If you love discovering new techniques, you'd notice that Ye Chen was using Cristiano Ronaldo's second style of kicking.

This method allows the ball to carry more power.

Everyone in the stadium had their eyes fixed on Ye Chen.

If nothing unexpected happened, this would be the final attack of the first half.

"Beep!"

The referee blew his whistle.

Ye Chen sprang into action!

"Bang!"

He concentrated all his strength into his right foot!

The ball was launched like a cannonball, soaring straight towards the goal.

The defensive wall leaped simultaneously.

"Thud!"

The ball didn't make it past the wall!

Instead, it struck Pepe squarely on the head.

Even though he had braced himself, the sheer force of the shot caused an audible impact that echoed throughout the stadium.

The next moment, Pepe's large frame crashed onto the grass, his body instinctively falling backward.

At the same time, 272 had just scrambled to his feet but was immediately flattened by Pepe, turning into an unintended human cushion!

Seeing this, the referee immediately halted the game!

Head injuries during a match must be taken seriously, and if a player shows any signs of distress, the game must be stopped.

Ye Chen, having taken the shot, held his head in frustration!

The power was there, but the height was off.

Of course, it wasn't intentional—he had nothing against Pepe. It was purely accidental.

After all, every attacking opportunity for Dortmund was precious and couldn't be wasted.

The referee checked the time and blew the whistle to end the first half. Ye Chen didn't rush to the locker room but instead walked over to check on Pepe.

Since he had caused the situation, it was only right to show concern.

Fortunately, Pepe was fine. Although the hit left him a bit dizzy, he recovered quickly.

The one in real trouble was 272—being crushed by Pepe had left him struggling to breathe.

Pepe managed to walk off the field on his own, but 272 had to be stretchered off.

It was unlikely he would return for the second half.

Mourinho's expression darkened at the sight.

Although he had Kaka, a superstar, on the bench, Kaka didn't quite fit into his tactical setup.

Once he confirmed Pepe was okay, Ye Chen turned to leave.

But Cristiano Ronaldo called out to him, "Ye! Wait a second."

Ye Chen looked surprised. "Ronaldo? What's up?" He hadn't expected Ronaldo to initiate a conversation.

"Jorge keeps telling me how good you are. Today, I finally got to see it for myself. Be honest with me—did you learn your free kicks from me?" Ronaldo raised an eyebrow, smiling.

Jorge, full name Jorge Mendes, was both their agent.

Ye Chen chuckled, "I did model that shot after yours. By the way, can we swap jerseys? I've been a fan of yours since your Manchester United days!"

"Of course!" Ronaldo took off his jersey and handed it to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen didn't hesitate either—he removed his own jersey and gave it to Ronaldo.

The cameras captured the moment.

"Thanks!" Ye Chen grinned.

Ronaldo also smiled. "Good luck in the second half! I'm not giving up yet!"

The two of them walked into the locker room together.

Inside, Klopp instructed his players to recover their energy and offered words of encouragement.

Despite Dortmund being on the defensive for most of the first half, they had been more clinical with their chances.

Now, they needed to steal another goal!

But first, they had to keep their defense solid.

Dortmund made no substitutions, but for Real Madrid, 272 was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation, and Kaka was subbed in.

The second half kicked off.

Dortmund started with possession.

The first half hadn't been particularly thrilling, with very few goals.

But that was typical of high-stakes matches—teams played conservatively.

Lewandowski executed a classic opposite-foot kickoff, signaling the start of the second half.

The ball landed at Ye Chen's feet, and he immediately passed to Kagawa on the left.

Kagawa tried to control the ball against Arbeloa.

But Di María quickly pressed up, forcing Kagawa to pass back to Ye Chen.

However, Alonso had been watching closely.

To completely neutralize Ye Chen, cutting off his passing lanes was crucial.

Alonso intercepted the ball, and Real Madrid swiftly transitioned into attack.

He passed to Khedira in the center.

Khedira advanced and spotted Ronaldo raising his hand on the left.

Without hesitation, he played the ball forward.

The sequence was seamless!

Ronaldo picked up the ball and sprinted forward, with Piszczek rushing to close him down.

But Ronaldo played a horizontal pass to Benzema instead. Benzema immediately played a through ball.

A figure in white made a decisive forward run—

Kaka stood out in the play...

Kaka burst forward, leaving Van Dijk behind.

Weidenfeller, Dortmund's goalkeeper, charged out to intercept.

But Kaka lifted his foot and struck the ball cleanly.

Weidenfeller dived, but the ball slipped past his right hand...

"Swish!"

With his very first touch, Kaka scored for Real Madrid!

Time of the goal: 45 minutes and 24 seconds into the second half!

Kaka ran towards the sideline, raising both hands to the sky in gratitude.

The Dortmund fans were stunned.

But the traveling Real Madrid supporters erupted with excitement.

"Kaka!"

"Kaka!"

"Kaka!"

The stadium echoed with chants as the commentators roared.

Ye Chen watched Kaka celebrate from a distance, feeling conflicted.

Dortmund might be dominant in the Bundesliga, but in the Champions League, every match felt like walking on thin ice.

Perhaps this was the difference in pedigree.

Dortmund was still a step behind Europe's elite.

Would this year's experience help them improve next season?

Despite conceding, Klopp didn't blame his players. He urged them to keep their defense tight!

A 1-1 draw was acceptable.

After all, Dortmund could still score in Madrid, but they couldn't afford to concede again.

If they did, advancing to the next round would become extremely difficult!

Dortmund restarted play.

Lewandowski passed back to Ye Chen, who quickly laid it off.

The second half continued.

With momentum on their side, Real Madrid intensified their high-pressing game.

At 46 minutes and 12 seconds, Gündoğan played a pass to Großkreutz on the right.

But Coentrão had anticipated it, intercepting and heading the ball to Ramos.

Ramos, an excellent ball-playing center-back, advanced and launched a long pass forward.

"Bang!"

The ball soared towards Ronaldo.

Ronaldo controlled it with his chest as Piszczek rushed in.

Instead of turning, Ronaldo passed to Benzema.

Sven Bender anticipated the play and went for a sliding tackle.

But Benzema's intelligence shone through—

He nudged the ball forward with his left foot just before contact and collapsed, clutching his leg in agony!

The referee sprinted over and immediately pulled out a yellow card... and then a red!

Sven Bender had already been booked in the first half.

Two yellows made a red...

Dortmund players surrounded the referee, protesting, but he remained firm—Bender was sent off!

Klopp's heart sank.

Disaster.

Dortmund was in real trouble now!

Bender was Dortmund's best defensive midfielder, and there was no proper replacement on the bench.

And now, they had to play the rest of the match with ten men...