The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 372 What you think is trust is actually dependence

The scoreboard at Old Trafford skipped the 45th minute of the first half and went into stoppage time.

last minute.

Manchester United have possession of the ball.

Manchester United fans in the stands had already started humming tunes, some were checking their watches, and others were stuffing snacks into their mouths. They were quite satisfied with this first half.

This is the real Manchester United.

That's the right score! Let's replicate that in the second half, and it would be even better if we scored a couple more goals.

The 0-6 defeat to Liverpool in the last game was just an accident.

Even the Manchester United players on the field relaxed, their passing pace slowed down, and their defensive steps became less urgent. Everyone felt that the first half would end with a 2-1 lead.

Only Henderson was still running.

He chased the ball from the right wing to midfield, the number on the back of his jersey soaked with sweat, and his breathing was heavy, but he showed no sign of slowing down.

No matter how the other party tried to dodge him, he just kept running with his head down.

He knows that many Liverpool fans are questioning him.

He also knew he lacked talent.

Therefore,
He could only keep running, using his running to cover more areas so that his teammates could unleash their talents.

On Manchester United's side, Giggs had just received a pass in midfield when he caught a glimpse of Henderson rushing over and a slight smirk appeared on his lips.

Instead of passing the ball immediately, he gently flicked it with his right toe, taking a half-step to his left, as if deliberately trying to slip past the Liverpool youngster who was chasing him.

In that half-second of hesitation, Henderson had already rushed forward.

Instead of kicking, he went in with his body, his left shoulder gently bumping into Giggs' right shoulder. The force wasn't great, but it was perfectly timed to coincide with Giggs' rhythm as he controlled the ball.

Giggs's foot faltered, and he lost his grip on the ball.

Henderson immediately stretched out his foot and poked the ball half a meter in front of him. Then, he gently pried aside Giggs's outstretched arm with his left hand, bent down, and firmly controlled the ball at his feet.

"foul!"

The stands erupted in cheers, and boos surged into the stadium like a tidal wave.

Manchester United players also raised their hands to indicate a foul, and Shinji Kagawa shouted at the referee, "He pushed someone!"

Clattenburg simply waved his hand, signaling for the game to continue.

Liverpool players don't care about any of that.

Henderson had just gained control of the ball when he passed it back to Gerrard, a move so quick that it gave the Manchester United players no chance to press him.

Gerrard received the ball and glanced at the open space in the attacking third.

Manchester United's defenders were still running back, Buttner was retreating along the sideline, and Gaio had already created space on the left flank.

Without making any adjustments, he launched a long pass, the ball curving past the midfield chaos and heading straight for Gaio.

With his back to goal, Gaio gently chested the ball down, and it landed half a meter in front of him. Before Buttner could close in, Gaio suddenly flicked the ball backward with his right foot, sending it flying over Buttner's head.

Buttner instinctively turned around, but Gaio, using the momentum from his lobbed shot, spun around abruptly, caught the falling ball, and easily bypassed the still-turning Buttner.

A large space suddenly appeared in front of Gaio.

Just as Evans was about to cover the gap, his attention was drawn to Suarez, who was making a diagonal run.

Suarez ran from the center into the penalty area, moving laterally, deliberately brushing his shoulder against Evans' arm while shouting for the ball, drawing almost all of Manchester United's defensive attention.

After Gaio passed Buttner, he did not slow down.

He quickly cut inside, dribbling from the right sideline of the penalty area towards the center, his footing on the ball extremely firm, each step bringing him closer to the edge of Manchester United's penalty area.

The boos from Manchester United fans suddenly changed tone, turning from anger into panic.

Someone in the stands stood up, pointed into the field, and shouted, "Stop him!"

Manchester United's defense was somewhat chaotic. Although there seemed to be a lot of players tracking back and there were many people around the penalty area, no one was able to cover for them in time.

Gaio noticed this too!
The defenses appear to be dense.

It's actually empty!

He moved the ball sideways from two steps outside the penalty area, feigning another cut inside.

However, in the next step, Gaio's left leg, like a fully drawn bowstring, suddenly swung forward.

There was a "bang" sound!
The football flew into the penalty area with almost no spin, skimming along the grass!

The shot was aimed at the near post, directly in Suarez's direction.

Suarez was entangled with a Manchester United defender when he caught a glimpse of the ball flying towards him. Without thinking, he jumped up and curled up into a ball.

Crows fly!
That conveniently opened up the shooting path.

