Chapter 736: Mourinho vs. Klopp
Salah's goal greatly boosted Liverpool's morale as they pushed harder against Manchester United's defense.
Fabinho passed to Henderson in midfield, who attempted to dribble past Kanté. However, Kanté's relentless pressing forced Henderson into a hurried pass to the left wing, where Mané awaited.
As soon as Mané received the ball, he was bumped from the side. Though he staggered, the Senegalese forward managed to maintain control.
Mané continued forward, but the defender persisted, sticking close and refusing to let up. It was Joao Cancelo, United's right-back.
Mané didn't need to look up to know who it was. Cancelo had been shadowing him the entire match, likely under Mourinho's orders.
Cancelo's greatest strengths—speed, physicality, and relentless energy—made him a frustrating opponent for Mané.
"Cancelo sticks to Mané like glue! Though Mané keeps possession, Cancelo's pressure prevents him from accelerating," the commentator observed.
Midfield Skirmish
Finally, Wijnaldum came over to support.
Mané feigned a pass to Wijnaldum, prompting Cancelo to shift position to block the potential pass. Instead, Mané pulled the ball back, spun around, and passed to Fabinho in midfield.
As soon as Fabinho received the ball, Kanté slid in with a strong tackle, sending both Fabinho and the ball flying.
Referee Damir Skomina blew his whistle, signaling a foul against Kanté.
Kanté protested, arguing that his challenge was clean, but Skomina stood firm. With a yellow card already to his name, Kanté opted to back off rather than risk further punishment.
From the sidelines, Mourinho grumbled, "Textbook tackle... and they call that a foul?"
The fourth official glanced at Mourinho but didn't engage.
Liverpool's Free Kick
Liverpool's free kick was cleared by Maguire, who headed the ball away. Gündoğan followed up, sending it out of bounds.
Liverpool prepared for a throw-in near United's penalty area.
Salah took the throw-in, aiming for Firmino, but Luke Shaw lunged in with an aggressive challenge, deflecting the ball out of bounds again.
Firmino sat on the ground, throwing his hands up in frustration, claiming a foul. Skomina waved it off, signaling only a throw-in.
This time, Trent Alexander-Arnold took the throw-in. Salah flicked it toward Fabinho, but Gündoğan anticipated the move and intercepted the ball.
Kanté muscled Henderson off the ball and quickly passed it to Luke Shaw, setting off a United counterattack.
United Strikes Back
Luke Shaw surged down the left flank with blistering speed. The Englishman, known for his aggressive runs, barreled forward like a freight train.
Andy Robertson stepped up to block Shaw, but just as they collided, Shaw chipped the ball ahead.
Rashford, trailing behind, received the ball in stride and carried it further up the wing.
"Beautiful link-up play between Shaw and Rashford! This duo is a nightmare for Liverpool's defense," the commentator exclaimed.
Rashford's pace forced Henderson to leave his position and track back. With Henderson closing in, Rashford sent a diagonal pass toward the middle.
Kylian Mbappé, who had drifted to the left, received the ball.
Mbappé darted forward, feigning a run down the line but abruptly cutting inside, accelerating into Liverpool's penalty box.
Joel Matip abandoned his marking on Bruno Fernandes to intercept Mbappé.
With a sudden stop, Mbappé dragged the ball back to evade Matip's challenge. His quick change of direction left Matip trailing. Calm and composed, Mbappé passed the ball toward the top of the penalty arc.
Harry Kane Takes the Shot
The ball reached Harry Kane, who had dropped back to collect it.
Kane pulled the ball to his side, took a touch to set it up, and swung his right foot for a powerful strike.
The ball curved beautifully through the air, heading straight for Liverpool's goal.
Alisson stretched to his absolute limit, convinced he could make contact, but the ball skimmed just above his fingertips and rocketed into the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!"
"Harry Kane! Harry Kane! Harry Kane! He stepped out of the box and unleashed a stunning long-range strike! What a world-class goal!"
"Harry Kane scores at a crucial moment, giving Manchester United the lead once again!"
"3-2! This is the third time United have taken the lead in this match!"
"Brilliant counterattack! Fantastic teamwork! An incredible goal! Manchester United are showing the world their overwhelming attacking power!"
"From Gündoğan's interception, Kanté's pass, Luke Shaw and Mbappé's flank breakthrough, to Kane's decisive strike—every step of this goal was pure class! Manchester United are playing beautifully!"
Mourinho leaped from the dugout, raising his arms in triumph before being embraced by his assistants. The entire United bench erupted into cheers, celebrating the spectacular goal.
Liverpool, a valiant and tenacious opponent, had clawed back twice to equalize. But so what? United simply pulled ahead for the third time!
Harry Kane sprinted in celebration, only to be mobbed by teammates who tackled him to the ground in pure joy.
The Other Side
On Liverpool's side, the players looked on helplessly. They had played excellently, erasing deficits twice with grit and determination. But now, seeing United take the lead yet again, they felt a mix of exhaustion and frustration.
The broadcast director cleverly alternated between the jubilant United bench, where Mourinho was hugging and high-fiving his assistants, and Liverpool's sideline, where Klopp stood stern-faced.
Despite Liverpool's strong performance, the fact that United managed to seize the lead for the third time was bound to weigh heavily on their players' minds.
Masters of the Final
More intriguing than the contrasting emotions on the sidelines was the stark difference in the two managers' track records in finals.
Mourinho, the most decorated active manager in football, was the epitome of a winner. With 38 major trophies to his name, the Portuguese manager had participated in 20 major finals (excluding Super Cups), winning an incredible 18 of them.
Since joining United, Mourinho had a perfect record in finals, with eight consecutive victories, including triumphs in the 2016-2017 Europa League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup, the 2017-2018 Champions League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup, as well as this season's Club World Cup and FA Cup.
Today, Mourinho had a chance to extend this streak to nine.
His last loss in a major final came six years ago in the 2012-2013 Copa del Rey, when his Real Madrid side was defeated 2-1 in extra time by Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid.
Mourinho was undoubtedly the most adept manager in world football when it came to finals, a true winner.
His counterpart, Jürgen Klopp, had the unfortunate distinction of being one of the managers with the most losses in finals.
This season, Klopp had led Liverpool on an extraordinary run to the Champions League final, marking the second time in his career he'd reached this stage.
However, of the six finals he had previously reached, he had lost every single one.
As Dortmund's manager, Klopp lost the 2012-2013 Champions League final 2-1 to Bayern Munich and fell short in two DFB-Pokal finals in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
After moving to England, Klopp's misfortune persisted. In the 2015-2016 season, his Liverpool side lost the League Cup final to Manchester City in a penalty shootout and fell to Sevilla in the Europa League final.
Even last season, Klopp guided Liverpool to another Europa League final, only to lose to Simeone's Atlético Madrid.
Six consecutive final defeats had earned Klopp the dubious nickname of the "eternal runner-up."
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