Chapter 148: 27 Goals Beat Dortmund! Go To Manchester City!

Tuchel was quite depressed.

After Klopp resigned in the summer, Tuchel originally planned to make a strong impression and lead Dortmund to a revival. To this end, they scouted and trained newcomers, aiming to maximize the potential of the existing lineup. Shinji Kagawa, Mkhitaryan, and Gündoğan were all back to peak form. Aubameyang seemed to have regained his touch as well. The Hornets were poised for their best season in 12 years.

The first two rounds saw them defeated by Bayern 5:1, but that didn't matter. Dortmund could regain their confidence by beating Union Berlin and then compete with Bayern in the Bundesliga!

Tuchel had a clear strategy to counter Berlin Union's sharp counterattacks. Rather than parking the bus, which would only lead to a slow death, he decided to use Dortmund's pressing ability to disrupt Union Berlin. Scoring early would throw Union Berlin off their rhythm, making them anxious and chaotic. An early goal could lead to mistakes, allowing Dortmund to capitalize further. With a lead in the second half, they could then recover and hold firm.

No matter how good Su Luo was, his teammates wouldn't be able to keep up.

Seeing that Union Berlin fielded a lineup with substitutes, Tuchel felt confident. He saw players like Matuschka and Silvio as typical Bundesliga players. It seemed like a sure win, just like in the BP stage where the opponents had no significant threats.

However, Tuchel soon realized the gap between theory and practice. Despite the pressure, Su Luo retreated to the midfielder position and easily dismantled Dortmund's full-court press. Instead, Dortmund's backline was continuously breached.

"If only Aubameyang had scored that one-on-one..." Tuchel mused, but there are no "ifs" in football.

In the second half, Tuchel switched tactics, opting for a straightforward defensive counterattack. Facing a dense defense, Quinn and Silvio lost their threat, leaving only Su Luo to create opportunities. Union Berlin wasn't in a hurry; they were leading by two goals and were content with slow buildup play in the midfield.

The stalemate lasted until the 70th minute when Dortmund seized on a mistake by Matuschka and launched a quick counterattack. Gündoğan advanced into the frontcourt, with Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa, and Mkhitaryan all joining the attack. In a 4-on-3 situation, Union Berlin was in serious danger.

"Gündoğan! Facing Keita, he dribbles the ball horizontally and passes diagonally!"

"Mkhitaryan receives it and sends it straight to the other side!"

"Aubameyang!! He drives past the goalkeeper and pushes towards the empty goal!!"

Tuchel, who had been squatting on the ground, stood up suddenly, ready to rush to the sidelines to celebrate. Surely, Aubameyang couldn't miss an open goal?

But then, a red figure flashed to the goal line! With an all-out slide tackle, he hooked the ball back!

"Su Luo!!! My God!"

"Aubameyang's shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Su Luo!"

"How is Su Luo everywhere?"

Tuchel was in disbelief, holding his head. How was this Asian player everywhere? It seemed impossible!

Through the video replay, everyone saw Su Luo's remarkable positioning. When Dortmund attacked, Su Luo was near the center line. When Gündoğan pushed forward, Su Luo sprinted towards the goal with his head down. As Pavard marked Kagawa and Lima kept an eye on Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang's acceleration left veteran Alex behind. There were no more defenders in the penalty area.

Fortunately, Su Luo never slowed down. He didn't give up when he saw the opponent about to score an open goal. If the entire ball hasn't crossed the goal line, the play isn't over!

Su Luo gritted his teeth and saved the team at a critical moment, extinguishing Dortmund's only real chance to come back. At this moment, Su Luo, wearing the captain's armband and standing in front of the goal, seemed like a superhero straight out of a comic book.

To match the scene, a giant tifo was displayed in the North Stand, showing a superhero image resembling a Marvel character. With his back to the field and sharp eyes, he seemed to intimidate opponents. Behind the superhero was the number 10, and the name "Lord!"

"Captain Huaxia, the superhero of the Iron Union!"

Recently, the trailer for the Marvel movie "Captain America: Civil War" was released, and the Marvel storyline was reaching its climax. Union Berlin had their own superhero in Su Luo.

Uncle Hans and the others couldn't have predicted this scene before the match. It could only be said that Su Luo was truly the guardian of Union Berlin, always saving the team with his relentless fighting spirit.

Chinese netizens might not know, but five years later, during an AFC Champions League group match, SIPG defender Fu Huan gave up on defense, standing still as he watched the opponent's striker easily score. This video of Su Luo would resurface repeatedly, criticizing the passive play.

Modric's passivity had ironically helped Su Luo develop the awareness of a top midfielder through numerous games. Whenever he sensed danger, he instinctively rushed in to resolve the crisis.

Even if the passive aura never activates again, Su Luo would still play like Modric, Inzaghi, and other masters. He would rely on his own strength to become a true world-class superstar.

