"To all the fans watching this match, the UEFA Super Cup final is officially underway!"
"One thing worth noting is that Liverpool have started two of their summer signings today. One is Dutch center back Virgil van Dijk, currently one of the most valuable defenders in world football."
"The other is the young Brazilian Midfielder, Fabinho."
"I'm sure Liverpool fans are hoping both of them can contribute right away, but how things actually go will depend on what happens on the pitch."
In the broadcast booth, Scholes had phrased it as tactfully as he could. As a former Midfielder himself, he understood that for any player, especially one moving from a smaller club to a bigger one, there was a lot to adapt to.
It was not just the style of play that had to change. It was the tactical ideas, the coordination with teammates, and even the way the player approached the game.
Both starting lineups were ready. Referee Turpin blew the whistle, and the battle officially began.
"Beep!"
"The match has started, fans. We're underway!"
"Liverpool kick off. Firmino plays it back into the middle, and Fabinho pushes up to receive it."
"He's positioned on the left, while Leo Lin is slightly to the right of center. Liverpool's midfield shape is clearly an inverted triangle."
"It looks like Klopp is still determined to stick with the 4-3-3 system in the new season."
"The 4-3-3 is a system many teams like to use, especially stronger sides."
"The difference is that some teams play with two Defensive Midfielders, while others use just one."
After kickoff, Fabinho received the ball, and Leo Lin quickly pushed forward, crossing paths with Diego Costa as he ran upfield.
Diego Costa raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. Leo Lin smiled back.
The two had already been close friends during their time with the national team.
Once Fabinho got the ball, he immediately sent a long pass toward the left, trying to find Mané directly. But Atlético's Left Midfielder Koke tracked back and helped Juanfran block the route.
Klopp immediately got up and walked to the touchline. He could not understand why Fabinho had made it so simple.
"Fabinho, don't play that kind of obvious forward ball. Be patient."
Fabinho nodded when he heard Klopp shout, but in truth, he still had not fully understood what Klopp meant.
Back at Monaco, Jardim's tactics had been much simpler. Most of their attacks were launched through long passes from midfield to the two flanks.
At the time, their left side had Kylian Mbappé, and a more intricate style had not suited that Monaco team.
That way of playing long balls had almost been carved into Fabinho's memory. It had become a habit.
The match continued.
"From the positioning on the pitch, it isn't hard to see that Atlético de Madrid's 4-4-2 defensive system is very clear."
"They constantly defend as a unit across the pitch. No area ever has just one Atlético de Madrid player in it, and their players are extremely united. They'll throw themselves in to help a teammate without hesitation."
In the sixth minute of the match.
"Liverpool's attacks are mainly focused on the two flanks, with more passing and movement between the fullbacks and wingers."
"Robertson has the ball on the left. Atlético move up to press."
As Robertson controlled the ball on the left, Atlético de Madrid's players immediately stepped forward to close him down. They thought Liverpool were going to attack down that side.
But in the next second, Robertson swung his foot and launched a sweeping diagonal switch, finding Arnold with pinpoint accuracy.
By then, Arnold had already slipped quietly into a midfield position.
Klopp immediately waved, signaling Fabinho to push up along the left. He had already spotted the space there.
Leo Lin burst forward and turned his head to look at Fabinho.
Arnold threaded a diagonal pass to Fabinho. As long as Fabinho received it and then knocked it across to him, a clear attacking route would open up.
Leo Lin had already planned out the next three steps of the attack in his mind.
But just as he waited for Fabinho to move onto the ball, Fabinho did not push forward to receive it. Instead, he dropped back and waited in a relatively safe position to take Arnold's pass.
Arnold had no choice but to play it back to Henderson, and Liverpool reorganized their attack.
On the coaching bench.
Klopp seemed to be adjusting the cap on his head, but in reality, he was trying hard to suppress the urge to shout at Fabinho.
He knew this was something every player had to get used to when integrating into a new team.
At Monaco, Fabinho had played as a Defensive Midfielder. His job had been to make sure the midfield did not lose the ball, not to take more risks with forward passes.
Scholes quickly spotted the problem.
"For an ordinary team, Fabinho's choice just now was absolutely correct, because it at least ensures the team won't be hit on the counterattack."
"But for a team like Liverpool, they need solid defense, and they also need sharp attacking play."
"Fabinho is no longer just a pure Defensive Midfielder. He has to take on more responsibility."
"Every player needs to offer more if they want to earn a starting place at a giant club like Liverpool."
Beside him, Ashley Cole kept nodding. Having played for Chelsea, a true powerhouse, he knew Scholes was right.
"Judging from what we've seen so far, Fabinho still needs more time to settle in. Van Dijk hasn't had many chances to show himself yet."
At that moment, Leo Lin had already dropped back to Fabinho's side.
"Do you remember the tactics we practiced during closed training? When we attack, you need to push up from the left, not drop back."
Leo Lin reminded Fabinho with a smile.
He did not want to put pressure on his teammate. He only wanted to encourage him and help him become more confident.
Fabinho nodded to Leo Lin and said, "That one was my mistake. Those habits feel like they're already carved into me, but I'll change them."
Leo Lin ran back to his position and said, "You didn't do anything wrong. We didn't concede, after all. But you need to be more confident, or you won't claim your place in competition this intense."
Van Dijk heard their conversation. In fact, from the moment the match began, he had been extremely careful and cautious.
Back at Southampton, he had mostly been responsible for defending. If he could make a few decent passes out from the back, it was already treated like a blessing.
But at Liverpool, those were only the most basic requirements.
Van Dijk kept the tactics firmly in mind.
Layered defense. Tiered attacks. The ball from the back had to be precise, mainly distributed toward the two flanks.
Just as he was thinking about it, Matip played the ball across to Van Dijk. As Van Dijk received it, he suddenly lifted his head and saw Leo Lin smiling at him from midfield.
"Bang!"
He struck the ball.
A half-height pass was sent forward.
...
...
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