Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

After seventy minutes, both teams slowed down their attacking pace slightly due to decreased physical exertion.

As time went by, the mentality of the Liverpool players on the field also changed.

Time is running out for Liverpool; with each passing minute, the pressure on their attack increases.

Liverpool players are already known for their aggressive play, and with the increased pressure on their attack, their frustration has led to a noticeable increase in fouls.

The Champions League is not the Premier League. Compared to the lenient refereeing standards in the Premier League, the referees in the Champions League are much stricter.

Therefore, Premier League teams are easily disadvantaged in Champions League matches due to the different standards of refereeing.

Chelsea have something to say about this.

In the 74th minute, Lin Feng's breakthrough drew a foul from Skrtel.

Although Skrtel did not receive a card, he did give Real Madrid a free kick in a very good position in the attacking third.

Lin Feng, who had been tackled to the ground, brushed off the grass clippings and dirt from his body, and slowly walked to the spot where the foul had occurred, where he began to carefully place the ball.

Seeing that Lin Feng was going to take the free kick, Liverpool fans felt inexplicably uneasy.

A huge chorus of boos erupted from the crowd, and some fans even pulled out laser pointers in an attempt to distract Lin Feng.

The Real Madrid players on the field and Mourinho on the sidelines were immediately unhappy and protested to the referee and the fourth official.

The referee had to stop the game to try and resolve the issue.

It's not uncommon for players to be dazzled by fans with laser pointers, but this usually happens during penalty kicks.

It's extremely rare for someone like Lin Feng to be subjected to a laser pointer attack by the opposing team just for taking a free kick.

Seeing that the match was paused, Lin Feng was not in a hurry. He stood there with his hands on his hips and closed his eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, his teammates all came to the sidelines to replenish their energy and water. By this point in the game, everyone was tired and thirsty, and opportunities to catch their breath like this were rare.

With a lead on aggregate, Real Madrid had no problem pausing the game, but Liverpool's players and fans were not happy about it.

The longer it drags on, the less time they have to catch up.

They need two more goals to complete the comeback, but with only a dozen minutes left in the game, they won't have time to catch up if the match drags on any longer.

They wanted the referee to resume the game, but Real Madrid refused, insisting that the laser beams were having too much of an impact on the players and that the problem needed to be addressed first.

Left with no other option, Liverpool had to urgently arrange for on-site staff to investigate the fan who committed the offense.

The staff on site spent a few minutes resolving the laser pointer issue, allowing the competition to continue.

Seeing Lin Feng preparing to take the penalty kick, Reina stared intently at his opponent, trying to guess the possible direction of his shot.

In the first half, he successfully thwarted several of Lin Feng's free-kick attacks, which shows that he has gained some experience in how to save Lin Feng's free kicks.

But he still dared not be careless, because he knew very well that Lin Feng could be called a top free-kick master, and his arsenal of tools was definitely not limited to just these few.

Beep!
The referee blew his whistle, and Lin Feng took a deep breath and began his run-up.

Reina noticed that the last direction the opponent was staring at seemed to be the right side of the goal, and his body subconsciously moved slightly to the right side of the goal.

At this moment, the ball had already cleared the wall and was flying towards the right side of the goal!
Reina was overjoyed, pleased that he had predicted the right direction.

However, the next second, his smile froze on his face.

The ball, which was flying towards the right, suddenly changed direction as it approached the goal, heading towards the left side of the goal!
Reina, who was moving to the right, had no time to react and could only watch as the ball crashed straight into the net.

The score became 2-3, and Real Madrid took the lead again!

Goal!
"A direct free kick goal from Lin Feng!"

"That was a beautiful shot!"

"No wonder Liverpool fans were on high alert, even resorting to the dishonorable tactic of shining laser pointers at him; Lin Feng's free kicks are just too threatening!"

"Yes, this is Lin Feng's signature move—the S-shaped free kick. This kind of kick is extremely difficult for a goalkeeper to defend!"

"Real Madrid has taken the lead again thanks to Lin Feng's goal, and the aggregate score is now 4-2. Real Madrid leads by two goals plus three away goals. Liverpool must score three goals in the remaining ten minutes to advance to the quarterfinals!"

