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Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: The Injured Players Are Back! This Is Liverpool!

The good news was that Liverpool had won a penalty.

The even better news was that this was Liverpool's home ground.

The best news of all was that the man standing over the penalty was Leo Lin.

Paris Saint-Germain: "Great, we're finished."

Leo Lin stood in front of the penalty spot, listening to the cheers of the Liverpool fans around him.

There was no interference from away fans, no laser pointers, no boos, no abuse. Only applause and cheers.

Leo Lin did not know what pressure was, because at that moment, he felt none at all.

With a light, quick run up, he curled the ball toward the left. The arcing penalty flew into the net and ignited Anfield once again.

After scoring, Leo Lin pointed at Mané, then jumped into his arms.

Mané lifted Leo Lin into a princess carry celebration, but quickly put him back down.

The young man was just too heavy. That strong body came with solid muscle, and holding Leo Lin felt like cradling a slab of lean beef.

"A penalty converted, and that is his second of the match!"

"Liverpool lead Paris by two goals at home!"

"They are playing with complete freedom, as if they are lounging comfortably on their own soft sofa at home, drinking a glass of milk and watching a variety show on TV. Anfield is filled with ease and comfort."

Liverpool had completely hit top form, but they were not done yet.

In the 87th minute, Shaqiri's corner found Ocho, who headed the ball into the net. Liverpool ultimately sealed the match at 3 to 0.

Ocho had scored the first goal of his career.

After scoring, Ocho could barely contain his excitement. If Leo Lin had not dragged him back, he would have taken off his shirt to celebrate.

"Let me take my shirt off to celebrate, Lin. You did it so many times last season, so why can't I do it once?"

"Calm down, Ocho. Pick another celebration. We're short on first team players right now, so don't get a yellow card."

In the end, Ocho still did not get his wish. But the image of him kissing the badge stayed in the minds of every Liverpool fan, and they could feel his love for the club.

When the match ended, Liverpool had secured a crucial Champions League group stage victory. After the first four rounds, they had three wins and one draw, sitting top of the group with ten points.

As for the other three teams, Belgrade's chances of qualifying were slim, while Paris and Napoli both still had a chance to fight for the second qualifying spot.

After the match, the broadcast camera found Klopp, who was grinning broadly.

With the end of this match, Liverpool's difficult period was finally over. Most of the injured players were about to return to the squad, with only Henderson still expected to be out for around another two weeks.

Leo Lin did not attend the post match press conference. He was a little tired and wanted to go home early to rest.

Klopp faced the reporters' barrage of questions alone. Without Leo Lin sitting beside him, he actually felt a little unused to it.

"Klopp, according to the injury report the club released earlier, is Liverpool about to welcome back a large group of injured players?"

"Klopp, there are reports that you spent heavily to bring in Barcelona's physical testing analyst and build a higher level support team. Is this a sign that the club intends to keep competing on multiple fronts?"

"Klopp, over the past six matches, you have three defeats, one draw, and two wins. Although that has not met the fans' expectations, the team is clearly showing signs of recovery. Will Liverpool now return to the way they were at the start of the season, tearing through everything in front of them?"

The reporters were all focused on a Liverpool side that was about to return to full strength, and Klopp's answers remained as polished as ever.

"We did indeed bring in Barcelona's physical testing analyst. We gave him a better contract, allowing him to earn more money, buy more jewelry and better cosmetics for his wife, and send his children abroad to study. So this is a win win partnership."

"If everything goes smoothly, several players will return, but we will not overuse them."

"I will bring the injured players back one by one while making sure the risk of reinjury is kept as low as possible."

"How do you view the next match against Everton?"

"Although the fans call Everton our bitter rivals, I see it as just an ordinary match. And we are fortunate, because we happen to be welcoming everyone back."

"I respect Everton. They are a club with a long history, so we will give Everton all the respect they deserve. We will give everything in our best condition."

On December 1, at Liverpool's training room.

Salah returned with a new hairstyle, and Fabinho arrived with him.

The two of them had only been doing low intensity individual training before and had not trained with the team for some time.

Leo Lin was stretching when he saw them and went over to greet them. Matip had officially been confirmed fully recovered, and he was now physically ready to play the full 90 minutes.

Lovren had also returned, while the injury risks for Arnold and Robertson were beginning to drop.

Leo Lin looked at the lively group of teammates around him. He patted Salah, kicked Lovren lightly, pinched Matip, then threw an arm around Fabinho.

Although captain Henderson was still missing, a nearly complete Liverpool had finally returned.

These were warriors who had not played for two or three weeks, or even longer, and every one of them had fire pent up inside.

Even amateurs get restless after going too long without playing, let alone professional players.

Anyone young who loves football understands that feeling. It is like being in high school, looking forward to playing a proper football match in the next PE class, only to be trapped in the classroom by a heavy rainstorm.

Magnify that suffocating frustration many times over, and that was exactly what Salah and the others were feeling now.

That was why, on December 3, in the 15th round of the Premier League, Liverpool faced their bitter rivals Everton.

Arnold and Robertson returned on both flanks, Salah returned to the starting lineup, and Fabinho replaced Wijnaldum.

Then Salah, not only unaffected in terms of form but dazzling as soon as he stepped onto the pitch, became Liverpool's attacking spark up front.

In the 26th minute.

Arnold delivered a precise ball from the right, Mané sent in a superb cross from the left, and Salah finished with a placed shot to make it 1 to 0.

The Liverpool fans loved every second of it, and Klopp laughed up at the sky on the touchline.

In the 40th minute.

Firmino's clever layoff set up Leo Lin, whose long range shot made it 2 to 0.

After the second half began, Liverpool attacked from everywhere.

Robertson assisted Firmino's headed goal, and Rodri's long practiced shot from the edge of the penalty arc finally showed its power for the first time.

When Salah curled the ball into the net in the 60th minute after beating two defenders on the wing, the score had already reached 5 to 0.

Klopp made substitutions, taking off Salah, Leo Lin, and Fabinho, but that did not improve Everton's situation.

Shaqiri's fierce shot from a tight angle and Mané's breakaway after beating the offside trap ultimately fixed the score at 7 to 0.

With everyone back, Liverpool completely swept away the gloom hanging over them, along with all the frustration and bitterness from before.

Liverpool FC reposted the 7 to 0 result, attached a photo of the first team squad, and added the caption:

"Premier League, are you ready for Liverpool's return?"

...

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