Chương 451: Chapter 451: Last-Minute Goal - Another 93:20 Miracle!
Chapter 451: Last-Minute Goal - Another 93:20 Miracle!
Guardiola's style and Klopp's style are quite different, even though both currently employ pressing attacks. The difference is clear: Guardiola's team uses passing to move the opponent's defense and look for mistakes, while Klopp's tactic is to create local numerical superiority through active running, forcing mistakes and capitalizing on them with counterattacks.
When these two styles clash, it's like a collision of planets, creating a spectacular and explosive match. The game pace is incredibly fast, with possession constantly changing between the two teams.
After Liverpool substituted three players, they immediately increased the pressure on Manchester City's defenders. Under this intense pressing, City struggled to pass the ball out of the back, almost losing possession several times. Even when the ball successfully reached Kroos, Liverpool's midfield and forwards would quickly surround him, not giving him any time to organize the attack. This forced City's midfield and defenders to play one-touch football, avoiding holding onto the ball to prevent dangerous counterattacks from Liverpool.
However, Liverpool's intense pressing relied heavily on the players' stamina and extensive running. As soon as their stamina dropped, the effectiveness of this tactic would significantly decrease. Moreover, pushing their formation too far forward made them vulnerable to counterattacks, necessitating a very strong center-back to act as a sweeper.
Historically, Klopp solved this by buying Van Dijk and Alisson after selling Coutinho for a high price. Van Dijk is an unrivaled center-back in one-on-one situations, and Alisson is an excellent one-on-one goalkeeper. However, in this scenario, neither player was available to Klopp. Van Dijk was playing for City, and Alisson was still in Brazil. This meant Klopp's team had many shortcomings compared to his ideal squad.
After 75 minutes, Liverpool's players began to show clear signs of fatigue. Except for the substitutes, the rest were running out of steam. The good news for Liverpool was that City's players were also exhausted. The match pace was extremely fast, and the physical confrontations were intense. Both teams had covered significant distances, resulting in high energy expenditure.
As the game passed the 70-minute mark, both teams' defensive quality began to decline, giving the forwards more scoring opportunities.
In the 76th minute, Liverpool's substitute forward Benteke received a cross in the penalty area but headed it over the bar. In the 78th minute, City launched a quick counterattack, and after drawing in three defenders, Lin Quan passed to De Bruyne, whose long shot narrowly missed the goal.
Liverpool was the first to break the deadlock. In the 82nd minute, after winning several set pieces, Liverpool capitalized on a corner with Skrtel heading the ball into the net, making it 2-4. This late goal nearly sealed the game. Skrtel and his teammates, along with the coaching staff and Liverpool fans, erupted in celebration. Klopp, on the sidelines, threw a series of excited punches. Before this goal, he wasn't sure of the outcome, but now he felt the game was in the bag. With over 80 minutes on the clock, there was little time left for City to make a comeback. A two-goal lead was significant for Liverpool. As long as they avoided unforgivable mistakes, it would be tough for City to equalize, let alone win.
Although Liverpool's season hadn't been great, sitting 10th in the Premier League, Klopp believed that winning this away game could be a turning point. Beating the seemingly invincible City wouldn't just mean three points; it would boost Liverpool's confidence and remind them of their elite status. He urged his players to hold on for the remaining minutes and bring the victory back to Liverpool.
Had he more substitutions available, Klopp would have brought on more defensive players to shore up the defense. He's aggressive but not foolish. He knew his exhausted players couldn't keep running like they did in the first half. Therefore, after Skrtel's goal, Klopp adjusted the formation, pulling back to their half. However, the substitutes continued to press City's ball carriers, applying as much pressure as possible to prevent them from organizing their attack comfortably.
Playing under Klopp required not just technical skills but also tremendous stamina. His tactical system demanded intense running and pressing throughout the match. Players also needed to avoid injuries, especially during the busy English football schedule. But these were concerns for the future. For now, Klopp wanted to show tangible results with his tactics, and winning away at City would be the best answer.
Liverpool's fourth goal was a significant blow to City's morale. Scoring so late in the game made a comeback seem impossible. Scoring twice or more in the last ten minutes was a daunting task. Would they really lose at home?
As the players pondered, feeling dejected, one man stepped up. Calmly, he retrieved the ball from the net and walked it back to the center circle. Along the way, he patted his teammates on the shoulders, signaling that the match wasn't over without saying much. Seeing Lin Quan's determined eyes, his teammates felt a spark reignite within them. The flickering flame of hope began to burn brightly again.
"It looks like City hasn't given up yet. Lin Quan is reassuring his teammates," noted the commentators, Martin Tyler and Andy Gray, with a hint of admiration.
"This is the moment the team needs him the most, even though he's already done more than enough this match," said Gray.
"Indeed, leading the team from behind, scoring twice, and creating constant threats for Liverpool. Unfortunately, Liverpool has been in exceptional form, and Klopp's tactics have effectively countered City. Lin Quan and his team might face their first defeat of the season."
