The Manchester United players shook off the lingering fatigue from their long journey and fully settled into the game, still prioritizing defensive stability before looking for counterattacking opportunities.
Exactly the same pragmatic approach as in the Premier League.
As for Roma, they didn't disappoint the home crowd.
Their coordinated pressing in the front field was tight and aggressive, with a style distinct from the English game.
The two strikers, Edin Džeko and Patrik Schick, made curved runs to block the passing lanes to the goalkeeper, forcing David De Gea to pass nervously to the right side.
Meanwhile, both wing-backs pushed high up the pitch, pressing Man United's defense through strict man-marking.
Under these circumstances, Man United essentially lost their ability to build patiently from the back.
After all, neither Chris Smalling nor Phil Jones possessed sufficient long-range passing ability to bypass the press.
Thus, for Man United, signing an excellent ball-playing defender was becoming urgent—for instance, Harry Maguire had already made it onto Mourinho's summer shortlist.
Facing Aleksandar Kolarov's pressing, Antonio Valencia decisively launched a long pass down the line.
But the accuracy was indeed lacking, as Daniele De Rossi anticipated the play and won the header, nodding it sideways to Radja Nainggolan.
Smoking, drinking, and perming his hair.
Nainggolan was somewhat of a trendsetter in football, a rebel, but also an excellent box-to-box midfielder with an endless engine.
However, his technical skills weren't always refined enough, so under the pressure from Nemanja Matić, Jesse Lingard, and Ling, he quickly lost possession in the midfield scrap.
The two teams went back and forth, with frequent transitions between attack and defense, and time steadily passed.
It wasn't until the 28th minute that the situation changed dramatically.
Phil Jones intercepted the ball from Schick and immediately played a crisp diagonal pass to Paul Pogba ahead.
During his time at Juventus, Pogba had frequently faced Roma and was quite familiar with their players and their dark arts.
Such as Kevin Strootman, who was marking him.
Although Strootman wasn't as globally famous as some other stars, he was undoubtedly a world-class midfielder before his injuries, and he was finding that form again.
After all, Roma had even reactivated the retired number 6 jersey just for him—a sign of immense respect.
Strootman stuck tightly to Pogba, using his hands to disrupt him before making a precise and aggressive tackle.
But Pogba seemed to have anticipated it, flicking the ball with the outside of his boot with flair.
With a crisp sound, the ball evaded Strootman's foot and quickly flew to the right flank.
"Mata!" Drury called out.
"Following Mourinho's tactical approach, Juan Mata serves as the secondary playmaker in the front field, orchestrating attacks with his skilled passing!"
"Without giving Roma's second defensive line time to recover, he immediately delivers a diagonal long pass to the left flank!"
"The strengths and weaknesses of the three-center-back system are clear," Beglin noted. "It excels at wing attacks but is also vulnerable to them if the wing-backs are caught high."
"So, by stretching the field wide, Man United could tear apart Roma's defensive line!"
Glancing at the descending ball, Ling deftly controlled it with his thigh, killing the momentum dead, before driving straight toward the byline.
"You press him, I'll cover!"
De Rossi shouted at Kostas Manolas as he sprinted back to help.
Hearing this, Manolas didn't hesitate and charged fiercely toward Ling. He had long noticed this "Premier League Rising Star."
Before the match, he had studied Ling's game footage countless times. As a defender, it's vital to remember the opponent's technical characteristics. For instance, some players' weaker foot is almost useless, so you only need to defend against their dominant foot.
Exquisite dribbling, explosive speed, and decent shooting ability—countless pieces of information flowed through Manolas' mind. Unlike other defenders who tightly mark the inside lane, he focused on cutting off Ling's passing routes.
This demonstrated absolute confidence in his own abilities. He believed he could quickly adjust his position to intercept the ball the moment Ling made his move.
Because his 100-meter sprint time was 11.2 seconds.
Among defenders in world football, only Antonio Rüdiger and perhaps Raphael Varane were faster than him.
Facing Manolas, unless Ling could train his explosive speed to Ronaldo's prime level, it would be nearly impossible to break through with pure pace.
As the two closed in, the rest of the Man United players had taken their positions.
Lukaku transformed into a target man, stationed near the penalty spot, ready to attack with his head at any moment. Federico Fazio had no choice but to stick close and mark him.
Lingard buzzed around like an annoying fly, weaving through Roma's defensive lines, irritating both De Rossi and Juan Jesus.
As for Pogba, he had already surged into the heart of the opposition's half.
Man United's attacking formation was fully set!
Tens of thousands of Roma fans watched with wide eyes, sensing the danger.
The next moment!
Ling suddenly slowed down, carving out a perfect arc as he cut inside, then feigned a shot.
Shoot!
The same thought flashed through the minds of Man United fans.
The JL7 Zone!
To outsiders, this nickname seemed exaggerated.
After all, Ling was just a young player at the start of his career—what right did he have to have a zone named after him?
There was some logic to the argument.
Just think about the players who had zones named after them before—Arjen Robben, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini, and others.
Compared to these legends, Ling was indeed still green.
Even so, Manolas didn't dare to leave Ling unmarked. He rushed forward to block the shot.
The moment Manolas shifted his weight, Ling deftly pulled the ball back, creating half a yard of space.
He drifted across the pitch as if taking a leisurely stroll in the park!
But the Roma fans had no mood to appreciate his elegance. They held their breath nervously, their pupils reflecting the scene unfolding before them.
Ling quickly adjusted his footing and unleashed a powerful strike with the instep of his left foot, connecting solidly with the center of the ball.
A thunderous shot!
The ball shot like an unsheathed sword, skimming the grass as it raced toward the bottom left corner of the goal.
Alisson Becker, Brazil's starting goalkeeper, stood ready.
He felt he couldn't showcase his full potential at Roma and had already decided to leave at the end of the season, with Liverpool as his agreed-upon destination.
Subconsciously, he saw Ling as a fated rival.
He aimed to keep a clean sheet against Ling in this match, a tribute to present to Liverpool.
He stretched his body to the limit, diving toward the ball.
"A world-class save! Alisson preserves Roma's goal!" Peter Drury's voice was filled with admiration, but in the next second, the tone shifted.
"LINGAAAAAAAAAARDDDDD! He pounces before De Rossi can clear! And he slots it home with a close-range finish!"
"It's an away goal for Manchester United! The Eternal City is silenced!"
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