"Can you put a bit more into it?!"
"You're letting an 18-year-old kid rip your midfield to shreds!"
"Have you no shame at all?!"
The Sevilla manager was livid, thoroughly unhappy with his team's first-half performance.
"In the second half, be more aggressive in midfield. Be patient. Don't give them any chances to score."
Liverpool had focused on central penetration throughout the first half, and the Sevilla coach assumed they would stick with the same approach after the break.
But Klopp had already prepared something new. The plan to attack down the wings was ready.
"It's time to show our new tactic," Klopp said as he pulled out the tactics board.
"In the second half, look for more combination play on the flanks. Create chances from wide areas. Encourage the wingers to take defenders on one-on-one, or cut it back with a pull-back."
Fifteen minutes later, the match resumed.
"One-two! Salah plays it back to Leo Lin, who takes a touch and lays it off again!"
"Beautiful! Two quick give-and-gos in a row!"
"Salah bursts to the byline, drops his shoulder, cuts inside—he wants the shot!"
"The strike is blocked! It drops in the box—still alive!"
"Someone follows it up!"
"Leo Lin smashes in the rebound!"
"Fantastic!"
"We've barely restarted, and Liverpool extend their lead!"
"Two–nil!"
"Sevilla, welcome to Anfield!"
In the Sky Sports commentary booth, Gerrard stood up and applauded.
"Did you see that?"
"Did you see that?!"
"The combination play between Salah and Lin is dazzling. Their chemistry is outstanding. After starting several matches together, you can really see the connection they've built."
Salah sprinted straight toward Leo Lin and leapt into his arms in celebration. Liverpool players swarmed in behind them, wrapping everyone into a tight embrace.
"This Liverpool side has incredible cohesion. They're an exceptionally united team!"
"You can see just how important unity is to a team—that's exactly why Liverpool have enjoyed such a dream start to the season!"
"Leo Lin has been especially impressive. He's been directly involved in goals in three straight matches. At this point, no one should be questioning his place in the starting lineup."
"Five straight wins in the Premier League, and now a two-goal lead in their Champions League group opener—this Liverpool team really gives me hope!"
Jon Champion could hardly contain his excitement.
Every Liverpool fan felt the same way, all of them dreaming of a bright future ahead.
After the celebrations, both teams returned to their halves and play continued. Sevilla gradually realized that their entire shape was being forced deeper and deeper by Liverpool's relentless wing attacks.
72nd minute!
"Given the situation, Sevilla can only bypass midfield with long balls, trying to find their forwards directly."
"They're looking to skip over Liverpool's central block, but hoofing high balls from the back like this is very hard to turn into real danger."
"Kjaer sends it long again, looking for Ben Yedder."
"He wins the first contact, flicking it on to the right!"
"Navas tries to bring it down and get past his man—but he's read!"
"Robertson steps in and drives forward! Navas has no choice but to foul him!"
"Another yellow card! There's acres of space ahead of Robertson—Navas simply couldn't let him launch a counterattack!"
Sevilla were well and truly stuck, unable to attack and unable to defend. The match had completely fallen under Liverpool's control.
At last, as stoppage time expired, Anfield erupted in celebration.
Klopp stood tall with his chest out, while Leo Lin had an arm around Salah and Mané, laughing and joking as they applauded the fans.
「Ding!」
「Congratulations, Host, on completing your Champions League debut. Reward: 150 points. Outstanding performance this match: 15 points. Total points: 255.」
Leo Lin was thrilled. He was now just 45 points away from unlocking his third skill draw. Once that skill was activated, the next Growth Star Path would also unlock for free.
If it matched the effect of his first All-Round Growth Star Path, he would gain the ability to instantly increase a single attribute by 20 points.
In the ESPN commentary booth, Jon Champion stood up and applauded.
"The match is over!"
"Congratulations to Liverpool on winning their first Champions League group match! They've taken all three points in a clash between heavyweights—three absolutely vital points!"
"And what excites me even more is the promise this Liverpool side is showing. I truly believe they can go much further!"
...
Klopp was in high spirits and gave the entire squad a day off. Leo Lin chose to stay at home, playing a few football video games to loosen up his muscles, then enjoying a cup of milk-tea coffee and a small dessert.
Before long, a piece of news shattered the calm.
On September 13, the final shortlist for the UEFA Golden Boy award was officially announced.
The list immediately set off heated debate online, with fans noting just how many exceptionally talented young players there were this year.
UEFA's official special program also devoted a segment to analyzing the nominees. Several legends were invited to take part—Gerrard, Vieira, Cantona, David Villa, and Casillas, all icons who once ruled the game.
"Looking at the situation right now, I think Kylian Mbappé has the best chance," Casillas said. "There are still three months left in the season, and Mbappé has played in more high-profile matches so far."
"Lin has been excellent recently as well, but so have Jesus and Ousmane Dembélé. All of them are getting solid minutes in Europe's top five leagues."
"That shows how much modern clubs value youth development. What they're doing is genuinely helping push football forward."
"Besides those three, there's also Federico Chiesa. In my view, unless Leo Lin can get into Spain's U17 team and deliver outstanding performances on the big stage, he won't be able to shake Mbappé's position in the journalists' voting."
"The upcoming U17 World Cup may be his last chance."
Most of the panel agreed with Casillas. After all, Mbappé had burst onto the scene earlier than Leo Lin, giving him the advantage of that initial impact.
"If Lin wants to overtake those ahead of him, relying on club football alone won't be enough—even if he keeps performing at a high level for the next six months."
"Others are playing more matches, scoring more points, and drawing more attention. That's just reality."
"So the only competition that can truly change Leo Lin's Golden Boy fate is the U17 World Cup."
"Lin should consider himself fortunate that his rise has coincided with the U17 World Cup schedule. This is his one and only chance to turn things around and overtake the frontrunner."
Gerrard spoke up.
"I believe in Lin, and I believe in Barnett."
"But winning the U17 World Cup is an enormous challenge. Just getting past England, with the sheer explosion of talent they have, will already be incredibly difficult for Spain."
...
(60 Chapters Ahead)
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