BVB (2 - 1) VFB – 23rd Minute
After Che's goal, Dortmund fought back with better precision this time—they didn't take their foot off the gas.
But Stuttgart's defenders were more alert now and held the line at midfield, choosing not to press deeper due to Che's ability to capitalize on a single moment.
Che's thoughts were out of the game for a second. He was still thinking about what had happened before he scored.
His body had reacted on its own. Before he even touched the ball, he somehow knew what was going to happen. It felt like his instincts had taken over, more than his thoughts.
Che shook his head and refocused. Dortmund still held possession, patiently waiting for their chance to attack again.
Leon tracked back to help his left-back defensively. Dortmund's winger passed into the middle, then quickly ran between Leon and the left-back, expecting the ball to come back.
The midfielder returned the pass as expected, but Leon slid in and cut it off. The left-back recovered and took possession.
He began sprinting down the wing, and Dortmund's defenders started retreating. Leon got up and, with his quick acceleration, caught up to support him.
The player passed to Leon, who was sprinting along the sideline. Dortmund's right-back closed in quickly.
As the ball reached Leon, the right-back slid in to tackle—but Leon scooped the ball over him and jumped cleanly.
Now he was flying down the open wing. Che was in the middle, Speidel out wide on the far side. Leon looked up—Che was drifting left.
The closest center-back hadn't committed yet, staying focused on Che.
Leon kept driving down the wing, then finally cut inside. After three touches, he sent the pass to the attacking midfielder arriving just outside the box. Neither defender had anticipated it.
The midfielder struck a hard, low shot. The keeper dove and parried it, the ball bouncing out. He jumped again and managed to smother it.
Dortmund's defense looked rattled, momentarily distracted by Che's movement. Their right-back stepped in.
"Come on, guys. Focus. We have a system. Don't get distracted by things that don't matter. Stick to our formula and we'll shut them down."
His teammates nodded in agreement. Play restarted. The defenders found their rhythm again and started pressing like usual.
The same situation occurred again—Stuttgart's left-back won the ball and passed to Leon.
Leon sprinted down the wing once more, facing the same defender. This time, Dortmund's defense didn't retreat. They closed every lane that might lead forward.
Leon met the right-back. Before he could make a move, he was closed down. The defender shoved him off the ball, and Dortmund recovered possession without leaving Stuttgart's half.
The ball went to midfield, and Dortmund's defensive midfielder took over. The other two midfielders came close, and the three of them worked in tight proximity.
They passed quickly between each other, drawing two Stuttgart midfielders in—and Che as well.
As the trio rotated toward the wing, they slipped the ball to the right-back, who immediately switched it to the left-back.
The left-back received it unchallenged—Speidel had dropped into midfield to cover the gap.
The left-back then passed to the winger, who cut in immediately. He linked up with Timo, who had drifted left to support.
They executed a quick one-two around the center-back. Now the winger was inside the box, but Stuttgart's left-back stayed with him.
He slid in to block, but the winger passed it to Timo, who had arrived in the center of the penalty area.
Timo struck the ball first time with his left foot. Stuttgart's second center-back slid in to block, getting just enough of the ball to deflect—but not enough to stop it.
The ball flew into the top inside netting. Dortmund's players—and their fans—erupted.
Timo celebrated calmly.
While the team huddled, Timo looked over at Che, who stood alone, head down.
"Let's go, guys! Don't drop your heads—stay focused!" Stuttgart's assistant manager shouted from the sideline.
BVB (3 - 1) VFB – 28th MinuteScorer: Timo Ransmayr | Assist: Desmond Ndlovu
Che looked around at his teammates—they all seemed lost. He glanced at Leon, who was shaking his head and shouting at himself.
"Is this how it's gonna end?" he whispered. "Is this how I'll be remembered?"
A flash of Djaby crossed his mind. "In moments like this… his team looked at him."
Che looked down at his feet.
"If I want them to trust me, I've got to take the opportunity myself. They don't have it in them right now—but I'll earn their trust. I promise."