"Although Liverpool has created miracles before, this is still an almost impossible task for them. Lin Feng's goal has completely killed the suspense of the game!"

Inside the CCTV studio, both commentators could hardly contain their excitement after seeing the goal.

Although Lin Feng scores many free kicks, he doesn't use S-shaped free kicks very often because this type of shot is very difficult and has many restrictions; it's not something you can just do whenever you want.

That's why every time Lin Feng scores such a difficult free kick, it's a visual feast for the fans.

For fans watching the game at home, the enjoyment of seeing the goal replayed on the TV screen from various camera angles is indescribable.

The fans could simply enjoy the beautiful goal, but the players and coaches on both sides had no time to pay attention to anything else.

Upon seeing Lin Feng, Real Madrid players, including those on the bench, rushed towards him in a frenzy. Mourinho even shook off his assistant coach, who wanted to hug and celebrate with him, and ran to the sidelines in his suit to perform a sliding knee celebration.

Seeing Lin Feng's goal, Mourinho knew the game was in the bag.

He could finally relax and stop living in fear.

"Time is running out for Liverpool; they need to score as soon as possible."

While Sky Sports commentators weren't as pessimistic about Liverpool as the CCTV commentators, they did feel the current situation was very serious for Liverpool.

They now not only need to pray for a miracle, but also need to hurry.

Liverpool's players clearly understood this as well. After the game restarted, Liverpool's players pressed forward and launched a relentless attack on Real Madrid's goal.

Real Madrid's goal was under constant threat, with long-range shots, crosses, and set pieces...

Liverpool players tried various methods to break down Real Madrid's defense.

But all of this was in vain against Real Madrid's tenacious defense.

With the score still 2-3 in the 85th minute, there was still no hope of a comeback.

Liverpool fans were furious; Real Madrid's defense looked like a dilapidated house, teetering on the brink of collapse in a storm. Yet, no matter how fierce the winds blew, the house stood firm.

Liverpool's attack was always just one step short, unable to break through that final barrier.

In the 87th minute, Sperin intercepted the ball in the attacking third and passed it straight to Babel, who laid it back inside the penalty area. Gerrard's shot from the left side of the penalty area was saved by Casillas.

The team's weakness of lacking a top-class striker was exposed at this moment.

Gerrard is indeed in great form, but he can't carry the team alone.

When there are no strong teammates on the front line to provide him with cover and draw enemy fire, even Gerrard's performance will be limited.

Despite this, Liverpool's captain hasn't given up and is still fighting!

In the 88th minute, Babel's shot in front of the goal was blocked, and Real Madrid immediately launched a counter-attack. Lin Feng's through ball in midfield broke through Liverpool's defense, and Higuain finished the move in front of the goal.

However, just as Higuain was happily celebrating his goal, the linesman blew his whistle, calling him offside.

Higuain was furious. If it was offside, why didn't he raise the flag immediately?

But the referee's decision was obviously irreversible, and his teammates quickly pulled him back when they saw him getting emotional.

It's not worth getting a card because of impulsiveness at this point. If he gets a card because of this lack of composure and ends up accumulating yellow cards and being suspended for crucial matches later on, he'll have nowhere to turn for help.

The Liverpool players on the field showed no relief that their team had escaped defeat. They felt that it was just a matter of losing by one goal, and since they were going to lose anyway, what difference did it make if they lost by one more goal or one less?
They were already thrashed at home by Real Madrid last season. Can they be more humiliated than last year?
So even when the opponent launched a very threatening counterattack, Liverpool's players still ignored it and were determined to attack.

In the 90th minute, Dossena, eager to attack, pushed Sneijder from behind and was shown a yellow card by the referee.

But he still didn't give up fighting for possession, and in the second minute of stoppage time, Dossena's efforts paid off.

Taking advantage of a Real Madrid player's lapse in concentration, he successfully dispossessed the ball from the opponent and passed it across to the center, where he handed it to captain Gerrard.

Gerrard didn't waste the opportunity his teammates created, making a run into the box and calmly slotting the ball home to make it 3-3, completing his first Champions League hat-trick.

