Football is a rather objective sport, where skill, cooperation, and chemistry are key factors.
But sometimes, football is also a subjective sport.
Morale, mentality, and confidence can all enhance performance.
Kelh is very important to Borussia Dortmund; as a player who has played for Borussia Dortmund for 12 years, it can be said that he truly represents the team.
Especially for ordinary players, when they feel tired and hopeless, they subconsciously look to their Captain, whose ever-high fighting spirit and passionate demeanor will also infect them.
The Captain holds a very high position and power in the locker room, but correspondingly, he is also the soul of a team.
Mourinho once said that an excellent Captain and leader can do things that the Head Coach cannot.
He is closer to the players; he is part of the field, and compared to the Head Coach, he can influence more factors.
And Kehl just played that role!
Reus showed loyalty to Borussia Dortmund, while Kehl, despite several fluctuations in his form, continued to adjust actively, even patiently waiting for opportunities when relegated to the bench.
From this, one can see the inner resilience of this player!
And this resilience is now gradually influencing Borussia Dortmund.
"Be careful next time!"
As Suker retreated, he saw the expressions and demeanor of the Borussia Dortmund players.
Compared to their previous confusion, these guys seemed to have found some kind of goal; not only did they no longer look bewildered, but they even communicated more.
Suker did not know exactly what they were saying, but it must have been about how to break through their defense.
However, he also had great confidence in Real Madrid's defense.
The only surprise was that he did not expect Klopp's substitution to be so decisive.
He made a substitution directly in the first half, sending Casillas onto the field.
However, from an overall perspective, this substitution decision was very crucial, after all, if Real Madrid continued, it was very likely that Borussia Dortmund's mentality would collapse prematurely, and by then, let alone Casillas, even inviting those meritorious Captains would be useless.
"Forward! Run forward!"
Arbeloa threw the ball, still directing Bale to receive the ball forward.
Bale was also ready; the moment Arbeloa threw the ball, he immediately turned.
But just then, he felt his body being clearly pulled.
Turning his head, Kelh was pressing close to him, subtly gripping his jersey corner tightly with his right hand and pulling it down fiercely.
This made it very difficult for Bale to accelerate, and the two were almost shoulder to shoulder, vying for position.
And as they approached the ball, just as Bale was about to extend his foot, Kehl suddenly leaped forward, actually using a half-jump motion to head the ball away first with his forehead.
This action also caused Bale to slightly retract his foot in fright.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Bale broke out in a cold sweat, and after retracting his foot, he couldn't help but turn his head and yell.
Kehl's move was too dangerous and too desperate.
If he hadn't retracted his foot, it would have been a direct kick to the head.
But Kehl obviously didn't know what Bale was saying, nor did he have time to pay attention.
His focus was particularly strong, his eyes fixed on the rolling ball and the changing situation, making corresponding adjustments in his positioning.
Bale was also a bit annoyed, but there was nothing he could do.
Borussia Dortmund, with Kehl's fierce high pressing, completed a steal.
After the steal, Mkhitaryan received the ball and directly passed it to Reus on the wing.
The attack still originated from Reus's wing, but this time Reus did not push forward as aggressively.
Instead, he paused slightly, waiting for his teammates to catch up.
"Actively slowing down the tempo, waiting for teammates to catch up!"
Ancelotti narrowed his eyes slightly.
He noticed some details in Reus's handling this time.
Previously, Reus, although charging fiercely and playing aggressively,
Always played alone and was very aggressive in tempo, but also showed an anxious mentality.
Under this style of play, although the situation seemed fierce, there were few real threats to Real Madrid's defense.
Now, this pause was just right.
Not only did it further stabilize the ball, but it also waited for teammates.
Following Reus's pause, Mkhitaryan, Kelh, Aubameyang, and Großkreutz fiercely charged out from the midfield line, intensely impacting Real Madrid's defense.
Like a yellow hurricane, they swept forward.
"Borussia Dortmund! Counterattack!"
The German commentator's eyes also lit up.
That's right!
This is Borussia Dortmund's style of play!
In the previous matches, Borussia Dortmund was somewhat led astray by Real Madrid's tempo.
Real Madrid's style of play relies on the super-runners on both wings or Suker, the cannon on the left wing, constantly reinforcing their strong side.
In several confrontations, Borussia Dortmund also gradually adopted this tempo.
They completely failed to play their own style!
And now, this deep run from the back, fierce running, and sudden counterattacks, this is how Borussia Dortmund should perform.
"Pass it over!"
"I'm open here!"
"Hurry!"
Borussia Dortmund's attacking players were all shouting loudly.
But Reus did not pass the ball to Mkhitaryan, who was closest to him, but instead looked towards Großkreutz in the distance and directly struck the ball over with the outside of his foot.
At the same time, Reus also shouted loudly.
"Captain!! Let it through!!"
Kehl sprinted forward, and hearing this, he instinctively jumped up and let the ball pass through.
Großkreutz's eyes also lit up, and he immediately extended his foot to try and control the ball.
But in the process, he was bumped by Marcelo.
This collision caused him to miscontrol the ball, and it hit his toe and flew out of bounds.
