May 30, Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal.
In the Champions League final, Leeds United faced Paris Saint-Germain.
Even before the match, many football legends, including Gao Shen, Ferguson, and Wenger, were highly optimistic about Leeds United.
This wasn't a coincidence or favoritism.
Rather, it stemmed from a natural flaw that Gao Shen had pointed out earlier, one that Paris Saint-Germain couldn't escape.
Ligue 1 is too comfortable.
Some might think this comfort is beneficial.
After PSG dominates Ligue 1, they can conserve more energy and focus entirely on the Champions League, which theoretically gives them an edge over teams in more competitive leagues.
And yes, that does carry some advantage.
But on the flip side, an overly relaxed league lacks true competitive pressure. Players become too comfortable, and even with momentary lapses in concentration, they can still win matches and stay ahead. That's not good for any team or player.
For instance, in his previous life, Gao Shen always felt that Mbappé joining and staying at PSG was a sign of lacking ambition.
Even before he reached his full potential, Mbappé was developing, but the pace of his growth never matched the high expectations set for him.
Everyone knows that age is a player's most critical development window, yet Mbappé's progress stalled.
In this life, he played for Leeds United, then transferred to Real Madrid, and made tremendous leaps year after year.
The same goes for Haaland. Compared to last season, he's now like a different player entirely.
That's what a competitive league environment does.
Even someone like Rashford, during his key development years, experienced a growth spurt that affected his technical attributes and disrupted his career.
But this season, he still performed excellently and has made massive strides.
People might say Rashford once fell short of expectations, but the progress he's made since adjusting is astonishing.
From that perspective, Neymar never should have gone to PSG.
The same applies to Pogba, Varane, Kanté, and others.
From a competitive point of view, these choices were questionable. But in terms of their broader careers or personal lives, they didn't necessarily make the wrong decision.
It wasn't just about money. Many returned home to France.
A point that's often overlooked.
Still, you can't deny that when PSG has a group of star players who only need to exert minimal effort to comfortably win big in Ligue 1, how can they possibly stay sharp and focused?
Gao Shen's solution was internal competition within the team.
It helped, but for PSG as a whole, it wasn't enough.
Especially in the last two years, Ligue 1's decline has become increasingly obvious. The gap between it and the top four leagues, especially the Premier League, is widening.
That's also why Gao Shen strongly supports the Qatari consortium acquiring a Premier League club.
If there's no other option, let those stars transfer to Tottenham.
But just getting past Manchester City to reach the final was already an exhausting task for PSG.
Gao Shen even believed that if they had faced Real Madrid instead, they likely wouldn't have made it this far.
And now, against an energetic and aggressive Leeds United, PSG's weaknesses were immediately exposed.
...
Right from the first whistle, Leeds United launched an intense, high-tempo press, especially targeting PSG's midfield and defense, leaving the Ligue 1 champions scrambling to keep up.
Just over two minutes in, Leeds United won possession on the right flank.
After intercepting the ball, Achraf quickly passed to Valverde, then made a sprinting run forward, pulling PSG defenders away and opening space for Sancho.
Valverde passed to Sancho, who dribbled past Hakimi and cut in from the wing.
At that moment, two Leeds attackers executed a smart play.
Haaland made a direct run through the middle, drawing the attention of PSG's center-backs. Rashford trailed slightly behind, only making his diagonal cut into the right side of the penalty area after the defense focused on Haaland.
Sancho, seeing this, dribbled in and played a perfectly timed through ball.
Rashford broke into the box and took a right-footed shot.
Navas made a save, stopping the ball from going in.
Still, Leeds United's fast-paced attacking rhythm and structured movement were razor-sharp.
With Rashford, Haaland, Sancho, the overlapping full-backs, and midfielders like Enzo and Valverde, Leeds United's front line and wings operated in complete sync.
The attacking positioning was flawless, immediately putting PSG's backline under pressure.
Don't believe it?
Just over a minute later, Leeds launched another assault.
Sancho received the ball on the right flank. Pogba tried to force him inside, pushing him toward the sideline.
But after crossing midfield, Sancho suddenly accelerated, slicing diagonally between Pogba and Bernat into the penalty area.
Pogba tried multiple times to use his strength to slow Sancho, but he couldn't stop him.
Sancho charged forward, dribbling past both defenders.
At the edge of the box, he saw Marquinhos stepping up and immediately passed the ball across to Haaland.
Facing the goal with Varane closing in, Haaland didn't hold onto the ball. He stopped, then swept a left-footed pass across the pitch, returning the ball to the right wing where Sancho had just come from.
Achraf, who had made a high-speed run down the right, caught up with the ball and raced toward the byline before delivering a low cross.
Rashford arrived right on time and struck the ball toward goal.
Navas, in a moment of brilliance, pulled off another save, pushing it out for a corner.
By this point, only four minutes had passed.
But it was already clear that Leeds United had PSG's goal under siege.
...
Watching Leeds prepare for a corner, Wenger shook his head.
"Sancho is one of Leeds' physically weaker players, but Pogba still couldn't stop him."
Wenger looked disappointed.
This wasn't about Pogba lacking strength, but about his habits on the pitch.
In Ligue 1, Pogba got used to winning duels easily. Often, just leaning on an opponent was enough to win back possession.
If that didn't work, he could fall back on Bernat behind him.
But now, he was up against Sancho and Leeds United.
Habits show themselves most when you least expect them.
If Pogba had applied real pressure, Sancho wouldn't have gotten through. He'd likely have been forced to stop and shield the ball, pass back, or even lose his balance and possession.
Back at Leeds United or Real Madrid, Pogba could do that.
But after two years at PSG, he couldn't anymore.
That's the result of the league environment.
On the other hand, Sancho may be physically light, but years in the Premier League taught him how to withstand challenges. That's why, even when Pogba leaned into him, Sancho kept going and held onto the ball.
That's the training and confidence that the league environment instills.
Leeds United's first two attacks showed their pace and constant motion.
More importantly, Haaland's role as the center forward was irreplaceable.
He used his speed, power, and presence to force PSG to concentrate their defense around him.
One-on-one?
Varane couldn't stop Haaland.
And when defenders focus on the center, it creates space around them for the roaming attackers to exploit.
In the first attack, Rashford looped behind Haaland and broke into the box.
In the second, Haaland pulled back, opened space, and passed to Achraf, who delivered the cross to Rashford.
Different approaches, but the same focal point.
"This is the tactic you mentioned back then. The era of the big center forward!" Ferguson said, completely convinced.
When Gao Shen first proposed this tactic, many were skeptical. Even Guardiola experimented with strikerless formations, and others played with two strikers or false nines like Icardi.
But with Leeds United's success, everyone has now seen the truth.
The difference between having a real center forward and not having one is massive.
"Honestly, with Leeds United's current strength, age structure, and squad depth, I really don't see who can stop them in the next few years," Wenger said admiringly.
Leeds United's rise might look accidental, but in truth, it's the product of years of planning and steady building.
This group of young players, combined with the club's scouting and youth systems, has created what Leeds United is today.
If football is a war of systems, which club's system can rival Leeds United's?
Right now, none.
Maybe in the future, clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, or Newcastle will have a chance. But at present, Leeds United looks set to dominate European football for a long time.
This team is simply terrifying.
"I told you all back then, once Haaland and his generation of well-developed talents grew up, we'd be invincible!" Gao Shen said with absolute confidence.
He was exuding a powerful presence.
And with Leeds United's momentum fully built, Gao Shen no longer needed to stay humble.
Almost as if to echo his words, Leeds United launched another dangerous attack on the pitch.
(To be continued.)