De Gea's attention had already been drawn away by Suarez, and when he saw Gaio with the ball, he was still wondering whether Gaio would shoot or pass when the ball came flying under Suarez.

By then it was too late for him to pounce.

The football grazed the inside of the right post of the goal, slammed into the corner of the net, causing the net to bulge outwards and bounce back heavily.

The football rolled twice inside the goal line and then stopped.

draw!

Liverpool equalized in the final moments of first-half stoppage time!

The moment the football skimmed low into the net, Old Trafford fell silent – ​​so silent you could hear the slight clatter of the plastic seats in the stands, so silent you could see the scarves held up by Manchester United fans frozen in place.

Next second,
The Liverpool fan section suddenly erupted, like sparks splashed on oiled paper, instantly spreading throughout that corner.

Some people wrapped scarves around their heads and jumped around wildly, while others gripped their jerseys and waved them in the air, shouting "Gaio" and "Liverpool" at the top of their lungs.

The cheers continued to spread towards the Manchester United fans.

Manchester United fans in the West Stand were the first to react, and a tidal wave of boos swept down, but it couldn't drown out the cheers of the Liverpool fans.

An elderly fan in the front row was so angry that he smashed his Coke cup on the ground, splashing Coke onto the tips of his shoes. He didn't care at all, he was just staring at the field and getting angry.

Fans in the back rows started yelling towards the Liverpool supporters' section.

But the arrogance in his voice was gone, replaced only by dissatisfaction.

Inside the venue.

After scoring, Gaio slid down his knees towards the corner flag.

It left three skid marks behind it.

Using the momentum from his sliding knees, Gaio stood up and opened his arms towards the stands.

this moment,
The lights fell on his outstretched arms, and his white jersey shone warmly. He just stood there, neither shouting nor jumping.

Countless cameras were pointed at him.

Record this moment.

With just that figure with outstretched arms, he laid out his confidence in equalizing the score and his ambition to conquer Old Trafford in the air of Old Trafford!
There were no extra movements, only his outstretched arms.

Like a young god emerging from Anfield, stepping onto the away pitch, he nailed Liverpool's glory to Old Trafford in the most straightforward manner!
The teammates were equally excited.

Henderson was the first to rush up. He ran all the way from behind, his white jersey covered in stains, with dark lines etched on his back from sweat.

He hugged Gaio tightly, shouting, "We've come back! Gaio! You're the nemesis of Manchester United! That goal was awesome!!"

Gerrard followed behind, not shouting, just grinning, even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes conveying a sense of ease.

Suarez was still laughing when he ran over. His jersey had ridden up a bit from jumping to dodge the ball, revealing half of his midriff. He reached out and patted Gaio on the shoulder. "I thought the ball was going to hit me! Your shot was spot on!"

Surrounded by his teammates, Gaio wiped the sweat from his face and looked up to wave again towards the Liverpool fans' section.

Then they headed toward the Manchester United stands.
He raised his right hand and made a "V" sign, which was his way of responding to Giggs's earlier gesture.

Manchester United players were like puppets with their strings pulled out, scattered across the field.

Giggs stood in midfield, where Henderson had just stolen the ball. Shallow ruts from his boots still lingered on the grass. He stood there with his arms on his hips, his eyes fixed on the direction the net was swaying, his earlier composure gone.

De Gea lay prone in front of the goal line, his gloves pressed against the grass, his head buried for a few seconds before he raised it.

Rooney walked over and patted him on the shoulder, as if to say something, but no sound came out. He could only look at his teammates scattered across the field.

On TV,
The ball had just skimmed the ground past Suarez's wing and nestled into the corner of Manchester United's goal.

The noise from the Boot Room Tavern was deafening.

It wasn't a gradual cheer, but a sudden outburst that made even the chandelier sway.

Ted slammed his beer mug on the table with a bang, swinging his arm and yelling, "Goal! Fuck! Gae! A world-class goal!"

By the time he shouted "world-class goal," his voice was already cracking.

Everyone in the bar was shouting.

A young fan in the back row stood up, stepping on a chair. He tossed his red scarf into the air, where it landed on the chandelier. Without even taking it off, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Gaio is awesome! That flick and turn past Buttner was so cool!"

Several people around him patted his back, holding their phones high and pointing them at the replay on TV. Every time a shot was played, they shouted in unison, "Goal!"

The impact made the glass window vibrate repeatedly.

Looking back at the play, some people exclaimed, "Henderson's pressing was crucial! Without his interception, there wouldn't have been this counter-attack."

Someone commented, "Gerrard's long pass was absolutely brilliant, it just happened to find Gaio."

