England's Greatest

One week before the first leg, Thomas Tuchel gathered his squad in the tactical room. The air was tense, the hum of the projector the only sound as an image of Tristan Hale filled the screen. Arms raised mid-celebration, his confident grin was a stark reminder of why Leicester's number seven was regarded as one of the most dangerous players in the world.

Tuchel, wearing his signature baseball cap, surveyed the room. His players, a mix of veterans and rising stars, sat with quiet anticipation.

"Gentlemen," Tuchel began, his voice calm but firm, "this is Tristan Hale. You've heard the stories, seen the highlights. Now, let me make it clear: he is not just Leicester's star player. He's one of the top five players in the world right now. And at twenty years old, he's already breaking records that most players can only dream of."

He clicked to a new slide showing Tristan's jaw-dropping statistics.

"This season, Hale has 50 goals and 32 assists across all competitions. In the Premier League, he's broken every single offensive record: youngest player to reach 30 goals in a season, first to record 34 goals and 20 assists in one campaign, fastest to record 82 goal contributions. He scores, he creates, and he dominates. And if you think that's where it ends, you're wrong."

Tuchel moved to the next slide, a highlight reel of Tristan's free kicks.

"Do not foul him near the box. He can score from any distance—20, 30, even 40 meters, it doesn't matter. He's as good as Beckham at set pieces, maybe better. Watch this."

The screen showed clips of Tristan scoring free-kicks with the speed of a rocket.

"Understand this," Tuchel continued, his voice rising. "If we give him an inch, he'll take a mile. If you foul him in this area"—he pointed at a heat map of Tristan's shooting zones—"you're as good as gifting them a goal. So stay disciplined. No cheap fouls."

"Now let's talk about the rest of his game. Tristan is not just a free-kick specialist or a goal scorer. He's the most complete player we've faced this season. Think of him as a hybrid: the vision of De Bruyne, the dribbling of Kaka, the pace of Henry, and the finishing of Van Persie. And his mentality? Ice-cold under pressure. When Leicester needs last minute goals, he delivers like it was promised to him by god. He's been doing this since the age of 18 against Arsenal in a cup final.

The screen flickered again, showing Tristan ghosting past defenders with ease, threading passes to Riyad Mahrez and Vardy, and scoring from impossible angles.

"He's a natural number 10," Tuchel explained, "but he roams everywhere. He likes to drift to the right, linking up with Mahrez and Vardy but he's unpredictable. His movement is erratic, which makes him impossible to mark. Sven," he said, turning to Sven Bender, "you'll shadow him. Stick to him like glue. Don't give him space to turn or time to think."

Another clip showed Tristan sprinting past a defender and setting up a goal with a pinpoint cross.

"And don't forget his speed. He's not just quick—he's explosive. He can go from standing still to full sprint in seconds. If you let him get behind you, you won't catch him."

The room grew quiet as Tuchel concluded his breakdown.

"Hale isn't just Leicester's driving force—he's their identity. Neutralize him, and you cut the head off the snake. But don't underestimate the rest of their team. Mahrez, Vardy, Kante—they'll punish you if you're too focused on Hale. Stay sharp. Stay disciplined."

The team's veterans exchanged knowing looks. Mats Hummels and Marco Reus had faced world-class players before, but Tristan's profile was intimidating.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan leaned back, his arms crossed. While he respected Tristan's talent, the competitive fire in him burned brighter.

"Fifty goals, thirty-two assists," Mkhitaryan muttered to himself. "Impressive. Let's see if he can handle us."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was equally intrigued. Known as the Bundesliga's fastest player, he was eager to test Tristan's much-hyped speed.

"They say he's fast," Aubameyang said with a smirk to Mkhitaryan. "But I'm the fastest in the Bundesliga. Let's see if he can keep up."

Tuchel, hearing the murmurs, raised a hand to quiet the room.

"Don't let his stats intimidate you," he said firmly. "We've faced Messi, Ronaldo, and Lewandowski. Hale is a rising star, but he hasn't faced a team like Borussia Dortmund. If we execute our plan, we'll show him that the Europa League is a different beast."

As the meeting wrapped up, Tuchel's final words echoed in the players' minds.

"Tristan Hale is a generational talent. But he's just one player. We are a team—a team with the experience, the skill, and the unity to stop him. Play as one, and we'll show the world why Dortmund is still a force to be reckoned with."

 The stage was set for an unforgettable showdown, one that would pit Dortmund's collective brilliance against Leicester's rising star.