This is his eighth Champions League goal of the season, equaling Messi's record and placing him joint top scorer in the Champions League.

The entire stadium rose to their feet and gave Gerrard a warm round of applause.

Gerrard himself didn't even celebrate. He rushed into the goal, grabbed the ball, and ran back. He hadn't given up and still wanted to keep trying!
However, three minutes later, when the referee blew the final whistle, the score was still tied at 3-3. Liverpool had too little time, and the miracle ultimately failed to occur.

Although the team failed to advance, captain Gerrard's performance deeply touched every Liverpool fan.

Although Gerrard himself may not agree with this statement, in the hearts of the fans, the team lost the game, but he did not lose!

Gerrard, having completed his hat trick, showed no joy on his face, only a sigh.

He tried so hard, but he still couldn't save the team.

The match ended with Liverpool securing a 3-3 draw against Real Madrid at home, upholding their home pride.

Unfortunately, they lost to Real Madrid 3-4 in the final round of 16.

Judging solely from the result, this outcome is absolutely unsatisfactory for Liverpool fans.

The fans were even more furious after watching the entire match.

At the final whistle, Gerrard's lonely figure pierced the hearts of every Liverpool fan.

Countless fans flooded outside the club, displaying various banners and slogans, demanding that the team increase investment and make greater efforts to recruit players, and stop leaving Gerrard to fight alone.

Gerrard is already 29 years old this year, and his prime years are numbered.

If he doesn't bring in new players soon, he might never win a Premier League title in his lifetime.

"Want to exchange jerseys?"

After thanking the away fans who had come to support Real Madrid in the area where they were gathered, Lin Feng happened to run into Gerrard, who had also finished circling the field to express his gratitude.

Seeing the jersey that the other player was still wearing and hadn't been traded, Lin Feng made a suggestion.

"Okay, no problem!"

Although Gerrard's eyes revealed his fatigue, he still readily agreed to Lin Feng's invitation.

The two players took off their jerseys on the sidelines and exchanged them.

This scene was witnessed and photographed by reporters who had been following the group, and it became the background image for many newspapers that day.

……

Unlike Real Madrid, who had to fight hard away from home to advance, Barcelona, ​​playing at home, defeated Lyon 5-2, advancing to the quarterfinals with a total score of 6-3.

With this, including Villarreal who advanced earlier, La Liga now has three teams in the Champions League quarterfinals this season, tying for first place with the Premier League.

The major media outlets that were pessimistic about La Liga the day before all changed their tune the next day.

They went from being pessimistic to praising, even shouting slogans like "they'll meet in the final" and "an all-La Liga battle."

In the history of the Champions League, there have only been two instances of an all-Chinese final: Real Madrid vs. Valencia in the 1999-2000 season and AC Milan vs. Juventus in the 2002-2003 season.

If La Liga can have another Champions League meeting, they will completely surpass Serie A and become the top of the five major leagues!
But times have changed. The Premier League today is no longer the weak league that was affected by the Heysel Stadium disaster, was banned by Margaret Thatcher for a long time, and became disconnected from international football.

Today, the English Premier League is catching up with La Liga and Serie A at an alarming pace, and has a strong tendency to surpass these two leagues and become the top of the five major leagues.

Although both La Liga and the Premier League have three teams that have reached the quarterfinals this season, the three Premier League teams are Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, all of whom are giants. Manchester United's strength is in no way inferior to the two La Liga giants, and they can definitely be considered one of the favorites to win the title.

As for Chelsea and Arsenal, they may be a bit behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​but they can easily handle Villarreal.

Even Liverpool, who were just eliminated by Real Madrid, were only eliminated because they were unlucky enough to draw Real Madrid.

If they were drawn against another team, Liverpool would have a very high chance of advancing to the quarterfinals.

Looking at it this way, it will be quite difficult for an all-La Liga final to be an all-Chinese affair, not to mention that Barcelona and Real Madrid might meet in the knockout stage earlier.

UEFA is notorious for its tendency to orchestrate events, and I seriously doubt they'll pair Barcelona and Real Madrid together! (End of Chapter)