As of now, Dortmund has played 23 matches and secured 56 points, while second-placed Bayern trails behind with 48 points.

Bayern recently climbed back to second place, which is a commendable achievement.

Of course, the Bundesliga title race isn't over yet. With more than ten matches remaining, if Dortmund falters, they could be caught up.

But will Dortmund be overtaken?

The answer is: unlikely!

After 23 rounds, Mainz sits at 11th place in the league standings. With minimal relegation pressure this season, they are unlikely to field their strongest lineup.

Dortmund, on the other hand, has deployed almost all of its main players.

At 6:30 PM local time in Dortmund, the team bus arrived steadily at the parking area of the Westfalenstadion.

Over 500 fans had already gathered around. As the bus came to a halt, countless fans began chanting the names of their favorite players.

Unsurprisingly, Ye Chen's name was the loudest!

Wang Chu, walking beside Ye Chen, said, "Brother Chen, you're so popular now!"

"Just play well, and you'll have many loyal fans too!" Ye Chen patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's sign some autographs!"

"I'd rather not. They're not my fans anyway."

"Wang Chu, come here!"

"Over here, Wang Chu!"

Wang Chu hesitated, but Ye Chen had already pulled him to the sideline to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans.

"Thank you all for your support! Please show Wang Chu some love as well!"

After all, only mutual admiration creates lasting connections.

The fans supported Ye Chen, so he naturally tried his best to meet their simple requests. Signing autographs and taking photos were easy enough.

One Hour Later

In the players' tunnel, Wang Chu looked anxious.

"Brother Chen, I'm a bit nervous. What should I do?"

"Don't worry—just don't be so nervous that you mess yourself up!" Ye Chen said with a grin.

"That won't happen!" Wang Chu quickly shook his head.

Ye Chen laughed even more. "I once saw a video of a streamer playing a game as a sharpshooter. During the stream, he shouted, 'Fire!' and then, hilariously, you could hear... well, certain unfortunate noises and the sound of tissue paper rustling. It was hysterical!"

Wang Chu froze. "No way... he didn't actually mess himself during the stream, did he?"

"Would I lie to you?" Ye Chen burst into laughter. "Fans even started calling him 'The Human Cannonball!' Hahaha..."

Wang Chu couldn't help but laugh along.

"You know, Brother Chen, I'm not as nervous anymore!"

Distracting oneself is often the best way to relieve tension. And today, it was only natural for Wang Chu to feel nervous—he and Ye Chen were starting together for the first time!

In the Streaming Studio

On Gugu Sports, commentator Jian Jun was ready for the match.

"Good morning, everyone! I'm today's commentator, Jian Jun. With me is my partner, Coach Zhang Lu!"

"Hello, everyone!"

"Today is particularly special for Chinese fans, as it marks the first time Ye Chen and Wang Chu are starting together!"

"Let's take a look at Dortmund's starting lineup!"

"Goalkeeper: Weidenfeller."

"The back four: Schmelzer, Van Dijk, Subotić, and Azpilicueta."

"In midfield: Sven Bender and Wang Chu!"

"Left winger: Ye Chen. Attacking midfielder: Shinji Kagawa. Right winger: Großkreutz."

"And striker: Lewandowski!"

"Despite being securely at the top of the league, Dortmund hasn't taken this match lightly. Almost all their main players are on the field!"

"As for Mainz, they've lined up in a 5-3-2 formation."

"Goalkeeper: Wetklo."

"The five defenders are..."

To be fair, Wetklo owes Ye Chen some thanks. If it weren't for Ye Chen's 35-meter free-kick goal, Heinz Müller would still be Mainz's starting goalkeeper.

Of course, Heinz Müller didn't lose his starting spot overnight. After his performance against Ye Chen, his form declined, allowing Wetklo to seize the position.

In Mainz's match against Bayern, Wetklo conceded two goals but earned a high rating afterward, cementing his place as the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

Now, facing Dortmund again, Wetklo declared in pre-match interviews that he wouldn't allow the "Chinese kid" to score this time!

But would things go as he wished?

Although Ye Chen played as a left winger, his role was more like a free-roaming attacker.

The Match Begins

At 4:12 into the match, Ye Chen attracted two defenders with a brilliant dribble and then passed the ball to an advancing Wang Chu.

Wang Chu, after a brief adjustment, delivered a perfect lob to Lewandowski.

Lewandowski received the ball, turned, and drove into the box. Despite pressure from Bungert, he shifted the ball to his right foot and fired it into the net!

1-0!

Dortmund had a dream start, and the chemistry between Ye Chen and Wang Chu was undeniable!

Just when everyone expected a goal-fest, Dortmund's defense made a costly error.

At 23:35, Soto evaded Sven Bender and passed the ball to Zidan, who broke through the defense. After sidestepping Subotić's challenge and evading Weidenfeller, Zidan calmly slotted the ball into the net.

1-1!

Ye Chen began searching for scoring opportunities.

Finally, at 35:12, he unleashed a long-range shot from outside the box, beating Wetklo and restoring Dortmund's lead.

Wetklo was left red-faced—his pre-match comments now seemed like a slap in the face.

He experienced the same helplessness Heinz Müller once felt. He could see the ball coming, yet he couldn't stop it.

It was truly frustrating!

Dortmund, now back in the lead, continued to press forward.

However, Mainz's defensive setup was solid. At 43:35, they scored from a corner kick, leveling the match at 2-2!

The goal came from Caligiuri, who, despite being only 181cm tall, made an impressive run to find space.

Ye Chen observed from outside the box, noting Caligiuri's clever movement.

"If it were me, could I reach that spot?" he thought.

The answer: it'd be tough.

Clearly, he needed extra training to improve his headers. As a future football legend, he couldn't afford any obvious weaknesses!

Halftime

The teams entered the break tied at 2-2.

In the locker room, Klopp expressed his dissatisfaction with the defense, particularly with Sven Bender, who seemed out of form today.

Bender's dip in performance wasn't surprising—he'd played many matches recently. While Ye Chen had at least rested for one game, Bender had only been substituted off after an injury scare.

During halftime, Klopp substituted Bender with Kehl.

Meanwhile, Mainz made two changes, replacing Fathi and Polanski with Ádám Szalai and Baumgartlinger.

A striker for a defender—was Mainz planning to attack?