Approaching Extra Time
The referee's whistle signaled the end of regulation and the players drifted toward the touchline with hands on hips and sweat-soaked shirts clinging to their bodies, and the exhaustion was visible in every movement while breathing came hard and heavy after ninety minutes of relentless intensity.
Gasperini gathered them quickly near the bench area where water bottles were being distributed by staff members, and his instructions were brief and precise rather than emotional because tactical clarity mattered more than motivation at this stage.
"Same shape," he said while his hands gestured to reinforce the message. "Four-two-three-one continues. Koopmeiners and Éderson stay compact in the double pivot—no gaps between you and the back line."
His eyes found Demien specifically.
