Half an hour later.
In the player tunnel, the two teams stood facing each other, the air thick with tension.
Everyone stared straight ahead without glancing sideways, the hatred palpable.
"Ling!"
Suddenly a voice echoed through the tunnel—and in familiar Chinese at that.
Ling instinctively turned to look.
A ball boy with distinctly Asian features was waving at him enthusiastically.
"The Zhang family's son?" Ling thought for a moment before asking with a smile.
"Yes, I'm Zhang Yang!"
The young ball boy flashed a bright grin.
He had previously applied for Manchester United's youth academy but failed to get in, which left him dejected for quite some time.
Fortunately, he caught the attention of a Manchester City youth coach.
Moreover, his outstanding performance in last week's internal training match earned him the qualification to serve as a ball boy for the derby.
Never underestimate the role of ball boys.
They need to pay a fee to the club to be there—West Ham United charges the most among Premier League clubs, at a ridiculous £700 per match.
However, the Premier League's BIG 6 disdain making money this way, basically allocating their spots to youth academy players.
Oh, right, Tottenham isn't among them—they also charge a fee of £405.
Typical Spurs.
The two chatted intermittently, and the light in Zhang Yang's eyes grew increasingly bright, as if he could see his future self in Ling.
Soon, players from both teams slowly emerged from the tunnel.
The Etihad instantly erupted with cheers that pierced the clouds.
...
"Good evening, everyone! Welcome to the Etihad Stadium!" The poetic voice of Peter Drury rang out through the broadcast.
"This is the 34th round of the Premier League! Manchester City versus Manchester United!"
"A clash of titans! A battle of the giants of the North! The result here tonight will have a seismic impact on the destination of the Premier League title."
"If Manchester City wins, they will return to the top of the table on goal difference alone."
"But, if Manchester United wins, they will extend their lead over City to six points and could potentially clinch the title two rounds early!"
Jim Beglin chimed in with his analysis. "That's right, Peter. Now, let's look at the starting lineups."
"In the sky blue jerseys, attacking from left to right, is Manchester City, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation—the classic Guardiola false-nine possession-based system!"
"Goalkeeper: Ederson!"
"Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph!"
"Midfielders: De Bruyne, Fernandinho, David Silva!"
"Forwards: Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Sané!"
"And in the red jerseys," Drury continued, his voice rising, "attacking from right to left, is Manchester United, also deploying a 4-3-3 formation!"
"Goalkeeper: David De Gea!"
"Defenders: Ashley Young, Rojo, David Luiz, Valencia!"
"Midfielders: Pogba, Matic, Herrera!"
"Forwards: Ling, Lukaku, Rashford!"
While Peter Drury and Jim Beglin were introducing the basic situations of the two teams, fans on Twitter were passionately discussing the game, trending hashtags like #ManchesterDerby and #LingVsWalker.
@CityZen_99: The direct confrontation between Ling and Kyle Walker will be something to watch tonight! Walker needs to redeem himself after the Liverpool disaster.
@TacticalGuru: City's midfield focuses on attack, United's midfield looks set up purely for destruction and defense. It's a clash of philosophies: Pep's artistry vs Jose's bus.
@BlueMoonRising: Why isn't Laporte playing? His coordination with Kyle Walker is terrible, completely lacking any tacit understanding. Thankfully United didn't buy him.
@RedDevilArmy: Speaking of defense, United will definitely buy a center-back next season. Who do you think it will be?
@SlabheadFan: Maguire! I have a feeling he'd be a perfect fit for this team.
@UnitedStand: I also think he's a great fit! He's got a massive head for clearing balls.
...
With the referee's sharp whistle, the match officially begins.
Manchester City starts with the ball.
Sterling passes back to De Bruyne.
City immediately launches into intricate and continuous short passes—the trademark Tiki-Taka.
De Bruyne and David Silva act like dual engines in the half-spaces, providing a constant and powerful drive.
City's progression patterns keep shifting, mesmerizing to watch.
Meanwhile, United's entire formation quickly drops back, constructing a complete defensive system in their own half, forming one-on-one trade-offs with City.
This is the famous Mourinho "Low Block."
But the results are less than satisfactory so far.
City's swift passing and movement become sharp blades, spinning wildly to slice through United's defensive line, stretching the spaces and gaps wider and wider.
