"Manchester City are passing skillfully. Manchester United can't win the ball back in midfield."
"The ball is played back to the defense, to David Luiz."
"The City center-back pushes forward, controls it, and sends a long diagonal ball."
"Beautiful! The right flank is open!"
Lichtsteiner had already surged into United's 30-meter area, hugging the right touchline. He glanced at David Luiz's long ball, positioned himself, chested it down, and quickly brought it under control.
Park Ji-sung charged at him immediately, but before he could close in, the Swiss full-back exploded toward the byline, tricking Park into committing early.
Lichtsteiner suddenly stopped and cut the ball horizontally to Robben, just outside the penalty area.
Suárez sprinted over to support, looking to play a one-two with Robben inside the box. But when Suárez returned the ball, Carrick, who had recovered quickly, cut it out and cleared it outside the area.
Rakitic rushed up to shoot, but Lass Diarra slid in and blocked the shot. The ball, however, stayed inside the box.
Chaos erupted in United's penalty area.
Robben was first to the ball but was forced wide. At the edge of the penalty area, without being closed down immediately, the Dutch winger turned, only to see Vidic closing him down fast.
"Here!" Lichtsteiner shouted, raising his hand on the right side of the box.
Robben passed instantly.
Lichtsteiner stopped it, pushed forward, glanced into the area, saw Suárez's movement, and after a quick pause, chased the ball forward and whipped in a half-height cross.
The ball flew past Evra and dropped just behind United's backline at the edge of the six-yard box.
Suárez broke away from the crowd and, just ahead of Ferdinand, got to Lichtsteiner's cross first.
He struck it cleanly.
The ball changed direction and flew toward the right side of United's goal at a speed too quick for the naked eye.
Van der Sar was stationed near the center of goal but had no time to react to the close-range shot.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"In the 24th minute, Manchester City strike first!"
"Luís Suárez scores from close range to give City the lead!"
The entire Etihad Stadium erupted!
All the Manchester City fans leapt from their seats, wildly cheering for Suárez.
The Uruguayan striker spun around, sprinted to the corner flag, and slid to his knees in front of the stands, sending the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
The rest of the City players followed, surrounding him and celebrating this crucial goal together.
"This is Manchester City's first time entering United's penalty area tonight!"
"This was also City's first real attacking sequence of the match—and they scored!"
"This is the power of star players!"
"They can be marked, shut down, harassed, even fouled. But give them a single chance, and they'll show deadly instinct!"
"It may look like a tiny gap, but it's fatal!"
"Manchester City's players are undoubtedly becoming, or have already become, world-class stars."
…
The entire stadium was filled with Manchester City fans' cheers.
Ferguson stood in front of the away team's technical area, his expression serious and grim.
He had anticipated conceding first, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.
The whole point of starting the match so aggressively was to avoid conceding early.
But it still happened.
Not as skilled as the opponent!
Ferguson couldn't argue with that.
Manchester United had pinned City deep in their half, even sacrificing fitness. And while that worked well, they never posed a real threat in front of goal.
Javi Martínez, the Spanish midfielder, was strong and outstanding.
Ferguson had once tried to sign him, but City beat him to it. Now, he deeply regretted it.
"We didn't press well enough. Robben was able to turn around just outside the penalty area. That shouldn't happen," Mike Phelan said, clearly frustrated with the players' execution.
Ferguson glanced at his assistant, shook his head, and sighed inwardly. He wasn't even close to Queiroz.
Queiroz had excellent training ability, great tactical insight, and sharp vision. He had been Ferguson's right-hand man in every respect. Now, his former role was split in two, and neither man measured up.
But what could he do?
The Portuguese had gone solo.
"It's not hard to press tightly," Ferguson said flatly. "But once you do, what do you do if they shake you off?"
Phelan was left speechless.
David Silva, Robben, Rakitic, Suárez...
Which of City's midfield and attacking players didn't have elite footwork and dribbling ability?
Closing them down was easy. Staying with them after they got past you? That's where it hurts.
