Chapter 87

In the eighty-third minute, Zhou Yi took a cold shot from outside the penalty area. The shot wasn't very powerful, but the angle was tricky enough that Ajax goalkeeper Vermeer fumbled the save, causing chaos in front of the Ajax goal.

Ultimately, Veltman, who had just come on, kicked the ball away, defusing the crisis. Though young, the lad wasn't stage-frightened, which is why so many Ajax football legends are optimistic about his future…

"Oh! What a pity!" He Ping lamented that Zhou Yi's long shot hadn't brought a goal for Dortmund.

However, the Dortmund players hadn't initially expected Vermeer, who had performed so well throughout the match, to fumble the ball. After all, when Zhou Yi took the long shot, neither the angle nor the distance was particularly good. He also didn't have much time to prepare, as he suddenly unleashed the shot while running. The kick didn't seem fast or powerful, and didn't appear to pose much of a threat.

But Vermeer fumbled it anyway.

After seeing Vermeer's fumble, the Dortmund players were half a beat too late to capitalize, and Veltman cleared the ball away.

"This may be Dortmund's last good chance of the match!" Marcel Reif was even more regretful than He Ping.

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In the eighty-fifth minute of the match, the score remained unchanged. Everyone on Ajax had retreated into their own thirty-meter area. Except for goalkeeper Weidenfeller, who remained in his own half, everyone else on Dortmund had crossed the halfway line.

Dortmund was certainly unwilling to be held to a draw by Ajax at their home stadium.

To break through in the Group of Death, every home game was crucial, and every point was indispensable.

This made them even more anxious.

Their impatience led Dortmund to play a simpler game in attack, with more long shots and crosses from the flanks.

However, such attacks were not enough to breach the Ajax goal, and were relatively easy to defend.

With little time left in the match, Ajax was only three minutes away from achieving their desired away draw.

In the eighty-seventh minute, Zhou Yi received the ball outside the Ajax penalty area. He adjusted his direction, facing the goal from the side.

He wasn't far from the edge of the penalty box, and Ajax player Eriksen immediately stepped out to defend Zhou Yi, not allowing him any chance to shoot. Zhou Yi's previous long shot had almost created a goal-scoring opportunity for others in Dortmund, and Ajax didn't want a repeat. It would be terrible if Zhou Yi managed to score one by chance.

Seeing Eriksen rushing towards him, Zhou Yi feigned a pass with his right foot, aiming for the far post of the penalty area.

This prompted Eriksen, who was rushing in, to jump up immediately and turn around, intending to block Zhou Yi's cross with his body.

Who would have thought that Zhou Yi's move was a feint!

His right foot hooked the ball into the penalty area, shaking off the jumping Eriksen.

Having broken past Eriksen, Zhou Yi immediately dribbled into the Ajax penalty area. This action startled everyone on Ajax. Two Ajax players rushed out of the penalty area to intercept Zhou Yi.

But their exit created a gap in the previously crowded Ajax penalty area.

Zhou Yi keenly seized this gap. As he dribbled, he flicked the ball past the two Ajax players with his right foot, targeting Lewandowski, who appeared in that opening!

"Zhou Yi, a brilliant pass!" Marcel Reif shouted.

Seeing Zhou Yi pass the ball to him, Lewandowski immediately leaned against the Ajax defender behind him. He didn't have time to see who it was; he just needed to keep someone behind him.

However, Van Rhijn, the Ajax defender behind him, was not so easily deterred. He stayed close behind Lewandowski, refusing to yield an inch.

When the ball rolled over, Lewandowski didn't stop it, but chose to turn and shoot!

"Lewandowski shoots!"

But the ball was not directed towards the goal, but was blocked by Van Rhijn.

The ball hit Van Rhijn's calf and bounced out.

However, instead of bouncing directly out of the penalty area, it flew high into the air. Ajax defender Veltman jumped up to head the ball out, but Reus jumped up to contest, interfering with him and causing him to misjudge the ball. The ball flew sideways, towards the left side of the penalty area.

At this moment, Zhou Yi, who had been ignored after passing the ball to Lewandowski, suddenly appeared near where the ball was about to land. He stopped, raised his foot, and brought the flying ball down from mid-air.

"Zhou Yi!"

