When Manchester City attempted a high pass into the box targeting Harry Kane, Dutch center-back Matthijs de Ligt, who had initially been behind Kane, quickly moved in front of his former teammate and made a powerful header clearance, sending the ball out of the penalty area and toward the 30-meter zone.
Bernardo Silva, with his back to the direction of the attack, stopped the ball with his foot just as Fernandinho closed in quickly from behind.
With a slick feint, the Portuguese midfielder tricked Fernandinho, turned, and shook him off before dribbling forward and threading a pass to the right side of the center circle.
Dembele beat Benjamin Mendy to the ball, stopped it in the center circle, and then quickly used his left foot to flick it inward. He dribbled centrally and spotted an opportunity, playing a diagonal ball out to the left wing.
In the heat of the moment, Manchester City's defense left too many open spaces.
Mbappe surged forward at lightning speed, with Jerome Boateng desperately chasing from behind, while Vardy followed further back.
At the center, Kompany and Stones both immediately dropped back to defend.
But Mbappe still managed to catch up with Dembele's pass on the left side of the penalty area.
As soon as he stopped the ball, Boateng had already recovered into position.
Mbappe slowed down and began to dribble into the box, pressing Jerome Boateng hard.
Vardy darted toward the middle, ready to receive a potential pass from Mbappe, drawing the attention of Stones and Kompany.
Fernandinho had also tracked back to the edge of the area.
Mbappe moved toward Boateng, flicked the ball lightly with the outside of his right foot, then faked a shot, causing the German defender to step in to block.
Mbappe reacted instantly. After the feint, he launched a real shot.
The ball flew through Boateng's legs.
"Leeds United's quick counterattack."
"Mbappe cuts in from the left side of the penalty area, dribbles past Boateng, feints, and shoots!"
"A nutmeg finish!"
Goal!
2-0!
Mbappe again!
"Leeds United extend their lead."
"67th minute, Mbappe's strike was brilliantly executed, subtle and deadly."
"Boateng was completely fooled by the initial feint, thinking he was going to block the shot, but Mbappe fired a powerful strike instead, sending the ball to the left side of the net."
"From the replay, the ball almost grazed the inside of the post before finding the back of the net."
"Ederson had no chance."
"Another lightning-quick counterattack from Leeds United tears through Manchester City's defense."
"Since the second half began, Leeds United's counterattacks hadn't been very effective, and the game was beginning to lean in Manchester City's favor. But just when everyone thought City would regain control, Leeds United suddenly struck again, piercing through City's defense."
"This is what a top team looks like."
"This is Mbappe!"
"Once again!"
"Mbappe's two goals have given Leeds United a commanding lead in this Champions League final."
...
Amazon Stadium erupted in deafening cheers from Leeds United fans.
The sound wasn't just coming from inside the stadium, but also from the crowds gathered outside.
Leeds United players rushed toward the sidelines, celebrating wildly together.
2-0!
This lead was significant.
"They're still targeting the gap between Manchester City's midfield and defense," Ferguson said, shaking his head with a sigh.
At this stage of the match, unless City undergo a complete transformation, the result is nearly set.
Frankly, even if Leeds United just park the bus, they can hold on.
The White Roses are no slouches. Their defensive strength is top-tier.
"Manchester City's problems are pretty complex, especially in the face of Leeds United's targeted tactics. They really don't have a good solution," Wenger added, clearly frustrated.
Guardiola's tactical system is very structured, but some issues are hard to fix on the fly.
High-intensity pressing, swift counter-pressing, and rapid, efficient counterattacks.
Leeds United's second goal demonstrated the power of those transitions.
Dembele drifted into a space where Fernandinho, Kompany, and Benjamin Mendy couldn't reach him and received Bernardo Silva's pass. That wasn't a mistake.
The Portuguese international spread the play because he knew either Vardy or Dembele would run into the channel, pulling defenders away.
Receiving the ball in that pocket of space completely exposed the area behind City's defense.
That was just the attacking sequence.
On defense, Leeds United avoided direct clashes with City's build-up. They sat back in a tight shape, locking down the middle and allowing City to work the flanks. That's because both Hazard and Gareth Bale are only threatening when cutting inside.
But Leeds United's plan was to seal off the central lanes and force them wide.
If the ball goes to the wing, someone from the center must shift to support.
But most of the time, Harry Kane was isolated up front. Under the combined marking of Ruben Dias and De Ligt, he barely got a sniff.
