Beep!
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
But Mourinho had guessed wrong.
Bayern did not press aggressively from the start; instead, they played it safe, circulating the ball in their own half with hypnotic rhythm.
Their intention was clear: they were set to play defensively and hit on the counter-attack.
Heynckes' 4-3-3 formation had already revealed the plan—it emphasized wingers for counters but also packed the midfield. With three defensive lines compressed, the density was suffocating.
6th Minute.
After a series of probing passes, the ball arrived at Ling's feet on the left flank.
Unlike his usual style, Arturo Vidal did not rush forward aggressively. Even though the "Chilean Pitbull" was confident in his tackling skills, Heynckes had instructed him to prioritize stability.
'Don't dive in.'
But instead of retreating, Ling advanced, driving the ball forward.
Bayern's defensive setup was solid, a red wall that was difficult to break through with passing combinations alone.
So he had to step up.
Using his personal ability to create time and space gaps, Ling aimed to disrupt the defensive shape.
"You take the outside, I'll cover the inside!" Vidal shouted, his eye twitching slightly as he signaled Joshua Kimmich to provide support.
No elaborate feints. Ling simply dipped his shoulder, feinting to burst past Kimmich on the outside, then swept the ball toward the center the moment Vidal shifted his weight.
They couldn't afford to waste possession easily. Every attack had to yield results.
Ling knew how difficult it was to break through two world-class players head-on.
"A very clear attacking plan!" Gary Neville noted on commentary.
Holding off Mats Hummels with his immense strength, Ibrahimović controlled the ball with his back to goal.
He glanced at his surroundings. Thanks to his wealth of experience and refined footwork, his role as a pivot was far more effective than Lukaku's, allowing him to link up seamlessly.
After laying the ball off, Ling didn't stop. He sprinted straight toward the byline.
Kimmich and Vidal didn't dare leave him unmarked, so they accelerated to track him.
Bayern's left flank was suddenly left exposed.
Jesse Lingard had drifted into that space unnoticed, and after Ibrahimović drew two defenders, the Swede decisively played a return pass.
"Wow, brilliant tactical design!" Martin Tyler exclaimed. "Simple interplay and movement on the left have created a great opportunity! Lingard plays a through ball!"
"So the real threat was Ling all along!"
The ball skimmed across the turf, speeding toward the left side of the six-yard box like a sharp scalpel.
Ling glanced at the two players beside him. Kimmich had short legs, and Vidal was aging.
So, with a sudden burst of acceleration, Ling exploded with terrifying speed, charging toward the ball's trajectory.
Sven Ulreich had no time to direct Hummels to cover. He could only throw his body to block the near post, denying Ling a direct shot.
The angle was too tight.
Ling abandoned the idea of a blast and instead flicked the ball sharply upward.
It sailed gracefully over Ulreich and drifted down toward the far post.
"Beautiful! An imaginative chip!"
"Here's come Boateng!"
Jerome Boateng, reading the danger, had already moved to the back post.
He threw himself into the air and cleared it with a spectacular overhead kick.
"A clearance as spectacular as a goal!"
Groans of disappointment echoed around Old Trafford as Manchester United fans clutched their heads in frustration.
How did that not go in?!
They had finally created a chance with a meticulously designed play but failed to capitalize.
Bayern fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"The danger isn't over yet—let's see the second ball! Lingard with a side volley!"
"Could it be a spectacular strike from distance?"
"Uh..."
Martin Tyler watched as the ball sailed straight into the stands, endangering the spectators in Row Z. He was momentarily speechless.
"A good attempt," Neville said diplomatically. "World-class strikes aren't that easy to pull off."
On the pitch, Ling wasn't too bothered.
"Great pass, Jesse!" he shouted, giving a thumbs-up.
If they started dwelling on every missed chance, how would they play the rest of the match?
"When we attack later," Ibrahimović said, ruffling Ling's hair as they jogged back, "I'll drop back to the edge of the box. If there's an opportunity, I'll play the ball behind the defenders. You can make an early run, but be careful not to be offside."
