The fans at Anfield applauded in perfect coordination, responding to this brilliant "performance"!
4:0!
Liverpool had completely killed the match.
They had ended the suspense of this knockout round in the first leg.
After Tendou had successfully completed his hat-trick, Klopp immediately substituted him off.
Liverpool did not intend to continue playing. They were saving their energy for the upcoming league matches.
Tendou received a standing ovation and applause from the tens of thousands of fans in the stadium as he was subbed off.
He also applauded in response.
"Well done!"
Klopp excitedly hugged Tendou before letting him go to the bench.
Tendou was off the field, but the match was not over just because he was off.
After the match restarted, Liverpool still maintained a high press. Porto, on the other hand, maintained their own rhythm, focusing on defense and trying to create counter-attacking opportunities.
In the 84th minute, the substitute, Wijnaldum, received a pass from Arnold in the center, pulled wide, and completed a cross.
Firmino jumped up in the crowd, and his flick-on header found Mané at the back post.
The "Fiery King Kong" did not stop the ball and scored with a direct shot.
In the end, the score was fixed at 5:0. In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, Liverpool had thrashed the Portuguese giants, Porto, 5:0 at home.
Click!
Click!
Click!
"..."
In the post-match press conference, the flashes from the cameras were so bright that people could barely open their eyes.
Klopp brought his most prized disciple to the press conference.
"It was a very exciting match. The score is not the whole story."
"Porto is very strong. Their counter-attacks caused us a lot of trouble. Fortunately, luck was on our side today."
"TJ? You should ask him yourself. After getting his first Champions League hat-trick, I think he has more to say than I do!"
Klopp was very happy and did not hold back his praise.
A 5:0 victory was enough for him to start studying his opponent in the next round.
If possible, he hoped their opponent in the semi-finals would be the people of Manchester and not the people of Barcelona.
The reporters were also very happy because Klopp had agreed to let them directly ask the person they were most concerned about, Tendou.
"TJ, congratulations on getting your first hat-trick in the Champions League. How are you feeling right now?"
"Every breakthrough is always exciting. I am very happy to have achieved such an accomplishment in this match."
Tendou spoke into the microphone, his answer flawless.
Of course, the reporters would not let him off the hook.
Liverpool's protection of Tendou was very thorough; they rarely brought him to press conferences.
The reporters would naturally not miss this golden opportunity.
"Now your Champions League goal count has reached 7, which is 5 goals away from Messi. While watching this match, I heard a very interesting comment from the commentator. He believes you have a chance to compete for this year's Champions League Golden Boot. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Hearing this, Tendou's expression immediately became serious.
Messi and Ronaldo!
In today's football world, as long as a reporter brings up these two superstars, no matter how you answer, you can be picked apart.
Tendou sensed the ill intentions of the reporters below the stage.
But faced with this kind of life-or-death question, he had his own method.
Shift the conflict.
"The gap between me and Leo is a full 5 goals, and he and the aircraft carrier that is Barça are still advancing. So I won't think about this. I will only focus on helping the team win matches."
"You really have no thoughts on it at all?"
This was a good question.
Tendou chuckled to himself but said with a serious face, "Every player should have such thoughts. Without ambition, it means accepting mediocrity."
"But I am very clear that at this stage, my ability has not yet reached the level of Cristiano."
Cristiano?
CR7?
Why did he suddenly mention CR7?
The reporters couldn't react for a moment. By the time they understood, their faces showed expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
In the 16-17 Champions League season, CR7 had completed an unbelievable comeback in his battle for the Golden Boot against Messi.
The two's Champions League goal count had gone from 2:10 all the way to 12:11, with CR7 ultimately completing a stunning comeback to win the Golden Boot.
That year, both Real Madrid and Barcelona had made it to the Champions League knockout stage. But at that time, the goal count of the two star players was 2 to 10.
Messi had scored a terrifying 10 goals in the group stage, while CR7 had a pitiful 2.
At that time, CR7 was not even qualified to be on the Champions League top scorer list.
The fans of Barcelona and Messi had mocked, "Where is CR7? My phone screen is too short to see him."
Then came the knockout stage. Real Madrid had thrashed Napoli 6:2 on aggregate, but CR7 still had not scored.
In contrast, Messi had scored a penalty, increasing his Champions League goal count to 11.
The Barcelona and Messi fans were almost laughing their heads off, thinking that the Golden Boot was in the bag.
But what happened next was something the Messi fans would remember for the rest of their lives.
In the Champions League quarterfinals, Real Madrid faced Bayern. In the first leg, he scored a brace, and in the second leg, a hat-trick.
CR7 had chased down 5 goals in the quarterfinals against Bayern.
The gap between the two was now 4.
At the same time, another piece of news came. In the other match being played simultaneously, Dybala, with an outstanding performance, had personally sent the pride of Argentina, Lionel Messi, packing.
Thus, Messi's goal count was fixed at 11.
In the semi-finals, Atlético Madrid VS Real Madrid, the first leg ended in a 1:1 draw. CR7 did not score.
At this time, the Messi fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Messi had been eliminated from the Champions League, at least he had a Golden Boot as a consolation prize, so he wouldn't be completely empty-handed.
But in the second leg, the Portuguese man, facing Simeone's Atlético, once again completed a hat-trick, increasing his goal count to 10 in one go.
At this time, the gap between CR7 and Messi's Champions League goals was only 1.
At this point, a Messi fan asked a soul-searching question: "He's not going to score two goals in the final, is he?"
Correct.
CR7 really did score a brace in the Champions League final, completing a magnificent comeback.
This incident was known to football fans all over the world, and to this day, it is still talked about.
Why did Tendou bring this up?
Of course, it was to divert the fans' attention.
You bring up Messi to trap me? Then I'll bring up another great god.
In any case, the fans of these two have been at each other's throats for more than ten years. One more time wouldn't make a difference.
This was also the reason why the reporters' faces had changed.
"This little kid is too cunning! He actually knows how to shift the conflict!"
After the press conference ended, the reporters began to complain that this kid from Liverpool was not at all like an 18-year-old.
He even knew how to shift the conflict to another person, so that no matter how it was reported, it wouldn't affect him.
However, they had still underestimated Tendou's cunning.
He had another purpose in bringing up this case.
If he could come from behind to win the Champions League Golden Boot this season, at that time, the fans and the media would inevitably compare him to CR7.
In that case, his, Young Master Tendou's, status would immediately rise another level.
The reporters had only thought up to the fifth level, but Tendou was in the stratosphere.
"So are we still going to report on it?"
"Of course. This is news about Messi and Ronaldo."
Tendou was the hot new thing, but the popularity of Messi and Ronaldo was even higher.
...
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