Watching this from the sidelines, Valverde couldn't help but sigh to his staff.
"Look at him. Every move he makes is the most perfect, the best! Having Leo is simply too luxurious for us. He can threaten the opponent in any way possible. He has long made great performances a daily habit of life!"
The assistant coach beside him twitched at the corner of his mouth while thinking.
'I know you're his number one fanboy, boss, but isn't this a bit too much praise mid-game? If that were really the case, why were we overturned by Roma last season?'
Valverde wasn't finished yet, speaking earnestly.
"Messi is very clear about what to do and what is needed at every single moment, and I am constantly learning from such a great player."
Don't doubt whether a manager could say such things, because others have said even more outrageous things about the Argentine.
Luis Enrique once said: "Messi is an extraordinary player, he's not from this world. If he were human, he wouldn't be able to produce those dreamlike performances. In my opinion, Messi shouldn't be allowed to play until FIFA provides evidence that he is indeed human."
Mourinho listened to the crowd's roar, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
You can build a system around a certain player, and you can place most of your hopes on that player, but you cannot neglect tactics and the rest of the team because of it.
Otherwise, the consequence is obvious—you become a one-man team prone to collapse.
"Luke! Scott! You two go warm up," Mourinho called out to the substitutes' bench.
"Yes, boss!" The two answered in unison, throwing on their bibs and running to the warm-up area.
"There will be many adjustments to make," Mourinho muttered to his staff. "First, strengthen the defense on the right side. Still double-mark Messi. Push the attacking line forward, don't worry about the space behind!"
Mourinho was determined.
Now that Barcelona had scored and gained massive momentum, they would surely maintain the intense pressure.
If Manchester United chose to retreat now and park the bus, they would only be increasingly suppressed until the equalizer came.
So they had to press high and take a gamble.
In the past, he would never have done this, instead opting to pragmatically defend the 2-1 lead. But he was no longer that stubborn Mourinho.
Steve McManaman: "Luke Shaw replaces Ashley Young, and Scott McTominay replaces Marcus Rashford. Manchester United's formation has changed to a very narrow 4-3-2-1."
Darren Fletcher: "Are they abandoning wide midfield transitions?"
Steve McManaman: "Four defenders and three defensive midfielders. They are using a numerical advantage centrally to compensate for a lack of mobility out wide. The goal is to restrict Barcelona's midfield and forward line, disrupting their intricate front-field passing and control."
"Moreover, this formation emphasizes defensive midfielders winning the ball and immediately organizing direct attacks through Ling, greatly increasing the tempo of transitions."
After the substitutions, the match resumed.
"Manchester United moved Herrera to the left side and put that young Scottish kid on the right," a Spanish commentator said disdainfully.
"Do they seriously think an academy kid can defend against Messi? I looked at his profile... he's only 22 this year, hasn't even secured a regular starting spot!"
The Barcelona fans in the stands joined in, letting out piercing boos directed at that kid who didn't know his place.
McTominay wasn't affected by the hostility.
Someone who firmly chose to stay and fight at Manchester United when he couldn't get playing time must have strong mental fortitude.
Moreover, he had watched his former academy friend Ling gradually rise to the top of Europe.
A player who can withstand such a stark contrast, remain true to himself, and train diligently is bound to reap rewards.
After coming on, McTominay frequently observed his surroundings and constantly made smart, tactical runs.
Darren Fletcher: "After Manchester United pushed their defensive block forward, they've actually managed to suppress Barcelona's momentum."
Steve McManaman: "And they've also increased the physical intensity of their challenges! McTominay organizes an attack on the right flank, and it looks quite good!"
Ling positioned himself squarely between Pique and Lenglet, clearly sticking to the two center-backs.
If they dared to defend him alone... he wouldn't hesitate to dribble straight at them, letting them experience the Premier League's dribbling king.
"Compress the formation a bit more!" Pique shouted to Busquets.
He felt absolutely no sense of security with Ling hovering. They had to reduce Ling's receiving space, making it much easier to restrict him.
Busquets waved his hand upon hearing this, signaling Vidal to tuck inside towards the center to help.
With Dembele providing width on the left flank, Vidal could be freed up to participate in defending the half-spaces against Ling.
'One, two, three, four.'
Ling quickly scanned his surroundings and realized he was surrounded by four Barcelona players.
Talk about being given the full superstar treatment.
But as the old saying goes, a tree moved dies, but a person moved thrives.
Although it's not typically applied to football, there's some truth to it—isn't it all about constant movement and positioning?
Through a series of rapid lateral runs, Ling stretched the space, creating vertical gaps for Mahrez.
Pogba seized the moment and delivered a piercing through pass!
The ball rolled perfectly into the space Ling had carved out, and Mahrez made a sudden darting run forward, creating a promising attacking opportunity.
Darren Fletcher: "Mahrez cuts inside towards the center, with Dembele right behind him, using both hands and feet to disrupt the winger!"
Steve McManaman: "Vidal steps up to intercept the loose ball and then lays it off to Busquets on the side. How could Manchester United lose possession in that transition area? That's far too dangerous against Barca!"