"Don't worry, Zlatan," Ling chuckled. "I might be many things, but I won't be offside."
Nearby, Boateng broke out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, he'd been alert, or they would have conceded early and found themselves chasing the game.
"Mark that number 7 tightly!" Boateng screamed at Kimmich and Vidal. "Wherever he goes! Don't let him breathe!"
The two nodded firmly.
They had only been a bit lax earlier, but it nearly led to a catastrophe.
Soon the match resumed.
The 4-3-3 formation that had once destroyed Bayern regained its magic under Heynckes' guidance. The three-midfield setup strengthened the defensive line's protection.
Vidal and Kimmich were fully focused, even resorting to tactical fouls without hesitation to stop the rhythm.
Ling was inevitably locked down.
Quickly, he began to increase his movement range, weaving in and out of their blind spots like a slippery loach.
He aimed to lull the two defenders into lowering their guard.
Kimmich found this utterly frustrating.
He felt like he was defending against Thomas Muller, never knowing when the opponent would disappear, forced to follow passively step by step.
In the 13th minute, Manchester United's overall formation gradually shifted to the right side.
Due to Paul Pogba's presence, their right flank's attacking capability was potent. The main attacking focus shifted to Thiago Alcantara.
The Brazilian midfielder possessed decent dribbling skills, but his defensive abilities weren't elite, leaving him physically outmatched against Pogba.
Pogba suddenly changed direction to create space, sending a long, raking pass behind Juan Bernat.
"Rashford!"
"Incredible speed!"
"Perhaps Manchester United's explosive point today is the right wing!"
Rashford, like a black lightning bolt, forcefully overtook Bernat from the outside.
He didn't casually attempt a high cross. Bayern's aerial defense was formidable—winning the first ball was difficult, and Ibrahimović preferred the ball to feet.
Yet, Bayern's penalty area inevitably descended into chaos as defenders scrambled.
Boateng quickly shifted to cover, blocking most shooting and crossing angles.
"A cut-back cross!"
"Ibrahimović on the edge of the box has a chance for a direct long-range shot! Will he take it himself?"
No.
Because Zlatan spotted a familiar figure lurking in the shadows of the penalty area, silently darting into Kimmich's blind spot.
Hummels hurriedly rushed forward to block.
Who didn't know Ibrahimović had a fearsome long-range shot?
Ibrahimović's body was fully extended as if to blast it, but as his foot met the ball, the power was significantly reduced.
Feint left, attack right!
Smack!
The ball lifted off the ground, gliding past Hummels and soaring over Kimmich's head.
A dazzling rainbow seemed to arc through Bayern's penalty area.
At the end of that beautiful curve stood the back of Manchester United's number 7.
Kimmich instinctively turned to look, his heart sinking in despair.
He had lost him again.
But soon he saw another person.
Vidal!
Like a frenzied beast, the Chilean charged fiercely toward Ling, eyes wild.
'He got no time to control it!'
Hope surged again in Kimmich's heart.
Under the gaze of 70,000 fans at Old Trafford, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Suddenly, their eyes widened in disbelief.
An unbelievable scene unfolded on the pitch.
What would Vidal do? Steal the ball the moment he tried to control it.
Ling instinctively countered the opponent's defensive logic, conjuring an imaginative solution.
He cushioned the ball mid-air with his chest, seamlessly pivoting 180 degrees, using his body to shield the ball from the incoming Vidal!
Back to goal, planting his foot firmly on the turf, body fully extended!
The entire man leaped into the air, and at the moment the football began to descend, he swung his right leg backward with explosive force!
The Bicycle Kick.
BANG!
The light in front of Vidal was blocked, leaving only the silhouette of Manchester United's number 7 suspended in the air.
Sven Ulreich experienced the same horror.
By the time they heard the dull thud, they saw the ball spinning and falling through the air once more.
Ulreich threw himself into a desperate, full-stretch dive.
But it was useless!
The reaction time left for him was far too short.
Even if Manuel Neuer had been in goal, he could only watch helplessly.
He could only stare in despair as the football flew into the net.
1-0 Manchester United!