Chapter 39

Rooney made no mistake with Nani's pass, firing a powerful shot into the top near corner. Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had already shifted his weight in anticipation of a cross and could only watch helplessly as the ball rippled the net.

GOAL! Manchester United equalizes!

2-2!

On the visiting team's bench, Brendan Rodgers slammed his fist against the dugout barrier in frustration. Meanwhile, on the home side, Jin Taige and Paul Scholes sprinted to the sidelines, celebrating the equalizer.

The first half concluded with both teams locked at 2-2, setting up an intense second half.

Inside Liverpool's locker room, Brendan Rodgers was far from pleased. He wasn't upset about conceding two goals he was frustrated that his attack hadn't scored more.

"We had plenty of chances! If we were more clinical, we'd be leading 3-2, 4-2, maybe even 5-2!" he barked at his players.

Rodgers then turned his attention to Victor Moses, who had struggled in the first half. Aside from a poor cross early on, he had been virtually invisible.

"Moses, you're coming off. Sterling, you're in."

The young **Raheem Sterling** nodded. "Understood."

Rodgers locked eyes with him. "You know what I expect?"

"Go all out!"

"Exactly." Rodgers nodded. "We need more goals. That's all that matters."

Next, he addressed Luis Suárez, who had been unusually quiet.

"Luis, you were shut down in the first half, weren't you?"

Suárez sighed. "I wasn't expecting man-marking. They stuck to me like glue I barely got a clean chance."

Rodgers took a moment to think, then made a tactical shift. "Drop deeper in the second half. Instead of staying high in the box, come back and collect the ball."

Suárez's eyes lit up. "I was thinking the same thing."

Meanwhile, in the home locker room, Jin Taige was far more relaxed.

He had no major tactical adjustments his team was executing his game plan well. Rooney and Mauro Icardi had scored, while Shinji Kagawa, Riyad Mahrez, and Nani were creating havoc in attack.

Even in defense, he wasn't overly concerned. Gerrard's long-range strike and Sturridge's close-range finish were nearly unstoppable. Neither was the fault of the defense or David de Gea.

Then, Taige turned his attention to one key player: Virgil van Dijk.

Before kickoff, he had given Van Dijk one primary task neutralize Suárez.

Taige knew Suárez was at the peak of his powers. By the end of the season, he would be the Premier League's top scorer, securing a move to Barcelona, where he would form the legendary MSN trio with Messi and Neymar.

For now, though, Taige had one job for Van Dijk: stick to Suárez, no matter what.

"Virgil, how did it feel out there?" Taige asked.

Van Dijk shrugged. "It was okay. Suárez is quick and unpredictable, and a couple of times, I nearly lost him."

Taige nodded. "You did well. Keep it up in the second half don't give him an inch."

Van Dijk felt a surge of confidence.

He knew his chance would come. Even though Taige had promised to groom him as Nemanja Vidić's successor, he had barely played in the league. Instead, Taige had chosen Chris Smalling to cover for the injuredVidić.

Van Dijk didn't complain—he understood the reality of English football favoritism. Smalling had the "English passport advantage." But Ferdinand and Vidić wouldn't be around forever.

"My time will come."

For now, he just had to prove himself.

As the second half kicked off, both teams continued their all-out attacking approach. The midfield was bypassed almost entirely it was all about direct attacks and relentless pressure.

Five minutes in, Taige noticed a shift.

1. Liverpool's first substitution:

- Sterling replaced Moses.

- Sterling's blistering pace immediately caused problems for United's defense.

2. Suárez's positioning changed:

- He dropped deeper, forming a 4-3-1-2 instead of the previous 4-3-3.

- He was now playing behind Sturridge and Gerrard, acting as a link-up forward.

Suddenly, Van Dijk faced a dilemma.

"I was told to man-mark Suárez… but now he's dropped into midfield."*

"Do I follow him and risk leaving Smalling exposed? Or do I stay back and give him space?"

Van Dijk hesitated.

In that moment, Suárez pounced.

He collected the ball in midfield, took a quick glance at the penalty area, and surged forward.

Now it was Smalling vs. Suárez—one-on-one.

Smalling, towering at 193 cm, stood his ground.

He knew he couldn't tackle recklessly in the box one mistake, and it's a penalty.

He tried to block the passing lanes…

But it wasn't enough.

