After the coin toss, Henderson and Sergio Ramos decided that Real Madrid would kick off first.
The two captains exchanged team pennants. Clément Turpin, along with the assistant referees and goalkeepers, confirmed everything was in order. All was set!
Both teams took their positions in their respective halves. Leo Lin lifted his head. This was his first time facing Real Madrid.
All eleven Real Madrid players stood in white, each one brimming with confidence.
Eighty thousand fans roared in unison as the countdown began!
"10!!!"
"9!!!"
...
"3!!!"
"2!!!"
"1!!!"
Turpin blew the whistle!
"Beep!!!"
Cristiano Ronaldo tapped it back, and Real Madrid kicked off!
Live broadcast.
"You're watching the 2017–2018 UEFA Champions League Final!"
"Liverpool, in their red home kit, attacking from left to right, take on Real Madrid, in white, attacking from right to left!"
"The match is underway. Real Madrid kick off, Ronaldo plays it back. They spread out quickly but aren't rushing forward. Let's take a moment to look at the starting lineups."
"For Real Madrid, in goal: Keylor Navas."
"Defenders: Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Carvajal!"
"Midfielders: Modrić, Casemiro, Toni Kroos!"
"Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo!"
"A lineup without a single weakness!"
"For Liverpool, Klopp sets up in a 4-3-3."
"Goalkeeper: Mignolet!"
"Defenders: Robertson, Lovren, Matip, Arnold!"
"Midfielders: Henderson, Wijnaldum, Leo Lin!"
"Forwards: Mané, Firmino, Salah!"
The match had barely begun when Real Madrid struck first. Ronaldo laid it off, Modrić collected and drove forward, pushing the entire team upfield.
Marcelo and Carvajal surged down the flanks, forcing Liverpool's wingers to track back.
Leo Lin stepped up to close him down. Modrić used the outside of his boot to slip the ball to Toni Kroos.
Wijnaldum moved in to intercept, but Kroos dragged the ball back under his foot, then shifted it left with a sharp V-shaped turn.
In the next instant, he struck through it cleanly, sending a diagonal through ball slicing straight through Liverpool's right side.
The ball curled beautifully past Arnold and into the path of the advancing Gareth Bale.
Bale exploded forward with two long strides, shaking off Arnold and bursting into the left side of the box.
The moment he reached the ball, he cut it back across goal.
Benzema met it in the center and struck!
"Bang!!!"
Lovren threw himself to the ground and blocked it with his thigh!
Henderson followed up with a powerful clearance!
The ball dropped back to Real Madrid's defense. Varane brought it under control, and Real Madrid reset their attack.
"Real Madrid create a scare right from the start!"
"They've settled in immediately. That's the quality of the kings of the Champions League!"
"With so much experience in finals, they've found the rhythm from the very first second!"
Liverpool were still trying to find their footing, but first they had to withstand the relentless pressure from Real Madrid.
10th minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo cut inside from the edge of the area, using a step-over to beat Henderson.
He burst inward again. Matip couldn't keep up!
"A one-on-one chance!"
"Mignolet rushes out!"
"Ronaldo chips it!"
A perfectly weighted chip floated toward goal. It looked certain to drop over the line, but Leo Lin, sprinting back at full speed, arrived just in time.
In a split second, he launched himself into a lightning-fast overhead kick.
A mid-air clearance!
Leo Lin's body rose high into the air, balancing mid-flight, before whipping his leg through the ball, clearing it just before it could cross the line.
"Oh!!!"
The entire stadium gasped, then Liverpool fans erupted in celebration.
But it lasted only a second before stopping abruptly.
Lovren followed up with a clearance out of play, then immediately waved to the referee for a stoppage.
He had clearly seen Leo Lin land awkwardly after the overhead clearance, his right hand hitting the ground.
As Leo Lin braced himself with one hand and then collapsed heavily, Lovren heard a sound he dreaded.
"Ah!!!" Leo Lin cried out in pain.
Liverpool's head doctor, Jack, sprinted onto the pitch with the medical kit.
Liverpool players rushed over anxiously, but Jack waved them away.
All the Liverpool fans rose to their feet, staring at Leo Lin on the ground.
Leo Lin instinctively supported himself with one hand, a sharp pain shooting through his arm.
Jack examined him while Firmino helped Leo Lin sit up, letting him lean against his leg.
Jack pressed along Leo Lin's right arm. Fortunately, there was no sharp pain on contact. He gently bent it, and the discomfort remained mild.
But as the angle approached ninety degrees, the pain intensified sharply.
"No, this won't do."
"It's likely a fracture, but a minor one."
"You can't keep playing. If you continue, it could worsen, and even a minor fracture will affect your movement."
It hit like a thunderbolt.
Only ten minutes had passed, and Leo Lin knew what this meant. He would have to endure the remaining eighty minutes with a fractured arm.
Jack immediately signaled to Klopp on the sideline for a substitution.
Klopp's face tightened. He motioned for Milner to get ready.
But Leo Lin suddenly waved him off.
"Enough. Leave me alone."
"Let me play, Jack. Let me play!"
Leo Lin roared.
Jack froze. He had never seen Leo Lin like this.
So intense.
So furious.
Leo Lin looked straight at Klopp.
"I can do it. I promise. It's just a minor fracture. It won't affect me."
Klopp said nothing. He did not want to take the risk.
But if Leo Lin came off, Liverpool's midfield strength would drop significantly.
There was no time left to hesitate. Turpin was already urging them to decide.
Klopp waved Milner back to the bench. He chose to trust Leo Lin.
Jack grabbed Leo Lin.
"Keep your arm at about a sixty-degree bend when you accelerate. It will help reduce the pain."
Leo Lin nodded and jogged back onto the pitch. Liverpool's players returned to their positions, waiting for play to resume.
Henderson, who had been taking a drink and missed the exchange, saw Leo Lin return and assumed it was nothing serious.
"Leo Lin, what happened?"
"You alright?"
Leo Lin smiled.
"Fracture."
"Henderson, I've got a fracture."
Though Leo Lin said it calmly, Henderson froze on the spot. Goosebumps rose across his arms.
Soon, the entire Liverpool side learned the truth. They could not help but stare at Leo Lin standing in the center, ready to continue.
A breeze swept across the pitch, carrying with it a stubborn, unyielding spirit. It clung to Leo Lin, sank into the red Liverpool shirt, into the club crest, and deep into his heart.
That overwhelming fighting spirit radiated outward, enveloping every Liverpool player.
Even when strong winds rise, life does not yield.
On the sideline, Krawietz watched Leo Lin and murmured to himself,
"Come on. The battle has only just begun."