Liverpool fans had already braced themselves for a beating from Manchester City, ready to comfort themselves with, "It's just a youth academy match—nothing important."
But only a few minutes after kickoff, the way the game unfolded completely exceeded their expectations.
What had been a relatively quiet venue gradually grew restless as Leo Lin scored two goals in quick succession.
The fans were buzzing with excitement, as if they were watching a Premier League match.
"This kid… how can his talent be this ridiculous?"
"Does anyone have his academy footage from Everton or Leicester City? I want to see if he's always been this strong."
"Forget the footage—didn't you watch the friendly a few days ago? That explosive shot was completely insane!"
Liverpool supporters chimed in one after another, the discussion spiraling into excitement.
After all, it had been a long time since Liverpool's academy produced a genuinely gifted youngster.
In recent years, there had been a few players who looked promising at first, but they quickly faded into obscurity.
Otherwise, Liverpool wouldn't have gone to such lengths to invest in their academy, all in hopes of developing a homegrown midfielder.
Instead, they kept spending money in the transfer market, yet very few of those signings truly lived up to expectations.
Neither Lucas nor Emre Can had reached the level fans hoped for.
Now the team was barely holding together thanks to Henderson—but Henderson was a workhorse midfielder, lacking creativity in attack and with little long-range shooting ability.
When play resumed, Manchester City finally began to play more cautiously.
Foden even hesitated to dribble through the middle, instead looking for chances down the wings.
The tempo of the match stabilized somewhat, but Leo Lin had no intention of letting Manchester City breathe.
As play continued, Leo Lin pushed up aggressively, calling out to his teammates.
"Push up! Everyone move together!"
Liverpool's formation crept higher and higher up the pitch.
Manchester City, meanwhile, was forced back, their shape increasingly compressed.
The head coach on the sidelines grew more shocked the longer he watched.
This kid was actually playing a high press?
That was a tactic normally reserved for Liverpool's first team!
High pressing—also known as a full-team pressing system—had become a staple among top clubs since its emergence, forcing opponents into turnovers through relentless pressure.
To avoid losing possession repeatedly, teams try to keep the ball moving with quick passes to relieve pressure. But the moment a mistake is made, the pressing side regains possession and launches another attack.
This kind of tactic usually requires a very strong team, with individual ability as the foundation.
But…
Wasn't Manchester City supposed to be the stronger side?
For a moment, the head coach wondered if his eyes were deceiving him.
Was this really the team he was coaching?
Playing with this much dominance?
If this kept up, then when Klopp eventually left, wouldn't the first-team manager position—
The head coach's lips curled upward unconsciously.
He was already imagining his bright future.
On the pitch, Liverpool's pressure continued unabated.
Manchester City's back line retreated again and again, quickly losing its sense of structure.
That was exactly the effect Leo Lin wanted.
In football, once a formation loses its layers, gaps in defense inevitably appear.
19th minute!
Manchester City, which had just managed to catch its breath, faced another test at the back.
Leo Lin carried the ball forward, waving his left hand to signal the fullbacks to push up.
With a raised arm and subtle cues, both fullbacks surged forward at the same time.
Liverpool's tactics instantly shifted from high pressing to wing-based penetration!
The transition was seamless—smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.
The tempo accelerated even further.
It started with Foden trying to dribble forward, but after losing possession, Ocho immediately played the ball to his trusted teammate.
Leo Lin received it and turned, his rhythm completely uninterrupted.
Because he didn't even stop the ball.
He pulled it back while meeting the pass—
a pull-back turn!
Then another touch, another burst of acceleration, his speed climbing higher and higher!
He charged straight at Manchester City's penalty area!
That clever burst of dribbling acceleration tore straight through City's midfield.
Leo Lin treated their midfield as if it didn't exist.
He lifted his foot again, striking the familiar preparatory motion for a long-range shooting attempt.
Just that motion alone sent a chill through Manchester City's defense.
The goalkeeper even instinctively prepared for a Goalkeeper Save.
But as Leo Lin's left leg swung through the air, ready to shoot, he changed his decision at the very moment of contact—
a pass instead!
Outside of the foot!
A perfectly weighted through ball!
The striker instantly broke the offside line, having read Leo Lin's signal.
The Liverpool center forward understood perfectly, finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Facing the keeper, he slammed the ball home, making it 3–0!
And the match had only just reached the 20th minute.
Three goals in 20 minutes!
Can you believe this was a football match?
In truth, lopsided scores were not uncommon in youth leagues, nor were cases where a single talented player scored multiple goals.
Take Michael Owen, for example—during his time in Liverpool's academy, he often scored several goals in a single match.
Four or five goals, even seven or eight, happened more than once.
If he only scored one or two, fans would actually feel surprised.
As the first half neared its end, Leo Lin struck again, pushing the score to 4–0.
When halftime arrived, Liverpool's head coach immediately made substitutions.
That's right—Leo Lin was taken off at halftime.
At that point, he hadn't even broken much of a sweat.
With a four-goal lead, Liverpool was under no real pressure.
Back in the day, Michael Owen would often score a hat trick and then "clock out," sitting by the sidelines sipping water at ease—just like Leo Lin now.
On the sidelines, Liverpool fans spontaneously began applauding Leo Lin. They were more than happy to see such an outstanding young talent growing within their own academy.
Leo Lin smiled and waved back at them, thanking them for their appreciation.
These were Liverpool's most loyal supporters—the kind who bought tickets to attend matches in person, some even holding season passes. Not everyone was willing to spend money again and again to support their team on site.
Some of them might even have sons or daughters who could one day become Leo Lin's classmates, making it all the easier to build good relationships ahead of time.
After Leo Lin left the pitch, an assistant coach quickly handed him a bottle of water. The coaching staff and his teammates stood by the sideline, waiting to high-five him and welcome the biggest contributor of the match.
Once Leo Lin was subbed off, Liverpool shifted into a more defensive approach, stabilizing the situation on the field.
In the second half, Phil Foden managed to score a hard-earned goal, setting the final score at 4–1.
Some Liverpool fans at the stadium recorded Leo Lin's first-half performance on their phones and uploaded the clips online.
The video went viral almost instantly, spreading rapidly across the internet.
Especially with Leo Lin's background of being forced to transfer, followed by such a dazzling performance, the contrast was irresistible to fans.
As the video's popularity continued to climb, likes and comments flooded in nonstop.