Chapter 759: Final Nail in the Coffin!

Then, as the final nail in the coffin, another counterattack was made by Schalke players right in the first minute of the additional time.

It all came from a failed cross from Raphael Guerreiro that was being cleared by Hofmann, and before anyone could get the ball, Weston McKennie kicked the ball as far away as possible, wanting to kill Dortmund’s momentum.

However, at that point, Dortmund had no players on the back anymore. No, both Hummels and Akanji were already on the frontline to act as another focal point there with Haaland, leaving only one goalkeeper and probably one defender who still remembered that they had to protect their own territory there.

As a result, Benito Raman, who had just come in the 88th minute to replace Daniel Caligliuri, rushed to get the ball there, and he managed to beat Achraf Hakimi easily in that running contest.

"Yes! Come on, Beni! Kill the game!"

"This is your chance! Get it done!"

All the bench players started to jump around the sideline, as if getting ready to celebrate the goal here. It was a strange scene to see that an unnamed player like Benito Raman managed to get an edge like this, since Achraf Hakimi was an electric young wing-back who was infamous for his speed.

However, they were already close to the end of the game, where the young man had already lost all the fuel in his tank, so it was no wonder Benito Raman managed to get an upper hand here.

In the end, the Belgian winger pushed the ball once, and the moment Gregor Kobel rushed forward to close down the gap, he just chipped the ball easily, getting it through the goalkeeper’s head before the ball fell onto the back of the net.

Thud!

"YEEEES!"

Benito Raman roared wildly while also rushing to the corner spot, hitting a knee-slide there. He was being followed by the rest of the bench, who were running frantically at him. Some even joined the knee-slide, hugging the winger enthusiastically.

"4-1! We destroyed them 4-1!"

"Come on! Let’s go Schalke!"

"We are the king of the north! We are the king of the north!"

Even some local boys like Jonas Hofmann could be seen crying there. For them, the last couple of years had been hard, what with their team getting gradually worse while the rival jumped so high into the sky, widening the gap between the two teams.

This win might not mean that the two were on the same level right now. Gosh, no one would have that delusional thought at all. However, it was definitely the best way to vent all the grievances that Gelsenkirchen had for so many years.

While all the Schalke players were celebrating wildly, this time, the home team side finally started to give up their resistance. Three goals down, with them losing one of their players due to a red card. Even if they had a full game, they wouldn’t be so confident to overturn the table, let alone just this one minute.

Still, losing a derby game hurt, especially when it was the very first game that they played after two months of break. This made doubt start to slip into their head, making them wonder, with their overthinking minds, if they got weaker after that long break.

Higo could see some, like Marco Reus or Erling Haaland, just sitting on the grass lifelessly, and honestly, he was not one to gloat over the opponent’s misfortune, but right now, the boy couldn’t help but laugh, joining the others in their celebration.

Inwardly, the boy was filled with a feeling of relief, as this long game was finally close to its end.

’Yeah, I don’t know if it is because this game is against Dortmund, this is our first game after two months of break, or because this is our very first win in the last three months, but somehow, this is way more exhausting than usual. I am so beat right now.’ He smiled widely even when his knees started to buckle.

Soon enough, the referee finally had to stop their celebration, as there were still five minutes left in the additional time. It was far from being enough for Dortmund to chase three goals, but the game still had to be ended properly.

As everyone was getting ready for the game again, Waldoch also made one last move. He took off Morita and replaced him with a benchwarmer there, wanting to waste more time here.

Not that the assistant coach needed it, of course, because Dortmund also finally gave up on this game. Right after the kick-off began, they kicked the ball back to their own territory, starting to pass around lifelessly. It was as if they had been starved for a whole week, not having the energy to do anything properly.

Schalke players themselves just let their opponent go on their self-destruct mission. In their mind, the more miserable Dortmund was, the better the world would be.

Of course, they still tried to pull off an attack, as losing 4-1 was a little bit too embarrassing. However, their effort was useless, as the trio of Ozan Kabak, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Bastian Oczipka were still stronger than ever. Even Haaland himself was getting so frustrated on the frontline, getting completely isolated by the French defender.

In the end, time passed quickly without much happening during that additional time. All the Dortmund players just wanted to end this misery as quickly as possible, while all the Schalke bench players and staff were already on the edge of the sideline, getting ready to rush in and celebrate this win.

Then, the moment the referee blew the whistle three times in a row...

FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!

All the people in blue jerseys rushed to the pitch of the Signal Iduna Park, screaming frantically as they finally conquered this battlefield that was also the pride of their rival.

"COME ON! SCHALKE IS THE BEST!"

As that shout echoed throughout the stadium, the game was finally over. In the second Revier Derby of the season, Schalke won 4-1, helping them bounce up to two spots in the Bundesliga’s current standings.