In the end, everyone came back to one name: "It's Gaio! No one else would have dared to shoot like that!"

Ted stared at the screen showing Gaio surrounded by his teammates celebrating, his eyes suddenly reddening, but he still shouted at the top of his lungs, "Weren't the Manchester United fans booing so loudly just now? Now they're stunned, aren't they! So what if we're two goals ahead? We'll still come back!"

As she shouted, her voice began to tremble with sobs.

The person next to him patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Why are you crying? Keep watching the second half!"

He wiped his face, laughed again, grabbed the beer glass on the table, and raised it towards the TV: "To Gaio! To Liverpool!"

The noise in the tavern never stopped, and the replay on TV was played again and again. Every time Gaio raised his foot to shoot, a new cheer would rise up.

Like a blazing fire, it made the entire Boots Tavern scorching hot.

Old Trafford Stadium.

After a brief celebration, the Liverpool players headed towards the center circle.

And this moment.

When the broadcast camera panned to the stands, Ferguson had already left.

Gary Neville has fallen silent.

Those who didn't know better might have thought he wasn't among the Manchester United commentators for this match.

On Liverpool's fan channel, recently retired Jamie Carragher went wild, shouting, "6-0 at Anfield isn't enough! That was a home win! Today we're going to thrash Manchester United at Old Trafford, on their turf! See that? Gaio! That kid is our confidence!"

Although Carragher has only just officially announced his retirement, Sky Sports has already announced that he will join the commentary team starting from the 2013/14 season.

He was incredibly frustrated in the early stages of the game. But now, he's completely let loose!

He added, "My God, I'm starting to doubt whether my decision to retire was the right one. I think Liverpool still needs a qualified center-back, don't you think? I think I'm still okay, I just don't know if the team will re-sign me. Of course, I'm definitely not doing this to get a title, hahaha."

now,

Even the neutral commentator couldn't help but exclaim, "My God! Gaio! It's him again! Gaio is treating Old Trafford like his own stage!"
The double hat-trick at Anfield is still fresh in the minds of Manchester United fans, and today he scored twice to pull Liverpool back from a two-goal deficit to a draw!

Gaião's lethality against Manchester United has transcended the limits of his age!
He's not just a goal-scoring machine; he's Liverpool's lifeline when they need him most!
Manchester United will definitely need to make adjustments in the next 45 minutes, but the question is, who can stop Gaio?

They couldn't stop him in the last game, and they still haven't been able to stop him in this game. His breakthroughs, his powerful shots, and his composure in crucial moments have become a nightmare for Manchester United's defense!
The second half will only get more intense! With Gaião anchoring the attack, Liverpool's offense has a solid foundation, and they will definitely capitalize on this momentum to continue their offensive push.

And what about Manchester United?

Having conceded a two-goal lead and then been hit repeatedly by Gaião, they must be thinking about regaining control of the game as soon as possible.

But one thing is certain: as long as Gaião is on the field, this Manchester derby will not be peaceful!

He has already proven himself with a brace. Now, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United can find a way to counter him. The real show of this match has only just begun.

drop! ! !
The game has just restarted and the ball has just been kicked off.

Clattenburg then blew the whistle to end the first half.

Fans who watched the first half were completely surprised by the score; Liverpool's performance today was extremely poor.

They played a good game for a few minutes.

But it was just those few minutes.

Gaio seized the scoring opportunity!
Liverpool's attacking efficiency, or rather Gaião's attacking efficiency, is truly terrifying for Manchester United fans, and even fans of other Premier League teams.

The key point is that Gaio is still so young.

Halftime ended.

The 2-2 scoreline, especially Gaio's goal in the final moments, made David Dunn and Abdullah in the VIP box burst into laughter.

Dunn slapped his thigh, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Look at this! Look at this kid! Two hat-tricks at Anfield last game weren't enough, and today he scored twice at Old Trafford. This is a gift from God to Liverpool!"

Abdullah nodded in agreement, "Our strategy of building the team around Gaio at the beginning of the season was absolutely correct. Gaio's talent is not something that can be trained; it's innate! He is Liverpool's most valuable asset right now, more valuable than any other signing. We must stick to this."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Everyone was filled with great anticipation!
Abdullah hopes their first step into English football will be a huge success.

Dunn, on the other hand, has already won every Premier League title in his career, and his heart is set on reaching the top of Europe!

He was once just one step away from the pinnacle of European football.

That was the time he regretted the most.

And now,
He saw greater potential in Gaio.

