When Gao Shen saw Pochettino's starting lineup, his first reaction was to laugh.
But it wasn't a particularly happy kind of laugh.
Mainly because Pochettino was still not bold enough.
This was actually quite ironic.
As a head coach, Gao Shen had always been known for his stability. Even when he took risks, he pursued progress through steady means. But as a fan, he wished Pochettino would be more aggressive.
Anyway, he wasn't the coach tonight, so there was no pressure on him.
Goalkeeper: Alisson.
Defense: Robertson, Rúben Dias, De Ligt, and Alexander-Arnold.
Midfield: Rodri sitting deep, with Bruno Fernandes and Kalvin Phillips ahead.
Forwards: Mbappé, Milinkovic-Savic, and Ousmane Dembélé.
As expected, Pochettino had the same idea as Gao Shen, using Milinkovic-Savic as the front runner.
The Serbian midfielder's running ability and tactical discipline made him perfect for the role. Letting him push forward to suppress Busquets was indeed a clever move.
Everyone knows that when facing Barcelona, the key is to target Busquets.
By pairing Kalvin Phillips with Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Leeds United's strategy for the night was clear.
A solid defense with swift counterattacks.
Rodri would hold his position, while Phillips would press aggressively. His physicality was more than enough in the Premier League, let alone against Barcelona. His role was crucial in containing Coutinho.
Barcelona stuck to their usual 4-3-3 formation.
Goalkeeper: Cillessen.
Defense: Alba, Lenglet, Piqué, and Roberto.
Midfield: Busquets sitting deep, with Coutinho and Vidal in front.
Forwards: Felipe Anderson, Agüero, and Messi.
Barcelona's attacking trident, all South American players, each possessed strong individual skills. Their one-on-one ability gave them a huge advantage, and if they combined effectively, their threat would multiply.
This trio would pose a serious challenge to Leeds United's defense tonight.
Of course, Leeds United were no pushovers either.
The La Liga leaders versus the Premier League champions, tonight's battle was definitely one between giants.
…
When Dutch referee Kuipers blew the whistle to start the match, the entire Camp Nou erupted with deafening cheers.
Among the Leeds United players, only Milinkovic-Savic stood in the center circle, while the two wingers, Mbappé and Dembélé, spread wide on either side.
As soon as the whistle blew, both wingers sprinted forward.
Milinkovic-Savic passed the ball back to Bruno Fernandes and immediately surged up the field.
Bruno Fernandes passed to Rodri, who sent a long ball toward the front.
Milinkovic-Savic made a forward run, used his body to block Busquets, and turned his back to goal. After controlling the ball, he tried to pass to Mbappé but was intercepted by former Leeds player Roberto.
Mbappé fouled Roberto while trying to win the ball back.
The entire Camp Nou filled with boos.
Barcelona fans were clearly trying to unsettle the Leeds United players, especially Mbappé.
Everyone could see that the French prodigy, who had dazzled at the World Cup, was Leeds United's biggest threat tonight.
Then came a scene that reflected Leeds United's tactical setup perfectly.
Roberto took the free kick quickly, but instead of playing it forward, he passed back to center-back Piqué.
Milinkovic-Savic sprinted straight at Piqué, then switched to press Lenglet.
At the same time, Leeds United's midfield and backline pressed forward together.
From their movements, it was clear that Leeds United intended to open with a high press, using the early tempo of the Camp Nou to their advantage.
Just as Gao Shen had said before, Barcelona's possession-based style had one flaw: a slow start.
If the tempo was increased early on, Barcelona could be forced onto the back foot.
Moreover, Barcelona's current midfield lacked the same passing and control ability it had during the Xavi-Iniesta era.
Milinkovic-Savic was nominally playing as a center forward, but whether he could consistently suppress Busquets remained to be seen. Gao Shen believed the high press was effective early, but once Leeds retreated, Milinkovic-Savic should focus on marking Busquets.
Another possibility was that Pochettino wanted Milinkovic-Savic to expend all his energy pressing from the start. But in that case, the Serbian midfielder wouldn't last the whole match, maybe just the first half.
That would mean an early substitution in the second half, which wasn't economical.
Facing Leeds United's pressing, Barcelona reacted quickly.