"Ah~~~~~ He didn't control it well! Großkreutz was interfered with. If he had gotten that ball, Borussia Dortmund could have threatened Real Madrid's goal. What a shame!"
Amidst the commentator's lament, Großkreutz also fell to the ground, angrily pounding the ground.
What a pity!
Such a pity!
"Don't just mope there!!!"
Just as the Borussia Dortmund players were still regretting, Kehl's intense voice came from behind.
When they turned their heads, kehl, who had been in the front field just moments before, was already sprinting back at full speed, roaring:
"Retreat! Turn! Get ready for the header!"
Seeing their Captain's active running, the Borussia Dortmund players also got up one after another and quickly retreated to their positions.
Casillas had intended to quickly take the goal kick and find Suker to launch a counterattack, but seeing this situation, he could only regretfully shake his head.
"Borussia Dortmund's retreat is very active. After Kehl came on, the overall performance has changed somewhat. That's right! It should be like this, maintain a positive attitude, maintain active running, and get yourselves excited!"
The German commentator's tone was slightly agitated.
It wasn't about having equalized or anything, but rather, under this attitude, they saw a glimmer of hope.
The previous game was still somewhat lifeless, but after Casillas came on, the overall fighting spirit was ignited.
Bang!
The goal kick was taken, Kaka and Kirch contested the header, and the ball bounced off both their shoulders, flying towards the side area.
Suker also quickly started, intending to contest for it.
Suker's speed was very fast, so he quickly got into position. The ball was at a half-height, which required Suker to steady his body and receive the ball with his abdomen.
But just after Suker's first touch, he suddenly felt immense pressure from the side.
This caused Suker's body to tilt slightly. In terms of physical confrontation, ever since he gave up most of his strength training, he was no longer as sturdy.
But Suker still withstood this one.
The problem was, when kehl saw that this didn't work, he charged at Suker again.
Bang!
Suker was directly knocked to the ground by Kehl.
Lying on the ground, Suker looked up at Kehl.
No?
Is it necessary?
He wasn't in a dangerous area; if he received the ball in this area, he would pass it, not attack.
However, Kehl's eyes told him that he would not let him comfortably stop any ball.
"That's really f***ing annoying!"
Suker couldn't help but curse softly.
And Kehl also paid the price of a warning for his excited action; Suker felt that the Referee could have given him a yellow card.
However, the Referee might have had his own considerations, so he didn't show a card!
Real Madrid still had possession, and when they kicked off again, Borussia Dortmund's counterattack became even more intense.
Bang, bang, bang!
There was a fierce struggle in every corner of the field!
Realizing that they couldn't beat Real Madrid with intricate passing and penetration, Borussia Dortmund changed their previous style of play and became much rougher.
And this style of play indeed disrupted Real Madrid's rhythm.
It was ugly, extremely ugly, but as long as it was effective, that's all that mattered!
"Hey! Are you not going to give a card?"
Bale was knocked down again.
Having been knocked down twice in quick succession, Bale protested indignantly.
In response, the Referee slightly lowered his hand, signaling Bale to calm down.
At the same time, he also looked towards Borussia Dortmund's half, his gaze telling the Borussia Dortmund players that if they continued to play so wildly, he would issue cards.
The Referee's visual warning had some effect, and Borussia Dortmund's actions became much more restrained.
However, their objective was achieved.
Real Madrid's rhythm was somewhat disrupted.
"One step at a time! One step at a time! Don't rush! First, disrupt Real Madrid's rhythm, then try to counterattack. Stick to this pace, don't rush! Absolutely do not rush!"
The German commentator's tone was excited; he seemed even more nervous than the players.
And the Borussia Dortmund fans were shouting wildly, their earth-shattering chants, though few in number, still occupied a portion of the sound at the Bernabéu Stadium.
They wanted their players to hear their voices, to let them know that here, there were still people fighting alongside them.
The ball was once again tenaciously intercepted by Borussia Dortmund, and Suker also stopped, unable to help but say, "They're so stubborn!"
They pressed madly from the backfield, all the way to the frontfield.
After getting rid of the ball, they continued to chase!
If they fell, they got up and continued to chase!
Each one of them was frantically besieging, with large circles encompassing smaller ones.
Suker finally understood how Bayern Munich was eliminated by Borussia Dortmund; in such a relentless pressing environment, it was truly difficult to pass the ball.
If it were only a few individual players, it wouldn't be much of an issue.
But when all ten players, except for the Goalkeeper, were doing this, it became very uncomfortable.
"Let's see how long you can last!"
Suker began to actively retreat and tuck in.
Since too much pressure was being exerted on the midfield, he retreated to support the midfield.
They were the team with possession, and Borussia Dortmund played passively; despite their aggressive pressing, their physical exertion was enormous.
They only needed to stabilize their passing lanes, and then Borussia Dortmund would eventually run out of stamina.
However, Suker truly underestimated Borussia Dortmund's resilience in their encirclement and pressing.
high pressing is usually done in five-minute increments: press for five minutes, then relax for a while, then press for another five minutes, then rest, and so on.
