"What else can you say?"
"This is football!!!"
In the broadcast booth, Derek Rae exclaimed with such excitement that he hadn't even realized he'd already stood up!
"Leo Lin scores the winner from Arnold's corner!"
"Liverpool have turned the game around at the very last moment!"
"What a dramatic finish!"
"I guarantee that just one minute ago, every Bayern fan believed they were already in the Champions League final!"
"But Leo Lin has pulled Liverpool back from the edge of the cliff!"
"Liverpool already had one foot hanging over the abyss, on the verge of falling into the darkness!"
"This is a match every football fan will remember—a truly historic clash!"
"It may even be the most thrilling Champions League semifinal I've ever seen!"
The broadcast camera remained locked on Leo Lin.
After scoring the winner, Leo Lin first pumped his fist in celebration, then ripped off his shirt and sprinted across the pitch!
He vaulted over the advertising boards by the sideline, waving his jersey in the air as he raced toward the Liverpool supporters' stand!
Countless Liverpool fans rushed forward, wrapping Leo Lin in a tight embrace!
He felt countless hands slapping his back.
Shouts exploded all around his ears.
"Leo!!!"
"We did it!!!"
"We really did it!"
"We always believed you could!"
Anfield had gone mad!
Every Liverpool fan had gone mad!
Every Liverpool legend had gone mad!
The entire city of Liverpool had gone mad!!!
The live-stream chat exploded, messages flying across the screen at lightning speed!
"Only after crossing this mountain will people hear your story!"
"Lin has held the torch high for Liverpool, lighting the path forward! He's the guide! The navigator! Liverpool's new captain!!!"
"When you're trapped in adversity, the only thing you need to do is keep throwing punches! Leo Lin has proven one thing—never drop your fists!"
Inside the stadium, every Liverpool supporter had the same reaction: unrestrained celebration!
Many fans had already taken off their shirts and were waving them wildly.
Red smoke began to rise across the streets around Anfield. The whole city glowed under the lights as fans poured out of their homes and ran wildly through the streets in celebration!
Meanwhile, Bayern players returned to their half with ashen faces, their expressions stiff and hollow as they waited for the restart.
Leo Lin celebrated for a full three minutes before finally managing to break free from the embrace of the Liverpool supporters.
The jersey he had thrown away was now being held by Krawietz, who had rushed over to join the celebration.
Krawietz handed the shirt back to Leo Lin, then suddenly planted a loud kiss on his cheek—an action that instantly sent countless female fans watching the broadcast into furious outrage.
"Hey, hey! Anyone at the stadium call the police—that's harassment!"
"You little brat! I haven't even had my chance yet and you beat me to it!"
"Krawietz, just wait! Don't let me run into you on the streets of Liverpool!"
Leo Lin put his jersey back on and returned to the pitch. The referee first shook his hand, then immediately showed him a yellow card as punishment for removing his shirt during the celebration.
Liverpool players quickly retreated to their own half—the match wasn't over yet.
Klopp made another substitution, bringing on Lucas to replace Mané.
"Klopp adds another defensive midfielder. It's clear he's going all-in on defense."
"Liverpool's compact defensive structure is now crystal clear. Now it's Bayern who are feeling the pressure!"
"They've switched back to an attacking 4-3-3, with the wingers pushing higher up the pitch in search of an opportunity."
"Ribéry drives down the flank, forcing his way past Arnold!"
"Lucas tracks back in time and slides in to clear the ball out for a throw-in—he doesn't even give Bayern a corner!"
"The Liverpool fans erupt in a roar after that defensive stop!"
"Their morale has reached absolute peak levels!"
The fourth official raised the board: five minutes of stoppage time.
Second by second, the clock ticked down.
Liverpool defended brilliantly, while Leo Lin was almost entirely running on sheer willpower.
Firmino had dropped even deeper than Leo Lin. He could see just how exhausted his teammate was, and the Brazilian striker was doing everything he could to help with interceptions and blocks.
At 94 minutes and 48 seconds, the referee glanced at his watch and then raised the whistle to his lips.
The Anfield crowd had already begun celebrating.
As Javi Martínez's final desperate long ball was comfortably gathered by the goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet collapsed onto the turf while clutching the ball—and the referee blew the whistle that ignited the stadium.
"Beep!"
At the first whistle, Leo Lin was already grinning and pumping his fist.
"Beep."
At the second whistle, Liverpool substitutes and staff stormed onto the pitch!
"Beep!"
At the third whistle, Leo Lin collapsed onto the grass, his chest heaving, but the smile on his face unmistakable.
"Full time!!" Derek Rae shouted.
"The match is over!"
"The second leg of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League semifinal has come to an end!"
"Congratulations to Liverpool of the Premier League! They have completed a dramatic comeback in the second leg, defeating the in-form Bayern Munich 4–3 on aggregate to reach the final!"
"The other semifinal has also concluded. Real Madrid—thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's deflected strike and a brilliant solo run and finish from the attacking fullback Marcelo—have eliminated Manchester City 2–0 on aggregate and advanced to the final as well!"
"This means this season's Champions League final will see Liverpool face the Galácticos!"
Derek Rae looked toward the pitch.
The Bayern Munich players were lying sprawled across the turf. Kimmich had already covered his face and begun to cry.
In the stands, many young Bayern supporters were in tears as well.
Across from them, Liverpool players and fans were celebrating wildly.
"That's football," Derek Rae said.
"When one side is overwhelmed with joy, the other is left with heartbreak."
"Bayern Munich gave everything they had tonight. They delivered a full 100% performance, yet they still fell short."
"They can leave Anfield with their heads held high. Liverpool should be grateful to Bayern—because it was Bayern's relentless fight that made Liverpool's path to the Champions League final even more meaningful."
"Life often works this way. Sometimes what seems like a casual goodbye might actually be a farewell forever."
"We don't know when Bayern Munich will return to the Champions League semifinals again. All we can do is wish them the very best in the future—that is the meaning of parting."
"And now Liverpool march toward the golden hall of dreams—the ultimate destination every footballer longs for."
"Let's wish Leo Lin good luck. Let's wish Liverpool good luck!"
At this moment, Leo Lin was still lying on the ground while Liverpool players continued celebrating wildly.
In the broadcast frame, a conspicuous dark figure suddenly came sprinting across the pitch, microphone and recording equipment in hand, racing straight toward the exhausted Leo Lin.
It was Sky Sports' on-site commentator and reporter—Carragher!
He was determined to secure Leo Lin's post-match interview before anyone else!
Behind him, a group of rival reporters stared helplessly at Carragher's sprinting figure, cursing under their breath.
"When you were still playing, I never saw you run this fast!"
His hips twisted so violently that his suit trousers looked ready to burst, but Carragher didn't slow down until he reached Leo Lin.
Carefully helping Leo Lin to his feet, Carragher congratulated him and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Leo, congratulations!"
"Is there anything you'd like to say to all the fans supporting you right now?"
Leo Lin took the microphone.
There were words he had been holding back for a long time—and he could no longer keep them in.