The slow-motion replay was shown.
This goal had the potential to become the greatest discovery of the new era, just like the "scimitar" shot that Beckham kicked back in the day.
Under the slow-motion camera, Tendou caught up to the ball, gathered all his strength, and smashed his foot into it, the inertia lifting both his feet off the ground and sending him flying.
The ball curved around the "wall" and dropped into the six-yard box. Through the replay, the fans could see that the ball didn't have no bounce, but the height of the bounce was extremely low.
Just as De Gea made his diving motion, the ball skimmed across the turf and zipped under him.
"Is that a ball a human can actually kick?"
"Theoretically, it's possible. He didn't strike the bottom of the ball with the outside of his foot, but the lower-middle part. With enough power, it is indeed possible to keep it down!"
"How much power would a shot need to do that?"
"How would I know? But this shot probably also utilized the friction of the grass."
"..."
Everyone knows how to hit a ground-cutter, but a ball that drops from a great height and has an extremely low bounce is simply unheard of.
"How much spin would it need to utilize the friction of the turf to create such an effect?"
Guardiola was also watching this match.
He had hoped his noisy neighbors could cause a bit of trouble for Liverpool, ideally taking a point from Anfield.
But instead, he saw this scene that left him jaw-dropped.
Cristiano Ronaldo had once scored a similar free kick, and from a greater distance. The ball had also dropped into the six-yard box and entered the net with a small bounce.
But the ball Tendou kicked had a bounce arc that was much, much lower than the one from CR7's shot.
"I don't know, but this shot probably took advantage of the water on the pitch. It rained in Liverpool this morning, so the grass doesn't have enough friction. The bounce height would be much lower than usual."
His assistant coach analyzed it for Guardiola using his own knowledge.
He believed that such a goal would be impossible to score if the grass wasn't wet.
And Tendou?
Seeing the ball go in, he had already spread his arms and was running across the field.
After unlocking Metavision, not only had his vision reached the fifth dimension, but his utilization of the Six Eyes and Big Data Analysis had also improved.
Now, he not only knew the most efficient place to kick the ball, but he also knew what method to use to send it there.
Every aspect had reached the pinnacle!
Ten Hag's face was ashen, but he had no way to blame his players.
Because he also couldn't figure out how that goal was kicked.
Just as people back then didn't know how Beckham kicked such an exaggerated curve.
This goal was destined to be recorded in the annals of history.
...
After the match restarted, Manchester United pressed forward frantically.
"Manchester United must be desperate to equalize before halftime."
"If they go into the second half with the same score, they still have a chance to come back."
"A high ball straight down the middle, looped into the box!"
"They want to use Lukaku's aerial ability, and he's actually won the first header!"
"He nods it to the left! A follow-up shot!"
"Van Dijk steps up and blocks the ball out of danger!"
Manchester United's offense became ferocious, but Liverpool's defense was rock-solid.
Liverpool's rise was inseparable from the signing of Van Dijk.
It proved that the only bad thing about good things is that they're expensive.
Back then, Liverpool had spent a full 84.65 million Euros to get Van Dijk, setting a new transfer fee record for a defender.
The Dutch international did not disappoint the Liverpool fans. It turned out to be a very worthwhile transfer.
Before Manchester United could catch their breath, Alisson got the ball from a ball boy and launched a long pass to the left.
"Finding Mané! He controls it with his chest!"
"Down the left wing, taking him on!"
"A cut-back pass! A shot!"
"It's blocked! There's another chance!"
"A follow-up shot!"
"Firmino's rebound is once again heroically saved by De Gea!"
In the Chinese broadcast room, Zhan Jun's Liverpool-accented voice was filled with regret.
If they could have made the score 2:0 at halftime, the match would have been secure. But until the end of the first half, neither side could change the score again.
This was the Double Red Derby.
Although the scene was lively, the players on both sides were extremely cautious.
If it weren't for Tendou's stunning goal, Liverpool would have likely been held to a frustrating draw by Manchester United at halftime.
...
In the locker room, Klopp did not tell his players to be conservative. Instead, he encouraged them to continue to attack bravely in the second half.
"Forward! Don't retreat!"
"They want to play rough, they want to play dirty, then we'll get real with them!"
"Remember, this is Anfield! They don't get to run wild here!"
Klopp was full of passion, and the players were also extremely eager to win this match.
They hadn't won a Premier League title in a very long time.
Although Liverpool has a total of 19 top-flight league titles in its history, 17 of them came from the old English First Division era. The number of Premier League titles they had actually won was a paltry two.
In contrast, Manchester United had as many as 20 top-flight league titles, 13 of which were Premier League titles!
Ferguson had done it. He had truly knocked Liverpool off their perch.
Now, it was Liverpool's turn to catch up and reclaim the throne.
15 minutes later, the second half began.
"The second half is underway, friends and fans."
"I guarantee this will be an incredibly exciting 45 minutes. Both sides will play it as if it were a final!"
Zhan Jun was not wrong. Both sides had a strong desire to win.
Ten Hag needed to win the Double Red Derby to secure his managerial position. Klopp also needed 3 points to contend for the Premier League title.
97 league points is a very high total, but last year Manchester City had won the title with a heaven-defying 100 points.
They couldn't relax until the very last moment.
Ten minutes into the second half, the referee's whistle was no longer blowing as frequently.
Without the fouls, the game became more fluid.
The trailing Manchester United boldly came out to attack, and Liverpool did not back down, with both sides engaging in an attacking showdown.
"The game is very good to watch, very fluid."
"But this kind of fluidity is often accompanied by risk. Any hesitation on the ball, even for half a second, could lead to being dispossessed."
"One-touch passing, quick combinations, that's what you should be doing now."
"A chance in the middle!"
"TJ, advancing with the ball!"
"Firmino is in the center, Mané is at the far post! Is he going to pass?"
"No, he's still dribbling! A forceful cut inside!"
"He's passed! A through ball through the crowd to Salah!"
"He didn't shoot directly! He took a touch to feint past Bailly and then shoots!"
"Too late! The ball is smothered by De Gea, a timely rush off his line!"
"Klopp seems to be a bit dissatisfied with Salah's choice this time!"
Klopp was indeed very dissatisfied with Salah's choice this time. He thought he should have shot directly instead of showing off his footwork.
Salah sometimes did play a bit selfishly.
However, as the team's star player, he enjoyed that privilege.
...
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