"If I'm not mistaken…"
Jon Champion kept staring at the starting lineup. Even though he had instinctively blurted out that Leo Lin was starting, he still didn't quite dare to believe it.
"If I'm not mistaken!"
At last, Jon Champion was sure.
"Football fans!"
"After just one Premier League appearance, Leo Lin has gone straight into the starting lineup!"
Live chat.
"What's there to be surprised about? Klopp has always been bold with young players."
"Leo Lin is starting a Champions League match at 18. When I was 18, I was on summer break, gaming with friends and messing around all day."
"Don't think Liverpool have this wrapped up—Hoffenheim's lineup is very strong."
Picking up on the discussion, Jon Champion continued by breaking down the starting lineups for both sides.
"Fans, Hoffenheim are one of the most distinctive teams in the Bundesliga, often nicknamed 'Hoffenheim Village' by supporters."
"The starting lineups are in, and there are several young players worth watching. Let's first look at Hoffenheim's 3-4-3 formation."
"Goalkeeper: Baumann."
"Defenders: Hübner, Vogt, Bičakčić."
"Midfielders: Zuber, Demirbay, Rupp, Kadeřábek."
"Forwards: Kramarić, Gnabry, Wagner."
"From this lineup, we can see that right winger Gnabry is one of Germany's hottest young stars right now. Wagner is a powerful target man up front, Demirbay is very well-rounded in midfield, and Kramarić on the left has excellent dribbling and penetration."
Jim Beglin then followed up with Liverpool's lineup.
"Liverpool stick with a 4-3-3."
"Goalkeeper: Mignolet."
"Defenders: Moreno, Lovren, Matip, Arnold."
"Midfielders: Wijnaldum, Henderson, Leo Lin."
"Forwards: Mane, Firmino, Salah."
"Worth noting is the young prospect Leo Lin starting in midfield. Hopefully, he can deliver a strong performance in European competition tonight."
At this point, both teams were ready in the tunnel and walked out under the referee's lead.
Hoffenheim's home stadium was packed to the rafters, with fans roaring in support of their team. Of course, a handful of extreme German fans had once again made their way inside, unfurling large banners protesting against Hoffenheim's chairman.
"There's another banner up in the stands. It should be dealt with by security very soon."
"Because of ownership rules, most German clubs aren't controlled solely by one chairman. Hoffenheim's chairman, however, broke with tradition and took full control of the club, which has upset some fans."
The broadcast cut back to the pitch as both teams lined up in their respective halves.
"Beep!"
"With the referee's whistle, football fans, the match is officially underway!"
"Hoffenheim are known for their high-pressure approach right from the opening minutes."
"And there it is—a long ball out to the left, looking for Kramarić!"
"He rises above Arnold and flicks it on—there's danger in the middle!"
"Wagner with the header!!!"
"Mignolet is fully focused and pushes it away with both hands!"
Hoffenheim pressed aggressively after kickoff, setting a frantic tempo and pinning Liverpool deep in their own half for a spell.
15th minute!
"They try to break quickly down the flank, but the pass is too heavy and Zuber cuts it out."
"A direct ball launches the counter, played in behind Moreno!"
"Gnabry takes it, cuts inside, beats his man!"
"Cuts again!"
"He's got space!"
"Shapes for the curler!"
"Oh, just wide!"
"Gnabry's curling shot flashes past the post and out. If his ankle had been just a bit firmer, that could have gone in!"
Watching Hoffenheim surge forward, Jon Champion commented,
"Hoffenheim always start matches at a very high intensity—that's one of their strengths. Liverpool need to ride out this difficult opening phase."
"Gnabry is a real threat on the wing. His trademark cut inside constantly creates shooting or passing lanes, and his explosive burst is a huge weapon."
Hoffenheim clearly focused their attacks down Gnabry's side. Whenever the midfield had the chance, they switched play quickly, trying to isolate him one-on-one.
As for the much-anticipated Leo Lin, he seemed to vanish after kickoff—
to put it bluntly, he looked invisible.
Live chat.
"Where's that insanely strong Lin everyone keeps talking about? It's been over ten minutes and we haven't seen him."
"This is European football. How much impact can an 18-year-old really have? I don't get why Klopp started him."
"These haters definitely didn't watch Leo Lin's highlights from last match. Do they even know what physicality is? What shooting is?"
Liverpool and Hoffenheim fans quickly started arguing in the chat. Meanwhile, Leo Lin suddenly began to increase his movement, covering more ground. The fans weren't wrong—he had gone invisible, but it was in service of his defensive duties.
Hoffenheim were attacking ferociously, but the higher they pushed up, the more space they left at the back. Leo Lin had been quietly searching for the right moment to launch a counterattack.
As the match went on, Leo Lin finally noticed something: Demirbay tended to carry the ball toward the right whenever he looked to feed Gnabry. It was a habit—one Demirbay himself probably wasn't even aware of.
If they could cut off Demirbay, they could instantly punch through Hoffenheim's midfield blockade and break on the counter.
Leo Lin immediately signaled to his midfield teammates, and Henderson understood at once.
Leo Lin then dropped back toward the left, making himself invisible again—this time, deliberately, for better defensive positioning.
30th minute.
Seeing a wide-open lane ahead of him, Demirbay couldn't resist driving forward.
Heart pounding, feet churning, he surged ahead with the ball and quickly crossed the halfway line.
Just as he looked up to pass to Gnabry, he realized Moreno was tight on him. With no clear option, he continued to carry the ball.
And then—the invisible Leo Lin appeared out of nowhere!
Henderson stepped in to close the trap!
Demirbay was instantly outnumbered and swarmed!
He tried desperately to stop and shield the ball, but he was completely isolated. The seemingly invisible Leo Lin left him no escape.
Leo Lin went in hard and won the ball cleanly!
He planted his left foot, exploded forward, shook off Demirbay, and launched the counterattack!
Liverpool fans leapt to their feet!
"Leo Lin wins it and drives forward!"
"The front three are pushing up—there's a counter on!"
Leo Lin carried the ball while scanning the pitch.
He glanced left first—Mane was double-teamed. At the same time, Firmino suddenly dropped deep.
Leo Lin played the short pass immediately!
Firmino took it and laid it off!
A perfectly timed one-two—their most familiar combination!
Receiving the return pass, Leo Lin didn't take a touch. Instead, he whipped a left-footed curling ball forward!
It bent beautifully around Hoffenheim right back Hübner and picked out Salah, who had timed his run to beat the offside line.
The Egyptian Pharaoh brought it under control, shifted his stride, and smashed a powerful shot toward the near post!
"Swish!"