Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Rome, Italy.
The capital and largest city, with 2,500 years of history, earning it the title "The Eternal City."
Seen from above, Rome was built across seven hills on the plains of the lower Tiber River.
Legend says Rome's founder, Romulus, was nursed by a she-wolf.
Thus the city's emblem depicts a she-wolf suckling infants, which also serves as AS Roma's club crest.
The bus bearing Manchester United's crest slowly approached the Stadio Olimpico.
Ling sat by the window, gazing through the tinted glass at the ancient streets.
Baroque-style buildings lined the streets, each bearing deep historical imprints and the scars of time.
"All roads lead to Rome, Ling. Do you have a similar saying back home?" McTominay asked curiously, breaking the silence.
"Of course. For example, 'All rivers flow to the sea.' The meaning is essentially the same," Ling nodded.
McTominay suddenly sighed, looking at the graffiti-covered walls outside.
"I've heard racism is quite severe in Rome. Wonder if we'll face discrimination today?"
"Don't worry about it. They won't target you anyway," Ling replied grimly.
Ling had previously heard similar news—the worst racial discrimination in Italy was often found among the ultras of Roma and Lazio, to the point of being fanatical, sometimes not even sparing their own players.
When Zlatan Ibrahimović played for Juventus and Milan, he was allegedly called a "gypsy" by Roma fans.
Paul Pogba didn't escape it either during his time at Juventus. Insults like "gorilla" and the N-word were rampant in the stands.
Ling deeply despised racial discrimination.
If it weren't for the positive atmosphere within the Man United squad, he knew he might face similar ignorance.
Even so, during his youth training days, he often experienced discrimination from Europeans.
Soon, they arrived at the Stadio Olimpico. As a UEFA 5-star stadium, it was a colosseum of football.
——
Pre-match press conference.
Mourinho calmly and succinctly answered reporters' questions, playing his usual mind games.
"Tactically speaking, we hold the advantage. I believe Man United should reach the final," he said with characteristic arrogance.
"But unfortunately, football doesn't always give you what you deserve. Moreover, Roma is an excellent team with a great coach and players."
Next door, in the other conference room.
Di Francesco was very humble.
"Mourinho is a great coach. He led Inter Milan to a treble and restored glory to Italian football, so he deserves maximum respect."
"But that doesn't mean Roma will back down. We are Romans."
"Ling? No, we need to contain not just him, but the entire Man United team!"
...
Half an hour later.
In the players' tunnel.
Edin Džeko and Romelu Lukaku embraced—the former had spent a few years at Man City and somehow became friends with the latter, bonding over their shared experiences as target men in the Premier League.
The rest of the players quietly held the hands of the child mascots, focusing their minds.
Ling looked around the tunnel and suddenly spotted a photo of Francesco Totti, looking imperious.
There were also images of Roma's legendary stars: Ancelotti, Conte, Falcao, Giannini...
Soon, led by the head referee, both teams stepped out of the players' tunnel.
The light before Ling's eyes gradually expanded, eventually transforming into an endless sea of red.
Pompeian red!
Then he heard a roar of cheers, so loud it felt like his eardrums were vibrating physically.
Italian fans really are crazy, Ling thought to himself.
Perhaps it was this unique football culture that made Serie A so prosperous around the turn of the century, earning it the nickname "The Little World Cup."
But as the economy declined, Serie A gradually faded, though the passion remained.
"Good evening, everyone!" Peter Drury's voice boomed.
"Tonight's broadcast is the 2017-18 Champions League semi-final. The Eternal City plays host to a duel of eternal significance!"
"AS Roma versus Manchester United!"
"Let's take a look at the starting lineups."
"Attacking from right to left, in the famous red shirts, is Roma. They've set up in a 3-5-2 formation," Jim Beglin analyzed.
"The same starting lineup as in Roma's historic comeback against Barcelona. Di Francesco has deployed two strikers to strengthen the attack, clearly determined to secure a victory at home."
"As for the compact defensive midfield and backline, it aims to cut off Man United's ground supply routes to the forward line. By utilizing a five-defender setup in their defensive shape, Roma can create a numerical advantage in their own half to slow down counterattacks launched via long balls, mitigating the risks posed by United's high pressing."
"A very sophisticated pre-match setup, but the actual results will depend on the players' performance."
"Attacking from left to right in the black away kits are Manchester United, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation."
"This has been Mourinho's most frequently used and most successful formation this season, performing well in both offense and defense. Ling is playing as the left-side midfielder today."
"Roma's wide defender Kostas Manolas, valued at 43 million euros in this season's transfer market, possesses exceptional one-on-one defensive skills."
"The matchup between Ling and Manolas will be the highlight of this game, largely determining its outcome."
"Let's hope the youngster can deliver a strong performance on this grand stage."
Although the Champions League match was scheduled for the middle of the night in Asia, the online engagement was skyrocketing.
Twitter was already trending with #RomaManUtd and #UCL.
@TacticalGenius: Man United has the technical advantage, but this atmosphere is hostile. I think they have a great chance of winning if they keep their heads.
@RomaUltra: With Ünder and El Shaarawy not starting, I think Di Francesco is being somewhat conservative. If our attack can't pressure Man United's defense enough, our own defensive end will face tremendous pressure.
@CalcioFan: Nainggolan, De Rossi, Kolarov, and Dzeko are all over thirty. They have the experience, but do they have the legs? As long as Man United survives the first half blitz...
@MourinhoEra: That's why the manager is most crucial in this match. Mourinho needs to establish the timing for phased pushes and determine the number of players committed to attack. If he gets the timing right, Man United could even win comfortably.
...
The camera returned to the pitch.
With the referee's sharp whistle blast...
The match officially began!
Amid deafening cheers, Roma's formation rapidly advanced upfield, with two target forwards charging forward aggressively and side midfielders stretching wide.
Man United players could only retreat continuously.
Yet their defensive shape remained organized rather than chaotic.
A classic Mourinho low-block defensive posture.
After nearly a full season of refinement, Man United had developed genuine composure under pressure.
Following consecutive switches of play, Roma progressed past the halfway line.
Daniele De Rossi received the ball near the center circle before delivering a diagonal long pass to the right flank.
Florenzi controlled the ball deftly.
Not being a traditional explosive winger, he primarily relied on solid passing and combination play to advance attacks down the flank.
Without waiting for Ashley Young to press, Florenzi immediately launched a cross.
The ball spun fiercely toward the edge of the penalty area.
Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick occupied the most dangerous positions while Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman surged forward from deeper positions to provide supporting options.
Despite interference from Smalling and Phil Jones.
The Czech striker, Schick, powerfully won the first header, nodding the ball back into the path of the onrushing Nainggolan.
The Belgian midfielder met the ball with a thunderous strike, his mohawk bristling with intent.
Boom!
The football rocketed toward goal like a cannonball, grazing the outside of the post before rolling out of bounds amid frustrated groans from the Roma fans.
"Roma created a threatening attack right from the opening!" Drury exclaimed. "If Nainggolan had been slightly luckier, the scoreline might have already been altered!"
"The Man United lads don't seem to have found their rhythm yet," Beglin noted with concern. "They should press more aggressively in the final third—they can't let De Rossi easily spread play wide, nor allow Roma players to deliver crosses unchallenged."
"The camera cuts to Mourinho on the sidelines. He appears absolutely livid!"
The Man United players all broke out in a cold sweat.
Hearing the faint but unmistakable roar from the touchline, they each took several deep breaths.
After that opening shot, everyone reined in their underestimation.
This was the Champions League semi-final—there were no weak teams here!