Chapter 134 11 Balls Humiliate The Enemy! Prepare For Juventus!

The biggest strength of Union Berlin is their ability to dominate against all but the world's top teams. Leading by one goal early on, their chances of winning become almost certain. Facing Hertha Berlin at home? If they want to win, they have to attack, leaving openings for Su Luo to exploit. If they choose to defend? Su Luo can still find opportunities to score. He's simply unstoppable.

The steel battleship Bismarck has arrived at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, with its four double-mounted 380mm main guns aimed at Hertha's goal!

"Su Luo! It's him again! He's scored twice!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Forsberg and Laxalt are combining beautifully on the left! Laxalt's low pass, and Su Luo slides it into the net!"

"2:0! Only 20 minutes into the first half, and Union Berlin extends their lead!"

"So far, Su Luo has scored 20 league goals!"

Commentator Saul gasped. The so-called "second-year rookie wall" didn't appear for Su Luo. In his second Bundesliga season, he's still terrifying. Last season, Su Luo scored 18 goals in 7 games. This season, he has 18 goals in 8 games, and at least 20 after this one! Not only is Su Luo maintaining last season's scoring pace, but he's also topped the assist list. Even if he can't break his record of 60 goals, he's on track to score more than 40, plus over 20 assists. This kind of player is more terrifying than a striker who can only score goals!

"We know Union Berlin has a history of scoring goals quickly, but we didn't expect them to come this fast!"

"Only 6 minutes later, Su Luo breaks through the middle and sends a through ball!"

"Mahrez beats the offside trap and finishes with a single touch!"

"3:0!"

"Hertha Berlin claimed they wanted revenge before the game, but now it seems…"

The commentator didn't finish, not wanting to further upset Hertha Berlin fans. Their revenge had turned into a joke. The stands could hold up to 75,000 people, and nearly 60,000 Hertha Berlin fans attended the game. But those 60,000 fans were now witnessing their team being massacred by their city rivals. Less than half an hour in, and they were 3 goals down!

Just when they thought the nightmare was ending, the cruel reality hit them again. There were still 60 minutes left of this nightmare! Before the end of the first half, in the 42nd minute, Union Berlin used Hertha's high press against them, launching a high-quality counterattack. With smooth passing, the ball found its way to Su Luo's feet. A 3-on-2 situation in the front!

Mahrez charged down the right at high speed! Su Luo looked to the right, drawing the attention of two defenders, but then flicked his ankle and passed to the left! Forsberg, onside, charged into the box!

"Su Luo's no-look pass! Beautiful!"

"Forsberg is one-on-one! He shoots!"

"It's too easy! With Su Luo's perfect pass, Forsberg had plenty of time to aim!"

"4:0! The Berlin Olympic Stadium has fallen!"

"With their current morale, a comeback seems impossible. This city derby has turned into a one-sided massacre!"

Duan Xuan was ecstatic. Su Luo was as mature and calm as ever in this counterattack, handling the ball perfectly. It seemed even the gods couldn't stand the national team's decline and sent Su Luo to rescue them, bringing some light to the darkness.

The Chinese fans were overjoyed, but the Hertha Berlin fans in the stadium were devastated. They had hoped that a new coach would boost the team's morale and give them a chance against their city rivals. But as long as Su Luo was on the opposing side, Berlin's sky would be red!

In the stands, many Hertha Berlin fans began leaving early. It was only the 42nd minute! The cheapest tickets cost 35 euros, and some cost over 100 euros. For many, that's enough to feed a family of three for three days. These Hertha Berlin fans couldn't bear the torture any longer. They had booed Su Luo before the game, using insults to mask their fear. Now, retribution had come. In 40 minutes, Su Luo had made 2 assists and scored 2 goals, turning the city derby into a massacre once again!

Coach Dardai was numb. Without Sane, and with many opponents fatigued from international duty, Hertha should have had an advantage. Why was this happening? He forgot one crucial detail: Su Luo didn't play for the national team. After two weeks of rest, he was like a hungry, red-eyed beast, ready to devour his next opponent!

Union Berlin eased up a bit in the second half, mindful of their upcoming away game against Juventus. Their main lineup couldn't afford to push too hard. With Su Luo contributing to four goals in the first half, they could afford to relax a bit.

