In the 84th minute of the second half.
Henderson went down again in a challenge.
Instead of lying on the ground waiting for the medical staff, he crawled off the pitch on all fours.
No words were spoken.
But the Liverpool players suddenly came to their senses.
Some among them had not chosen to give up, so who did their current performance do justice to? Teammates, fans.
Liverpool began to launch a frenzied counterattack, leaving all the gaps in their defense for Manchester United. All we want is goals!
There's still a chance to equalize. In the 30 minutes of extra time, anything is possible!
A dying man's last struggle is always fierce.
So fierce that Manchester United could barely resist, forced to tighten their formation and build a dense defensive line.
Physical clashes became the main theme of the match!
Thud!
Mane was tackled out of bounds by Wan-Bissaka, earning the referee's yellow card.
Thud!
Maguire collided with Origi's head while contesting the ball.
Fortunately, Maguire's head is big enough, otherwise that impact alone would have caused a concussion.
But Origi wasn't so lucky, staggering dizzily and struggling to walk steadily.
After taking deep breaths for over ten seconds, his vision was still slightly blurred, but he continued to join the attack.
As time passed, Henderson still hadn't returned.
Klopp took off his full-frame glasses.
Actually, he had a small habit: he never removed his glasses during a match.
"I'll get a minor surgery later, so I won't need to wear glasses anymore."
Hearing Klopp's words, the assistant coach was utterly bewildered.
Shouldn't they be discussing the match right now? After all, the game isn't over yet!?
Klopp sat on the bench.
Beside him, Henderson covered his face with his jersey, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Crying.
A common sight in football, as this sport has too great an impact on emotions. Especially for those directly involved.
"A match is like life. Back then, you didn't choose to leave, and in the end, you achieved a good result. Why not wait a little longer?" Klopp patted Henderson, leaving behind a comforting word.
...
On the neighboring Manchester United bench.
Mourinho stood with his hands in his pockets, appearing utterly calm.
But Faria had sharp eyes.
He noticed the boss's hands were trembling!
'He really is getting old.' Faria glanced over.
Mourinho's silver-white hair, illuminated by the stadium lights, revealed a sense of aging.
Faria recalled the 2009 Champions League final.
Mourinho, leading Inter Milan to the summit, stood majestic at the Bernabéu, radiating such sharp brilliance.
"Boss, what do you want to do after the match ends?" Faria asked.
Mourinho didn't look away. "First, study the match footage of Manchester City and Ajax. Also, we need to start planning for next season's recruitment early."
Faria: "..."
He was expecting an emotional, moving answer, but the boss was still the same workaholic!
...
In the stands.
Coincidentally, Sir Alex Ferguson's hands were also trembling, though he hid it better.
Chewing gum, he gazed at the pitch.
He wished time would pass faster, preferably ending the match directly. Unfortunately, the laws of physics couldn't be changed.
"I have to admit, Liverpool is strong, but we are stronger. Ole, do you think if I hadn't retired, Manchester United could still achieve what they have now?" Sir Alex asked while chewing gum.
Beside him, the baby-faced Assasin replied, "Definitely."
Some might say Ferguson's tactics are outdated.
But back when Wenger set the unbeaten record and led his young squad to dominate, Ferguson was also criticized in the same way.
What happened later goes without saying.
Of course, Solskjær viewed Sir Alex Ferguson through rose-tinted glasses.
"Then guess how many years Ling can keep Manchester United strong?" Sir Alex Ferguson asked again.
Solskjaer stroked his chin, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "Strong until the year he leaves."
The two smiled as they looked at the green pitch.
...
Liverpool was like a patient with a final surge of energy, erupting with terrifying power!
Shaqiri replaced Salah.
This guy also had a similar nickname—the Swiss Messi!
Fast, strong in impact, excellent dribbling with both feet, and a decent crossing ability.
But the Swiss Army knife had the momentum of a sharp blade being drawn, yet lacked the force of a sharp blade being drawn!
