That night, after Tendou finished his call with Riko and was preparing to rest, the noisy sounds of Bayern fans echoed from outside the hotel.
"What are they doing?"
Tendou opened the window and found that the area outside the hotel was filled with Bayern fans, banging gongs and drums, making it impossible for anyone to sleep.
"Of course, they're trying to affect us, to ensure we don't get a good night's sleep."
Arnold, with the air of an experienced veteran, patted Tendou's shoulder and then handed him a pair of earplugs.
"It'll be more comfortable with these."
"I thought only certain teams would pull a stunt like this."
Tendou took the earplugs. It was indeed a bit more comfortable, but it didn't completely block out the noise.
"Bayern themselves would disdain to do such things, but the fans will."
"Just like our fans. At the hotel where Bayern was staying, there were also Liverpool fans banging gongs and drums in the middle of the night."
Alright then.
When Tendou heard that Bayern had also enjoyed such treatment, he instantly felt better.
Since everyone was doing it, no one could blame the other.
"Hurry up and get some sleep. The match is tomorrow."
"Got it."
Tendou lay back down on the bed. He didn't complain, because the team would handle it.
...
The next day, Tendou had obvious dark circles under his eyes.
Even with earplugs, he still couldn't get enough sleep.
"Looks like last night was very exciting," Salah said, looking at him with schadenfreude.
"This is very normal, TJ. After the morning training, you can sleep for two more hours at noon. Believe me, it will help," Van Dijk said with a smile as he walked over.
Newcomers playing in their first European away match always face this kind of problem. When he had played his first European away match, he had also received a "welcome gift" organized by the fans.
"I will."
After the morning training, Tendou slept for a full 2 hours before getting up.
He was still young; this kind of thing wouldn't affect his form.
And the old hands on the Liverpool team were well-prepared, so the effect was also not significant.
This is experience.
At this moment, many Liverpool fans had poured into Munich.
The streets, alleys, and pubs were packed with people.
Everyone was discussing the match that was about to take place tonight.
The match would be held at 4 AM domestic time, with a 6-hour time difference, which was 10 PM in Germany.
The Liverpool fans believed that their team's advancement was a foregone conclusion. With a 3-goal lead, it was impossible for Bayern to make a comeback. They were already considering their opponent in the next round.
The Bayern fans, on the other hand, believed that this was their turf. They had performed countless miracles at the Allianz Arena before, and a 4:1 deficit was not an irreversible score.
They would play more proactively at the Allianz Arena and would definitely be able to complete the comeback.
The two groups of fans were at a standoff, but the Liverpool fans were generally much more optimistic.
After all, they were the ones with a 3-goal lead. As long as the team defended well in this match and didn't concede more than 3 goals, they would be in an invincible position.
And Bayern, trailing by three goals, would definitely attack fiercely, giving Liverpool plenty of counter-attacking opportunities.
Even scoring just one goal would kill the suspense of the match.
The Bayern fans, however, still held onto hope, wishing that their team could create a miracle.
For this match, the Allianz Arena had opened 70,000 seats.
At night, countless fans frantically poured into the stadium.
The great battle was about to begin.
In the domestic iQIYI broadcast room, the commentary team was Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu, with Huang Jianxiang sitting in the middle. The lineup was nothing short of luxurious.
"That is the current Liverpool chairman, Tom Werner. Next to him is Herbert Hainer, who just started as Bayern's president this year. He is also the general manager of Adidas Germany..."
As Zhan Jun "face-recognized" with his unique voice, Huang Jianxiang and Zhang Lu next to him listened with a smile.
Then, Zhan Jun started to talk about today's match. "What are your thoughts on today's match?"
"Liverpool will win!" Huang Jianxiang spoke first. "Since last season, I have been following Liverpool's matches. I know too well how they have come this far."
"After losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid last year, Klopp received strong support from the club, spending 150 million pounds on reinforcements, filling the weakness in the midfield. This year's Liverpool squad is truly perfect."
Zhang Jun raised his eyebrows and said, "Teacher Jianxiang, I remember you are a fan of Italy."
"I am a fan of Italy, but I am very optimistic about this year's Liverpool."
"Hehe... Liverpool is indeed very strong this year, especially after the 18-year-old TJ joined. Liverpool has only lost one FA Cup match that they gave up on. In over a dozen matches, he has double-digit goals and assists. This performance is too amazing."
"But to be objective, in today's match, I think Bayern will win."
"..."
Zhang Lu's reasoning was simple.
In the last match where Bayern was defeated at Anfield, first, the head coach's tactics were seen through by Klopp, and they were hit with two goals from Liverpool's set-piece tactics at the start.
But Bayern would be prepared for this match. It would be difficult for Liverpool to get another chance.
And.
In the second half of the first leg, after Bayern made personnel changes, it had a very good effect.
At least in the second half, the score was 2:1, and it was a back-and-forth game.
This time, back at the Allianz Arena, it was highly probable that Bayern would win the match. The question was whether they could close the aggregate score.
Zhang Lu's words were well-founded and also in line with the expectations of the Bayern fans.
If it weren't for the outstanding performance of Müller and the others in the second half of the first leg, they probably would have surrendered for this match.
It was precisely because of the tenacity of the veterans in the last round that they were looking forward to this match.
As a veteran Liverpool fan, Zhan Jun naturally did not agree with this statement.
Liverpool had won by 3 goals with their hard strength, not by luck or trickery.
The two sides chatted enthusiastically, only stopping when the players from both sides entered the field.
"The match is about to begin. Liverpool is still in a 4-3-3 formation for this match."
"But fans who often watch Liverpool matches should know that Liverpool's formation is actually a 4-2-1-3, or even a 4-2-3. Liverpool's number 44 is a full-field free man. He can be a forward, a midfielder, or a defender."
"Goalkeeper: Alisson."
"Defenders: Van Dijk returns, partnering with Matip, Robertson, and Arnold."
"Midfielders: Henderson, TJ, and Wijnaldum. Both Fabinho and Keïta are on the bench for this match."
"Forwards: The eternal trident of Salah, Mané, and Firmino!"
"Bayern is still in a 4-2-3-1 formation."
"Goalkeeper: The German national team's keeper, Neuer."
"Defenders: Rafinha, Süle, Hummels, Alaba."
"Double Holding Midfielders: Martínez, Thiago."
"Attacking Midfielders: Gnabry, Thomas Müller, Ribéry."
"Lone Striker: Noel Noa."
"Bayern has made some adjustments for this match. J-Ro, who performed poorly in the last round, is on the bench. Ribéry replaces Coman as a starter, and the defender Kimmich is replaced by Alaba."
Not seeing the "Robbery" combination, the Bayern fans were a little disappointed.
But with Robben's age, it was indeed difficult for him to fly anymore.
A hero's twilight.
...
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