The answer, of course, is... no!

Mainz continued to solidify their defense. No matter how Dortmund attacked, they remained unmoved.

Adam Szalai, standing at 193cm, was brought on to contest aerial balls and specifically limit Lewandowski's headers.

Dortmund's attacking lineup lacked tall players, so this tactical substitution effectively stifled their crossing strategy.

As for long-range shots?

Mainz crowded their penalty area with seven or eight players, making it nearly impossible to find space. They compressed their defensive zone so tightly that even Ye Chen couldn't find a way through.

Time ticked away, and by the 75th minute, Klopp made further substitutions, bringing on Mané for Großkreutz and De Bruyne for Wang Chu. Dortmund launched wave after wave of attacks against Mainz but to no avail.

Was this match destined for a draw?

With just ten minutes left, many fans had given up hope.

Yet, on the pitch, the players were still giving their all.

"Boom!"

A curling shot from Ye Chen was blocked by the crowded defense. Seeing the sea of bodies in the penalty area, a sense of helplessness welled up in him.

At this moment, Klopp issued his final command: send Van Dijk into the box to contest aerial duels.

If you can use a forward to defend high balls, why can't I use a defender as a makeshift striker?

Initially, Van Dijk wasn't very effective, repeatedly outmaneuvered by Szalai. The two began to clash, escalating from verbal taunts about each other's families to physical skirmishes. If not for the referee's intervention, things might have turned into an outright brawl.

Luckily, time was nearly up.

91:30

Ye Chen drifted wide, accelerated to create space, and whipped in a curling cross directly onto Van Dijk's head.

Van Dijk leaped high for the header.

Before he could connect, Szalai jumped alongside him. Though slower, Szalai used his elbow to strike Van Dijk's waist.

"Argh!"

Van Dijk fell heavily to the ground, veins bulging in pain from the unprotected blow to his waist.

While Szalai pretended to show concern, the referee ran over and brandished a yellow card. To Szalai's shock, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. His foul hadn't gone unnoticed.

Szalai froze in disbelief.

"Referee, I swear I didn't foul!" he pleaded.

But the referee mimicked the elbowing motion, making his decision clear.

A crucial penalty for Dortmund! As the team's top scorer, Ye Chen would have been the natural choice to take it, but Lewandowski was the designated penalty taker.

To Ye Chen's surprise, Lewandowski approached him and said, "Ye, you take it."

Ye Chen was stunned.

Did I hear that right? Lewandowski giving up the penalty to me? Could this be the legendary aura of the protagonist?

No, no, I'm not full of myself!

Under the gaze of 80,000 fans, Ye Chen stepped up to the spot. This was a golden opportunity to pad his stats—after all, he had the "Penalty Specialist" skill.

"Whoosh!"

Ye Chen took a deep breath.

"Ahhh!"

Goalkeeper Wetklo let out a roar, clapping his gloves loudly to psyche out Ye Chen.

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle and stepped aside.

Ye Chen stared at the bottom right corner of the goal. Wetklo, standing on the goal line, frowned, trying to predict Ye Chen's direction.

Ye Chen started his run-up, accelerating suddenly.

"Boom!"

The ball flew straight toward the bottom right corner.

Wetklo reacted instantly, stretching his arm to full length, but his fingertips barely grazed the air. Though he guessed correctly, the shot's power and precision left him no chance.

Confidence is key when taking penalties. With the "Penalty Specialist" skill, Ye Chen believed his shots were unstoppable, and this confidence translated into success. Of course, technique also matters—skills don't guarantee every penalty will go in.

This marked Ye Chen's fourth penalty goal of the season and earned Dortmund three crucial points.

Dortmund now led the Bundesliga table with 59 points from 24 matches, maintaining an 11-point lead over Bayern, who lost 0-2 to Leverkusen.

As Ye Chen's goal sealed the win, the Westfalenstadion erupted. Unlike previous dominant victories, this thrilling stoppage-time penalty winner had fans on edge for 45 minutes.

After scoring, Ye Chen sprinted to the South Stand, roaring in celebration. The commentator's voice boomed:

"A last-minute winner!"

"Ye Chen's penalty seals the match!"

"Let's chant his name—he's the savior of Westfalenstadion!"

"Ye Chen!"

"Ye Chen!"

"Ye Chen!"

The stadium trembled as fans jumped and cheered. Meanwhile, Mainz supporters sat in stunned silence, their hopes of holding the league leaders dashed in the dying moments.

Mainz players bowed their heads, devastated. After 45 minutes of resolute defending, they were undone at the last moment. For them, the psychological blow was immense.

Mainz manager Glasner stood on the sidelines, speechless. He thought his strategy of using a target man to neutralize Lewandowski was brilliant, but Klopp's countermeasure left him outmatched.

Sometimes, it just feels like fate.

Dortmund's hard-fought victory secured them another three points, with Ye Chen's brace earning him the match's MVP. Lewandowski and Wang Chu also received high ratings, though Wang Chu's stamina remained a concern, leading to his substitution by De Bruyne in the second half.

After this match, Dortmund planned squad rotations, with key players focusing on the second leg against Inter Milan. Despite their 6-0 advantage from the first leg, Klopp reminded everyone to forget the scoreline—no one wants to be remembered as the backdrop to a miracle.

While Ye Chen focused on training, shocking news spread across Europe.

In the early hours of March 8th, the football world was ablaze with headlines:

"Barça Thrash Leverkusen 7-1 as Messi Scores Five!"

"The King of Football Ascends! Messi Nets Five in Champions League Knockout Stage!"