With a 2-0 lead at halftime, everyone knew the game was essentially over.
Especially at Leeds United's home ground.
The White Roses are always resilient on their home turf, never giving their opponents any easy chances.
After the second-half kickoff, Bayern launched a wave of attacks and managed to pull one back.
In the 53rd minute, Kingsley Coman broke through on the left and sent in a cross. Lewandowski outjumped Militao at the near post and flicked the ball on. Thomas Müller arrived at the far post and tapped it in, scoring for Bayern.
But Leeds United quickly responded with a counterattack.
Midfielder Declan Rice suddenly stepped up and slid in to dispossess Goretzka.
After receiving the ball, Sancho turned and played a through pass behind the defense. Haaland surged forward, sprinting more than 40 meters before calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper one-on-one inside the box.
3-1!
After the 60th minute, both teams showed signs of fatigue.
Leeds United and Bayern Munich are known for their excellent fitness levels. High-intensity pressing tactics are routine for both sides. But even so, the tempo clearly dropped after the hour mark.
It was clear that while the match looked competitive, the pace had been extremely high, and the players were exhausted.
Especially Bayern.
By the 70th minute, Lewandowski's stamina had dropped significantly, and it started to affect his performance.
More importantly, Bayern's pressing in the attacking third also dropped off.
Bayern made no major tactical substitutions. The only change was replacing Sané with Gnabry to add attacking firepower.
It was clear they had no effective backup plan.
You could even say Bayern had no plan B.
Leeds United, on the other hand, had many options at Pochettino's disposal.
First, Vinicius came on for Rashford. Then Foden replaced Sancho, both moves to refresh the flanks while Haaland continued leading the line.
In the 84th minute, Vinicius Jr. and Alphonso Davies combined brilliantly on the left. The Brazilian dribbled into the box, used a series of feints to get past Pavard, then curled a right-footed cross to the far post.
Foden arrived late, controlled the ball with his chest, and facing Lucas Hernandez, cut back with his left foot across the goal.
Haaland used his body to muscle past Alaba and, before Süle could react, lunged forward with a sliding tackle.
Goalkeeper, center-back, and Haaland all collapsed at the goal line.
Just as everyone gasped in shock, the ball somehow rolled into Bayern's net.
Süle and Alaba both tried desperately to clear it, but Haaland, lying in front of goal, blocked their efforts. They could only watch as the ball crossed the line.
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle again, confirming the goal.
4-1!
Amazon Stadium exploded in thunderous cheers once again.
More than 60,000 Leeds United fans chanted Haaland's name at the top of their lungs.
The young Norwegian struggled to get free from Süle and Alaba, stood up, and rushed to the sidelines.
Once there, he quickly sat cross-legged, palms facing upward, striking a Zen pose.
...
"Seriously, Gao, is Haaland for sale?" Rummenigge suddenly asked.
Bayern Munich had been eyeing the Norwegian striker for a long time.
Haaland was only 20. If they brought him to Bayern, he could lead the line for over a decade. Given his form and momentum, as long as he avoided serious injuries, his success was inevitable.
You could say he was already a superstar on par with Mbappe.
Players of this caliber were extremely rare.
Who would've thought Leeds United would produce two such talents back-to-back?
Even more incredible, Leeds United's first team was still full of potential stars, and who knew what kind of gems were waiting in their youth academy?
"Don't even think about it. He's not for sale," Gao Shen replied with a faint smile.
He was smiling, but his tone left no room for discussion.
Rummenigge, Kahn, and the others exchanged glances. They immediately sensed something different.
Clearly, they were all aware of the change at Leeds United.
In the past, the club would always claim players were not for sale, but everyone knew that meant the price just needed to be right.
But now, Gao Shen had made it clear. No sale.
That meant there was no hope.
This wasn't just about one transfer. It reflected a complete shift in Leeds United's business model.
It was obvious that the White Roses had redefined their place in football. They weren't aiming to be among the top clubs anymore. They were aiming to be the top club. Their ambitions were enormous.
Ambition isn't rare in European football.
What's rare is having both ambition and ability.
And Leeds United had both.
