Chapter 373: Chapter 83: Advancement! Cunning Wang Shuo! Phenomenal Commercial Value! Dortmund Can’t Be Without Wang Shuo Now

1-1!

In the end, Dortmund drew 1-1 at home against Hannover 96!

The result sent shockwaves through the German football scene.

Ever since the winter break, when Wang Shuo was appointed team captain, Dortmund had been on an unstoppable winning streak.

So far, they had notched up six consecutive wins across two competitions.

If you included the 17th round from the first half of the season, that was seven consecutive wins in all competitions.

But unexpectedly, with Wang Shuo rested for this match, Dortmund’s combat effectiveness plummeted.

Not only did they struggle to break through Hannover 96’s defense from open play at home, but they even conceded a goal from a surprise counter-attack at the very end.

In the end, they only managed a 1-1 draw at home!

"With this home draw, Klopp has proven Wang Shuo’s value to everyone!"

Ruhr News wrote in its post-match commentary, "In the final minutes of the match, the South Stand grew restless, with everyone chanting Wang Shuo’s name in unison."

"But by that point, Dortmund had already used all their substitutions!"

After 23 rounds, Klopp’s team had 58 points.

But Heynckes’ Bayer Leverkusen had closed the gap to 51 points, trailing Dortmund by only 7.

Bayern, meanwhile, had caught up to 48 points.

...

Since Dortmund had beaten Ajax 2-1 away, Ajax needed to score at least two goals in the second leg at Dortmund’s home ground to advance.

But after kickoff, it was the home team, Dortmund, who seized the initiative.

Klopp’s team launched a tidal wave of attacks right from the start.

Just three minutes in, Götze nearly broke through the Ajax goal.

After Stekelenburg saved the shot, Grosskreutz’s long-range strike hit the post.

Shortly after, Wang Shuo also unleashed a long-range shot, which was caught by Stekelenburg.

But the Bumblebees’ relentless attacks still put immense pressure on Ajax.

In the 17th minute, Kuba sent in a cross from the right flank. At the near post, after having already missed the optimal shooting position, Wang Shuo used the inside of his right foot in a motion resembling a dragon flicking its tail, sweeping the ball into the Ajax goal.

1-0!

This goal completely broke the deadlock for Dortmund.

But Dortmund didn’t let up, continuing to press their attack against Ajax.

In the 33rd minute, from a free kick on the right side of the pitch, Subotic flicked the ball on from the near post to the far post, where Hummels tapped it in to score another for Dortmund.

2-0!

With two quick goals, the aggregate score was now 4-1!

This meant that Ajax would now need to score at least three goals to have any chance of advancing.

For the Dortmund fans in Westfalen Stadium, the feeling was even more profound: last weekend, without Wang Shuo, the team’s offense had been a complete mess, utterly disorganized.

But in this match, with Wang Shuo on the field, the team was unstoppable, their attacks coming in waves.

Could it be that Hannover 96 was a stronger team than Ajax?

Obviously not.

The stark contrast between the two matches, just four days apart, showed all the fans just how important Wang Shuo was.

This was especially true in the second half.

Just when everyone thought Ajax had lost all hope, they launched a resolute comeback.

Suarez, in particular, was playing with exceptional ferocity.

First, in the 53rd minute, he almost scored with a volley that nearly breached Dortmund’s goal.

Then, in the 69th minute, Suarez capitalized on a cross from the byline by Vertonghen, heading the ball past Dortmund’s keeper.

2-1!

This scoreline rekindled Ajax’s hopes.

The Dutch team began to launch a frenzied counter-attack.

But just four minutes after Suarez’s goal, Wang Shuo received a through ball from Kuba on the right wing, started a dribble, and cut into the penalty area from the right side.

While being double-teamed by Alderweireld and Oleg, he was brought down by a tackle from behind by Oleg.

The referee immediately awarded a penalty and a yellow card!

Since Oleg had already received one yellow card, it turned into a red, and he was sent off the pitch.

Shahin calmly converted the penalty, sealing the victory.

3-1!

In the end, this score held until the final whistle.

Dortmund won 3-1 at home, defeating Ajax 5-2 on aggregate and smoothly advancing to the round of 16!

...

On the afternoon of February 28th, the 24th round of the Bundesliga commenced.

Dortmund traveled to Veltins for the second Ruhr Derby of the season.

Throughout the first half, led by Wang Shuo, Dortmund launched a fierce wave of attacks against Schalke 04.

Notably, in the 17th minute, Wang Shuo received a pass from Reus inside the box and poached a goal to open the scoring for his team.

After that, Dortmund nearly scored several more times against Schalke 04, with the game being almost completely one-sided.

Then, in the 65th minute of the second half, Klopp began to make substitutions.

Wang Shuo, who had just played a full match mid-week, was substituted for Valdes.

But no one could have expected that Dortmund, who had been as solid as a rock with Wang Shuo on the pitch, would suddenly find themselves in a precarious situation after he was subbed off.

The turning point came in the 76th minute when Schalke 04 capitalized on a free kick in their attacking half, with Hewedes scoring a header to equalize for Schalke 04.

After that, Schalke 04 launched a frenzied comeback, while Dortmund, suffering from fatigue, was forced onto the defensive.

Wang Shuo, the man who had so often led the team out of difficult situations at critical moments, had already been substituted.

At that moment, there was no player on the pitch who could step up for Dortmund.

In the 88th minute, a long-range shot from Rakitic breached Weidenfeller’s goal once more, winning the Ruhr Derby for Schalke 04!

This left Watzke and Zorc, who had traveled with the team, in disbelief up in the stands.

Dortmund with Wang Shuo and Dortmund without him were practically two different teams!

They had already seen the signs during the home draw against Hannover 96.

And this match had completely confirmed it.

"Wang Shuo’s contract renewal can’t be delayed any longer!" Watzke said, his expression grave.

"The current Dortmund can’t survive without Wang Shuo!"

Zorc nodded solemnly.