Liverpool's new pressing approach gradually threw Manchester City's rhythm at the back into disorder. Rodri kept appearing on the right, then on the left, using his running ability to help his teammates press.
On the touchline, Guardiola could tell something was wrong.
Wasn't Rodri supposed to be playing as a defensive midfielder?
Why did he keep showing up in the final third?
What kind of attacking setup was this?
During the World Cup, Spain had used Leo Lin to play an upgraded deep-lying attacking midfielder tactic, and Klopp had drawn new inspiration from it.
He began using a system with the defensive midfielder pushed forward, treating Rodri as a pressing player in the final third. Rodri was tall, and more importantly, he had excellent tackling ability while also being able to hold the ball.
Because of that, Rodri's presence in the final third actually increased the pressure on Manchester City. To avoid having the ball stolen by Rodri, City could only play more through balls. They did not dare take too many risks at the back.
Manchester City's choice was not wrong. After all, once Rodri left the defensive midfielder position, Liverpool had only Henderson left in front of the back line.
So by increasing their direct forward passes, they had a chance to break through Liverpool's single defensive midfielder setup.
But were Liverpool really playing with only one defensive midfielder?
Leo Lin, who was following Gündoğan, played as an attacking midfielder when Liverpool attacked, but dropped back into a central midfield position when they defended. That helped Henderson form a defensive shape in midfield and stopped David Silva from receiving the ball, allowing Henderson to go one-on-one with De Bruyne.
This flexible pressing and transition system was another layered transition pattern Klopp had developed from Liverpool's layered pressing attack.
Klopp was always changing his tactics, always searching for something new.
Liverpool's slick attacking quickly forced Manchester City onto the back foot.
In the 30th minute!
"Leo Lin's position is too flexible. Laporte can only try the through ball."
"Intercepted again! Brilliant interception from Leo Lin!"
"David Silva is beaten. After winning the ball, Leo Lin immediately drives forward to launch the counter!"
"He plays it to the right! Rodri receives it!"
Rodri, who had been pressing on the right, had not dropped back. By the time Leo Lin won the ball, Rodri was already ready to receive it, and Liverpool instantly formed pressure in the final third.
Gündoğan rushed toward Rodri. Although he was playing as the defensive midfielder, his defensive ability was not especially outstanding, and he struggled to hold his position.
Rodri lifted his foot and struck from the edge of the box.
This was the driven shot from the top of the arc that he had been practicing for so long.
Muric dived sideways and got both hands to the ball. Laporte shielded it with his back to goal, holding off Firmino, and Muric quickly got back up and gathered the ball into his arms again. Only then did Manchester City avoid conceding.
"That was terrifying. Since when did Rodri's long-range shooting become this sharp?"
"Look at this Liverpool attack! They're playing so aggressively!"
"An upgraded deep-lying attacking midfielder tactic, then an innovative version with the defensive midfielder pushed forward. False and real, constantly changing. Liverpool's tactical setup right now is almost impossible to read!"
The sudden positional changes between Leo Lin and Rodri, one pushing up while the other dropped back, completely disrupted Manchester City's original defensive plan.
Next came Liverpool's favorite kind of situation. Manchester City clearly had not found a way to break Liverpool's tactical pattern yet, so they could only defend passively.
Liverpool began creating more shooting chances, especially around the edge of the penalty area. Rodri's driven shots from the top of the arc had Muric on edge.
But what Liverpool fans had not expected was that Muric, forced into the starting lineup, was playing surprisingly well.
Even Gullit was shocked by Muric's form.
"It's the same setup with the defensive midfielder pushed forward. There's shooting space again!"
"He strikes it! Muric saves again!"
"That's Muric's third successful save of the match. Could he become Manchester City's surprise weapon today?"
"Hard to say. Maybe Ederson's injury really will help Manchester City uncover another excellent young player."
"Muric's physical attributes are actually very good. He's tall enough, has a long reach, and he's also very good at saving penalties."
Rodri's two consecutive long-range efforts were both saved by Muric. They were called long shots, but in truth they came from just outside the penalty area, a shooting zone where professional players were usually expected to have a fairly high success rate.
Seeing chances come and go without a goal, Klopp grew a little anxious. After discussing it with Zubizarreta and Krawietz, he made a gesture toward the players on the pitch to signal a change.
Seeing it, Rodri began to drop back, while Leo Lin moved forward instead. It was still the same approach, a deep-lying attacking midfielder paired with a defensive midfielder pushed forward.
Only this time, Leo Lin was the one pushed up front, while Rodri returned to the middle and deeper areas.
Some fans noticed Liverpool's change and began posting comments.
[I've always thought Leo Lin and Rodri should switch positions. Leo Lin is clearly stronger at long shots, so why make him sit deeper for Rodri?]
[Is questioning the manager's tactics a fixed part of every match now? Isn't this setup obvious? They were clearly trying to confuse Manchester City and Gündoğan first, then let Leo Lin deliver the killing blow!]
[The comment above makes sense. I'm voting in favor!]
Some fans had already seen the purpose behind Klopp's tactical adjustment, and Guardiola had also reacted.
But Manchester City's defensive midfielder was Gündoğan. Gündoğan was certainly strong, especially when his position was pushed higher, where he could often create goals.
But when he dropped deeper, his effectiveness weakened instead.
Gündoğan, who had just been tormented by Rodri for more than thirty minutes, was now facing a fully charged Leo Lin.
In the 40th minute!
"Agüero looks for a combination on the right. Bernardo Silva plays the through ball, and Agüero follows up with the shot!"
"A driven effort from a tight angle is his trademark move, but Alisson is in superb form and makes the save!"
"Henderson clears it. Rodri receives it in the middle, and Liverpool's transition is here!"
After receiving the ball in the middle, Rodri quickly passed it to Leo Lin according to the tactic they had prepared in advance.
Gündoğan had not lost track of Leo Lin. He and Leo Lin sprinted toward Rodri's pass at the same time.
It was almost a fifty-fifty ball, but Leo Lin did not stop it as it came toward him. Instead, he used his right foot to pop the ball onto his left, turning the touch into a two-touch cut inside.
To pull off that kind of move, a player had to perfectly combine technique and body control. Leo Lin did exactly that.
But it was not over.
After completing the two-touch cut inside, Leo Lin took one more step and immediately unleashed a shot.
A seamless follow-up.
A furious low drive.
Muric had never expected Leo Lin to shoot from that situation.
Although he instinctively made the save attempt, his reaction was still too slow.
And from midfield, Rodri could only watch as Leo Lin scored with his very first shot.
Then Leo Lin turned his head and laughed at him, running backward away from the corner area while pointing at Rodri.
Rodri also began running toward Leo Lin, smiling back at him. He understood what Leo Lin meant. Leo Lin was telling him to watch closely and learn.
Although Rodri was three years older than Leo Lin, when it came to long-range shooting, he was still a rookie compared with Leo Lin.