to the ground inside the box.

The entire crowd rose to their feet, eyes locked on the referee, waiting for his call.

The referee sprinted into the box and pointed straight at the penalty spot.

Penalty!