His physical weakness made it difficult for him to protect the ball in duels.
How experienced Ashley Young was, spotting the weakness and going straight for a hard collision, disrupting Shaqiri's touch to prepare for a tackle.
And Shaqiri also fought hard for an opportunity, forcefully sending a high cross!
The ball flew toward the near post of the penalty area.
"I've got it!" Maguire took the lead, shouting as he positioned himself.
What Belgian striker?
In one-on-one defense, I'm not even afraid of Lukaku, so why would I fear Origi?
The football was headed out of the penalty area by Maguire.
Since Henderson couldn't continue on the field, Scott McTominay easily seized the second ball and immediately launched a long pass to Ling.
During the tussle between Van Dijk and Ling, both already exhausted as they fell to the ground.
Alisson rushed out to snatch the football, just about to launch another attack when he heard a piercing whistle.
Beep-beep-beep!!!
He stared blankly at the ball at his feet, unsure what to do for a long time.
...
"The full-time whistle blows, and the Champions League semi-final is over!"
"Last season, Manchester United faced the mighty Real Madrid and delivered an epic performance!"
"Now, trailing 1-3 from the first leg at home, they've created a brand-new record at Anfield, scoring three goals away to Liverpool and overturning the deficit to advance!"
"This is also the second time Manchester United have reached the Champions League final in consecutive years!"
"Looking back, the last time was in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, when Manchester United faced Chelsea and Barcelona respectively. As we all know, Manchester United won the first and lost the second."
"Sometimes I can't help but question the reality of the world, because the way Manchester United defeated Chelsea was identical to how they defeated Real Madrid last season—the coincidence is so uncanny it's hard to believe."
"Terry slipped and missed the penalty, Toni Kroos' penalty was saved."
"As for the 0:2 loss to Barcelona the following year..."
Neville shook his head as he spoke.
He didn't even want to recall that match, where they conceded a headed goal to Messi.
After all, how many headed goals has Messi scored in his career so far? Twenty-four.
And Manchester United became one of the victims.
If things really unfolded according to the original storyline, would Manchester United still lose the Champions League final?
Neville quickly changed the subject: "On June 2nd, 25 days from now, Manchester United will compete in the 2018-19 Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain!"
"The Red Devils once stood atop Europe, becoming England's first treble winners. I hope the lads at Manchester United don't forget their past glory and continue to strive for Europe's highest honor!"
"Just like they did tonight!"
After venting his emotions, Neville turned to Carragher beside him and asked cheekily, "Jamie, do you have anything to say to everyone?"
After the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, he had endured plenty of ridicule from Carragher.
But Neville never fights a losing battle.
Now that he had the chance, he had to reclaim the upper hand!
Carragher buried his hands in his hair, his eyes were vacant and lifeless, staring blankly at the concrete floor.
How did he feel inside? Even worse than when Gerrard slipped and handed the title away!
Because back then, he could blame it on the unfairness of fate.
"Liverpool..." Carragher wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
Neville didn't push his old colleague too hard.
After all, winners are always magnanimous—there was no need to twist the knife.
"For those who thought Ling would disappear, here are the match stats: 19 dribble attempts, 16 successful."
"Do you know who holds the record for the most dribbles in a Champions League semi-final?"
"Messi, with 16."
"He set that record in the first leg of the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Manchester United. But we still advanced to the final thanks to Scholes' goal. Yet, it remains a humiliation for Manchester United. Now, that humiliating record has finally been matched!" Neville grinned mischievously.
Back then, although he was Manchester United's captain, he spent most of the time on the sidelines due to a long-term injury.
And precisely because of that, he didn't end up like Evra, being dribbled past by Messi to set the record!
Actually, Neville had forgotten that the player he should have been marking was Ronaldinho, and indeed, two years later in the Champions League knockout stage, he completely neutralized Ronaldinho.
However, by that time, Ronaldinho had declined significantly, and Neville was no longer as formidable as before.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator