Gerrard and Ledley King were bickering on Sky Sports, but they weren't the only ones. At this moment, in broadcast studios across various countries, similar scenes were playing out. This invisibly pushed the hype for the match to an even greater peak, making fans all the more eager for this season's Champions League final.
Then, the players from both sides entered the pitch.
In the commentary boxes, commentators from all nations immediately began introducing the starting lineups.
"Tottenham have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, or perhaps more accurately, a 4-5-1."
Up front, Tottenham went with a single striker. On the left and right wings, Son Heung-min and Eriksen dropped back, partnering with the creative core, Alli, to strengthen the midfield battle. The double pivot of Sissoko and Winks were ready to provide support. The backline consisted of Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, and Rose. The goalkeeper was Lloris, who had been in good form recently.
As for Liverpool, the full squad was back for this match. Firmino's injury hadn't completely healed, but he was about 70% recovered. Klopp sought his opinion, and Firmino naturally agreed to play immediately. He didn't want to miss what was Liverpool's most important match of the season.
Thus, Liverpool fielded their strongest lineup.
The goalkeeper was Alisson, who had been consistently online all season. The unmovable back four was led by Van Dijk, alongside Robertson, Matip, and Arnold.
In midfield, Wijnaldum was given the start by Klopp for this match. He, along with Henderson, would support Tendou in orchestrating the attack and defense from the middle.
The front line was the high-powered trident: Salah, Firmino, and Mané.
This was Liverpool's strongest lineup of the season, and also the starting eleven that Klopp trusted the most.
"With the return of Firmino and Salah, Liverpool once again fields its strongest lineup."
"However, Firmino hasn't played for a while, so it's uncertain what his form will be like today."
"In midfield, Klopp has moved TJ from the front line back to the center, or perhaps a free role, to counter Tottenham's midfield."
"..."
The pre-match analysis had been going on for a long time. In short, Liverpool held the advantage in terms of squad quality, form, and mentality. However, even if Liverpool were to win, it would likely be a hard-fought, narrow victory. You couldn't underestimate Tottenham just because their league ranking was lower than Liverpool's this season. It was obvious to fans worldwide that after securing a Champions League spot for next season, Tottenham had begun to put all their energy into this year's Champions League. Their victory over Manchester City in the semi-finals was the best proof of that. And in Liverpool's two encounters with Manchester City this season, although Liverpool won, they were also narrow victories.
At the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, the chairmen of both clubs sat together. On the surface, they were chatting and laughing, but no one knew what they were really thinking.
At this moment, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
Liverpool, in their red kits, kicked off first.
As most fans expected, Tottenham dropped back into a 4-5-1 formation, with all lines defending deep. Liverpool, on the other hand, appeared more dominant. Tendou frequently pushed forward to counter the numerical advantage of Tottenham's five-man midfield. However, this also meant that Liverpool's own midfield line would have gaps.
In the 5th minute of the match, Tottenham used their numerical advantage to break through Liverpool's press with frequent, short passes in tight spaces, quickly advancing through the midfield. Eriksen received the ball and drove forward, drawing Liverpool's defensive attention. Then, he decisively played a cross into the box for Adam Blake. This was Tottenham's well-practiced tactic of breaking down the wing combined with a cross. It was how they had played all season. They used their numbers in midfield to press and win counter-attacking opportunities, then used their wingers to break through and cross for Adam, the greatest center-forward in English history.
Unfortunately for them, in this match, Adam was up against Van Dijk. In this phase of his career, Van Dijk was the best defender in the world, no question. And at his peak, Van Dijk was at the level of the best in history. Adam received the ball but had no time to do anything with it—whether to shoot or to create—before he was tied up by Van Dijk. Against Van Dijk, Adam had no advantage in terms of physique or any other aspect. In the end, he passed the ball to Son Heung-min, but the chance was broken up by a tracking-back Henderson, who won the ball with a tackle from the side.