Suárez found his chance…

XXXX

Suárez collected the ball, glanced at the penalty area, then drove forward at full speed, charging straight at Chris Smalling.

Smalling, standing tall at 193 cm, quickly stepped up to block his path. But inside the box, he hesitated he couldn't risk a reckless challenge. Instead, he focused on closing the passing lanes.

Suárez glanced toward Raheem Sterling on the left. Sterling instinctively accelerated, anticipating a pass.

Seeing this, Smalling shifted slightly, positioning himself to block a potential pass.

Big mistake.

Suárez had no intention of passing.

With a subtle body feint to the right, he sold the illusion of a left-sided pass. Then, in one smooth motion, he used his left foot to nudge the ball right, simultaneously shifting his body past Smalling.

Smalling was left stranded.

"Suárez is through! He's one-on-one with De Gea!"

The United keeper rushed off his line but Suárez was already set.

A calm, low strike rolled across the turf, curling toward the far post.

GOAL!

Suárez finally breaks through!

Liverpool leads 3-2!

On the touchline, Brendan Rodgers exploded in celebration, jumping with his fists clenched. Even the fourth official had to step in to warn him.

For Rodgers, this was more than just a goal it was a personal battle against Jin Taige. Winning this match meant proving his tactical superiority.

Rodgers turned toward the United bench, expecting to see frustration and panic.

But instead, Taige and Scholes were already on their feet, calmly discussing tactical adjustments with their players.

Rodgers smirked. "Change whatever you want I'm winning this game."

Meanwhile, the Liverpool fans erupted, chanting "You'll Never Walk Alone" in full voice.

But Jin Taige had no time to care about the noise.

He pulled aside several key defensive players, giving rapid-fire instructions.

"Virgil!" Taige called out.

Van Dijk stepped forward.

"Same plan. Stick to Suárez. Wherever he goes, you follow until he's subbed or the game ends."

Van Dijk nodded. "Boss, what if he drops deeper into midfield?"

"Follow him. No hesitation."

Taige turned to Darren Fletcher.

"If Van Dijk gets pulled out, you drop into center-back alongside Smalling. Understood?"

Fletcher nodded. "Got it, boss."

Next, Taige pointed at Sterling.

"He's fast, and he delivers dangerous passes but he's not a clinical finisher. Don't let him accelerate. Cut off his passing lanes. If he tries to shoot, pressure him immediately."

"Understood!" the defenders responded in unison.

Just as Taige finished, the referee signaled for the match to resume.

Liverpool's players were still celebrating but United was already preparing their comeback.

As the match restarted, Suárez was shocked Van Dijk was right beside him again!

He tried drifting left to receive a pass, but Van Dijk followed step for step, eventually forcing the ball out for a goal kick.

Frustrated, Suárez dropped even deeper, almost to the center circle.

Van Dijk still stayed with him.

Finally, at a dead-ball situation, Suárez turned and muttered,

"Brother, I'm in midfield now are you really still following me?"

Without a hint of emotion, Van Dijk replied,

"Unless you get subbed or this match ends, I'm with you. Even if you go to the toilet, I'll follow."

Suárez could only shake his head in disbelief.

But then, an idea struck him.

"If Van Dijk is constantly on me… then Smalling is alone at the back!"

Suárez called over Steven Gerrard and pointed toward Sterling.

Gerrard understood immediately.

With Suárez distracting Van Dijk, Liverpool still had two attacking threats—Daniel Sturridge and Sterling.

Gerrard launched a long diagonal pass to Sterling, who controlled it perfectly and sprinted toward the baseline.

But Rafael tracked him tightly, preventing an easy cross.

Seeing no passing option, Sterling cut inside toward the box.

The ball was bouncing invitingly…

Sterling prepared to shoot

But Fletcher had read the play.

With Van Dijk occupied with Suárez, Fletcher had dropped into center-back, and now he stepped up and intercepted Henderson's pass before it reached Sturridge.

Liverpool's attack collapsed.

Fletcher quickly reorganized the backline, exchanging positions with Van Dijk as needed.

With this defensive shift, Liverpool lost their attacking rhythm.

- Sturridge was isolated.

- Sterling's shots were rushed and inaccurate.

- Gerrard's stamina was fading.

Taige's adjustments had neutralized Liverpool's offense.

Now, his eyes lit up

"This is our chance to equalize!"