Beep!
The sharp whistle sounded once again.
Manchester United kicked off to stabilize the rhythm, while Liverpool did not press aggressively, having already achieved their pre-match objective.
At least a draw, and an away goal secured. And they still held the lead.
It should be Manchester United feeling the urgency now—they absolutely could not accept a home defeat, so pushing forward to attack was inevitable.
That would leave ample space behind Manchester United's formation for Liverpool's forwards to launch swift counterattacks.
Most fans believed Mourinho's defensive counterattack was unique, unaware that Klopp was also adept at the tactic.
Mainz, the team Klopp once coached, was a relegation-battling side, so his early managerial career often revolved around solid defense. It was during this period that he developed his own philosophy of defensive counterattacks.
Built around players with strong running and acceleration abilities, he constructed an exceptionally mobile system.
Klopp stood in the technical area, wearing a black baseball cap, intently watching the green pitch.
The Liverpool team he had spent four years molding was now capable of reaching the pinnacle of European football.
Even with Manchester United standing in their way, he believed Liverpool could win.
In his future blueprint, he envisioned strengthening the squad depth next season to compete with Manchester City and Manchester United for the League Title.
After all, compared to the Champions League, the Premier League Title held greater significance.
Because it could help Liverpool break free from endless skepticism.
"The overall formation needs to shift further to the right. Be wary of Manchester United players making runs through the center," Klopp said to his assistant coach.
The assistant coach nodded and hurried off to inform the Liverpool players.
...
Time continued to pass.
In the 73rd minute, Ling's long-range shot was saved by Alisson, earning Manchester United a corner kick on the right side.
Among Europe's top football teams, no one overlooks set pieces, as they are a relatively easy way to score.
Manchester United was no exception.
Mahrez held up three fingers, signaling he would deliver the ball to the near post.
At the same time, Manchester United players sprang into action. Rashford made a run toward the far post, while Maguire charged into the box from outside.
As for Ling, he circled around, moving from the center of the box toward the near post.
However, Liverpool's defense remained organized, with each player closely marking their assigned target.
Van Dijk followed closely behind Ling, with Robertson providing additional cover in front.
'Just have to give it a try,' Ling thought.
With that mindset, Ling leaped and twisted his head, attempting to direct the ball toward the left side.
But Van Dijk cleverly closed in and gave him a slight push.
This caused Ling's contact with the ball to be off in both placement and power.
Ultimately, the ball veered off target, sailing over the crossbar and out of play.
"Compared to the last encounter between the two teams, Liverpool's defensive strategy has changed significantly," Carragher analyzed with clear insight. "They're no longer trying to completely shut down Ling but rather focusing on disrupting him as much as possible. The effectiveness of this approach has been proven."
Though Neville didn't voice it, he privately agreed with Carragher.
...
Before Manchester United fans could lament the missed header, they saw Liverpool launching another fierce attack.
The same scene played out once more.
Arnold received a pass from Alisson and delivered a long pass to Robertson on the opposite flank.
Ling suddenly realized Liverpool's intention, gesturing to David Luiz while urging his teammates to quickly retreat.
This time Liverpool's left flank pushed forward even deeper, likely not favoring an attack on the right side but aiming to avoid the newly substituted Ashley Young and instead besiege the younger Wan-Bissaka.
'Liverpool's front players have blurred roles, making their attacks harder to predict,' Ling thought.
He hadn't expected Liverpool to change so drastically in just a few months.
However, according to the original world's trajectory, Liverpool indeed experienced a major breakthrough around this time, not only winning the Champions League but also finishing just one point behind Manchester City in the league.
As Ling ran, he glanced back. He noticed that after receiving the ball, Robertson didn't continue advancing but instead opted for a through pass.
The ball slipped between Nemanja Matic and McTominay.
"Firmino!"
"The central hub of Liverpool's attack—will he look for Mane or Salah?"
Firmino didn't turn but passed back to Henderson, leaving many puzzled.
In fact, Liverpool currently employed two main attacking tactics. The first involved shifting the entire formation to the right, pushing Mane into a false nine role.
The second was Henderson's forward runs, with Firmino acting as a supporting winger, using his back as a wall to seek combinations and disrupt the opponent's midfield.
As for the ultimate goal? It was to give Mane on the weak side a better ball-holding environment!
Henderson met the ball with a deft chip. The ball arced like a rainbow, dropping toward the left side of Manchester United's penalty area!
And Mane once again unleashed his terrifying speed, holding off Wan-Bissaka's physical challenge.
He feigned a shooting motion, but after Wan-Bissaka committed to the tackle, he hooked the ball back with his left foot toward the penalty spot!
"Inspired handling!"
"But no one followed up in the center, and David Luiz cleared it away."
"I feel like Manchester United is a bit disorganized, don't you think?" Carragher scratched his head in confusion.
Neville furrowed his brow with worry, having also noticed Manchester United's issue—it wasn't poor player performance but rather tactics being targeted.
Especially Liverpool's switching of attacks between the left and right flanks.
And Manchester United seemed unable to keep up with Liverpool's rhythm, forced into an extremely passive defensive stance.