But Borussia Dortmund... they don't take breaks with this stuff!
They just keep pressing, pressing, pressing!
And, damn it, the more they pressed, the more energized they became!
Bang!
Suker directly used the outside of his foot to pull the ball out of the crowd, completing the transfer.
Then, he saw the Borussia Dortmund players, like sharks smelling blood, swarm towards the other side.
"Damn it!"
Suker couldn't help but curse.
Do these guys not feel tired?
Suker felt tired just watching them run like that.
Clearly, several guys were panting heavily, their chests heaving violently, but they could still run!
As expected of Klopp, who once trained a 'track and field team of football'; this stamina is simply annoying as hell.
However, the time also successfully dragged on to 40 minutes.
"Hold on for another five minutes!"
No sooner had Suker shouted than he saw Bale surrounded by Borussia Dortmund players and then directly brought down.
This tackle, truly, was beyond reproach; it was a very clean interception.
"Counterattack!!"
Kehl, with his last ounce of strength, kicked the ball forward to Mkhitaryan.
At this moment, Kehl felt his entire lung cavity burning, and when he breathed, his throat felt cold, with an occasional urge to gag.
He knew he had been running too desperately during this period.
But precisely because of this, they stabilized the situation and even got this counterattack opportunity.
The ball reached Aubameyang's feet.
Aubameyang turned to look at Reus but did not pass; instead, he actively broke forward.
Ramos had not anticipated this, but his reaction was quick, and he immediately turned to block Aubameyang's shooting lane.
Just then, Aubameyang suddenly stepped on the ball, his body continuing to run forward.
He left the ball in place, while he and Ramos rushed to the other side.
By the time Ramos reacted, Großkreutz from behind had already arrived, and with a powerful shot, he struck the ball.
Bang!
Casillas made a last-ditch save, pushing the ball away.
"Casillas pushed it out, but... the danger is still there, Reus!!"
Spanish commentator González roared.
Just as everyone was tense, Reus feigned a shot, tricking Ramos and Pepe into blocking, and the next second, he turned and passed horizontally.
The ball went to Mkhitaryan in the middle.
And Mkhitaryan stumbled over, using his last bit of strength to push the ball into the goal.
After scoring, Mkhitaryan collapsed to the ground.
He was happy about the goal!
But his body was in pain!
After a long period of intense running, his body felt somewhat overloaded.
Even though it was only half a game, the running was so intense that he felt more tired than in any previous match.
But he was also excited!
Because they fought for a goal.
They equalized!
"Borussia Dortmund!!! What a resilient goal!"
"That's right! This is the turn of events brought about by resilience. They used successive encirclements and interceptions, and successive presses to disrupt Real Madrid's rhythm. Although as a Spanish commentator, I should support Real Madrid, that doesn't stop me from appreciating Borussia Dortmund's resilient will!"
"This goal, they purely fought for it. Since Kehl came on, Borussia Dortmund seemed like a different team."
At this point, González changed his tone.
"But problems also arise: with multiple players' stamina depleted, how will Borussia Dortmund cope with the second half?"
"Keep in mind that in the aggregate score, they are still trailing, and Real Madrid also has a superstar like Suker. Suker in the second half will be even more difficult to deal with. Can Borussia Dortmund truly withstand Real Madrid's attack and complete a comeback?"
He admired the spirit shown by Borussia Dortmund in this goal, their unyielding fight.
But the outcome did not seem likely to change much.
This was just one goal, and it didn't help much in the overall situation.
With their stamina depleted, Borussia Dortmund would face more difficulties in the second half.
And they only had two substitutions remaining, while Real Madrid had three.
In terms of stamina preservation, Real Madrid also had the upper hand.
It could be said that Borussia Dortmund had vented their frustration, but the overall situation had not changed at all.
They played with tenacity, but still couldn't tip the scales of victory in their favor.
Perhaps the Borussia Dortmund players themselves knew this situation, but at the time, they couldn't think too much and could only give it their all.
When both sets of players returned to their own half, the Borussia Dortmund players were visibly out of breath, each one panting heavily.
Several of them coughed loudly from time to time amidst their heavy breathing.
These were symptoms before gagging!
"These guys won't last much longer!"
Benzema shook his Head, seeing this scene.
Fighting hard for a moment is exhilarating, but it's only a temporary thrill and doesn't bring much change to the overall situation.
However, he also understood Borussia Dortmund's feelings.
They had been suppressed too severely before, and they had no choice.
If they didn't fight, they would only slowly die.
But after fighting, they had little stamina left.
A full 20 minutes or more of non-stop running and pressing.
Moreover, this kind of running had no rest component, which would ultimately lead to this situation.
Suker also looked towards Borussia Dortmund.
Perhaps these guys knew that this game was beyond salvation.
Therefore, they chose a more tragic way.
Of course, they might have other considerations, but for Real Madrid, they could quickly finish the battle in the second half.
However, Suker also admired Borussia Dortmund's desperate playing style.
It was just like his previous thoughts: if you don't take a gamble, who knows what the outcome will be?
Giving up means certain death!
But fighting might still preserve a glimmer of hope for victory!