Leeds United arrived in Turin, Italy, carrying plenty of frustration.
In last weekend's Premier League fixture, although Leeds United thrashed Huddersfield Town, Manchester City narrowly beat Liverpool 1-0 away, denying Leeds the chance to clinch the title with two rounds to spare.
Though winning the league is all but certain, the players had hoped to seal it early.
When they arrived in Turin, they were caught off guard by Juventus' aggressive approach, leaving them flustered at the start.
Although Leeds quickly settled and started attacking, the players appeared slightly rushed.
And when you're in a hurry, you rarely do things well.
As a result, Ronaldo's header dealt a heavy blow to Leeds United.
Only then did everyone realize they had made a fatal mistake. Without noticing, they had handed Juventus a golden opportunity.
For a star like Ronaldo, he only needs one.
But that goal completely woke Leeds up.
Especially head coach Pochettino on the sidelines, who was clearly aware of the team's issues.
He made a swift adjustment.
On one hand, Milinkovic was instructed to increase pressure on Pjanic in an attempt to shut down Juventus' playmaker.
Everyone knows that Matuidi and Khedira are tough, industrious players, but not organizers. They can charge forward, but they can't dictate the game.
By containing Pjanic, Leeds United could disrupt Juventus' attacking buildup and throw off their rhythm.
More importantly, Juventus' midfield looked disconnected.
Pjanic had dropped deeper to avoid Milinkovic, while Matuidi and Khedira pushed up, creating a large gap in the middle.
On the other hand, Pochettino also realized defensive lapses were a hidden danger, so he demanded more aggressive counter-pressing and faster recovery.
How fast?
The 21st minute provided the best example.
After losing possession in the final third, Leeds United responded immediately.
Dembele and Bernardo Silva combined on the right flank. But the French winger failed to control the ball and was dispossessed by Alex Sandro.
If time were frozen at that moment, it would show only Dembele in Leeds United's right-side attacking third.
In contrast, Juventus had Alex Sandro on the ball, with three midfield options nearby—Matuidi wide, Khedira moving into position, and Pjanic dropping deeper—as well as Bonucci in the back line.
Four passing options. It looked like a guaranteed escape.
But Leeds United's counter-pressing soon proved effective, with relentless running putting Juventus under pressure.
When Alex Sandro broke free from Dembele and attempted to drive down the left flank, Vardy moved toward Bonucci, Milinkovic closed down Pjanic, and Bernardo Silva and Rodri stepped in to press Matuidi and Khedira.
All of this happened within two seconds.
It showed that after conceding the goal, Leeds United had regained composure and were fully focused. Only then could they react so quickly and transition between attack and defense in an instant.
As soon as Matuidi received the pass from Alex Sandro, he was immediately pressed by Bernardo Silva. When he passed back, Dembele had already moved into position to cut it off.
The ball turned over again, and when Alex Sandro attempted to win it back, he fouled Dembele.
Leeds United were awarded a free kick.
This counter-press perfectly reflected Leeds United's tactical identity—using youth and fitness to dictate the pace, covering large areas of the pitch through constant movement to suppress Juventus.
Juventus quickly found that their high pressing wasn't working. With Pjanic marked out and Leeds United regaining their rhythm, the Italian side began to struggle.
The space between their forward line and defense widened significantly, becoming dangerously disconnected.
As the game wore on, Juventus' problems became more obvious. They were finding it increasingly difficult to move the ball forward.
In Juventus' entire tactical setup, Ronaldo remained the focal point in attack.
When managers build teams, they prioritize strengths. For Ronaldo, that means scoring.
To do that, he's tightly marked by center-backs. But given his age, constant physical battles take a toll.
It's similar to when Ibrahimovic criticized Van Gaal, saying he couldn't run that much. Or when Ronaldo himself said he couldn't contribute heavily on defense.
Players like them require certain trade-offs from coaches.