Busquets didn't hesitate—he struck a first-time, sweeping through pass.
The ball shot forward like a sharp dagger, slicing clean through the gaps in Manchester United's defensive shape!
Luke Shaw watched as Messi burst into motion, wanting to keep up but feeling powerless.
Ever since his leg was broken in that horrific tackle years ago, his explosive top speed had dropped noticeably, which was why Mourinho hadn't started him.
Who would have thought Messi could still unleash such blistering pace this late in the game?
Seems like his walking around the pitch earlier wasn't without its energy-saving merits.
As Maguire completed a desperate quarter-turn, his eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw ahead.
Steve McManaman: "Crucial interception!"
Darren Fletcher: "How did McTominay end up in that position?! Did he anticipate Barcelona's passing lane in advance?"
Steve McManaman: "His defensive awareness and positioning have improved tremendously compared to last season!"
After making the massive interception to cut out the pass to Messi, McTominay charged forward with the ball at full speed.
His choice of attacking route was equally astute.
At the end of last season, he had sought advice from Ling, who told him to learn from Nemanja Matic and become a box-to-box midfielder who plays with intelligence rather than just energy.
And that's exactly what he did.
After humbly learning for most of the season, all his attributes had steadily improved.
It's just hard for outsiders to notice, because McTominay's style of play and personality are unassuming, pragmatic, and rarely produce flashy, eye-catching moments.
But if you analyze his stats closely, you'll find he's severely underrated.
His stamina, awareness, physicality, and mental toughness had gradually earned him a regular spot in the rotation.
Darren Fletcher: "McTominay's thinking is crystal clear! He didn't try to do it all himself—he passed it quickly to Pogba!"
Steve McManaman: "Barcelona are caught in the middle of transitioning from attack to defense, so their marking on Ling has loosened up! Opportunity!"
Pogba was equally decisive, delivering a through pass loaded with threat.
Ling backed into Lenglet, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pique charging in from the right to double-team.
He immediately pivoted in the opposite direction while simultaneously touching the ball with his left foot.
"Don't commit!" Vidal urgently warned Lenglet.
As a defensive master, Vidal knew that when an elite attacker half-turns, it's often followed by a devastating feint.
But it was too late.
If Lenglet could resist committing to tackles, he wouldn't have fallen to the level of a second-tier center-back—he'd have secured a permanent starting spot at Barcelona long ago.
Ling, with a gentle, silky drag of the ball to the left, elegantly evaded Lenglet's clumsy tackle.
Then he gathered himself, ready to burst forward again toward the box.
'Damn it!' Pique estimated the distance and knew he wouldn't make it in time, cursing under his breath.
Why did he get himself such a foolish defensive partner?
Lenglet had no idea someone was cursing him.
Remembering the head coach's instructions at halftime to increase physicality, he gritted his teeth and stretched his leg forward desperately from the ground.
Though he couldn't reach the ball, he could reach Ling!
Before Ling could take that final step into the penalty area, his ankle was clipped heavily, and he lost his balance and fell.
Lying on the ground, he angrily protested, "Ref! That's a clear denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity as the last man—it has to be a red card!"
If Manchester United could score from the resulting free-kick, they would have three away goals.
That would mean even if they somehow lost 0-2 at home in the second leg, they would still advance.
But Lenglet had ruined the break—anyone would be furious.
"Don't listen to him, ref! I was right there covering—it wasn't a one-on-one!" Pique quickly explained, rushing over.
Busquets also swore confidently, crowding the official.
"Exactly, I saw it clearly from behind! Pique was there!"
Hearing the Barcelona players' blatant excuses, the Manchester United players angrily stepped forward to argue.
A conflict immediately erupted between the two sides, with pushing, shoving, and curses flying everywhere.
After being verbally provoked by Busquets, Pogba seemed to lose his temper.
Just as the Frenchman reached out to push him, before even touching him, Busquets covered his face and fell headfirst onto the ground like he'd been shot.
After showing Lenglet the straight red card for the foul on Ling, the referee noticed the commotion and rushed over, initially intending to give Pogba a yellow card for violent conduct.
But then he suddenly heard a reminder in his earpiece from VAR.
Busquets secretly moved his hands away from his face, peering through his fingers, and instantly realized something was wrong.
He hurriedly scrambled up from the turf, looking sheepish.
He then received a yellow card for simulation, much to his dismay.
"Don't try to fool me!" The referee pointed angrily to his own eyes, furious that he had almost been fooled by Busquets' infamous acting skills—thankfully, the Video Assistant Referee was there.
With Lenglet trudging off the pitch in disgrace, Manchester United, with 11 players against 10, gained an absolute advantage for the closing stages.
Steve McManaman: "Valverde has completely sacrificed his attack. He's replaced Messi with Umtiti—it looks like he's been pushed to the brink and just wants to limit the damage."
Darren Fletcher: "There are only a few minutes of stoppage time left in the match—will there be another goal?"
No.
Barcelona parked the bus in their own half, gritting their teeth and barely holding on with ten men.
In the end, the thrilling first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals concluded with Barcelona 1-2 Manchester United!