Chapter 732: Using Their Own Tactics Against Them
In Madrid, at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, the stands erupted with deafening cheers as both sets of fans roared their support.
Amid the overwhelming noise, the players from both teams emerged onto the pitch.
"The players are on the field, and here are the starting lineups for this Champions League final."
"For Manchester United:
Goalkeeper: David de Gea.Center-backs: Harry Maguire and Virgil van Dijk.Left-back: Luke Shaw.Right-back: João Cancelo.Midfield: Ilkay Gündoğan and N'Golo Kanté as the double pivots, with captain Bruno Fernandes ahead as the attacking midfielder.Front three: Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Marcus Rashford."
"For Liverpool:
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker.Center-backs: Kalidou Koulibaly and Joël Matip.Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold.Left-back: Andrew Robertson.Midfield trio: Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Georginio Wijnaldum.Front three: Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané."
The players formed lines for the traditional pre-match handshake, after which the captains, Bruno Fernandes and Jordan Henderson, exchanged pennants and took part in the coin toss.
With the formalities complete, the players returned to their respective halves of the pitch.
Manchester United's Pre-Match Huddle
Bruno called his teammates into a circle.
"We've made it to the final," Bruno said, extending his hand into the center. His voice was resolute. "The goal is simple: we win the championship!"
"The championship!" Kanté echoed, placing his hand on Bruno's.
"Only the championship!" added Maguire.
"For the championship!" Kane declared.
"The championship is ours!" Shaw proclaimed.
One by one, every player placed their hand into the circle.
Bruno looked at his teammates, and they stared back with determination. After a pause, he shouted, "For the treble! Let's give it everything!"
"For the treble!" the entire team roared back in unison.
Liverpool's Final Pep Talk
In the opposite half, Liverpool's players also formed a circle for their final pre-match rally.
"This is Madrid, at the Wanda Metropolitano," Henderson began, locking eyes with each of his teammates. "Liverpool has waited far too long for a championship. That's why we're here—to make history and bring home the trophy!"
Henderson's tone grew even more forceful. "No one deserves to be Champions of Europe more than us!"
"Champions!" roared the Liverpool players in unison.
The Match Begins
As the players took their positions, the thunderous noise of the Wanda Metropolitano fell into an eerie silence. Everyone—fans, players, and coaches—was holding their breath, waiting for the whistle to blow.
The referee for the match, Damir Skomina from Slovenia, conducted the final checks. His assistants, Jure Praprotnik and Robert Vukan, also from Slovenia, verified that the nets were secure and all was in order. The VAR team, consisting of Dutch officials Danny Makkelie and Pol van Boekel, and Germans Felix Zwayer and Mark Borsch, were ready. The fourth official, Daniel Siebert from Germany, was on standby.
After receiving the all-clear from his assistants, Skomina took a deep breath and blew his whistle to start the game.
Kickoff: Liverpool Takes the Ball
Bruno won the coin toss against Henderson, giving United the choice of sides, while Liverpool kicked off.
Firmino passed the ball back to Rashford, then immediately sprinted forward.
Harry Kane charged toward Rashford, attempting to apply early pressure. Meanwhile, Bruno advanced to cut off Salah, who was positioned behind Rashford.
Rashford, not giving Kane a chance to close in, quickly passed to Henderson, who was moving in to support him. Rashford then darted forward into open space.
Kane ignored Rashford, focusing instead on pressing Henderson, who received the ball and immediately passed it back to center-back Matip.
Kane, relentless in his pressing, sprinted toward Matip like a predator closing in on its prey.
Matip initially considered passing back to goalkeeper Alisson but hesitated. Kane's aggressive pursuit made him second-guess himself. A poorly executed back pass at this stage could spell disaster. Playing it safe, Matip opted to pass laterally to Robertson on the left flank.
Harry Kane pretended to charge directly at Robertson.
As soon as Robertson received the ball, he noticed someone rushing toward him. Assuming it was Kane, Robertson instinctively passed the ball back to Matip.
The moment the ball left his foot, Robertson realized his mistake. It wasn't Kane bearing down on him—it was Kylian Mbappé. Kane, meanwhile, had sprinted directly toward Matip, who was preparing to receive the ball.
