"Three center backs plus four midfielders—fans, have you ever seen a starting lineup like this?"
Jim Beglin began breaking it down for the audience.
"In goal, Ederson, the Brazilian ball-playing goalkeeper."
"Three center backs: Laporte alongside Stones alongside Otamendi."
"Four midfielders: Fernandinho and Gündoğan sitting deep, with De Bruyne and David Silva playing further forward."
"Left wing Sané, right wing Sterling, and Agüero through the middle!"
"An incredibly unconventional setup—but sometimes a strange formation brings strange results. We'll have to wait and see."
Across the major livestreams—
"If Guardiola ever stops messing around, my youth will be over."
"Pure Guardiola. Let's hope Mikel Arteta doesn't learn all the bad habits."
"That's Guardiola for you—you never know what lineup he'll put out, and you never know what kind of football he'll play."
Jim Beglin moved on to Liverpool's starting eleven.
"Liverpool stick with their most familiar 4-3-3. It looks like they're still all about attacking football."
"In goal, Mignolet, who's been in excellent form recently and is steadily winning over the fans."
"At left-back Robertson and right-back Arnold—an all-out attacking fullback pairing as always. Lovren and Matip partner in central defense."
"In midfield, Leo Lin sits in the middle, Henderson drops deeper on the left, and Milner waits on the right, ready to hunt."
"Mané on the left, Salah on the right, Firmino up front—the world-famous Red Arrow Trio!"
Both teams' starting lineups entered the players' tunnel, with captain Henderson clapping nonstop to lift the mood.
Wembley Stadium was cleanly split down the middle, red and blue filling half the stands each.
When facing Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City fans could be surprisingly united. But when these two teams met head-on, there was nothing friendly about it.
They were direct title rivals, after all. No one was about to hand the trophy over.
As the teams walked out, the roar from the stands exploded.
Wembley ignited in an instant, the atmosphere surging to its peak.
It was the first time Leo Lin had ever felt an atmosphere this intense—and the fiercer it became, the more excited he felt.
Once he took up his position, Leo Lin looked up to see Fernandinho staring straight at him. Gündoğan beside him was no different.
A strong sense of unease welled up inside him. He could almost predict what was coming.
Moments later, referee Atkinson blew the whistle to start the match.
Manchester City kicked off. As expected, Agüero dropped the ball back to initiate their ball control system.
De Bruyne and David Silva operated as dual cores in the attacking half, calm and confident. With them dictating play, City's shape settled, and they firmly held onto possession.
Liverpool weren't in any hurry. They didn't press high, allowing City to keep the ball.
But the moment City carried it past the halfway line, Liverpool swarmed in immediately.
Even the forwards dropped back to press around midfield. With this approach, Liverpool shut down City's early attacks and gradually forced their formation backward.
"City look like they're stuck in ineffective ball control—pinned back by Liverpool and unable to push forward."
"Fifteen minutes played, and Manchester City have 71% Ball Possession. Liverpool just 29%."
"But City haven't managed a single shot on target, nor have they created a truly clear chance."
"Fans, look at the overhead view—Liverpool's three defensive chains are clearly visible. This is classic Klopp chain defense."
"It's always been Klopp's greatest strength, and one of the most effective ways to suffocate an opponent's attack."
Leo Lin still hadn't pushed forward. Instead, he kept the tempo steady and focused on controlling possession.
Minute by minute, time passed, and to the fans' surprise, this much-anticipated semifinal began to feel a little dull.
The broadcast soon cut to spectators in the stands yawning.
Livestream chats erupted with complaints.
Even by the 25th minute, nothing had changed.
Then Klopp stood up and walked to the touchline.
It was like a signal.
Liverpool's shape surged forward in unison, launching an ultra-high press and suddenly accelerating the tempo!
Liverpool pushed up relentlessly, tearing into Manchester City's ball control system.
Used to comfortably circulating the ball in their own half, City were thrown off by the abrupt change of pace—and mistakes began to appear.
And this was when Leo Lin started to show just how terrifying his ability to break through really was.
Explosiveness combined with raw strength—those two traits alone were enough to drive Fernandinho to desperation.
Gündoğan repeatedly stepped up from midfield to help Fernandinho defend, but nothing improved. If anything, Leo Lin's runs only grew more dangerous.
33rd minute!
Leo Lin dropped back quickly to receive the ball. Mignolet played a bold short pass into him, neatly bypassing City's high press.
Leo Lin killed the ball cleanly, back to goal, bracing against Fernandinho. He forced his strength through, twisted sharply to the right—and somehow powered through, spinning past Fernandinho in one motion!
Gündoğan rushed in to challenge. Leo Lin planted his foot and exploded forward again. With a single burst, he tore past Gündoğan and broke through!
David Silva and Gündoğan both reacted instinctively, reaching out at the same time and dragging him down to stop the counter.
The referee immediately halted play and showed Gündoğan a yellow card.
Gündoğan looked over at Fernandinho and saw the same shock reflected in his eyes.
He knew exactly what had just happened.
Leo Lin's burst hadn't come from a run-up at all—just a right-foot push-off, the ball carried with his left. And yet that single step had been so fast it left an afterimage in his vision.
He understood it clearly now.
That first step was impossible to defend.
After the foul, Milner took the free kick quickly, once again playing it short to Leo Lin.
Leo Lin received it, turned, and exploded forward again, instantly shaking Gündoğan loose. This time, there was no foul to stop him.
De Bruyne sprinted back desperately, trying to contain him.
At first, Leo Lin couldn't fully shake him, and De Bruyne managed to latch on.
But then Leo Lin burst again, driving down the right side!
De Bruyne felt a surge of relief. He was sure he had him covered.
The next second—
Despite starting later, despite shifting his weight later, Leo Lin still broke through.
One violent step flashed past his side.
A phantom.
De Bruyne's mind went blank.
His pupils dilated instantly.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen.