[Most of Liverpool's goals conceded this season have come from counter-attacks. But now that they've already scored once, there's no reason for them to push forward. In fact, they've been sitting back and forming a line. At least, until just now.]
But now.
A chilling atmosphere swept over the pitch.
Realizing the gravity of the situation too late, Benítez shouted at the top of his lungs.
Whether it was the first half or the second, Real Madrid were always strong at the end of each half.
This was the most dangerous time.
And sure enough, Real Madrid drew their sword.
[Zinedine Zidane sends the ball out wide again.]
[Arjen Robben takes it. Liverpool's flanks have been completely shredded. And now, with the second line pulled apart, their defense is visibly unbalanced.]
[That's right. It's no longer just about stopping crosses. Real Madrid now have multiple options. No matter what they choose, the key is that the situation is ripe for a decisive strike.]
Gaps were forming everywhere.
Realizing the danger, Liverpool finally spread their second line out wide to press aggressively on the flanks.
Three minutes remained in the half.
They had to withstand the pressure somehow.
With the match heating up, the crowd roared as one.
"Madrid, Madrid, Madrid!"
"¡Hala Madrid!"
"Y nada más!"
"Y nada más—!"
Seventy thousand fans sang together in unison.
And leading the grand choir were the eleven players in white jerseys running across the field.
[The atmosphere is electric. You can feel in your bones how desperate Real Madrid fans are for Champions League glory.]
[Mental chess has its appeal, but football is always at its best when it's fierce and physical. Doesn't it feel like something's about to explode any second now?]
[Players who were suffocated by Liverpool's rigid line defense are finally stepping out from the shadows.]
As the clock ticked past 46 minutes.
Real Madrid's attacking force reached its peak.
Tap.
[Marcelo tries to break through on the flank. Arbeloa steps up, so he calmly pulls the ball back.]
[Carlos, positioned behind, receives the pass.]
[And he immediately launches a diagonal cross!]
[The ball flies to the opposite side! Wait, it's not a cross!]
Liverpool's defenders flinched at Carlos's unexpected kick.
But the ball landed on the far side of the field.
Right where Arjen Robben was waiting.
There was still no real space, but in the chaos, Robben charged forward.
This was his specialty.
[Arjen Robben bursts into the box at unbelievable speed! He sprints past Aurelio in a flash!]
[Mascherano, abandoning his man-marking, redirects himself and charges at Robben!]
As expected, the judgment of a world-class defensive midfielder was outstanding.
Mascherano reacted instantly and stretched his leg toward Robben.
If he could intercept the ball here, Liverpool could launch a deadly counter.
It was a high-stakes gamble.
But Robben was quicker.
[Robben cuts back again! His burst of speed nullifies Mascherano's tackle!]
[Arjen Robben dribbles down the flank and glances inside the box.]
Real Madrid's attack was unfolding just as they had practiced.
But there was no manual.
They simply made the best choices for each situation.
Their offensive pattern became unpredictable, and Ho-young and Raúl swapped positions to create confusion.
Škrtel, marking Ho-young, was left flustered and unsure of where to go.
And then.
[Robben slips a short pass into the box!]
[Ho-young rushes in to receive it!]
Tap, tap.
Ho-young's signature move.
With tight, controlled touches, he advanced, timed his approach, then feinted a shot and cut sharply to the left.
His explosive control of the ball was masterful.
"…Tch."
Škrtel tried to recover and chase him down, but by then it was far too late.
[Ho-young evades Škrtel with a perfectly timed move!]
[He makes a direct run toward the far-left side of the box in the chaos!]
Inside the penalty area, it was a lawless zone.
"Stay alert!"
"Cover the space!"
Carragher and Arbeloa shouted desperately, but the ball had already left Ho-young's left foot.
[A lobbed cross over Reina's head!]
[It lands perfectly in the wide open space on the far right!]
That empty space was filled in an instant by Raúl.
And it was he who met the cross.
Thud!
[Gooooal! Raúl scores with a right-footed volley!]
[A stunning goal just before halftime! Real Madrid finally take the lead!]
Uoooooooh!
The players swarmed into the corner, ecstatic from the crucial goal.
"You nailed it, Young. We just need to keep playing like this."
"Yeah. It's hard to get into the box, but once we're in, it's much easier."
The key was getting into the box with speed and clarity.
But without becoming too predictable.
Meanwhile, Benítez was tearing at his hair.
"Damn it."
It was the worst-case scenario for Liverpool.
Their once-closed gate had now come undone.
There was no turning back. At best, they could only patch things up.
Liverpool's halftime was hectic.
And the same was true in Real Madrid's locker room.
The players were busy firing themselves up, and Schuster quickly held a tactical meeting.
Ten minutes later, as both teams lined up in the tunnel.
'Gerrard.'
Ho-young's eyes shifted toward Gerrard.
Although the tunnel at the Santiago Bernabéu was blocked in the middle, there was a small opening in the bars where players could see each other.
Through that gap, he could see the determined expression on Steven Gerrard's face.
'What a player.'
The more he looked, the more impressed he became.