So, if Ronaldo can't battle center-backs all game, someone else must step up.
At Real Madrid, that was Benzema. At Juventus, it's Mandzukic.
A strong forward frees up Ronaldo.
This used to work well.
But now, a new problem emerged.
With Pjanic contained, Juventus' build-up play became clunky.
You can't expect Khedira and Matuidi to dribble and organize attacks.
Mandzukic had to stay forward, occupying both Leeds center-backs. That left either Ronaldo or Dybala to drop back.
Dybala dropped first, but Robertson pressed him so tightly that it rendered his retreat ineffective.
So Ronaldo started dropping deeper too.
In the 31st minute, after Ronaldo retreated to receive the ball, Militao suddenly darted out from behind and poked it away.
The young Brazilian center-back was like a charging bull, even knocking Ronaldo to the ground.
The Portuguese forward appealed for a foul, but the referee smiled and waved play on.
Leeds United had deployed Militao at right-back instead of Arnold specifically to deal with Ronaldo.
All of these details unfolded over a 20-minute period where the game appeared balanced, but lacked clear chances. It felt stagnant.
Until the 40th minute, when the dynamic finally shifted.
That moment came from a Leeds United counterattack after winning the ball on the left.
Milinkovic received the ball with his back to goal and played it wide to Robertson, who quickly found Mbappe down the flank.
The Frenchman dribbled forward, tried to cut into the box, but was tightly marked by De Sciglio and forced to play it back to Robertson. He himself cut inside, making a diagonal run into the box.
Robertson received the ball near the corner of the penalty area, drawing defenders with him.
Inside the box, Mbappe, Vardy, and Dembele were all positioned.
Juventus' back line stayed alert, worried that Robertson might drive to the byline for a cross. De Sciglio blocked the path, while Pjanic dropped back to help cover.
But in doing so, the top of the penalty area was left exposed.
This was the cost of Juventus' disjointed shape.
Robertson didn't go down the line. He pulled the ball back toward the edge of the box.
Milinkovic stepped up to meet it, controlling with his right foot.
Everyone inside the Juventus box froze. Pjanic rushed forward to close him down.
But Milinkovic held his ground with his left foot, then swung his right.
The ball exploded off his foot like a cannon, slicing through Juventus' defense and flying into the top right corner.
"Gooooooooooooooooal!"
"Leeds United equalize!"
"A stunning strike from Milinkovic!"
"My God, Leeds United have drawn level against Juventus right before halftime!"
"A world-class long-range shot from the Serbian midfielder!"
"What a brilliant goal!"
The entire Allianz Arena was stunned.
No one expected the equalizer to come so suddenly, so sharply.
It was a moment of brilliance.
In the VIP box, Gao Shen could no longer contain his excitement. He stood, clenched his fists, and shouted in celebration.
A beautiful and timely goal.
Andrea Agnelli, sitting beside him, looked on in disbelief.
Just over 20 minutes earlier, Gao Shen had told him that Leeds United could equalize before halftime.
Now, it had actually happened.
It was astonishing.
If Agnelli had previously doubted Gao Shen's judgment, he now fully believed it.
"Milinkovic… he's really something," Agnelli said.
From this match alone, the Serbian midfielder had shown far more than just a thunderous shot. His height, aerial ability, technique, and speed were all impressive.
"The real match begins now."
Gao Shen sat down and chuckled.
He was genuinely curious to see how Agnelli, the refined gentleman, would react if things spiraled out of control.
"We'll definitely adjust in midfield," Agnelli replied firmly.
Gao Shen smiled. "But some problems can't be fixed. For example, what will you do about Pjanic?"
Leeds United had already found the formula, and Pochettino would only double down at halftime. In the second half, Leeds would press even harder, and their attack would be relentless.
Could Juventus withstand it?
At this stage, the game's direction was becoming clear.
The only question left was whether Leeds United would take their chances.
(To be continued.)
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