Two minutes later, Tottenham's counter-attack came again. This time, they passed to Son Heung-min, who took off on a run, beat Wijnaldum, and played a diagonal pass to the onrushing Adam. The latter took a few touches in the middle and shot from distance, but couldn't keep it down, and the ball flew high over the bar.
In the opening stages, Tottenham's performance delighted their fans. The players' form was visibly excellent, and Pochettino's tactics were effective. Their five-man midfield was gaining the upper hand against Liverpool, and they had created two good counter-attacking opportunities in a short time. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before Tottenham scored. The Tottenham fans in the Metropolitano grew more and more excited and fervent.
However, their cheers died down just a few seconds later.
Because they had celebrated too early!
On the pitch, Tendou dropped back to receive the ball and slowly pushed forward. As he reached the center circle, two opponents immediately closed in on him. Tendou suddenly increased the frequency of his footwork, pushing the ball to change direction and then exploding with speed.
He beat Alli with a change of direction, then used raw pace to power past Sissoko, breaking into Tottenham's half in an instant. Winks didn't hesitate and came straight up to challenge him, while Eriksen was also charging towards him from the side.
At the same time, Mané and Salah were making forward runs on the left and right flanks, and Firmino was also quickly advancing. Liverpool's trident, like three daggers, simultaneously stabbed towards the Tottenham penalty area.
"Watch his pass!" Pochettino shouted from the sideline. Liverpool had scored far too many goals this way this season. Tottenham couldn't afford to leave any of the three forwards open. Every single one of them had to be marked tightly. Because this Asian prodigy, whom he had coveted six months ago but couldn't afford, had historical-level vision. No gap could escape his notice. It was as if he had a satellite positioning system hovering over the pitch. So for this match, he had demanded that none of Liverpool's front three be left unmarked at any time.
But this also meant that there weren't enough players to stop Tendou himself.
"TJ!"
"He's breaking through the middle with the ball!"
"A feint and change of direction beats one, an explosive acceleration to beat another!"
"Liverpool's trident is all pushing forward!"
"Tottenham have reacted in time, there's no passing opportunity!"
"What will TJ choose... he's continuing to dribble forward!"
"He's slowing down, baiting the defender's center of gravity. It's a subtle move, but very effective!"
"He's past another one!"
"Too easy, so elegant!"
The two completely different changes in rhythm made it impossible for the Tottenham defenders to adapt in a short time. One second, Tendou was running as fast as a rocket taking off. The next second, just as the defender was rushing to cover, he suddenly slowed down. And when the defender matched his slower pace, he suddenly accelerated again. It was pure torture.
Vertonghen felt as if his ankles were being mercilessly destroyed. By the time he reacted and tried to turn to chase, he found his ankles couldn't handle the rapid change in pace. By the time he completed his turn, it was too late.
The Liverpool fans were already on their feet. The moment Tendou accelerated through the middle and began his brutal "abuse" of the Tottenham players, their backsides had already left their seats.
"Vertonghen is beaten!"
"TJ!"
"He's still going, he's into the Tottenham box!"
"Lloris is coming off his line!"
"Alderweireld is leaving his man to help defend!"
"A shot fake and a cut, my god!"
"..."
As Tendou burst into the Tottenham penalty area, Alderweireld had no choice but to abandon the man he was marking and rush over to help. He didn't dare to make a sliding tackle. If he caught his foot, a dive would mean a penalty.
Seeing Tendou about to shoot, he frantically threw his body in the way.
But he found that Tendou wasn't shooting at all; he had executed an incredibly realistic feint.
He cut the ball, took a step horizontally, created a shooting angle for himself, and then powerfully swung his left foot.
"Crack!"
"BANG!"
A shooting motion faster than 17 meters per second. A truly unstoppable shot.
Right in the Tottenham penalty area!
The Tottenham goalkeeper only saw Tendou swing his leg, making the shooting motion. The next second, before he could even make a diving save, the ball had already thundered into the Tottenham goal like a bolt of lightning.
"GOOOOAL!"