In the neighboring conference room, the interview was also nearing its end.
Klopp, wearing a black baseball cap, sat at the front answering reporters' questions.
"Liverpool has gone too long without touching the Champions League trophy. This Liverpool team is in its complete form, with every player at their best. Manchester United wants to create a miracle at Anfield? All Liverpool supporters won't allow it! We'll use the scoreline to show them just how cruel reality can be! Liverpool will win."
The common trait of the world's top teams is their unwavering confidence in themselves.
Whether it's Manchester United or Liverpool, both are the same.
...
Another half hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Ling carefully tied his shoelaces, stood up, and took a few steps in place.
Although Puma's reputation might not match Adidas or Nike, the quality of their boots is unquestionable.
Especially the boots specifically developed for players.
"I won't say too much. I believe everyone understands in their hearts that today we have only one goal—Liverpool's net! Don't be afraid of physical confrontations. The pitch is no place for gentlemen's sports!" Mourinho said solemnly.
Ling took a deep breath and shouted, "For the 90 minutes of the match, as long as the whistle hasn't blown, don't stop running! Let's go!!!"
Short roars echoed in the locker room.
On the face of every Manchester United player, there was no fear of the future.
At that moment, they all had only one thought in their minds—to send the ball into Liverpool's damn net!
"Let's go!" Ling nodded to his teammates and pushed open the locker room door.
Whoosh!!!
The loud clamor flooded their ears, making their heartbeats quicken involuntarily.
As the Liverpool players emerged from their locker room, the atmosphere in the tunnel grew tense, as if even the air had frozen.
Ling glanced at the Liverpool lineup, locking eyes with Van Dijk, Henderson, and others.
Their gazes seemed capable of sparking flames!
"Don't Mane and Salah seem a bit off?" De Gea whispered, covering his mouth.
"Yeah, I heard they were injured before the match and didn't play in the league a few days ago," Ling replied.
Klopp's relentless high-pressing tactics were practically treating players as expendable resources.
Borussia Dortmund was a prime example, often collapsing toward the end of the season.
The root cause was the high intensity of matches and training.
"Step up the physical intensity in the midfield and defense, see if we can shut them down." Mourinho instructed Nemanja Matic.
Sometimes players struggle to find their rhythm at the start of a match, leading to a lackluster performance throughout.
If Manchester United could neutralize Liverpool's two strongest threats, they could launch attacks without restraint.
"I'll keep that in mind." Nemanja Matic's eyes gleamed.
Back when he transferred from Chelsea to Benfica, he thought he'd never get another chance to return.
Little did he know Mourinho would give him a second opportunity.
As the Champions League anthem blared, the referee team led the players out onto the pitch.
Ling held the hand of the young mascot as he walked slowly. Unlike before, he didn't squeeze the child's hand too hard in his excitement.
But as he watched the flickering lights ahead, bursting one after another to the stirring melody, they finally exploded into a dazzling spectacle.
It was like an endless red sea.
On the stand directly opposite, a massive Tifo made of countless fans stretched across the stands.
Anfield.
One of the world's most famous stadiums, the sheer intensity it unleashed was enough to make many players feel fear and trepidation even before stepping onto the pitch.
But that didn't include the Manchester United players.
They were determined to defeat Liverpool on their own sacred ground, securing a precious ticket to the Champions League final for Manchester United.
They wanted to prove once and for all that Liverpool, the team Sir Alex Ferguson had once knocked down, was no match for United!
Following tradition, the pre-match photo was taken with the Manchester United players lined up in two rows.
Click!
After the flashbulbs went off, a photo remained, capturing everyone's bright smiles.
"Captain! When we take the photo in June, can I stand at the back? Squatting looks so silly!" Wan-Bissaka protested loudly.
"You'll have to take that up with Young. He decides the positions for the photo." Ling shrugged and walked toward the center circle.
While the others were still debating photo positions, Ling exchanged team pennants with Henderson.
The head referee pulled out a coin, placed it on the back of his hand, and asked, "You're the home team. Do you choose the red side or the silver side?"
Henderson: "Red."
Ling didn't even need to choose—only silver was left.
Head referee Cakir tossed the coin. It spun in the air, rose, fell, bounced a few times on the turf. Finally, it landed with the silver side facing up.
Ling grinned happily. "We choose the kickoff."
If this were a World Cup match held at 2 p.m., Ling would've picked the side first.
After all, facing the sun could affect visibility.
But Champions League matches were held in the evening, so securing the kickoff to seize the early initiative was far more important.
By the time Ling returned to the Manchester United players, the debate over photo positions still hadn't ended.
He cut in, "Everyone's seen Liverpool's starting lineup, right? Arnold is still at right-back, Milner has replaced the left midfielder. Mahrez, you need to be careful—they might target you."
"Don't worry, I wore gloves for a bit before the match!" Mahrez joked.
Did they think the nickname "Mahrez the Magician" was for nothing?
"Looking forward to your performance." Ling raised an eyebrow.
Even though it wasn't winter, with the light drizzle falling and Liverpool being near the sea, the temperature kept dropping.
"Mahrez in Winter"—Mahrez in cold weather was as good as Messi!
Surely he could deliver a solid performance today?
"Get pumped up, everyone! Let's kill them all!" Ling waved his hand and strode toward their half of the pitch.
As both teams took their positions, the commentators' booth fell silent as Neville and Carragher ended their bickering.
...