Amidst He Ping's shout, Zhou Yi's first touch was very solid, pinning the ball firmly to the turf, without any extra bounce or adjustment.

At the same time, the Ajax defenders rushed towards Zhou Yi, following the ball.

Zhou Yi, who was looking down at the ball, didn't seem to notice this at all.

Because there were so many people in the penalty area, the space available to him was actually quite limited. If he were even slightly unclear-headed, or made any unnecessary dragging motions, he could be surrounded by the opposition.

Zhou Yi, still looking down, raised his left leg, indicating that he was about to shoot. Although the angle was somewhat skewed, it was certainly within shooting range.

Ajax goalkeeper Vermeer quickly shifted to the near post, blocking Zhou Yi's shooting angle.

Two Ajax players accelerated towards him, and Moisander even stretched out both legs for a sliding tackle.

Of course, he wasn't trying to tackle Zhou Yi; he was trying to fly out and use his body to block Zhou Yi's shot.

But the ball didn't come!

Zhou Yi didn't shoot!

His left leg swung down, but instead hooked the ball to the right.

Moisander and his teammate slid past Zhou Yi and the ball…

"Eh, great play!" Duan Xin exclaimed in surprise.

After hooking past two Ajax defenders, it was as if a crack had been torn in Ajax's previously airtight defense. Suddenly, there was an opening in the formerly crowded penalty area!

Zhou Yi switched feet in place, changing to his right leg to kick the ball again!

This time it wasn't a feint. The inside of his right foot struck the ball, causing it to fly up and draw a distinct arc in the air.

The arc was so wide that it even went directly behind Lewandowski, heading straight for the far corner of the goal!

Even if goalkeeper Vermeer made a desperate save, it was too late. He could only watch helplessly as the ball… brushed against the goalpost and flew into the goal!

"Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! Goal!" Marcel Reif shouted. The Westfalenstadion, which had been silent for so long, suddenly transformed into a volcano, erupting violently. "Dortmund takes the lead in the eighty-seventh minute! 1-0!"

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Zhou Yi was also very excited after scoring. He turned and ran towards the South Stand behind the Ajax goal, waving his fists at the excited Dortmund fans above. The fans responded with the most frenzied cheers and jumps!

No one wanted to see their home team held to a draw by Ajax.

Now, Zhou Yi's goal had put everyone's hearts back at ease. They could cheer to their hearts' content.

The Dortmund players also rushed up, hugging Zhou Yi from behind, and then joining him in waving their fists and shouting loudly at the fans in the South Stand.

Dortmund head coach Klopp also rushed out of the coaching area excitedly, running all the way to the Dortmund players celebrating their goal below the South Stand. He wanted to celebrate this goal with his players.

Being in the Westfalenstadion now felt like being at the epicenter of an earthquake!

"Zhou Yi! Mr. Clutch!" Duan Xin also shouted excitedly. "He sealed the victory against Ajax at the last moment! When passing couldn't solve the problem, he chose to do it himself! This reminds us of the recent China-Japan top ten match in the Olympic finals. Zhou Yi has transformed from a pure passer into a versatile player who can both pass and shoot!"

While the Dortmund players and fans were celebrating the goal wildly, the television broadcast showed a slow-motion replay of Zhou Yi's goal. Seeing Zhou Yi feign a shot with his left foot, but then hook the ball to the right, Duan Xin exclaimed, "That hook was a stroke of genius! It looked like a very ordinary hook, but when it came at the right time, it had the power of a nuclear bomb. Zhou Yi is frighteningly calm when controlling the ball in tight spaces!"

Marcel Reif also praised Zhou Yi's series of actions and choices in the penalty area. When talking about Zhou Yi's final shot, he said, "Most players would choose to smash the ball with all their might at the last moment, leaving the rest to God. But Zhou Yi calmly chose to curl the shot at this time. He also controlled the arc of the ball, so that the ball just bypassed Lewandowski, and the dense crowd in front of the goal blocked the vision of Ajax goalkeeper Vermeer. By the time he saw where the ball was flying, it was already too late…"

"Frank de Boer's carefully constructed defense, which lasted for eighty-seven minutes, finally collapsed under Zhou Yi's clever strike. In these eighty-seven minutes of the match, Ajax did very well, and they deserved a draw. But that's football, no one knows what will happen in the next second. Ajax might take a point away from here, but they might also take nothing!"