Final selection by Klopp was influenced by Yan Min.

The player, sent off with a red card in the league, remained dedicated and worked hard in training, maintaining excellent form. The red card seemed to have little effect.

Although he received a red card in the league, it didn't affect his eligibility for the Champions League.

Seeing Yan Min's diligent training and recalling his outstanding performance in recent matches, Klopp decided to entrust the young man with a key role.

To avoid a situation where he and Aubameyang clashed for position, leading to only one of them playing, the third option became the only choice.

Borussia Dortmund began playing a 4-4-2 formation.

Due to time constraints, Klopp finalized the starting lineup while making the training arrangements. Unless key players were injured in the following days of training, the starting lineup would not change.

Yan Min was assigned to the left flank, playing as a left midfielder.

Regarding the center-back position, Sven Bender and Sokratis Papastathopoulos partnered as center-backs in the previous Champions League match. However, Sven Bender was definitely unavailable for this match, and Friedrich was not eligible to participate in the Champions League. Who would replace them?

Klopp's choice was the young player Marian Sarr. Born in 1995, Sarr was only eighteen this year. Borussia Dortmund poached him from Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy last summer. Before being poached, he was touted as Bayer Leverkusen's defensive core for the next decade.

Currently, he is also a starting center-back in Borussia Dortmund's youth team. He was also called up to the first team during the pre-season training camp at the beginning of this season and was registered for the Champions League. However, he suffered an injury not long after the new season started.

When the first team was truly short of players, Klopp remembered him again. Although Sarr was young, he was, after all, a genuine center-back, which was better than having Grosskreutz fill in as a makeshift center-back, right?

Moreover, Grosskreutz also had a task to perform; he would continue to start as a full-back in this match.

※※※

Galatasaray, already confirmed to be eliminated before the match, also had the latest developments. Their coach, the renowned Terim, said this about the upcoming match: "...Although we have no chance of qualifying, we want to prove to all of Europe that Galatasaray is a professional football team. We will go all out, to support our fans, and win this match!"

Galatasaray had not won a single Champions League group stage match this season. If they could actually win, it would be their only Champions League victory this season.

If Borussia Dortmund had a full squad, even if Galatasaray were playing at home, saying such things would inevitably seem a bit exaggerated.

But now, everyone felt that this was not impossible...

Because Borussia Dortmund's situation was really bad. Multiple players were injured, they fought until the last moment against Bayer Leverkusen in the league, exhausting themselves. They were on a long journey to a hellish away game, and faced immense pressure in the final group stage match, where they could only win... These negative factors cast a shadow over Borussia Dortmund's prospects.

And Galatasaray? Their main players were all fit, they were playing at home, rested and ready, and the players had no pressure, so they could play to their full potential.

If Borussia Dortmund lost to Galatasaray away, they could only hope that Napoli also lost, in order to qualify from the group. But Napoli's match was at home, and they also had to win. The possibility of losing was not high.

※※※

There were many legends about Galatasaray's home stadium, and these legends were all negative for visiting teams.

In 1993, the "Red Devils" Manchester United came here to play a Champions League away game. Galatasaray's fans unfurled a giant banner that read "Welcome to Hell," shocking the world. This scene became a classic photograph in European football.

The following year, two Leeds United fans traveled with the team to the away game, but were stabbed to death by fanatic Galatasaray fans in a foreign land, shocking the world once again.

Before departing for the away game, Zhou Yi was asked about the "Hell Stadium" issue during an interview at the airport in Dortmund.

Zhou Yi didn't take the nickname to heart, he smiled and shook his head, saying, "I know this nickname, but Istanbul is also a place where miracles are created."

He was referring to the 2005 Champions League final, where Liverpool and AC Milan clashed in another city in this city. AC Milan led by three goals in the first half, but Liverpool chased back three goals in a row, leveling the score and dragging the match into a penalty shootout, then defeating the emotionally collapsed AC Milan.

But the reporters were hesitant: "...That was after all another stadium..."

"Of course, but at least they are in the same city."