"Ahem, ahem, ahem— Live now for you is the second leg of the 2018-19 Champions League Semi-final! Liverpool at home against Manchester United! The first leg ended 1-3, with Liverpool securing the final victory and also earning three away goals."
"This means Manchester United must score at least three goals to stage a comeback and advance, provided Liverpool doesn't score any. No one believes Manchester United can succeed."
Neville wanted to add some emotional remarks but was interrupted by Carragher.
"In reality, many people think they're the chosen ones, capable of achieving what others cannot, but reality will teach them a harsh lesson."
"Now, let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams! In red jerseys are Liverpool. Klopp continues with the 4-3-3 formation. Goalkeeper: There are quite a few changes compared to the first leg. First, the right-back position is now occupied by Arnold. I believe in the eyes of Liverpool fans, he was the standout performer in the last match. His aggressive attacking play freed up Salah, helping the team score crucial goals. What kind of performance will he deliver today?"
Carragher didn't get to finish his sentence either, as Neville seized the opportunity to speak.
"In black second away jerseys are Manchester United. Mourinho has deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Goalkeeper: We see Jeremy Ling's position has shifted to left midfielder, with Lukaku taking up the center-forward role. I think Manchester United is targeting Arnold!"
"Although he performed well in the last match, he also exposed serious defensive issues! In their encounters last season, Ling completed 11 dribbles in a single match, nearly breaking the Premier League record. Arnold even earned a nickname because of it. Today, their direct confrontation is sure to be even more exciting!"
As the two bickered, the camera returned to the green pitch.
Amidst the deafening roar of Anfield, a sharp whistle pierced the air, officially marking the start of the match!
BEEP!!!
Manchester United with the ball. Lukaku passed the ball back to Jeremy Ling, who then played it to Pogba before sprinting forward along the sideline.
He was already heavily marked.
Henderson on the right, Arnold ahead, and Salah behind. The three surrounded Ling like a dumpling, trapping him near the sideline.
Pogba naturally couldn't pass to him and instead switched play to the other side, finding Mahrez.
Mahrez felt in scorching form.
But facing him was Milner, a player who seemed to get better with age.
Though he'll turn 35 next January, he still outperformed the 22-year-old Gomez in the team's blood lactate tests.
If Van Dijk is the cornerstone of Liverpool, then Milner is the hidden red machine.
Last season, he made a total of 124 appearances.
Mahrez shifted his weight multiple times but couldn't shake off Milner, forcing him to pass the ball back to Nemanja Matic.
Manchester United began reorganizing their attack.
As Ling moved across the front line, he kept a close eye on Liverpool, especially the dynamics of their defensive line.
Klopp didn't opt for a high-pressing tactic.
After all, Liverpool was in the lead. Being too aggressive could lead to mistakes, so it was better to wait for Manchester United to make their move before adjusting—essentially, adapting to the situation as it unfolded.
Thus, Liverpool's defensive line remained relatively deep.
Defensive Counterattack? Klopp once looked down on such passive tactics, even criticizing Mourinho in interviews, saying that parking the bus didn't align with his tactical philosophy.
But the Premier League isn't the Bundesliga; the competition here is far more intense.
Wanting to implement high pressing to the end was unsustainable for the players' bodies, so Klopp had no choice but to make concessions.
'Liverpool's formation makes heavy use of width, but their protection of the flanks is insufficient. Fabinho as a lone defensive midfielder is still struggling too much,' Ling thought silently to himself, gradually moving toward the center.
Henderson needed to mark Herrera, so he said to Arnold, "Maintain distance from Manchester United's number 7—not too far, not too close. I'll alert you if someone makes a run down the wing."
Upon hearing this, Arnold quickly followed, looking at Ling not far ahead, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
He felt that after a season of training, his defensive skills had greatly improved.
Even if he still couldn't defend Ling one-on-one, with his teammates' help in coordinated defense, could he really be beaten?
"Give it to me!"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Ling had dropped back a few more meters, positioning himself beside Fabinho as he called for the ball from his teammate.
Nemanja Matic decisively passed it to him.
The ball rolled swiftly across the grass toward Ling.
Due to the tricky angle of the pass, even Firmino's sliding tackle couldn't intercept it.
Fortunately, Fabinho was highly focused and immediately stepped forward, ready to press Ling as soon as he received the ball.
Ling had already observed the situation in advance.
Snap!
His body feinted a move to the right, but in reality, he used his heel to flick the ball to the left!
"Beautiful!"
"He drew Fabinho's attention, created space for Pogba, and added a subtle flick."
"Ling seems to be taking on more playmaking duties today, freeing up Pogba to make more forward runs and attacks!"
"Here it comes!" Amid Neville's roar, Pogba launched an assault on Liverpool's defense!
Lukaku's task was simple.
He didn't even need to think about receiving the ball—he just had to stick close to Van Dijk and disrupt his judgment.
At the same time, Mahrez was also cutting inside rapidly.
If only Pogba were a bit faster, he would have already advanced to the edge of the penalty area.
Milner caught up from the side.
Pogba didn't hold onto the ball any longer, handling it with exceptional decisiveness—a precise short pass!
Mahrez received the ball, adjusted with quick steps, not giving Matip any time to block.
He aimed for the left side of Liverpool's goal and took the shot directly!
"Can Manchester United score—"
"Goddamnit! Liverpool's damn goalpost blocking Manchester United's certain goal!"
Manchester United fans clutched their heads in disappointment, and Mahrez also wore a look of disbelief.
He was confident that his curling shot was of high quality, yet it was blocked by the post.
His luck was just too bad!
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