If he has any chance of leading a team to the top of Europe in his lifetime, it can only be Liverpool as it is now.

Thinking of this,

Dunn's mood dipped slightly.

He thought of his old friend.

The old man has once again rejected an offer to manage Liverpool; he will not leave Arsenal.

Even without a championship.

He was willing to give his all simply because Arsenal was his favorite team.

Dunn was hoping that Wenger wouldn't renew his contract with Arsenal and would come to Liverpool to work together, which is why he didn't make in-depth contact with other managers.

But now it seems he really can no longer work with his old partner.

at the same time.

The first half has ended, but the conflict between the two sets of fans has only just begun.

Manchester United fans are very unhappy.

"That was a penalty for Gaio? Anyone who watched the replay would know that was a dive, not a football! If that counts as a penalty, then my grandma coughing in the penalty area could be called a penalty!"

Then Liverpool fans immediately retorted, "Blind? Didn't you see Evans stretch out his leg? Manchester United fans only have their eyes on their own goal?"

Of course, there are also many Manchester United fans who criticize their own team.

"The right flank was riddled with holes by Gaio! Was Buttner defending not the striker, but his own father?"

"That spike in stoppage time was completely unnecessary! Giggs saw the opponent rushing in and didn't pass the ball quickly? Now look what happened, he got intercepted and gave away a world-class goal!"

"We should have signed Gaio earlier! Now, watching him score twice on the other side, how does he feel?"

A Liverpool fan mingled in, saying, "Getting anxious? Why weren't you saying anything when we were up 6-0 last time? Gaio played your defense like it was nothing, he'll score again in the second half!"

Manchester United fans retorted: "Just you wait! After we make our adjustments in the second half, we'll show you who the owners of Old Trafford are!"

This led to even more battles.

"Manchester United fans were just bracing themselves for a halftime lead, why aren't they doing that now? De Gea couldn't even touch Gaio's powerful shot, where's your world's best goalkeeper?"

"The referee is blind! Henderson clearly pushed Giggs!"

"If you can't handle losing, don't make excuses!"

"Butterner, get off the field! Don't embarrass yourself on the field!"

"Manchester United fans, stop making excuses, Gaio is just that good!"

"That penalty was completely invalid! Gaio is just a good actor, a conman who tricks people into giving up penalties!"

"I bet Gaio will score another one in the second half! Manchester United's defense simply can't stop him!"

now.

Manchester United dressing room.

Moyes tapped his tactical pen twice on the whiteboard, his brow furrowed. "Don't look like you've lost your mind. Being tied after leading by two goals isn't because the opponent is so amazing; it's because our own defense had problems."

He pointed to the right.

He drew a circle, which happened to circle Buttner's position. "Buttner, what was your condition on the right wing just now? You fell for all of Gaio's feints, and that yellow card was unnecessary. I might have to adjust your position in the second half."

Büttner listened to this and nodded silently.

He had a very frustrating game.

Facing Gaio, he felt a sense of loss, as if he had been crushed by Gaio's talent. He had fallen for Gaio's feint, but it was not as easy as Moyes made it out to be.

Did he want to eat something shaky?

That's because Gaio doesn't react to feints; he just goes for the real moves!

Given Gaio's footwork frequency, he had to admit that he couldn't defend against him.

After speaking, Moyes looked at another young defender, Fabio, a youth academy player he had acquired from Brazil.

Moyes promoted him.

"Fabio."

Fabio immediately sat up straight in his chair.

Moyes glanced at him, his tone gentle, "Get ready. You might have a chance to come on in the second half. If you do, mark Gaio tightly! When he gets the ball, stick close to him and don't give him any space to turn. If he tries to cut inside, block the inside line. If that doesn't work, track back and don't give him a chance to shoot! Center-backs, pay attention to covering. Evans and Rafael, you both move to the right. If Gaio cuts into the middle again, you have to move up immediately and not let him get the ball comfortably."

After discussing defense, he turned his pen to the midfield area, circling Giggs's position.

"Ryan, that dribble you made in first-half stoppage time was too reckless! When Henderson came rushing over, you should have immediately passed the ball to Shinji Kagawa, instead of trying to outsmart him!"
In the second half, you need to move back a bit, don't push too far forward. Shinji Kagawa, move centrally and receive the ball from the defenders. Control the tempo in midfield. Liverpool relies on intercepting our ball and launching counter-attacks. Gerrard's long pass to Gaio was due to our midfielders being unmarked!