Hertha Berlin had no strength left to resist. They just wanted the humiliation to end quickly. But before Su Luo was substituted, his Union Berlin teammates kept feeding him chances. Finally, in the 65th minute, Mahrez broke into the penalty area. Su Luo surged forward but stopped at the crucial moment. Mahrez's pass arrived perfectly, and Su Luo struck without adjusting his feet.

To ensure success, Su Luo activated his "Ronaldo Form." The ball flew into the top corner!

Su Luo completed his hat-trick!

After the game, when the reporter asked Mahrez why he chose to pass the ball to Su Luo instead of taking the shot himself when he had a good angle in the penalty area, Mahrez's response was somewhat pointed.

"It's been over half a month since Su Luo last scored a hat-trick, back in Manchester City's Champions League match. That's quite a while," Mahrez remarked.

Fans of other Bundesliga teams, especially Hertha fans, were left fuming.

"How can half a month without a hat-trick be considered a drought? Are these even human standards?" they grumbled.

In any case, after scoring a hat-trick, Su Luo was substituted off. Coach Neuhaus hoped to preserve his form for the upcoming match against Juventus.

Later, Mahrez shifted to the left. Substituted player Quinin received a through ball from Forsberg and successfully scored in the penalty area!

"6:0! Last time it was 5:0; this time, it's 6:0! Hertha have conceded 11 goals at home against their city rivals!"

What was most frustrating was that more than half of Hertha's home crowd had left, allowing Union Berlin fans to turn the stadium into their own stage. They even unfurled a giant tifo depicting a sickle and hammer, with menacing slogans below.

Hertha Berlin were simply outplayed and outclassed by Union Berlin in every aspect. They had hoped to compete for a top-four spot and a Champions League berth in the new season. However, after this game, Hertha Berlin fell into a slump and suffered three consecutive defeats in the following rounds. Coach Dardai's position was now in jeopardy, with some fearing he might become another victim of the "coach killer."

In reality, this match wasn't taken seriously by fans of the Iron Union. It was merely an appetizer after the international break. The real showdown awaited them in four days—the UEFA Champions League encounter against Juventus!

In such tense times, Su Luo's reaction after the game was… to lead his teammates in a dance!

Coach Neuhaus seemed a bit perplexed.

"Are you sure you want to celebrate now? Shouldn't we wait until after the Juventus game?" he queried.

"Coach, let's balance work and play. After the grind of international duty, a bit of relaxation helps us refocus before matches," Su Luo explained.

In other teams, such behavior might be seen as reckless or morale-sapping, but in Union Berlin, familiarity bred confidence. Strangely enough, what might seem like nightclub visits to some was actually a way for the players to unwind and often boosted their performance before big games.

Su Luo himself didn't fully understand this principle at first. Initially, he used the nightclub atmosphere to help him relax and recharge mentally and physically. Later, his teammates followed suit, and the ritual seemed to have a positive psychological effect. It appeared that relaxing before a major match actually increased their chances of winning.

However, when Su Luo and his teammates were once again photographed by paparazzi, the German media launched a scathing attack.

"Nightclubbing before a match with Juventus? Su Luo and Union Berlin have lost their minds!"

"The captain sets a bad example! Not taking Juventus seriously? There will be consequences!"

Publications like "Munich Evening News" and "Bild" joined in, and even Italian media such as "Torino Sport," "Gazzetta dello Sport," and "Football Market" took jabs.

"Juventus' main concern is Manchester City, not Union Berlin."

"Daring to underestimate our Serie A giants? They'll learn the hard way!"

"Juventus are stable with odds of 2.5! Union Berlin won't trouble them in the Champions League, especially with the next round of international fixtures looming."

Soon, the narrative was that Berlin players were carefree before matches, making them unreliable.

Su Luo couldn't believe how much attention their simple outing had garnered. They were just chatting with well-dressed girls on the deck, sipping non-alcoholic drinks. But despite his efforts to keep things low-key, no one seemed to believe them.

"Su, don't worry about it. People will say what they want," comforted the veteran captain Matuschka on the flight to Turin, Italy.

In his view, young captain Su Luo had brought positive changes to the team and could be trusted with the captain's armband.

"It might work in our favor," Matuschka added thoughtfully.

"Hmm?"

"After all this fuss, Juventus might underestimate us. If they dare to, we'll show them no mercy," Su Luo replied with a faint smile, his eyes sharpening.

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