The ball had bounced off Leo Stone face and away from danger. But the danger was not gone. It was just taking a breath.
Michael Sterling stood in the rain. His suit was ruined. His hair was plastered to his forehead. He looked at the clock.
Minute 38
Liverpool were relentless. They did not care about heroic blocks or bloody noses. They just reloaded the cannon.
Florian Wirtz picked up the ball. The German maestro was finding space everywhere. He drifted past Endrick who was running on fumes.
Wirtz looked up. He saw Alexander Isak.
Isak made a run. Not straight. But curved. A run that split Diego Nunez and Sergio Ramos.
Wirtz played the pass. It was like a laser. It cut through the wet grass.
Isak collected it. He did not need a second touch.
He hit it.
Low. Hard. Into the bottom corner.
Jan Visser dived. But even the giant Dutchman could not reach it.
GOAL.
Liverpool 1. Barnsley 0.
The Kop exploded. The noise was physical. It shook the ground under Michael feet.