After a series of passes, the ball reaches Bernardo Silva on the right flank.
The Portuguese player, who joined City from Monaco for 50 million euros this season, was originally intended as Aguero's successor.
His recent performances have been quite impressive, excelling at combining quick footwork with changes in rhythm, using high-tempo dribbling to break through defenses.
Moreover, he can utilize his vision to guide the midfield and forward line.
It must be said Guardiola has a keen eye for talent. B Silva receives the ball, feints continuously, creates space, and drives down the outside toward the byline.
But today he encounters trouble.
Ashley Young, as a seasoned veteran, has unique experience defending against such players.
He neither presses aggressively nor retreats, maintaining a certain awkward distance from B Silva.
B Silva's attempt to glide past Ashley Young fails, forcing him to whip in a desperate cross.
But how can Manchester City's strikerless formation compete for aerial duels?
Sterling is nearly 20cm shorter than David Luiz—equivalent to missing an entire head.
It was a mismatch of comical proportions.
Amid the roaring cheers of Manchester City fans, hoping for a miracle...
David Luiz comfortably headed the ball clear, his frizzy hair bouncing as he dominated the air.
The second ball was booted out of play by Matic.
"Manchester City's forwards are struggling to win the first ball against United's 'Land of Giants' formation," Beglin noted.
"United's tactics are very targeted, but City can also exploit this by utilizing their advantages of being small, quick, and agile to break through the ankles of these giants."
"It all comes down to which team executes better and has superior tactics!"
Meanwhile, on the sidelines.
Mourinho subtly glanced at the adjacent dugout and noticed Guardiola's expression was particularly grim.
He could tell the Manchester City players weren't at their best.
"Boss, we've got the upper hand!" Rui Faria exclaimed excitedly.
Mourinho remained silent, tacitly agreeing with his assistant.
The first half would likely be tightly contested, with the real outcome decided in the second half.
The on-field situation seemed to confirm his thoughts.
After several possession changes, Matic gained control and immediately played a piercing through pass to the left flank.
As the ball raced across the turf.
Ling quickly adjusted his position to receive it while using his peripheral vision to track Kyle Walker behind him—unsurprisingly, the defender was pressing forward aggressively like a mad dog.
Truth be told, Walker had numerous defensive flaws: reckless challenges, unorthodox defensive movements, and clumsy clearances among them.
But his explosive acceleration allowed him to recover and compensate for mistakes. He was a physical freak.
Seeing this, Ling shifted his weight left, feinting an inside cut.
The moment Walker committed to the defensive follow.
Ling's left foot subtly swung, his center of gravity reversing in an instant—transitioning from complete stillness to explosive motion!
He glided past Kyle Walker as if the defender wasn't even there.
Then his legs pistoned against the grass, calf muscles bulging as he unleashed terrifying speed.
The Etihad Stadium erupted in gasps of astonishment.
Walker appeared prepared, swiftly turning to give chase at full sprint.
His sprint speed was rated 93 in FIFA—the highest among active fullbacks.
Having previously played for Tottenham, he held particularly negative memories of Ling.
Today would be his revenge!
He believed he could surpass Lahm or Dani Alves to become the greatest fullback in Guardiola's coaching career.
The pitch suddenly hosted what appeared to be two F1 cars racing, displaying breathtaking speed that amazed over 50,000 spectators.
In the blink of an eye.
The pair entered the final thirty meters, with Ling maintaining his narrow lead but unable to shake off Walker's dogged pursuit.
With no time to adjust.
Ling whipped in a cross from the left side of the penalty area.
The same position and angle, the delivery dropping dangerously near the penalty spot.
But this time United's tactics produced different results.
Having slowed his weight gain program, Romelu Lukaku had gradually balanced physical presence with speed, his form significantly improved from earlier periods when he looked like he was towing a caravan.
Using his momentum to overpower Otamendi like a tank crushing a sedan, he powerfully met the spinning ball with his forehead.
Boom!
The ball rocketed toward goal like an artillery shell.
Ederson had too little time to react, ultimately failing to keep the ball out.
0-1!
"LUKAKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Drury screamed.
Amid thunderous cheers from the traveling United fans, Lukaku exuberantly sprinted dozens of meters before sliding into a knee celebration—announcing his return with this crucial goal.