Zhou Yi's answer made the reporters feel that he was making excuses.

※※※

Because Galatasaray had already been eliminated in advance, the atmosphere before the match was not very intense. At least when Borussia Dortmund's players were resting in the hotel, there were no Galatasaray fans constantly clamoring and making noise on the streets outside. They still got a good night's sleep.

This situation was seen as a good omen by Borussia Dortmund's supporters. Maybe this away trip wouldn't be so terrible?

After all, Galatasaray had not won any of their previous two home games in the Champions League group stage this season. If there were any bonus effects to their home stadium, it didn't seem to be the case... Perhaps Galatasaray's performance was not as good as before, so their home stadium was not so "hellish" anymore.

As long as Borussia Dortmund's players performed normally, they should be able to secure a victory on the road.

Arsenal and Napoli were both able to defeat Galatasaray at this stadium, indicating that the power of this home stadium was not as strong as before, so why couldn't Borussia Dortmund do it?

※※※

Two hours before the match, when the entire Borussia Dortmund team boarded the bus and drove to the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Borussia Dortmund also announced their starting lineup for this match.

To the delight of Chinese reporters and fans, Yan Min was among them. There would be two Chinese players starting in this match.

This starting lineup also gave many Chinese fans a sense of relief. They had previously worried that the red card against Bayer Leverkusen would affect Yan Min's playing opportunities at Borussia Dortmund and lower coach Klopp's evaluation of him.

Now it seemed that they had worried too much.

When it was his turn to play, Klopp didn't hesitate.

In such a crucial Champions League group stage match, Klopp was willing to give Yan Min such an opportunity. If Yan Min could seize the opportunity in this match, then why worry that there wouldn't be a place for him in the team after his suspension ended?

In the pre-match videos sent back from the stadium, it could also be seen that the atmosphere at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium was very normal. There was no "fanaticism" that came with a big match. Galatasaray fans didn't even prepare any giant *tifo*, nor were there any wildly burning red flames, making this "Hell Stadium" look not very hellish at all.

This relieved Borussia Dortmund's supporters—it seemed that Galatasaray, having been eliminated in advance, no longer had that kind of ambition...

This was good news.

Borussia Dortmund didn't have to withstand enormous pressure on the road. Perhaps it would be an ordinary match, and they would simply take three points and secure a spot in the group stage.

As for the match itself, it wouldn't leave a deep impression on people. As soon as the match ended, everyone would forget it completely.

As for Galatasaray as an opponent... Having not won a single group stage match, they certainly wouldn't leave a deep impression on people either.

※※※

When the two teams' players were waiting in the tunnel to enter the field, the announcer was broadcasting the starting lineups.

Every Galatasaray player received cheers. Although they had no hope of qualifying from the Champions League group stage, Galatasaray's fans were still very enthusiastic.

Borussia Dortmund's players received some boos. This finally made them feel like they were playing an away game.

Yan Min, who was starting, stood behind Zhou Yi, and he was listening intently to the movements outside. He heard a chorus of boos from the stands when Zhou Yi's name was announced. Although the sound was not loud and could not be compared to the boos from Schalke 04 fans, at least there were boos.

Next, he heard his own name, but this time there was no movement at all.

This made him dissatisfied: "Why don't I get any boos?"

Zhou Yi laughed: "What, do you want to be booed?"

"Boos prove that I'm a threat to them. Look, don't you get boos too?" Yan Min said with a justified tone.

Zhou Yi patted Yan Min: "Then when you defeat them in this match, the next time you encounter them, you can hear the boos."

"Of course!" Yan Min seemed full of fighting spirit.

Subsequently, the two teams' players entered the field.

When Yan Min followed Zhou Yi out of the tunnel and stepped onto the field, he suddenly shivered and couldn't help but mutter, "It's so cold..."

Istanbul on December 10 was indeed very cold.

Wearing only a long-sleeved jersey and shorts, Yan Min couldn't wait to start the match as soon as possible, so he could run around and not feel cold anymore.