Alba broke forward from the left. Before Dembélé could close him down, Alba passed to Coutinho. The Brazilian midfielder played it to Messi.
Messi had drifted into the center, drawing Rodri with him, then passed the ball back to the left.
Felipe Anderson received it near the left side of the penalty area and curled a cross with his right foot toward Agüero near the penalty spot, but Alisson came off his line to claim it cleanly.
After catching the ball, Alisson quickly ran to the edge of the box and threw it to Robertson.
Robertson dribbled rapidly up the left flank, crossing the halfway line.
No Barcelona player closed him down until he reached about 30 meters from goal, when Roberto stepped up. Robertson passed the ball to Mbappé.
Mbappé looked for a quick one-two down the flank, but Roberto anticipated the move and slid in to clear the ball out of play.
Only one minute had passed.
The pace of the game was blistering.
…
Both sides transitioned between attack and defense at lightning speed.
Possession changed hands frequently, and neither team appeared conservative.
Players sprinted up and down the pitch relentlessly.
In recent years, this kind of high-intensity football had become more common, and teams unable to keep up were simply left behind.
The physical demands on the players were immense.
Leeds United's pressing up front was aggressive, but it left spaces behind them.
In the 3rd minute, Coutinho threaded a pass into the Leeds United penalty area. Messi chased it, but Rúben Dias blocked him off and cleared it to Alisson.
It was Barcelona's second entry into the Leeds penalty area within three minutes. Though neither posed a real threat, it reminded Leeds that Barcelona's passing and attacking rhythm remained formidable.
Pochettino was on the sideline shouting instructions, especially at Kalvin Phillips.
Coutinho's activity so early showed both his familiarity with Leeds' system and that Leeds hadn't applied enough pressure on him.
That was Phillips' responsibility.
Phillips, wearing his dreadlocks, raised a hand to acknowledge the message.
Alisson threw the ball to Arnold, but Barcelona intensified their high press.
Valverde could see Leeds United's plan clearly.
The White Rose wanted to suppress Barcelona.
But this was the Camp Nou.
Who could suppress Barcelona here?
The live camera suddenly panned to the executive stands. Nearly 100,000 Barcelona fans noticed Gao Shen sitting alongside UEFA President Ceferin.
Instantly, the atmosphere exploded.
Almost all the Barcelona fans began booing Gao Shen. Many near the executive box turned around and shouted at him, telling him to get out of Camp Nou.
If they could, they would probably have rushed up and attacked him.
Gao Shen was perfectly aware of this.
He shrugged helplessly.
"I told you something like this would happen."
His words made everyone around him, including Ceferin, burst into laughter.
No one else could provoke the hatred of an entire top club's fanbase like this.
What else could be said except that he was simply extraordinary?
Just as the fans continued booing Gao Shen, De Ligt passed the ball back to Alisson.
Under Barcelona's high press, Leeds United couldn't find space through Arnold or Robertson, so they recycled possession to their goalkeeper.
After controlling the ball, Alisson saw his center-backs spread wide and full-backs push forward. Understanding instantly, he launched a direct pass through the center before Messi could close him down.
Rodri dropped deep to receive, controlled the ball, turned left, and passed to Robertson.
Vidal was closing in, but Robertson didn't want to get tangled with him. He passed to Bruno Fernandes and sprinted forward.
Bruno saw Vidal charging toward him, so he played the ball back into the left channel.
Robertson caught up, looked up, and sent in a quick cross with his left foot.
Milinkovic-Savic positioned himself behind Busquets. As Lenglet stepped up, he used his body to shield the ball and volleyed it forward before it could touch the ground.
The pass cut through the space behind Barcelona's defensive line.
At that exact moment, Mbappé exploded into a sprint, instantly leaving Roberto behind and slicing through Barcelona's defense like a flash of lightning.
On the left side of the box, Mbappé got ahead of Piqué, pushed the ball forward, and suddenly accelerated again, completely shaking him off.
The entire Camp Nou gasped in shock.
Mbappé was too fast.
The French winger reached the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and, facing Cillessen rushing off his line, calmly slotted the ball into the far bottom corner of the goal.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Mbappé!!!"
"Leeds United launched a lightning counterattack just over three minutes into the match, and Mbappé calmly finished it."
"1-0!"
(To be continued.)