Vs. Real Madrid -1
The Bundesliga Round 4 Korean Derby against Hamburg had just wrapped up, and Dortmund immediately turned their focus to the next match.
They had only three days after the Hamburg game before heading out again—this time for an away fixture.
"Jinho, be careful out there."
"Yeah."
"Don't get hurt!"
"Got it."
"What else you got for me?"
"I love you."
"That's too basic."
"You hate it?"
"As if."
After some sweet time with Gyeowol, I hopped on the away bus.
Two away games in a row, but at least Frankfurt wasn't too far. It was like Seoul to Cheongju back in Korea.
Well.
If it were ridiculously far, we'd fly, but with Gyeowol pregnant, a short bus ride felt safer psychologically than a long flight.
'Best would be flying even for short trips.'
The club had to watch the budget, though.
Not long ago, they'd teetered on the edge of financial ruin, so Dortmund was obsessed with stability. Revenue had surged from better finances, steady results, and Asian fans flooding in.
Even as one of the world's top-earning clubs, they skimped on unnecessary spending.
'One bus trip saves about 40 million won in travel costs, right?'
For reference, during COVID, cash-strapped FC Barcelona—our symbolic rivals—bused twice the distance to save money.
"Gino! Come play poker with us."
Anyway, on the bus to Frankfurt, I bonded with the Dortmund squad.
I sat at the table, eyeing the crew: Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski, Ivan Perisic, and me.
Or as we called 'em: Goetongsu, Bepandopski, the one who fought Klopp, and Meng.
Hmm. What can I say? It felt like a den of rebels.
"Where's Marco?"
So I scanned for Marco Reus first thing.
Rumors of a 'coup' were nagging at me.
"Said he was tired?"
"Oh?"
Without Marco Reus, 'Dortmund's Spring' fizzled before it started, and we dove into cards anyway.
"Gino sucks balls at cards."
"...Agh, you're out."
After losing, Ivan Perisic hit me with a savage burn: 'You straight-up suck at games.'
I got too heated, slipped in some sleight of hand.
"...Huh? This guy's cheating from the bottom."
"Grab him! Knew something was off!"
And just like that, I got caught.
Bundesliga Round 5. Dortmund faced Eintracht Frankfurt at Waldstadion, the "Forest Stadium."
Was it the pressure of a 35-game unbeaten streak?
The Dortmund players were stiff with nerves, out of sync, and let in an early goal to Frankfurt.
Even after conceding, Dortmund wobbled for a while as Frankfurt piled on the pressure.
Frankfurt met the cross with his forehead, ripping the net again.
But the ref and linesman called offside.
Frankfurt players swarmed the ref in protest, but he shook his head firmly, sticking to the call.
Play resumed after the bad call, but team chemistry still felt off.
The 'Dortmund's Spring' crew—who'd shaken off pressure by punishing my card cheat—seemed the fittest.
Jurgen Klopp sensed it too, subbing at halftime.
"Ivan Perisic starts the second half. Good work first half, Marco."
Marco Reus, looking heavy-legged from fatigue, came off right away for Ivan Perisic.
Perisic, who'd grumbled about reduced minutes since Reus joined, brought his endless stamina, stole the ball in Frankfurt's half.
He slid a ground pass to Lewandowski penetrating the box for the assist.
And late in the game.
Perisic took my through ball and slotted it between the keeper's legs.
Perisic roared at the corner flag.
"That's it!!"
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"Oh. Shit. Damn it."
Overhyped Jurgen Klopp swung his fist wildly and accidentally clocked the linesman.
Klopp took a yellow for his over-the-top celebration.
Dortmund scraped a comeback win away at Frankfurt thanks to Perisic's winner, despite a sloppy showing.
Lucky in many ways—objectively, losing to Frankfurt wouldn't have shocked anyone.
The early ref blunder and late crossbar basically saved them.
They say bad calls are part of the game, but getting screwed over drives you nuts.
Furious Frankfurt's boss blasted the ref post-match.
With four straight wins early as a promoted side, the regret stung extra.
Anyway, Dortmund returned home, beat Borussia Monchengladbach.
Buoyed by home fans, they stretched the unbeaten run to 37.
After Gladbach, Dortmund shifted straight to Champions League prep.
Last season's quarters run put them in Pot 3, but they drew the group of death again: 100-point Real Madrid, Premier League champs Man City, double winners Dortmund, Celtic.
Nets dubbed it the Death Group.
Well.
Some fans were bummed.
Ki Sung-yueng transferred from Celtic to Swansea right before the season, killing a potential CL Korean Derby.
Anyway, I'd rested for the Celtic away game before the Hamburg league match.
Now I started at home vs. Real Madrid.
Last season's gritty quarters push paid off.
In original history, they crashed out of CL groups, drew Pot 4, and got Real, City, Ajax, Dortmund.
Now Celtic in Pot 4 gave some breathing room. Anyway, as the Real Madrid clash loomed.
Real Madrid's third-year Special One started talking smack.