This means Leeds United deliberately opened up the flanks, while locking down the middle and half-spaces.
Guardiola had no answers.
From a tactical standpoint, Leeds United had clearly prepared thoroughly, especially after City reverted to the 4-3-3, to which Leeds immediately responded.
City's current struggles are a direct result of Guardiola's whimsical first-half tactical changes.
In a match of this magnitude, losing the initiative and falling into a reactive state is fatal.
Besides, Guardiola's teams have never been known for grit and resilience.
"Mbappe's €250 million transfer fee is worth every cent!" Ferguson exclaimed.
He's got a sharp eye.
Back when Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Sir Alex was furious. He felt the transfer fee was far too low.
Ferguson's view was that selling Ronaldo for just £80 million was a steal; he thought £150 million would've been more accurate.
His reasoning? Real Madrid could afford it.
The logic was sound.
Players like Messi and Ronaldo, once-in-a-generation talents, are priceless.
Transfers work like any other marketplace.
If you pay $1, you get $2 in return. If you pay $10, maybe you get $3 worth of value.
Most ordinary people just want decent quality. Wealthier people seek higher-end goods. But the ultra-rich, who don't care about price, only want the best.
Clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona always chase that third point.
But here's the catch.
Players aren't industrial products. They can't be mass-produced.
Even clubs like Leeds United or Guardiola's former teams can't mass-produce stars like Mbappe, Ronaldo, Neymar, or Messi.
Sure, in terms of raw talent, Ronaldo and Mbappe might be a tier below Messi and Neymar. But their physical gifts—especially speed and explosiveness—are off the charts.
Whether technical or physical, these talents cannot be replicated or mass-produced.
Leeds United can only scour the globe for promising youngsters, then work hard to develop them.
That's why these top-level players will always be rare commodities.
That's Ferguson's logic.
As long as a club is committed to being elite and only I can sell to you, I can set the highest price within your budget.
In 2009, Ferguson's valuation was £150 million.
Now, he thinks €250 million is still a bargain.
"That was the price we paid to keep Mbappe last year," Gao Shen said with a wry smile.
By today's standards, that's definitely cheap.
If Leeds United had triggered a bidding war between PSG and Real Madrid, it could have easily gone above €300 million.
The reason is simple. With Ronaldo and Messi aging, Mbappe is clearly the most promising successor.
A World Cup title last year, a Champions League title this season—those two trophies alone are enough to crown him as heir apparent.
...
After conceding the second goal, Guardiola finally made a change.
He brought on Cancelo for Jerome Boateng.
This was clearly aimed at improving attacking power down the right.
Cancelo's threat going forward is undeniable.
Leeds United responded immediately by replacing Dembele with Valverde.
The team shifted into a 4-4-2-like formation, with Mbappe and Vardy leading the line, continuing to play defensively and wait for counterattacks.
Leeds United have plenty of experience against Guardiola's possession-oriented teams.
By the 75th minute, Guardiola, seeing his team still struggling to break through, made a third substitution, replacing Fernandinho with Luis Suarez.
This was a desperate, all-in move to chase the game.
Pochettino immediately countered with a second change, replacing Kimmich with Rodri.
The formation changed again, with Rodri dropping into the back line, Milinkovic and Valverde operating on the flanks in a three-man midfield, and Bernardo Silva as the attacking midfielder in a 4-3-1-2 setup.
Additionally, the entire team's lines compressed tighter, leaving Manchester City with possession but no space to penetrate Leeds United's penalty area, let alone create real danger.
Eventually, City were forced into crossing from the wings.
That's when you know they've run out of ideas.
Guardiola's team, resorting to long balls and crosses? That says it all.
Leeds United made their final substitution in the 84th minute.
Youngster Haaland came on for veteran captain Vardy.
This was the reward for Haaland's run of five consecutive games with a goal.
The entire stadium erupted in applause for both Haaland and Vardy.
After Haaland came on, he partnered with Mbappe up front.
At that moment, Gao Shen sat in the stands, feeling incredibly gratified and excited.
"Maybe, many years from now, people will fondly remember tonight," Gao Shen said with a faint smile.
"Why?" Wenger asked, confused.
"Because Haaland and Mbappe are on the same pitch, playing side by side. Even if it's just for ten minutes, it's still in a Champions League final."
The implication was clear: Gao Shen had high hopes for both Haaland and Mbappe.
(To be continued.)