"GOOOOAL!"
"The ball is in!"
"Liverpool breaks the deadlock on the pitch!"
"The man who scored this goal is TJ!"
"It's him again, our Liverpool's Magician!"
"A counter-attack from the backfield, a mad dash all the way to the Tottenham penalty area, a run of at least 70 meters!"
"The ultimate individual heroic goal!"
"This is the magic show TJ has prepared for this Champions League final!"
"Liverpool fans, can you still contain yourselves?!"
With the birth of the goal, the Wanda Metropolitano stadium erupted. From the very first second of the match, the fans had been anticipating a goal. But they never expected the first goal to be so explosive, such a heroic breakthrough! Even the neutral fans, who were hoping to see an underdog victory, couldn't help but applaud and cheer.
"TJ!"
"You are Liverpool's TJ!"
"TJ!"
"You are..."
The "TJ" song echoed through the Metropolitano. The Liverpool fans celebrated wildly. In contrast, the Tottenham fans, who had been so defiant just moments before, were now stunned. Some held their heads in disbelief, still thinking they had seen it wrong. They couldn't understand how their team had been so easily torn apart.
You have to remember, Liverpool scored this goal with just one man!
On the pitch, after scoring, Tendou ran directly to the corner flag. A true master never looks back at the explosion. He completed his celebration with a soul-stirring knee slide.
Salah was the first to rush over and hug him. In the face of the Champions League, any personal rivalries were insignificant. They had to play this match well, and win that damn trophy!
In the Tottenham technical area, Pochettino frowned. Many had said before the match that Tottenham's fighting spirit was high, and that having beaten Manchester City, they certainly had a chance to beat Liverpool. That was true. The Tottenham players were indeed full of fighting spirit before the match. They were also confident they could defeat Liverpool in the final.
However, the data doesn't lie.
Compared to last year, Tottenham had actually declined in several aspects this year. First was the issue of goals conceded per game. Last season, Tottenham conceded an average of 1.1 goals per game. This season, that number had increased to 1.4, and the number of shots faced per game had risen to 15.1. This data meant that in every match this season, they were facing at least 15 shots from the opponent. It also meant that Tottenham's defense had weakened considerably this season.
But there was nothing they could do. Tottenham's squad depth was simply not enough. To guarantee a Champions League spot while also competing for titles, one set of players was far from sufficient. When the players became fatigued, the quality of their defense would drop, and the opponent would get more chances. This was a law of the game!
Of course, it was also related to his tactics. This season, Tottenham had used a lot of diamond midfield tactics, drawing the opponent in through the middle to create space for their wingers to break through. This tactic relied heavily on the full-backs pushing forward to attack. Once the opponent found a gap, the problem of their lack of defensive cover on the flanks would be exposed. He knew this, and Klopp knew it too. So, for this match, Pochettino had strengthened the defense on the flanks.
Unfortunately, Liverpool didn't just have their trident; they also had a god of slaughter in the middle.
Less than 10 minutes into the game, that kid from Liverpool had already blown up their midfield. An unknowing observer would have thought he was Kaká. It was truly heaven-defying.
Back when AC Milan won the title, they relied on Kaká's god-like performance. After the Calciopoli scandal, Serie A began to decline. Even the Milanese giants' squads were not at a top-tier level, and the team was aging. But they managed to win a Champions League title by relying on one man, Kaká, on his explosive runs through the middle, on his long strides.
And now, this number 44 from Liverpool was even more of a threat than Kaká, because he was stronger, had a more advantageous physique, and was even harder to defend.
In the VIP box, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was dumbfounded. His heart was filled with regret. Six months ago, when Pochettino had requested funds to bring this kid to Tottenham, he had thought Pochettino was out of his mind. But considering he hadn't given Pochettino much support in the summer, and that the kid seemed pretty good, he figured they could buy him, train him for a few years, and then sell him for a nice profit. So he agreed to give Pochettino £6 million.
£6 million for a kid, right?
But a few days later, Pochettino came back to him, asking to increase the funds to £10 million.
At that time, he had refused without hesitation. What fool would spend £10 million on a kid not even 17 years old? An amateur player who had never played a single professional match? Did he think everyone was Loki?
And now?
This kid was more than just Loki!
Just from this one goal, Levy was sure he had missed out on €100 million.
No, even €100 million wasn't enough! He had heard that Manchester City was planning to activate this kid's release clause next season to bring him back to Manchester. And this kid's contract with Liverpool had a release clause of €200 million.
F*ck!
To save £10 million, he had missed out on €200 million!
On the surface, Levy remained unmoved, but inside, he was so full of regret he wanted to slap himself. But there's no medicine for regret in this world. What's missed is missed.
In the Liverpool technical area, Klopp, wearing his cap, was also a bit stunned. He touched the cap on his head and then chuckled foolishly.
This kid was a real beast!
...
The match restarted. After going a goal down, Tottenham did not panic and continued to play at their own rhythm. Tendou, on the other hand, frequently put on a show of beating his man one-on-one, continuously putting pressure on Tottenham.
With the trident up front, Van Dijk at the back, and a monster in midfield... Tottenham was completely overwhelmed.
In the 22nd minute, Tendou received the ball with his back to goal, flicked it over Alli's head like he was playing keepy-uppy, and turned to beat him. The defensive midfielder, Sissoko, hurried forward. Pressured by his earlier explosive run through the middle, the Tottenham backline also chose to drop back and get closer to the penalty area, trying to use numbers to contain this beast.
This contraction created an opportunity that Tendou found.
"Bang!"
A long pass from just past the halfway line. The ball drew a rainbow-like arc in the air and landed in front of Salah. The Egyptian Pharaoh immediately took off, charging towards the Tottenham penalty area. The opposing defender only reacted then, and by the time he rushed over to cover, Salah didn't get greedy and played a square pass across the face of the goal.
Firmino, in the middle, didn't receive the ball; he jumped and let it run through. Mané, on the left, followed up quickly and, without taking a touch, hit a powerful shot into the net.
2-0!
Before the first half was even over, Liverpool had already taken a two-goal lead.
The fans suddenly realized something. This was no longer a question of whether Tottenham could win; Liverpool was on track to create a massacre in the Champions League final!
Conceding two goals in less than 30 minutes, Tottenham looked completely outmatched by Liverpool.
After being scored on twice in a row, the Tottenham players' heads were also buzzing.
Liverpool seized the opportunity. The moment Tottenham kicked off, their five front and midfield players launched a press and won the ball back, immediately putting Tottenham under pressure!
Wijnaldum played a one-two with Tendou. Firmino made a criss-cross run and played another one-two with Tendou. By the time Tendou received the return pass from his teammate, only Vertonghen and Lloris were in front of him.
No hesitation!
Big data statistics gave him a greater than 60% chance of scoring!
"Bang!"
Tendou unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area!