The date was August 16, and the results of the first three quarterfinals were all in.
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona—these were the three teams confirmed to have reached the semifinals.
People said a single-elimination format increased the chances of weaker teams winning, yet in the end, strength still conquered all. The explosions from Lionel Messi and Neymar had made Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain the current favorites for the title.
As for Manchester United, who had originally been among the favorites to win it all—
The club that had lost its manager was about to face a do-or-die battle.
Manchester Evening News predicted Manchester United's starting lineup for the quarterfinal:
Goalkeeper: David de Gea
Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw
Midfielders: de Jong, Tang Ye, Rodri
Forwards: Ousmane Dembélé, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford
Head coach: Mitchell van der Gaag (interim)
Judging by the lineup given by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United's midfield and attack were both quite luxurious.
The back line, however, was a little rough.
It was still decent enough, but clearly did not match the quality of the team's midfield and attack.
According to football experts' analysis, Manchester United's defense was very likely to become a hidden danger in today's match.
Lisbon's Stadium of Light, fifteen minutes before kickoff.
Manchester Evening News had perfectly predicted the starting lineups for Manchester United and RB Leipzig. Since both sides had players unable to play, the prediction had not been difficult.
But whether it had succeeded or not no longer mattered. The focus now was the match about to begin.
"It's okay, it's okay!"
In the away dressing room, Tang Ye stood in the very center.
Erik ten Hag was absent, and Mitchell van der Gaag's words did not carry much authority. That left Tang Ye