Matip Under Pressure
Matip had barely controlled the ball when Kane arrived, bearing down on him at full speed. Matip tried to feint past Kane by pulling the ball back, but Kane clung to him tightly.
As a tall, robust center-back, Matip had excellent physical attributes. Known for his solid defensive capabilities and strong aerial presence, he was reliable at intercepting and clearing high balls. However, like many defenders of his build, he struggled with quick turns and lacked top-end speed. Despite these limitations, Matip was technically sound, capable of initiating attacks with long passes or controlled distribution.
Since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2016, Matip had generally been a dependable presence in defense. However, fatigue from a long season had caused a noticeable dip in his recent performances.
Mourinho had identified this as a weakness during pre-match preparations. He specifically instructed his players to target Matip whenever possible, believing that breaking through Liverpool's defense would be most feasible on his side.
Now, under Kane's relentless pressing, Matip found himself stumbling awkwardly while trying to maintain control of the ball.
A Close Call
"Pass it already!" Alisson shouted from his goal, his voice filled with urgency. The goalkeeper was deeply concerned about the situation. A mistake here could easily lead to a one-on-one opportunity for Kane.
Alisson wasn't alone in his frustration. The prolonged duel between Matip and Kane posed risks beyond a potential turnover—any contact could lead to a foul, and the referee's decision could go either way.
From Alisson's perspective, Matip was overconfident in his technical abilities, holding onto the ball far too long. Or, as he would later put it, "Matip was playing with fire."
Realizing the danger, Matip finally pushed the ball forward and prepared to clear it with a long kick.
But Kane, anticipating the move, stuck out his right foot to block.
What happened next stunned everyone. Matip's attempted clearance ricocheted off Kane's foot, sending the ball looping back toward Liverpool's goal in an awkward, unpredictable arc.
Alisson, fully alert, made a spectacular diving save, tipping the ball over the crossbar at the last moment.
As the ball went out for a corner, Alisson leapt to his feet, furiously berating Matip. His gestures and words made his frustration abundantly clear: "You nearly cost us everything!"
United's Corner Kick
Marcus Rashford delivered the corner into the penalty area, aiming for Harry Kane. However, Koulibaly outmuscled Kane in the aerial duel, heading the ball clear of danger.
Fabinho stepped forward and booted the ball toward midfield, where Jordan Henderson jumped ahead of Mbappé to intercept it, volleying it back into Liverpool's control.
Although Mbappé initially missed the interception, he quickly recovered and pressed Henderson again.
Henderson shielded the ball, feigning a pass to Salah, who was moving to support him. Instead, he spun sharply, attempting to dribble past Mbappé.
Mbappé grabbed and tugged at Henderson, forcing the Liverpool captain to the ground.
The referee, Damir Skomina, blew his whistle for a foul. Henderson quickly got up and took the free kick, passing to Wijnaldum.
N'Golo Kanté's Intervention
Wijnaldum executed an elegant turn with the ball, only to have it poked away by N'Golo Kanté, who had read the play perfectly.
"Brilliant anticipation from Kanté!" the commentator exclaimed. "This is why he's the best at breaking up play in high-pressure situations."
After dispossessing Wijnaldum, Kanté surged forward and passed the ball to Mbappé on the flank.
Exploiting the Right Flank
Liverpool's defensive structure had shifted slightly to the right, leaving space open on United's right wing.
Mbappé advanced a few steps with the ball, drawing the attention of both Henderson and Liverpool's right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
At that moment, João Cancelo made a surging run from deep, sprinting past Alexander-Arnold at high speed.
This was the moment Mbappé had been waiting for. He lofted a precise pass over the top, finding Cancelo in stride.
Caught off guard, Alexander-Arnold scrambled to recover, chasing after Cancelo.
Cancelo controlled the ball with a deft first touch, but Alexander-Arnold quickly closed him down.
This was where Cancelo's unique qualities shone. He pushed the ball forward with a single touch and accelerated after it, leveraging his superior speed and physicality.
Despite Alexander-Arnold's efforts, Cancelo shielded the ball effectively, keeping the Liverpool defender at bay.
Sensing the danger, Koulibaly abandoned his central position to provide cover.
But Cancelo had anticipated this. As Koulibaly moved in, Cancelo delivered a precise pass into the penalty area.
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