As a veteran Premier League commentator, Martin Tyler has seen countless matches and has a sharp sense for how games might unfold. From Liverpool's performance in this match, he could tell they weren't the type of team to collapse at the end. On the contrary, this Liverpool team was united and willing to give everything for victory. Their intense desire for a win was evident in their fiery eyes. Therefore, it seemed unlikely that Manchester City's late-stage comeback would reverse the defeat.
Indeed, after Liverpool's celebration ended and the game resumed, despite Manchester City's relentless attacks led by Lin Quan, they couldn't break through Liverpool's defense. The regular 90 minutes quickly passed, and the referee added only three minutes of stoppage time.
In the second minute of stoppage time, with Lin Quan's extraordinary individual skills creating chaos in Liverpool's defense, David Silva seized the moment to score from a distance, changing the score to 3-4. With one minute remaining, Manchester City was still one goal behind.
Wasting no time celebrating, Lin Quan and David Silva quickly retrieved the ball and urged their teammates to restart the game. Liverpool's players were stunned; they were baffled by how City managed to score. The ball had been with Lin Quan; how did it end up in front of David Silva? And why hadn't their defenders marked Silva, allowing him to find space at the edge of the box?
This late goal made Liverpool's players nervous. Although only a minute remained, they knew Manchester City had a history of last-minute miracles. Even though Aguero had been substituted, the player on the field now was even more formidable.
Three years ago, City scored twice in stoppage time to snatch the title from Manchester United. Could a more powerful City now repeat such a dramatic script?
With these thoughts, over 40,000 fans at the stadium stood up, on their toes, necks craned, not wanting to miss a single moment of the final, thrilling seconds. Could City equalize?
On the sidelines, Liverpool's manager Klopp was also nervous, sweating despite the seven to eight-degree temperature in Manchester. He felt so hot he wanted to take off his jacket. On the other side, Guardiola felt similarly. In his suit and tie, he felt the tie choking him, making it hard to breathe, and wished he could take it off to breathe more freely. Though it was just a regular league match, both world-class managers felt as if they were in a Champions League final.
Liverpool's players tried to waste as much time as possible, reluctantly returning to the center circle to restart play only after the referee's warning. After the kickoff, City players swarmed forward. With little time left, City likely had only one more chance to attack, so they couldn't let Liverpool control the game and waste time by passing the ball around in their half.
Liverpool players understood City's intent, so after kicking off, they passed back to their goalkeeper, who then kicked it long to the front to waste more time. All of City's players had moved past the halfway line, leaving their goalkeeper Navas as the last man back. When the opposing goalkeeper kicked it long, Navas quickly moved to intercept the ball.
The referee was already checking his watch, and the time on the big screen was entering the third minute of stoppage time. City fans began to silently pray: Don't blow the whistle, don't end the match, Navas, hurry, faster!
Navas swiftly controlled the ball and passed it to Kroos, who had dropped deep to receive it. Kroos then sent a long, precise pass to Lin Quan on the wing. As the ball reached Lin Quan's feet, all eyes in the stadium focused on him. Could he change the score?
With little time left, Lin Quan decided to take matters into his own hands. He stopped looking for teammates and charged directly towards the opponents' penalty area, seemingly intent on breaking through their defense single-handedly. At any other time, this might not have been a wise choice, but in the dying seconds, it was the only option.
"Stop him!" shouted Liverpool's players, all eyes on Lin Quan, whose threat seemed greater than all other City players combined. "Oh my god, is he going to take on the whole team?" "How is that possible?"
"He's gone past Lovren, he's evaded Lucas's tackle..." The commentary box's Martin Tyler was now speaking rapidly, his excitement evident. But TV viewers were entirely engrossed in the match, ignoring the commentary.
Under the watchful eyes of countless fans, Lin Quan dribbled into the heart of Liverpool's defense, weaving through multiple defenders in a confined space, evading tackle after tackle. "He's entered the penalty area, surrounded by five defenders. Liverpool's entire defense is focused on him. He's in an unprecedentedly tight spot, with nearly no room to shoot!"
"There's no shooting space left!" said Andy Gray, equally anxious, his hands clenched.
Surrounded by defenders, Lin Quan remained extraordinarily calm. He glanced up at the goalkeeper's position and, in a quick motion, flicked the ball with his left foot, taking advantage of the ball's bounce to push it forward. The ball floated in the air, slipping through the gap between two retreating Liverpool defenders, flying towards the goal.
Liverpool's goalkeeper Mignolet had kept his eyes on Lin Quan but couldn't react to the shot aimed at the top left corner of the goal. His low stance made it impossible to jump in time, and he could only watch as the ball traced a beautiful arc, hitting the net with a "swish."
At that moment, the game clock read exactly 93:19. Another 93:20 miracle had been born!
(PS: For a reference goal, watch Messi's goal against AC Milan in the second leg of the 2012-13 Champions League.)
(End of Chapter)
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