Of course, ten Hag knew that Liverpool was not to be trifled with.
Anfield was also one of the most difficult away grounds to conquer in the Premier League.
Last year, Liverpool were the runners-up in the Champions League, and in the summer, they had spent a massive 150 million pounds to upgrade their squad.
However, even so, their squad still had weaknesses.
The midfield lacked sufficient creativity.
But with the arrival of that 17-year-old kid, in the last match, the problem in Liverpool's midfield seemed to have been solved.
If that kid could perform like he did against Wolves in every match, then this Liverpool team would be one of the most formidable in Europe this year.
That's why ten Hag had unhesitatingly chosen an ugly style of play for this match, making the rhythm of the game fragmented in an attempt to win amidst the chaos.
But he had still underestimated Liverpool. In less than 30 minutes, they were forced to pay the price of two yellow cards.
And both were yellow cards for the central midfield defenders, which meant they could no longer make overly aggressive moves.
And sure enough, the moment Manchester United's defensive intensity dropped, Liverpool created a dangerous situation.
This was not good news.
A corner kick opportunity for Liverpool.
Mané took it, sending it towards the center.
Firmino went for the header, but De Gea beat him to it and punched the ball away.
And then, De Gea launched a powerful throw to find Lingard in the attacking third.
Lingard.
Emperor Ling!
His characteristics were very distinct. He was always full of energy and self-confidence.
As long as he was on the field, he could drive Manchester United's speed. But other than that, this guy had no other advantages.
Lingard controlled the ball with his chest and immediately sent a curling pass to Rashford.
The latter took the ball and immediately broke down the wing.
Although the Manchester United Crown Prince would be heavily criticized in the future, at his current age, his ability to create breakthroughs was still very strong.
After beating one man, he immediately sent a powerful low cross to the center.
An opportunity at the near post. Lukaku galloped in and shot directly!
But his judgment of the ball's landing spot was not accurate enough.
His swinging left foot went right past the ball. He had actually whiffed it with a shooting motion.
Even Van Dijk was dumbfounded.
He hadn't done anything, and the ball had just ended up at his feet.
Wait a minute.
Am I wearing a Liverpool jersey or a Manchester United jersey?
The Manchester United fans found it incredible. The Liverpool fans laughed wildly.
"This is the youngest, most clinical center forward?"
"How much did Manchester United spend on him?"
"I heard it was 80 million!"
"Manchester United is so rich! Spending 80 million on a center forward who can't even shoot!"
"Maybe they bought Lukaku to play basketball?"
The Liverpool fans' mouths were also quite vicious.
On the sidelines, ten Hag was at a loss for words.
If the shot had been saved, it would have been acceptable. A shot over the bar would have been reluctantly tolerable.
But how could you not even hit the ball?
Before he could start cursing, he hurriedly reminded his players to get back on defense, because Liverpool's counter-attack was coming again.
Van Dijk passed to Arnold, who received the ball and immediately sent a through pass to Tendou.
Tendou once again advanced with the ball through the center.
His speed was incredible, the ball seemingly glued to his feet. Matić still wanted to delay him and wait for his teammates to come and double-team him.
But he saw Tendou's right foot suddenly step on the front of the ball, and then with a twist of his body, a Marseille Turn had left him completely behind.
This elegant dribble won the cheers of the entire Liverpool crowd.
But it was not over yet.
After passing Matić, Tendou continued to advance.
The Manchester United players didn't dare to swarm Tendou easily, wary of Liverpool's deadly trident.
Only the captain, Young, came forward to apply pressure, trying to complete the defense with the追防Matić.
But Tendou dissipated before him like a bubble.
"A time-lag illusion?"
"A 1.93-meter-tall person can play like that?"
Young was completely stunned. Isn't that Messi's signature move?
A 1.93-meter-tall Messi?
Tendou passed two players in a row and advanced to within 30 meters of the Manchester United penalty area.
The entire Manchester United line retreated. Their box was full of their players. It was not a good situation for a pass.
If it were Guardiola's Manchester City, they would probably use intricate short passes in a small area to tear open a gap in the defensive line and patiently wait for an opportunity.
But Klopp's Liverpool was not adept at this style of play.
Tendou's pupils split into 8 sections. The entire pitch appeared in his mind like a three-dimensional map, and the movements of every player on both sides were under his observation.
"It's pretty much like taking a free kick."
Tendou looked at the crowd of players from both teams in the penalty area, which looked just like a wall for a free kick.
"Then let's try this move."
The Third Counter: Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return)!
Thwack!
Tendou suddenly tapped the ball lightly forward, and then chased after it again...
But this time, while chasing the ball, his body was already coiled with power.
His right leg muscles tensed, and he smashed his foot into the ball. After completing the shot, his entire body was lifted off the ground, flying.
BANG!
The ball was instantly airborne, flying around the "wall" in the penalty area like an arrow and then dropping rapidly.
De Gea's form was excellent today; his previous saves were the best proof.
He saw this ball clearly.
With a thud, the ball landed in the six-yard box. De Gea decisively moved forward to block it, wanting to collect the ball.
But then, the landed ball, as if violating the laws of physics, did not bounce.
No, it wasn't that it didn't bounce, but the height of the bounce was beyond De Gea's comprehension.
As his body dived forward, the ball, almost skimming the ground, shot past from under him.
SWISH!
GOAL!
"Manchester United's counter-attack! Rashford with a powerful low cross to the center!"
"Lukaku is making a run! Danger!"
"He shoots... no, wait, he's left the ball for Van Dijk!"
The Liverpool commentator almost died laughing. The "god" of the Belgian striker can sometimes be the "neurotic" one.
"A chance for a Liverpool counter-attack!"
"Van Dijk!"
"A pass to Arnold, then to TJ!"
"TJ advances through the center with the ball, wants to get past Matić, then the Manchester United captain! Beautiful!"
"A brilliant Marseille Turn! It's like he's waltzing!"
"TJ continues to advance! The entire Manchester United line pulls back, very layered!"
"The three of Salah and the others have no chance!"
"He's crossing!"
"No, wait, it's a direct shot! A super long-range shot from 28 meters!"
"It's dropping into the six-yard box! A low bounce!"
"GOAL!"
"My God! How did he kick that ball?!"
Anfield instantly became as hot as an erupting volcano.
More than 60,000 fans roared, venting their emotions.
"How... how did he kick that?"
"It's like the ball didn't bounce?"
"De Gea's save was not a problem! That ball defied the laws of physics!"
...
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