"Bayern continue to apply pressure in the attacking third."
"A series of quick passes in Leeds United's backfield."
"The ball is moved to the left wing, and Enzo Fernandez comes over to receive it."
"Pavard is pressing forward as well."
"Bayern's defensive line has been high from the start tonight, even pushing past the halfway line."
"Enzo stops the ball first and dribbles laterally toward the center."
"Pavard quickly closes in and uses his body to pressure Enzo."
"Enzo plays the ball away just before falling to the ground."
"Sancho receives it on the right side of the center circle, and Leeds United have successfully escaped Bayern's high press."
"Look at this swift counterattack."
"Sancho charges past the halfway line, and Leeds United's attacking trident is on the move!"
"This is Leeds United's most iconic counterattack."
"The entire Amazon Stadium is roaring!"
"Sancho delivers a diagonal pass to the left with his right foot."
"Haaland, incredibly fast, cuts inside from the left and is now one-on-one with Süle."
"A sudden stop, then acceleration. He's broken into the penalty area."
"Alaba's recovery is quick, and he marks Haaland in time."
"At the critical moment, Haaland uses his left foot to send a low cross to the center."
"Rashford, finish this!"
Goal!
Leeds United!
"In the 28th minute, Leeds United break the deadlock!"
"1-0!"
"Haaland assists Rashford for the opening goal."
"This was a textbook fast counterattack, one of Leeds United's trademarks."
"Bayern Munich pressed high, and Leeds United seized the opportunity!"
"In fact, Leeds had already created three dangerous counters earlier, but failed to score. This time, they finally converted."
"When Haaland had a chance to shoot, he chose to pass to a teammate in a better position."
"This is Leeds United!"
"Tonight, the White Roses are showing an exceptional sense of collective pride."
...
The entire Amazon Stadium erupted in cheers, with fans singing in praise of Leeds United.
Especially Rashford, who scored, and Haaland, who assisted.
The goal was a perfect example of Leeds United's rapid counterattack.
From Enzo Fernandez to Sancho, then to Haaland, who sprinted ahead before delivering a cross to Rashford, the entire sequence unfolded in a matter of seconds. Although Bayern's defenders closed down Haaland, they left Rashford unmarked in the middle.
This is a key feature of Leeds United's attacking third play.
Their front three are extremely fluid in positioning, especially Haaland and Rashford.
Haaland, a left-footed player, delivers threatening and smooth crosses when attacking from the left.
Rashford, a right-footed player, has the complete attributes of a modern centre forward—speed, technique, and strength.
When Haaland runs the channel on the wing and Rashford makes a delayed run into the box, it's a nightmare for defenders.
Their rotation makes it very hard to defend.
Of course, Bayern's issue was that their defensive line pushed too high.
Pavard had pressed up to challenge Enzo Fernandez, and by the time the counter was finished, he still hadn't returned to the penalty area.
When Rashford scored, Gao Shen applauded but remained seated.
After all, he was surrounded by Bayern's top executives.
Rummenigge and the others also applauded calmly, showing appreciation for Leeds United's fast break.
It was incredibly quick and efficient.
"You really have a lot of talent right now. Enzo Fernandez is very good," Rummenigge said. As a top former player, his eye for talent was sharp.
"Actually, your biggest issue is still progressing the ball. You rely heavily on both flanks, but there's no one operating on the left side at the moment."
Gao Shen's comment drew nods of agreement from Rummenigge, Kahn, and the others.
Rummenigge, in particular, couldn't help glancing at Leeds United's left flank, where Alphonso Davies was playing—a player Bayern had once targeted, only to be beaten to the signing by Leeds.
That was a tough one to accept.
Tonight, in order to defend Leeds United's flanks, Bayern deployed Lucas Hernandez on the left and Pavard on the right.
Both are solid defenders, but under pressure from Sancho and Rashford, they couldn't offer much going forward.
This left Coman and Sané isolated on the wings, reducing their threat.
Bayern's strategy was to press high and launch fast attacks, which meant limited possession. Leeds, responding to this approach, leaned into their own possession game. Their quick one-touch passing was superb.
