Real Madrid's players had only been in Dortmund for a day, yet they already dominated the German headlines.

This was the power of Real Madrid, the influence of Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and a host of other stars.

They seemed like princes of the heavens, while Dortmund's players were like small-town strivers.

Dortmund's players might possess great strength, but they hadn't received the recognition they deserved.

But that didn't matter, because they were about to have a chance to compete on equal terms!

On March 28, 2012, two other Champions League matchups had already concluded.

Chelsea, under interim manager Roberto Di Matteo, secured a result away against Benfica. Di Matteo's steady approach had temporarily halted owner Roman Abramovich's search for a new manager.

Bayern Munich also lived up to expectations, securing a clean 3-0 victory away against Olympiacos.

As Bayern fans proclaimed, they were the first team to reach the Champions League semi-finals!

Tonight, at 9:45 PM, both Dortmund vs. Real Madrid and AC Milan vs. Barcelona would kick off simultaneously!

Frankly, the previous night's Champions League matches were somewhat uneventful. Splitting tonight's two games would have guaranteed massive viewership.

AC Milan and Barcelona were a clash of giants, with a rich history between them.

For example, Milan carried the responsibility of challenging Barcelona's dominance, with Zlatan Ibrahimović facing his former club.

Another storyline focused on Barcelona's struggles in the league and their full focus on the Champions League, questioning whether they could leave Milan with a positive result.

The story between Dortmund and Real Madrid was even more compelling!

Firstly, Mourinho's interest in Ye Chen had been known for some time, giving fans a chance to see what Ye Chen was truly capable of.

Secondly, both teams were leading their respective leagues by a significant margin, suggesting a closely matched contest.

Thirdly, Real Madrid's management had publicly stated their ambition to reach the semi-finals, while Dortmund's management responded with fearless confidence.

Of course, the most exciting part was the press conference.

Cristiano Ronaldo openly challenged Ye Chen.

But Ye Chen remained silent, offering no response even when confronted by reporters at the training grounds.

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words.

After all, actions convey true intent.

At 9 PM on March 28th, the Dortmund and Real Madrid players were warming up on the pitch.

Although Dortmund had only allocated 5,000 tickets to Real Madrid fans, there were clearly more than 5,000 fans wearing white Real Madrid jerseys in the stadium!

This was due to their financial power, allowing them to purchase tickets at inflated prices.

Ultimately, many fans reluctantly sold their tickets and opted to watch the game at home.

This also demonstrated the confidence of Real Madrid fans, who were determined to secure a victory away from home!

Shinji Kagawa and Ye Chen were sprinting back and forth. "Ye, I never thought I'd get the chance to play against Real Madrid. I'm so nervous!"

"Nervous?" Ye Chen replied with a smile. "Let me tell you a funny story about a live stream. I was on my phone once, and this streamer was playing a game. He fired a shot in the game, and right then, the sound of flatulence came through the stream. The camera quickly went black, followed by the sound of tissue paper being used, haha..."

Kagawa's eyes widened. "Are you saying the streamer had an accident on live TV?"

"Hahaha, yes!"

"Who was it?" Kagawa asked curiously, laughing.

"Known for ten years for buying stars, but infamous overnight for soiling himself! The number one person to have an accident on a live stream, Brother Mai!" At this moment, Wang Chu ran over. "But I searched online, and I can't find anything about this person... Brother Chen must have been watching a Chinese live stream."

"Hahaha... doesn't matter who it was, just laugh!"

The three of them laughed together, a scene that was observed by the Real Madrid players not far away.

Were Dortmund's players really this relaxed? This carefree during the Champions League quarter-finals?

The warm-up soon ended!

Television stations around the world were ready.

In China, both CCTV-5 and Tencent Sports were broadcasting the game live.

CCTV-5 had their usual commentary team of Duan Xuan and Huang Jianxiang, while Tencent Sports featured Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu.

Hao Junmin was not invited as a guest commentator this time, but the previous Champions League broadcast had inspired him greatly. He planned to work even harder and, if possible, try to play abroad again!

Hao Junmin could admit he was not as good as Ye Chen, but he wasn't so sure about Wang Chu!

After all, Wang Chu had recovered from a serious injury and was now a regular rotation player at Dortmund. Hao Junmin believed that with enough effort, he could at least play in the 2. Bundesliga if not the Bundesliga!

Ye Chen's influence was spreading.

In search of the next talent like Ye Chen, many German clubs had begun scouting in China.

Any talented players would be given a trial opportunity.

The only cost would be the round-trip airfare. Lionel Messi, after all, had received flight assistance from Barcelona, which led to his joining the club and starting his legendary career.

"Welcome viewers to Tencent Sports. Tonight, we bring you the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund and La Liga leaders Real Madrid!" Zhan Jun's voice echoed across households through the internet.

Countless fans eagerly awaited the start of the match!

"Dortmund's star player is the newly crowned '80 Million Man', Ye Chen, while Real Madrid's star is of course the '100 Million Man', Cristiano Ronaldo!"

"Both players are ranked third and fourth respectively on the Champions League top scorers list. We believe Ye Chen will definitely try to climb the rankings in this match!"

"Alright, we see the players entering the pitch, and the stadium is erupting with cheers! We can also see red flags waving in the crowd, the Chinese element at the stadium has been growing since Ye Chen joined Dortmund!"

"Now, let's take a look at the starting lineups!"

"Dortmund is playing a 4-2-3-1 formation at home!"

"The goalkeeper is Dortmund's vice-captain, Roman Weidenfeller, who is also the captain on the field today!"

"The four defenders are Marcel Schmelzer, Virgil van Dijk, Mats Hummels, and Łukasz Piszczek!"

"The two central midfielders are Sven Bender and İlkay Gündoğan."

"On the left wing is Ye Chen, the attacking midfielder is Shinji Kagawa, and the right wing is Kevin Großkreutz!"

"The lone striker is still the Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski!"

"This is the strongest possible lineup they can field at this stage. Hopefully, Mario Götze can recover soon and be ready for the second leg against Real Madrid!"

On the pitch, the two teams stood on the grass, and the classic Champions League anthem resonated through the stadium!

A huge Champions League banner waved behind them, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

However, the fans in the South Stand had not prepared any giant tifo displays tonight, due to budget constraints.

"Next, we have Real Madrid's lineup!"

"Real Madrid is also playing a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"The goalkeeper is the Spanish legend, Iker Casillas!"

"The four defenders are Fábio Coentrão, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, and Álvaro Arbeloa!"

"The two defensive midfielders are Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira!"

"On the left wing is Cristiano Ronaldo, the attacking midfielder is Mesut Özil, and the right wing is Ángel Di María!"

"The striker is Karim Benzema, one of the 'Four Little Swans' of France!"

Of course, his nicknames would increase in the future.

Originally a talented striker, he was sometimes scapegoated.

Some called him "Scapegoat Feng," others called him "Benzema Insect."

But as his performance improved, some started calling him "Benzema Tiger," "Benzema Dragon," and even "Benzema Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

Of course, Ye Chen still thought "Benzema Thanos" was the most imposing.

Those fingers were even more powerful than Kato Taka's!