Chapter 605: Salah Explodes, Haaland Takes the Field
Liverpool losing possession had serious consequences—many of their players hadn't touched the ball for quite some time. From the 30th minute of the match onward, Manchester City had taken full control of the game. They continuously passed the ball with quick one-touch plays that were nearly impossible to intercept. This left Liverpool's players expending energy without any results.
By the 40th minute of the first half, all the key stats showed Liverpool falling significantly behind. Their possession was only 37%, more than 20 percentage points lower than City's. They had completed just 188 passes, less than half of Manchester City's total. Their dangerous attacks numbered only 27, 15 fewer than City's, and they had yet to earn a single corner kick compared to City's four.
The only area where Liverpool led was in fouls committed and yellow cards received. And these statistics were from a period when they had multiple chances to attack. Once their stamina waned in the second half, the numbers would likely become even more skewed.
Although the score was tied at 1-1, many watching had already begun to mentally declare Liverpool defeated. Playing against a team like Manchester City, you either collapse immediately from their relentless passing and explosive play centered around Lin Quan, or you get slowly strangled by their control of possession, gradually losing your grip on the game as they drag you into a slow death.
Clearly, Liverpool had fallen into the second category.
As the first half neared its end, Liverpool's players were visibly fatigued from running so hard earlier in the game. Their constant pressing had failed to yield significant results, lowering their morale and reducing both their pressing intensity and range of movement.
Sensing the drop in pressure from their opponents, Manchester City played with even more confidence. They stretched the pitch, using both flanks and switching play from left to right, then back again. Their precise passing forced Liverpool to constantly adjust their defensive positions, wearing them down and waiting for a crack to appear.
To Liverpool's credit, their defense held firm, leaving few openings for City to exploit. Despite several long-range shots from outside the box, City was unable to find the back of the net.
The first half ended with the score tied at 1-1. However, the atmospheres in the two dressing rooms were worlds apart.
In the Manchester City dressing room, the mood was lighthearted, with players joking around, feeling no pressure at all.
In contrast, the Liverpool dressing room was silent. The players focused on their own thoughts, no one daring to speak until manager Jürgen Klopp finally broke the tension.
...
Pep Guardiola could hear noise coming from the Liverpool dressing room and chuckled as he addressed his team:
"I bet Klopp is firing up his players right now!"
His words triggered laughter among the City players. After all, every manager has been in a situation where they've needed to fire up their team, so everyone understood. Teams only need that kind of pep talk when they're struggling. When you're comfortably ahead, there's no need for it.
If Klopp was pumping up his players, it was a sign they knew they were at a disadvantage—even though the score was 1-1. This meant they were aware that the second half could be tough for them.
"Alright, don't worry about what they're doing. Just keep focusing on ourselves. We played well in the first half, and we'll continue with the same tactics in the second half. Mbappé and Sané, I'll bring one or both of you on around the 75th minute. My only request is that you make the most of your speed and power when you get on the field."
Guardiola glanced at Mbappé and Sané. Both players stood tall and eager, clearly ready to make an impact. They knew that if they got on the pitch, as per the coach's game plan, they could become the heroes who led the team to victory. No player wants to miss such an opportunity, especially on a stage as grand as the Champions League knockout rounds.
...
At the start of the second half, Liverpool's tactics had visibly changed. Klopp had realized that if they kept up the high-intensity pressing from the first half, his players' stamina wouldn't last much longer. So, he pulled them back to defend deeper and play on the counterattack.
It was a smart decision. Manchester City's possession play was simply too strong, and Liverpool couldn't win the ball back. Running after it only wasted energy.
However, pulling back into a defensive posture wasn't exactly a brilliant solution either. City didn't need to rush their attacks, as they were content with the 1-1 scoreline. They could afford to leave Anfield with a draw and rely on their home advantage in the second leg. Meanwhile, Liverpool couldn't really afford a draw. When they went to the Etihad, they wouldn't have the same fervent home support to drive them forward. For a team like Liverpool, which thrives on momentum, playing away from Anfield would mean a significant drop in performance.
Thus, City played with composure. They dominated possession but didn't take many shots—only three in the first 15 minutes of the second half. By playing patiently, City limited Liverpool's chances to counterattack.
Still, Salah was relentless. Even though Liverpool had few opportunities, he was single-handedly causing chaos on City's flanks. Fortunately for City, their central defense was packed tightly, giving Salah little space to cut inside. Otherwise, he might have been able to produce some magic.
Liverpool fans were thrilled with Salah's performance. With the team struggling, they were pinning their hopes on their star player to make something happen.
"Come on, Salah!"
"If we win this game, I'll call you Liverpool's Messi!"
"Why not Liverpool's Lin Quan?"
Ever since Messi and Lin Quan rose to prominence, football fans had started comparing promising players to them, calling them "the next Messi" or "the next Lin Quan." It was a testament to the incredible impact these two had on the sport, and fans hoped other players could reach their level someday.
Salah, with his similar position, stature, and style, drew frequent comparisons to these two superstars. Since joining Liverpool, he had consistently impressed in both the Premier League and Champions League, leading many to believe that he was on the path to becoming a global superstar.