Even Declan Rice and the centre backs had excellent passing skills.
Not to mention Enzo Fernandez and Valverde.
Bayern's squad is certainly good enough for the Bundesliga.
Even in the Champions League group stage, they'd hold up fine.
But once it gets to the knockout rounds, especially the quarterfinals, the intensity and quality of opponents expose their flaws.
Ultimately, Thiago should not have been allowed to leave last summer.
The contract renewal negotiations broke down largely due to Bayern's wage structure.
It wasn't that Bayern offered too little, but that Liverpool offered too much.
Thiago is the type of midfielder who can dribble under pressure, advance the ball, and then distribute to teammates. That's a skill no current Bayern player possesses.
In his previous life, Musiala was supposed to gradually fill that role. But now, this talented youngster is making his mark at Leeds United.
Not just Musiala. Bellingham also has that rare quality.
Both players offer something extremely valuable.
Bayern, lacking a central passing channel and over-reliant on the wings, becomes toothless once those wings are shut down. Against a defensively sound team like Leeds, they struggle.
"Maybe you should consider Messi," Gao Shen joked.
Rummenigge and Kahn exchanged a glance before replying seriously, "We're studying it."
Gao Shen was taken aback. "Really?"
Rummenigge nodded firmly, and Gao Shen couldn't help but chuckle.
"Looks like Messi's departure from Barcelona is truly inevitable."
After Messi publicly declared he would leave Barcelona, many top clubs expressed interest.
Reportedly, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham, PSG, Chelsea, Manchester United, and even Real Madrid have shown interest.
Now Bayern Munich have joined the race.
When a player is good, it's obvious.
The fact that Europe's top teams are chasing Messi says everything about his current level.
In some ways, Messi is more likely to enjoy a longer career than Ronaldo.
The key is having a tactical system that suits him.
"I heard Barcelona are thinking about swapping for Lewandowski?"
Gao Shen's remark made everyone around him laugh, including the Bayern players nearby.
Some things are predictable.
Just like Lewandowski. He now wants to move to an even bigger stage.
...
While the top executives in the stands chatted and joked, the situation on the pitch changed again.
In the 36th minute, Leeds United launched another quick counterattack.
Declan Rice played a through ball into the attacking third for Haaland.
The Norwegian dropped back, controlled the ball with his back to Süle, then suddenly spun left and sent a diagonal pass behind Bayern's right-back, Pavard.
Rashford burst forward at lightning speed, cutting in behind Bayern's backline.
Alaba chased him closely and caught up at the left edge of the box. Rashford suddenly stopped and squared the ball across the box.
The pass bypassed Goretzka and others retreating to defend, landing at the edge of the D.
Sancho sprinted into position, received the pass, and, after a simple touch inside the box, blasted a right-footed shot.
The ball flew straight into the bottom right corner.
It smashed through Bayern's defense again.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Leeds United score again in the 36th minute!"
"Back-to-back counterattacks in under ten minutes have cracked open Bayern Munich's defense twice."
"This is a wake-up call for the Bundesliga champions. This is not the Bundesliga. This is Amazon Stadium!"
"Bayern pushed too high tonight!"
Sancho ran to the sideline, pumping his fists and celebrating with the fans.
The stadium erupted, fans chanting his name as teammates rushed over to celebrate.
2-0!
Leeds United had taken control of the game.
Everyone understood that if Bayern continued to press high, they would be completely dismantled.
If Flick wanted a chance in the second leg, he had to retreat and regroup.
This was the result of the tactical clash.
Especially now that Bayern's piecemeal tactics had failed to overcome Leeds, it suggested that the two sides were at least equal.
Leeds United might even be stronger.
That was astonishing.
After all, Bayern had a squad full of established stars, many veterans who had been at the top for years.
And Leeds?
They were just a group of youngsters in their early twenties. If they were already on par with Bayern now, what would happen as they matured?
If this development continued, just how terrifying could this team become in a few years?
Would anyone in Europe be able to stop Leeds United?
Would the White Rose sweep across the continent and build their own dynasty?
(To be continued.)