With the squad they had now, plus their youth academy, who could stop them?
Rummenigge and Kahn both looked grim as they realized the situation.
Bayern Munich currently had obvious weaknesses in their squad, and they wouldn't be easy to fix.
Contract extensions with Alaba and Lewandowski had stalled. Add in a thinning midfield, and Bayern's competitiveness would drop sharply if these issues weren't resolved properly.
Worse still, European football had become a hyper-competitive environment.
Especially in the Premier League, where clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle, backed by immense financial power, had enormous potential.
How could a club compete with a sovereign wealth fund?
The level of competition in European football would only intensify. It would become brutal.
When that time came, there would be a new round of natural selection. Clubs that couldn't adapt or establish themselves in this new ecosystem would be crushed or eliminated.
This was an inevitable historical trend.
Many former giants in European football history had disappeared for this very reason.
It seemed they needed to deepen their cooperation with Gao Shen, especially in areas like first-team training systems and advanced infrastructure.
Just look at the players Gao Shen brought to Newcastle and Tottenham. All of them were extraordinary.
This was extremely appealing to Bayern Munich—or to any club.
Compared to that, what did losing this year's Champions League even matter?
...
Leeds United eventually defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 at home.
After demolishing Barcelona 12-0 in the previous round, Leeds followed up with a 4-1 win in the quarterfinals' first leg, instantly becoming favorites to reach the semifinals.
It could be said that this scoreline practically guaranteed them a spot.
Of course, nothing is absolute, and a dramatic comeback from Bayern at home couldn't be ruled out. But the chances were slim.
At the end of the first leg of the quarterfinals, people were surprised to find that all the home teams had won.
Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1. Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1. Paris Saint-Germain beat Porto 2-0. All home wins.
The whole world was surprised.
Especially Leeds United, Real Madrid, and PSG. All three had reached last season's top four, with Real and PSG being the finalists.
Were they about to meet again in the semifinals?
That would be wild.
L'Équipe called it a step toward elevating Gao Shen to divine status.
Why?
Because before he took over, Real Madrid and PSG were both still in the Round of 16. Now they had reached the semifinals two years in a row. It was incredible.
And then there was Leeds United.
This fully showed that Gao Shen truly had some kind of winning formula.
Otherwise, how could all three teams keep reaching the semifinals?
Yes, strength played a part. But with three teams doing it? That couldn't just be coincidence.
Looking at the current Premier League table, Tottenham were highly likely to finish in the top four, and Newcastle were hovering just outside.
This forced everyone to reassess Gao Shen—and the technological revolution he had unleashed.
And they had to reevaluate Leeds United.
The team's performance this season had been brilliant and eye-catching.
The attacking trio of Haaland, Rashford, and Sancho had caused havoc in both the Premier League and Champions League, striking fear into the hearts of their opponents.
The top teams that had fallen to Leeds included Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich. Who would be next?
Top pundit Sacchi praised Leeds United in his column this season, calling them not only one of the favorites to win the Champions League, but also the most surprising team in Europe.
After Mbappe, Bruno Fernandes, Dembele, and Grealish left, most expected Leeds to decline. But to everyone's surprise, the White Roses quickly elevated new stars.
Sacchi noted that the three teams with the most balanced squads had all won their first-leg quarterfinals, proving how competitive European football had become and how high the standards were.
It wasn't just about squad strength anymore. Balance mattered more.
He believed Bayern lost to Leeds because their squad was too thin and lacked a plan B, while Flick's tactics were too conservative.
Leeds United, by contrast, had made a lot of adjustments and were full of youthful energy. It was exciting to watch.
"In fact, Leeds United will be the most anticipated team in European football over the next few years!"
Sacchi publicly stated that he believed Leeds had a real shot at winning the title this season.
Not just the Premier League or Champions League, but possibly more.
"Although they are still young and somewhat inexperienced, Leeds United have already shown championship-caliber strength."
"Right now, the team most likely to stop them is Real Madrid."
"The Galácticos are too experienced, and Leeds have lost to them several times."
"Now it all depends on whether Leeds can overcome Real Madrid this season."
(To be continued.)