Salah didn't disappoint. In the 67th minute, Liverpool launched a fast counterattack after winning the ball back. City's defense retreated quickly, and by the time Salah reached City's half with the ball, four defenders stood in his way.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, none of their other players, except Firmino, had been able to keep up with Salah's break. But that didn't stop Salah. He put his head down and pushed forward. With a brilliant nutmeg, he danced past Fernandinho and then delivered a sharp cross from the edge of the box.
Firmino tried to meet the cross with a powerful shot, but it ricocheted off a City defender. He hurriedly went for the rebound, but a City defender cleared the ball before he could strike again.
However, the clearance went wrong. Laporte tried to pass to a teammate but ended up kicking the ball into his own teammate's leg. Stones, caught off guard while turning, couldn't react in time. As he tried to clear the ball again, a flash of red darted in. Salah, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, poked the ball into the net.
The stadium fell into stunned silence.
How could it be? A 2-vs-4 situation, and Liverpool still managed to score!
What incredible luck! And how could City's defense make such a basic mistake?
Guardiola, who had been preparing to sub on Mbappé, was baffled by what had just happened.
"What just happened?" he asked in confusion.
Assistant coach Mikel Arteta explained the events of the goal. Guardiola could only sigh in exasperation.
"Another silly mistake—why does our defense always mess up against Liverpool?" he thought. "It used to be me overthinking things. Now it's the players making these blunders!"
This goal put City in a difficult position. Now that Liverpool was ahead, they could retreat and focus on counterattacks, conserving their energy. Counterattacking would allow them to last longer, while a high press would have drained their stamina faster.
Guardiola's original plan was to bring on one of his fast wingers after the 75th minute, when Liverpool's players would have been exhausted. At that point, City's speedy wingers like Mbappé or Sané could tear through Liverpool's tired defense.
But now Liverpool had dropped deep, and neither Mbappé nor Sané would be as effective. There was no space for them to accelerate, and Liverpool's half was packed with defenders, making it nearly impossible for City's speedsters to break through.
What City needed now was a battering ram—a player who could smash through Liverpool's defense. Gabriel Jesus, who was currently playing up front, wasn't that kind of player. In fact, he wasn't even a traditional striker.
Realizing this, Guardiola abandoned the idea of bringing on Mbappé or Sané. Instead, he considered swapping Jesus for a more physical forward.
His eyes scanned the bench. Agüero was City's top striker, but he wasn't great at breaking through tight defenses. He might not be able to perform any better than Jesus in this situation.
After a moment's hesitation, Guardiola's gaze fell on the next player—Erling Haaland.
The young Norwegian had the size to bully defenders, but he was still inexperienced. He wasn't even 18 yet. Could he really overcome Liverpool's seasoned backline?
"Ah, whatever. Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Guardiola thought. "Let's give it a shot. If it doesn't work, a 1-2 loss is still acceptable. We can settle things back at home."
Guardiola called Haaland's name:
"Erling, go warm up!"
"What? Me?!" Haaland was stunned. He had assumed he was just a backup option, brought along to fill the bench.
"If you don't want to play, keep sitting," Guardiola snapped.
Before Guardiola could say another word, Haaland had already sprinted off.
Playing in the Champions League knockout stages was a dream come true for Haaland. There was no way he was going to miss this chance!
Although his initial surprise had left him momentarily speechless, it was only because he was so shocked. But now that the reality had set in, he couldn't wait to get on the pitch.
Don't be fooled by Haaland's large frame. Though he looked like a brute, he was actually quite smart. As he warmed up, he started thinking quickly.
Why did the coach call him and not Agüero? Clearly, Guardiola saw something in him that Agüero didn't have.
At just 18, Haaland was still lacking in experience, technique, and understanding of his teammates. His only advantage over Agüero was his height and physical strength.
It clicked. Guardiola was counting on him to go into the box and dominate the air.
Haaland glanced at Liverpool's defense, already forming a plan for how he would challenge them.
The fans, meanwhile, paid little attention to City's unfamiliar substitute warming up. They were much more excited about Salah's recent goal.
"Salah is incredible! He can score even with just half a chance!"
"No wonder they call him the Egyptian Messi. He scored in a 2-vs-4 situation!"
"Liverpool got such a steal with him. By the end of the season, Salah's price is going to skyrocket to 80 million euros!"
"Just 80 million? That's too conservative. I bet the Egyptian Pharaoh is going to be worth over 100 million euros!"
With inflation driving prices up in the football world, player values had skyrocketed. After Lin Quan's transfer fee had been bumped up to 200 million euros, other players' values had surged in response.
At just 26 years old, Salah still had at least five or six years left at the top of his game. A 100-million-euro price tag wouldn't be surprising at all.
"How did Chelsea manage their talent so poorly? Both De Bruyne and Salah were at Chelsea at the same time, and they let them go!"
"That's what we call 'when together they're a mess, but apart, they're stars.'"
"Ah, Chelsea pulled SSR cards but didn't know how to use them!"
End of chapter.