"Manchester United's control of the second ball remains relatively tight, denying Liverpool further attacking opportunities. Let's see if their counterattack can yield results!"
"McTominay distributes the ball decisively, combining with Nemanja Matic on the side with a one-two before passing to Pogba ahead. The left flank's progression is very fluid!"
...
After receiving the ball, Pogba didn't pass.
He too noticed Manchester United's attacking struggles and wanted to use his individual ability to break through.
If he could beat one or two defenders, his teammates' ball-holding environment would improve significantly.
But in Mourinho's view, this was risky.
Because once Manchester United advanced into Liverpool's defensive third, the priority was to keep moving forward, not linger too long in one spot.
Otherwise, if Liverpool intercepted the ball, the transition from attack to defense would happen instantly.
And with Manchester United in an attacking formation, too much space was left at the back, giving Liverpool players ample room to exploit.
Mourinho's fears were realized.
Compared to Pogba, Fabinho didn't fall short in physique.
Moreover, he was a defensive midfielder.
It could be said that among Liverpool's defensive players, the Brazilian's importance was second only to Van Dijk.
Pogba used his long legs to maneuver the ball back and forth, seizing the moment to burst toward the right side.
Fabinho seemed to anticipate Pogba's move, turning his body halfway in advance to block the path and poke the ball to Matip.
"Watch out!"
Just as Matip was about to receive the ball, he heard Van Dijk's voice and caught a glimpse of Ling in his peripheral vision.
'This kid is really sneaky!'
He always pops up from my blind spot.
If it weren't for Van Dijk's timely warning, I probably would have been dispossessed by Ling.
Matip used his body to shield Ling and passed directly to Wijnaldum.
"A crucial interception by Fabinho!"
"Manchester United players can't get back in time, Salah is waiting up front—this is a perfect counterattack opportunity for Liverpool!"
"Wijnaldum!!!"
Amid Carragher's excited commentary, Manchester United immediately applied intense pressure. They couldn't let Liverpool launch the counterattack.
That was the thought on every Manchester United player's mind.
They had to slow down Liverpool's counterattack and snuff out the threat at its source!
But the man with the ball was Wijnaldum.
He may not stand out in the Liverpool squad, but he is essentially the team's foundation. Not only does he possess stable ball retention under high pressure, but he can occasionally drive forward with the ball himself.
Additionally, his awareness of one-two passes is excellent—his timing for releasing the ball under pressing, his forward runs after passing, and his positioning to receive the ball off the ball are all spot-on.
Faced with the approach of Nemanja Matic, Mahrez, and Pogba, he chose to pass back to Robertson, then turned and sprinted forward along the sideline.
The chemistry between the two was perfect.
Robertson played a first-time through ball, delivering a precise pass!
The ball skimmed along the white sideline, rolling quickly toward Wijnaldum.
The assistant referee continuously signaled that it hadn't gone out of bounds.
Two consecutive passes broke through Manchester United's pressure, leaving only Wan-Bissaka on the left flank, who now had to face the double threat of Wijnaldum and Mane!
The young English defender had previously neutralized top wingers like Mane and Sterling during his time at Crystal Palace.
But with a numerical disadvantage, it's still difficult to defend against two players.
After all, this is the highest level of European football.
"You mark him, I'll cover!" David Luiz arrived just in time to provide support.
Wan-Bissaka breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and rushed forward to press Wijnaldum.
Wijnaldum didn't give him the chance.
Because Firmino had also moved into the vicinity—Liverpool players aren't training dummies.
The kind that stand completely still.
They were also actively making runs and seeking combinations.
...
"Firmino receives the ball and passes it back to Wijnaldum!"
"David Luiz moves to cover Mane, Wijnaldum can drive straight into the box—Maguire on the flank can't get there in time!"
"He shoots, pushing it toward the far corner!"
"Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!"
"Wijnaldum makes the difference! He helps Liverpool score another goal, and the balance of the match tilts once again—this time in Liverpool's favor!!!"
"This goal has pushed Manchester United into a desperate situation!"
"According to UEFA's historical data over the years, teams that lose by two goals at home in the first leg of the Champions League have less than a 3% chance of overturning the deficit away from home! To be more precise, it's 1.69%!"
"Only Chelsea and Barcelona have managed it before. And if Manchester United want to rewrite this statistic? They'll have to ask Liverpool first!"
Carragher was so excited he lost track of time, as if the match had already ended.
Then he looked towards the green pitch, where Wijnaldum, after scoring, sprinted near the corner arc and bent down to kiss the camera.
At the same time, over two thousand Liverpool fans at the stadium wildly waved their scarves and roared.
How long had it been since they last defeated Manchester United? Neither last season nor this season had brought a single victory, and they even had to watch Manchester United claim the League Title.
The feeling of witnessing their arch-rival's glory was utterly unbearable for Liverpool fans.
Now, they finally had a chance for revenge!
They would trample over Manchester United and stand atop Europe!
---
Done changing Ling playing for england instead of china! dont expect him to suddenly singing england is great tho, at his core china is numba one.