Torres was undoubtedly gifted, but it was Gerrard who truly caught his interest.
Unfortunately, the absurd condition of "winning in the EPL" made it impossible to scout his talent for now.
There were always players like that.
Like Xavi of Barcelona, who came with a requirement of "winning as a Barcelona player."
It was something that would need further study later on.
What was certain, however, was that after this match, he could scout Fernando Torres's talent.
First up, El Niño's Line Breaking (U).
'And in the second leg, I'll go for Sculpted Looks (A+).'
It was the perfect chance to upgrade his current Sculpted Looks (A+3).
Beeeep
Ten minutes into the second half.
[Liverpool are showing a different approach in the second half.]
[They've tightened their defense inside the box while setting up an organized zonal defense outside. And they're still leaving room for counter-attacks.]
[The players are going to be very busy.]
This was Benítez's best option.
'We can't hold back any longer.'
If they left things as they were, they'd be dragged around by Real Madrid's fluid possession play and likely concede again.
Fortunately, Gerrard and Torres were regaining their attacking edge in the second half, and Liverpool's flow was slowly returning.
Benítez added Yossi Benayoun, nicknamed "The Israeli Messi," to accelerate the tempo.
[Benayoun flashes his dribbling skills against Ramos. He breaks into the space behind the left flank.]
[At the same time, Fernando Torres darts into the box!]
[A low cross delivered into the center!]
[But Pepe intercepts it! He boots it clear!]
Pepe's clearance sent the ball forward.
The tension on the field spiked.
Even before Schuster gave a signal, Real Madrid's players exchanged silent cues.
As Liverpool shifted, Real Madrid adapted in kind.
And from there, the momentum shifted again.
[An aerial ball soars toward the halfway line! Ho-young and Mascherano go after it!]
The two met again for the first time since the Beijing Olympics.
Back then, Mascherano had been thoroughly outplayed by Ho-young, so this time he quickly calculated his approach.
His best option was to prevent Ho-young from controlling the aerial ball.
'Let's try this.'
So he went for a familiar method.
[Mascherano and Ho-young leap at nearly the same time!]
They jumped together.
But Mascherano subtly altered his approach.
As he went up, he forcefully pushed against Ho-young's thigh.
The same move Ho-young had used against Gerard Piqué in El Clásico.
But Ho-young was no Piqué.
"Guh."
Unshakable stability.
Despite the difference in physique, Ho-young was still just 17 years old.
So how were his legs this strong?
"This damn kid..."
Still, it wasn't entirely ineffective.
Ho-young took a hard hit and failed to head the ball properly.
Instead, he trapped it with his shoulder.
[Ho-young controls the ball with his shoulder!]
[There was a slight misstep in the trap, but he immediately recovers and controls it with ease.]
[Ah! Mascherano is charging in!]
[This is a critical moment!]
'I'll take it.'
Mascherano thought even if he couldn't win in the air, he could win the ball at ground level.
But that wasn't easy either.
'What the hell…'
Ho-young's ball retention was on another level.
Even as Mascherano tried to poke the ball away, Ho-young deftly kept it just out of reach.
'Just a bit more…'
Maybe if he had more time, he could've won it. But Ho-young wasn't the type to give time away.
Ho-young's eyes locked on Zidane.
And the ball followed.
Tap!
"Damn it!"
[Ho-young keeps possession and passes to Zidane!]
[Zidane receives it. Will he look wide again? Liverpool are rapidly reorganizing their zonal defense and reshaping the back line!]
That's what most expected.
But Zidane chose the center instead of the flank.
He exchanged quick passes with Diarra to build centrally and unleashed a lightning-fast attack.
Tap, tap!
With precise combination play, they regained a high share of possession in midfield.
Like a chameleon, they adjusted their style to suit the flow of the match.
[Now they're widening the pitch to open space on the opposite flank. Real Madrid are making full use of the entire field.]
[That's right. Real Madrid are creating chances with intricate passing. Zidane is acting as Ho-young's perfect partner.]
The pace picked up.
Fast midfield buildup created cracks in Liverpool's defense, and Zidane seized the perfect moment.
Thump!
[A low and fast through ball into the space behind the defensive line!]
Only the finish remained.
A striker's run.
Tap!
[Ho-young charges forward and gets his right foot on it first!]
[He shoots immediately!]
[Sh-sh-sh-shoot!]
A shot faster than expected by at least a full beat.
Even though the ball came to his right foot, Ho-young fired without hesitation.
Because he trusted his left foot just as much.
And then.
Wham!
"Woooooooooooaaaaah!"
From the edge of the penalty area, his left-footed mid-range shot ripped into the net.
A thunderous strike that nearly tore the net apart.
[Goooooooooal! Ho-young seals it with his second goal of the night! That's his fifth Champions League goal!]
A left hook, a right hook.
And now an uppercut.
The tactical setup Ho-young devised, combined with Schuster's experience, delivered a knockout blow to Liverpool.
Beeeep!
The match ended soon after.
3-1.
It wasn't a guaranteed ticket to the quarterfinals, but the Bernabéu had already erupted into celebration.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)