So how do you decide whether to close them down?
In many moments, players must make split-second choices. You can't expect them to always make the right one. That's unrealistic, players aren't machines.
If a coach doesn't leave room for mistakes and always expects the optimal solution, then the team is doomed.
"There's no other way?" Phelan asked, trying to recover.
"How could there not be?" Ferguson replied with a wry smile. "If our overall strength surpassed theirs, we could suppress them—whether through possession, fitness, or pressing…"
But in reality, United trailed City in all those aspects.
Even in fitness.
Statistics showed that in this season's Premier League and Champions League, Manchester City were the fastest-running team—even quicker than Barcelona.
Gao Shen's two fitness coaches were absolute gems.
Too bad Ferguson couldn't poach them.
No need to now.
…
After conceding, United finally dropped back.
Ferguson understood well that if they continued pushing, United's players would burn out fast. And once the legs went, they'd lose even more possession. At that point, they might collapse entirely.
Since they'd conceded first, there was nothing more to say. Settle down and wait for a counterattack.
That was the smartest play for United against City.
As much as people might hate to admit it, City were now stronger than United.
When United held a compact shape and defended well, City didn't dare to go all out.
Gao Shen had seen firsthand how threatening Valencia and Rooney could be on the counter.
So the match dynamic shifted again.
City slowed the tempo, controlled possession, and played methodically.
United sat deep, defended with patience, and waited to pounce on any counter opportunity.
Both sides became cautious and left little space for the other.
This was the Champions League knockout stage at its finest.
There are no big names in the semifinals, and even less room for mistakes.
You had to admit, United's offensive lineup wasn't that dangerous. But defensively, especially in midfield and at the back, plus their counter-passing, they were still solid.
Lass Diarra had improved the midfield's defensive cover, and Sneijder was doing well both ways.
As a result, the game hit a stalemate.
In the remaining 20 minutes of the first half, the most dangerous moment came from a Gareth Bale free kick. It skimmed the crossbar and left the United defense sweating.
The Welshman not only had deadly scoring from his "Bale zone," but he also possessed speed, power, and top-level free-kick ability.
…
The first half ended 1–0. Manchester City had the lead.
During the break, Gao Shen praised the team's performance and encouraged them to stay sharp, especially in the second half.
"In the first 20 minutes, they pushed us hard and used up a lot of energy."
"We'll try a strong push early in the second half, then slow it down. But be careful. Don't let them hit us on the break or steal the tower. Otherwise, we'll gain nothing and lose everything."
The players didn't fully understand the metaphor, but it still sounded impactful.
The meaning was clear.
"In the second half, we'll wear them down. Time is on our side."
"Unless there's an injury, I won't make substitutions before the 85th minute. I believe you'll land the fatal blow when they're physically exhausted."
Gao Shen's trust fired up the team.
If they could win the Champions League after securing the Premier League title, that would be the Double. And if they could beat United again and win the FA Cup, it would be the Treble!
Over the years, wasn't it United's 1999 Treble that Ferguson was most proud of? The same Treble that United fans boasted about in Premier League history?
If Manchester City could win all three titles this season, it would be the strongest statement ever against their local rivals.
"Everyone!" Gao Shen clapped hard, and the players stood up and gathered around him.
"A 1–0 lead isn't safe. It's not enough to guarantee a place in the final. I want you to keep pushing and try to score again in the second half."
"I know it's difficult, but I believe in you!"
Gao Shen's affirmation lifted the players' spirits.
And when he stood at the locker room door, hugging each of them as they walked out, their faces were full of determination.
"Boss, don't worry. Leave it to us!"
"We won't let you down, Boss!"
"Believe in us. We'll make it to the final!"
"Get ready to celebrate, Boss!"
"Boss, we'll win you the Treble as a wedding gift!"
…
One by one, the players walked out with their own words for Gao Shen.
But from their voices and expressions, he could feel both their respect and their love.
He was very satisfied.
(To be continued.)