Su Luo himself was clear about this. Whether it was Ronaldo, Haaland, De Bruyne, Modric, or Inzaghi, their abilities were fixed. Only Su Luo's potential was limitless.

This goal-line clearance completely shattered Dortmund's morale. The Hornet players suddenly felt a psychological block, believing they couldn't beat their opponents. This mindset was magnified, affecting their decisions and causing them to miss the few chances they had to turn the game around.

In the last 5 minutes of the game, Su Luo dribbled the ball into the frontcourt. The law of causality buff awakened just in time.

Su Luo unleashed a powerful long shot from 30 meters away!

Boom!

Dortmund's goal was breached for the third time!

The game was over!

"Su Luo! A signature heavy cannon to seal the victory! Weidenfeller had no chance!"

"This is already Su Luo's 27th goal of the season!"

"Last season, Su Luo missed 4 games due to injury and only scored 27 goals in 18 rounds!"

"This season, he has scored 27 goals in just 13 rounds!"

"Could he break his unprecedented record of 60 Bundesliga goals this season?"

Su Luo made 2 goals and 1 assist, continuing his dominant form and leading the team to a 3-0 victory over visiting Dortmund. However, Bayern Munich defeated Schalke 04 3-1, keeping the championship race intense.

Dortmund, once considered title contenders, were now 5 points behind!

The Hornets might withdraw from the championship race early this season.

Sure enough, Tuchel looked quite dejected at the post-match press conference.

"Our goal this season is to finish in the top 4 and secure a Champions League spot. We are not thinking about the championship at the moment."

"Additionally, Su Luo's performance has matured significantly since changing positions. The Bundesliga can no longer contain Su Luo. He has been a phenomenal player these past two years, and his growth rate is simply frightening."

Berlin coach Neuhaus was proud. He even made a light-hearted comment about Aubameyang.

"The opponent did pose a threat to us. Fortunately, Aubameyang showed mercy twice, otherwise, the game could have been much harder."

"Now, all our focus is on winning the Champions League and securing first place in the group!"

After this important Bundesliga match, the team had only a short half-day break before heading across the ocean to Manchester.

This was the first time Su Luo had set foot on English soil in both his lifetimes combined. In his previous life, Su Luo was an office worker who saved up enough money with great difficulty. He planned to shop in London, visit the Emirates Stadium, Stamford Bridge, and White Hart Lane, then go to Manchester to watch a match at Old Trafford, also known as the Theatre of Dreams. He even wanted to stroll around the Etihad Stadium and feel the wealth of the Middle Eastern owners.

However, because of the pandemic, Su Luo's football trip was ruined. His savings were used to cope with the day when his home office salary was cut in half. The trip to England didn't materialize until Su Luo was reborn.

In his new life, Su Luo could finally fulfill his wish to visit the Etihad Stadium, but this time as a player on the field!

Manchester City's new Etihad training ground was impressive. The Middle Eastern oil tycoon had spent £200 million, nearly 2 billion RMB, to build a modern, luxurious training center, one of the best in Europe! It included 17 training grounds of different sizes and functions, player dormitories comparable to five-star hotels, modern office areas, canteens, hospitals, gymnasiums, and ice rooms, all equipped with top-notch facilities. The youth training facilities were also heavily invested in, hoping to attract more young talents from England. They no longer had to train at the Carrington training ground next to Manchester United.

Grealish had the deepest feelings here. Compared to this world-class training center, Union Berlin's humble training ground was like a pigsty! Of course, the pitch turf was not much different. Union Berlin might be poor, but they didn't cut corners on the training ground turf. However, the gap in other facilities was quite obvious.

All kinds of high-tech equipment in the gym made Grealish fall in love with fitness. At the end of each training session, he would do a light workout for half an hour, then go to the medical center for a massage, and finally take a relaxing bath in the high-tech tub. It was like a vacation at the training base.

But recently, Grealish hadn't been feeling comfortable. Soaking in the bathtub with a towel over his shoulders, he was lost in thought. When De Bruyne came in, he found that Grealish was almost cooked.

"Hey, why are you in a daze? Thinking about the next game?"

"Yeah, they're coming."

"We still have a chance, don't worry. I'll pass the ball to you. Let's give Aguero more chances; maybe he can create a miracle."

Because of their common opponent, Su Luo, De Bruyne and Grealish had a good relationship. In the team, Aguero was everyone's idol and the absolute core. But Grealish felt that compared to Su Luo, Aguero was still slightly inferior.

Only those who had worked with Su Luo could truly appreciate his ability. He was someone you could trust unconditionally, someone you could safely pass the ball to anytime and anywhere! Although Aguero was strong, he didn't give Grealish the same feeling.

"That guy surpassed the long-renowned Aguero last season, and this season he's even deadlier..."

Grealish couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

"When will I be able to catch up to him?"

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