Wolves and Liverpool traded punches for more than twenty minutes.
Although Wolves threatened Alisson at the start, their attacks not only failed to produce a goal, they grew weaker and weaker afterward, and they never managed to get close to Liverpool's goal again.
That lasted until Leo Lin began setting the rhythm, and then every Liverpool player followed his lead and launched the attack.
When Klopp laid out the tactics before the match, he had indeed told the Liverpool players to go back to basics, but he had added one more thing after that.
"The whole back-to-basics act can fool Wolves, but don't fool yourselves!"
"Everyone pay attention to the changes. The moment you notice Wolves have the will but not the strength to keep going, we return to our normal style."
"Use whatever we're good at. Use whatever we're comfortable with. Why would I leave perfectly good pressing tactics unused? Am I crazy?"
"Once Wolves have dropped their guard, we'll use our best pressing attack and go hard at Coady, then go hard at Ruben Neves."
"He's a ball-carrying, controlling type of player. His defending is decent, but he can't cope with sustained, repeated pressure."
"We'll disrupt Ruben Neves' rhythm through the middle, then force Coady into the dilemma of defending against multiple players by himself. The goal will come naturally."
Ruben Neves was an important part of Wolves' midfield, much like the role De Jong played in Ajax's midfield. Whenever Wolves attacked, the ball was certain to pass through Ruben Neves' feet.
But ever since Leo Lin moved close to Ruben Neves, Nuno stopped letting the ball go through him.
The various defensive tactics Wolves had carefully prepared before the match could finally come into play, but now they were no longer in good enough condition to make those tactics work at their best. They might only be able to produce half their original strength, maybe not even that.
The 32nd minute of the match.
"Wolves are doing everything they can to stop Liverpool's pressing attack. At least for now, the effect looks decent, but it feels like Wolves are barely holding on."
Scholes put it even more plainly.
"There's no need to feel it. They are holding on by force. At the start, Liverpool's overly simple approach made Wolves oversimplify their own play as well."
"They were assimilated by Liverpool, but then Liverpool suddenly raised the tactical level into something more complex, and Wolves don't have the ability to raise theirs along with it."
"That has created a tactical vacuum between the two teams, and that vacuum is exhausting Wolves."
Coady was forced to play it long again. He had no way to pass to Ruben Neves.
Joe Gomez even made an interception in midfield. At that moment, goalkeeper Alisson excitedly ran to the top of the penalty arc, wanting to remind Gomez that he could pass to Salah on the right.
But Gomez did not hear him. He played it to the left, where Raul Jiménez won it back. Jiménez then lifted his foot and lobbed the ball straight toward goal.
Alisson quickly chased back.
The lob was definitely heading for the goal, and it was capable of dropping in.
Alisson tracked back, turned, and just managed to tip the ball over with one hand.
Liverpool fans were too frightened to speak, while Klopp on the touchline clenched his teeth in frustration. Gomez's ability on the ball really did still need work.
"That was terrifying!"
"I said it before, Raul Jiménez is in excellent form right now. That lob almost forced a mistake out of Alisson."
"Alisson really is an attacking goalkeeper. He's different from traditional goalkeepers. He doesn't just stay in the box. Goalkeepers in the past would even think twice before stepping out of the six-yard box, but Alisson can walk out of the penalty area as if it's nothing."
"When Liverpool are attacking, Alisson isn't a goalkeeper. He's more like a defender."
Wolves had a corner, with Jota, Jiménez, and captain Coady all pressing into the box.
As Ruben Neves delivered the corner, Leo Lin headed it clear.
Rodri controlled the ball outside the box, then sent a through ball forward. Leo Lin started his run, shook off Jota, while Jiménez was still trying to interfere.
Leo Lin kept sprinting. Another long-distance burst, and he simply powered past Jiménez.
At that moment, Wolves had only two defenders left at the back.
Leo Lin kept carrying the ball, still charging forward.
Laudrup's vision covered the entire pitch.
A penetrating through ball allowed Mané, running to his left, to surge forward in an instant. Wolves' defenders disappeared completely from their own back line.
All anyone could see was Mané and Firmino charging forward together.
The goalkeeper had no choice but to come out. Mané's angle was not wide. Although the goal was open, forcing the shot might send it into the side netting.
But the goalkeeper had also cut off the chance for Mané to cross to Firmino.
Mané had only one option left.
A cutback.
Leo Lin shot.
Empty net.
"GOALLLLL!"
"Liverpool's counterattack wiped out every Wolves player!"
"By the end, all we could see were Liverpool players and one lonely Wolves goalkeeper. How was he supposed to stop Liverpool?"
"He even blocked off the route where Mané might have crossed to Firmino. He had already done very well."
"But Wolves still had no one keeping up with Leo Lin. This wasn't the speed gap between one player and another. This was the speed gap between two entire teams."
"This is also the longest counterattacking goal Liverpool have scored since Klopp arrived."
"Any team facing Liverpool, if you win a set piece in the attacking third, don't celebrate too early, because that ball might become the setup for a Liverpool counterattack goal."
Leo Lin felt completely refreshed. In that entire sequence, from the clearance to the goal, he had used almost every ability he could bring out.
"First, Lin cleared the ball from the back, then Rodri's through ball gave Lin enough space to reach full speed."
"After that, Lin's vision allowed him to spot the chance to play Mané through, and it was that key pass that made Wolves' defenders disappear completely."
"Then, after seeing Firmino being marked, Leo Lin smartly ran into a position where he could score and received Mané's assist."
"Tell me, how could a player like that not score when he's on the pitch?"
"Even if he played as a defender, he'd still score. I'm telling you!"
Scholes had never seen a midfielder with athletic ability this strong. He had only seen players who were relatively strong.
Because in Scholes' view, those midfielders that fans had once called highly athletic could only be considered relatively strong in front of Leo Lin. Nothing more.
"This goal doesn't just put Liverpool ahead of Wolves. It's also the goal that gives Liverpool the chance to win the Premier League title."
"Hurry up and bring out the Premier League trophy. I wasn't there when we won it last season, and I can't miss it again this season!"
"Almost there, Liverpool brothers. About sixty minutes left, and we'll be able to defend the Premier League title!"
"Why did that guy Hierro go watch Leo Lin's match again? Shouldn't scouting only take one or two matches? Why does he never miss a single game Leo Lin plays?"