Then he walked up to Rooney and Hernandez and said to them, "Wayne, stop drifting on the wing, move towards the center, connect with the front. Liverpool's defensive midfielders are pushing forward now, find their gaps and cut in to pass through to Chicharito."

Chicharito, make more runs and draw Liverpool's center-backs out. Their center-backs are slow to turn, so if you can create space, we'll have opportunities to attack behind them. Get moving!

Finally, he put the tactical pen on the table, looked around at the players in the locker room, and said, "This is Old Trafford! This is our home ground! We can't let Liverpool run rampant here! We haven't settled the score from the 6-0 defeat last time. Being tied now isn't a bad thing; it's a wake-up call for us!"

At the start of the second half, press forward and score first to regain momentum!

"Gaio is good, but he's not a god. As long as we defend him and play well on offense, this game is still ours!"

The Manchester United players nodded.

Everyone knows that if they can't stop Gaio and control the midfield in the second half, this Manchester derby will truly become Liverpool's performance stage.

If they suffer two consecutive defeats against Liverpool.

This is not just about being eliminated from the EFL Cup; more importantly, it is a disgrace!

A disgrace to lose to a mortal enemy!

They absolutely cannot accept this!
As Moyes finished making his arrangements, in the away team's locker room at the end of the tunnel...

Rodgers was also telling the Liverpool players, "A 2-2 score isn't enough, we need more goals!"

"We came back from a two-goal deficit not to get a draw at Old Trafford, which is their home ground. We want more goals and to show them that the 6-0 victory at Anfield last time was not the end!"

After saying that, his gaze swept towards Gaio.

Gaio nodded slightly.

Seeing Gaio nod, Rogers subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but then he suddenly realized something.

When he was drawing the tactics just now, he subconsciously drew the arrow for the breakthrough on the right flank thicker, which is Gaio's strongest area;
Just now, when he told Henderson to "send more through balls to the front," he added, "Pay attention to Gaio's runs."
He'd been like this for a long time.

From Gai's debut at the start of the season to his stomp on Stoke City, to his double hat-trick in the last Manchester derby, and his brace in the first half today to save the day—he thought he was trusting this 18-year-old, but he didn't realize that he had unknowingly placed the expectation of winning on Gai's shoulders.

Just like now, when people talk about scoring more goals, their eyes will instinctively fall on him.

This dependence came so naturally that he didn't even realize it himself.

But he felt that this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

soon.

When halftime ends.

The players from both sides walked out of the locker room again for the final showdown of the second half!
The second Manchester derby of the season is about to come to an end.

When the broadcast camera focused on the players from both sides.

Gary Neville, having recovered from the frustration of being tied after taking a two-goal lead, remained hopeful, saying, "Liverpool were able to equalize in the first half because we relaxed ourselves, Giggs was too overconfident with that dribbling move, and Gaio did seize the opportunity, but this is not the norm!"
Will Liverpool try to intercept the ball and launch counter-attacks like they did in the first half in the second half?
难了
Their midfield only has Henderson who can run, so if you mark him, Gerrard's long passes won't be so easy to get out!
On the offensive end, Liverpool's two center-backs are slow to turn, so we'll definitely have a chance!
It all depends on how Rooney and Chicharito handle it.

Gaião's stunning goal was beautiful, but Manchester United won't give them another chance like that!

The 2-2 scoreline is only temporary. As long as we solidify our defense and launch a successful attack, winning this Manchester derby should be no problem!

On the other hand, Carragher is much more genuine.

He said, "What adjustments has Manchester United made? What Old Trafford spirit?"
None of these things matter in the face of the Reds-Reds match!
The important thing is that the opponent is Manchester United, our lifelong rivals. Liverpool has never backed down in this kind of matchup!
They thrashed Manchester United 6-0 in the last game, so why can't they win again on their home turf?
2-2 This is not the end, it's the beginning of us stepping on their necks!
The Manchester derby is never about tactics, it's about ruthlessness and who wants to win more!
We came back from a two-goal deficit in the first half not because of luck, but because of our determination not to lose to Manchester United!

Henderson pressed relentlessly in stoppage time, and Gaião unleashed a powerful shot amidst boos. Even the lads on the bench were shouting. Does Manchester United have that kind of spirit?
They are lax when they are in the lead and panic when they are behind. This kind of team can't win the Manchester derby!
I played for Liverpool for over a decade, and I know best what it's like to face Manchester United: we have to turn their home ground into ours and shut their fans up!
As long as we keep fighting in the second half!
"Keep fighting them to the death! Liverpool has never had only one option against Manchester United: victory, and today is no exception!"

(End of this chapter)