Calderon Recreates a Familiar Dance

The match continued.

Liverpool dominated possession, while Atletico Madrid's defense was compressed flat like a spring.

This was Simeone's usual tactic.

Ever since Chen Anno had left, he had taken up this tactic again.

Whether at home or away, they would not rashly push forward.

They were accustomed to letting their opponents have the ball, then strangling them in midfield and creating danger through counterattacks.

Liverpool's possession rate was as high as 65 percent in the opening ten minutes, yet they did not produce a single truly threatening shot.

The match soon reached the seventeenth minute.

Chen Anno received the ball on the left, facing Saul's defense.

He used his left foot to nudge the ball outward, his center of gravity tilting left as he feigned a forceful burst down the wing.

But Saul was not fooled at all. He merely lowered his center of gravity, his eyes fixed firmly on Chen Anno's feet.

Just then, Chen Anno suddenly changed direction, using the outside of his right foot to flick the ball back the other way...

Saul read the moment perfectly and stretched out his leg, making a clean, decisive tackle.

The ball was tackled out of bounds, but his momentum also brought Chen Anno down.

The two fell onto the turf together.

Saul got up and held out a hand to pull Chen Anno to his feet.

Their eyes met, and Chen Anno raised an eyebrow.

The little brother who had once followed him around was no longer showing him any mercy.

Saul let go, turned, and ran back to his defensive position.

Chen Anno watched his retreating back and gave a bitter smile.

As time passed, Liverpool began to raise the tempo on their own initiative.

They wanted to use the width of the pitch, changes in tempo,