An hour before the game, there were already huge crowds of people outside the stadium.
Manchester United fans wear red jerseys, Liverpool fans wear white away jerseys, yes, Liverpool's away jerseys are white, but that's not the point.
The key points are the golden bird on their chest and the red devil on Manchester United's chest.
Two colors, two teams, two cities, two beliefs.
Sky Sports's commentator Martin·Tyler is already sitting on the commentator's seat, next to his old partner Rob·Hawthorn.
"Rob, what are your expectations for today's game?"
"Expectations?" Rob smiled, "North West Derby Never need to expect, because it will never let you down."
CCTV-5's He Wei and Xu Yang also sat at their respective commentary seats. He Wei wore a dark blue suit and tie today, looking like he was going to a wedding.
"Viewers, welcome to the focus of the fifth round of Premier League, Manchester United vs. Liverpool." He Wei's voice spread throughout the streets of China through the TV signal, "This is one of the greatest games in England football history, and one of the most watched games in the world."
"That's right," Xu Yang answered, "In today's game, Zhang Kuang will start again. He has scored nine goals in the first four rounds of the league and scored a hat trick in UEFA Champions League's debut. He is in very hot form. Facing Liverpool today, can he continue this performance? We will wait and see."
In Hong Kong Cable Sports Channel's commentary booth, Ding Weijie and Liu Shunwen were also warming up before the game.
"Dear viewers, welcome to the Premier League live broadcast brought to you by Hong Kong Cable Sports Channel," Ding Weijie said in Cantonese, "Today it's Manchester United vs. Liverpool, North West Derby! I don't need to talk too much about this, it will definitely be exciting."
"Weijie, what do you think of Zhang Kuang's performance today?" Liu Shunwen asked.
"Zhang Kuang? This friend is crazy," Ding Weijie laughed, "Premier League has nine waves in four games, and UEFA Champions League scored a hat trick on his debut. Are you crazy?"
"Episode!"
"So I estimate that he will get at least two today."
"Two? So conservative?"
"I am not conservative, I am rationally analyzing. Liverpool is not Glasgow Rangers. Their defense is much tougher."
"How many words did you put in?"
Ding Weijie thought for a while, "Three."
"Hahaha, you, like me, are more emotional than rational."
"..."
In the players tunnel, Zhang Kuang stood in the team, feeling the sound coming from the stadium.
That sound was not an ordinary noise, but a textured sound that came in waves like ocean waves.
Manchester United fans are singing "GloryGloryManUnited", Liverpool fans are singing "You'llNeverWalkAlone".
The two kinds of singing intertwined together, as if they were engaged in a wrestling match without a referee.
Zhang Kuang took a deep breath.
"Nervous?" Rooney stood next to him and asked in a low voice.
"Not nervous." Zhang Kuang said, "Excited."
"That's right." Rooney patted his shoulder, "North West Derby, whoever is nervous loses."
He turned his head and glanced at Liverpool's team.
Gerrard stood at the front, expressionless, like a statue.
His eyes were very calm, but there was something hidden underneath that calmness that reminded Zhang Kuang of Ferguson. It was a kind of calmness that "I am used to big scenes."
Torres stood behind Gerrard, with her long blond hair tied into a small braid, and the expression on her face looked a bit like a cat that had just woken up.
Carragher stood at the back, with a bald head and a sinewy face. He was talking to Škrtel and suddenly laughed, revealing a mouth of teeth that were not straight.
"Be careful Carragher is targeting you today, he is very wild." Rooney said.
"Which one is Carragher?"
"Which one else? It's the bald one. Liverpool's vice-captain and one of England's best central defenders. He plays football very dirty, so you have to be careful."
Zhang Kuang glanced at Carragher, and Carragher happened to look over as well.
Eyes facing each other.
Carragher grinned, showing his white teeth.
Zhang Kuang also laughed.
"He is not dirty," Zhang Kuang said, "He is smart. Dirty and smart are two different things."
Rooney was stunned for a moment. "You speak for him?"
"I am stating the facts." Zhang Kuang said, "A dirty person will pretend to be innocent after shoveling you. A smart person will make you think he is the victim after shoveling you."
"... What nonsense are you talking about?"
"This is experience."
The referee looked at his watch and waved to the captains of both teams.
"Get ready to show up."
With the appearance of the two teams, the atmosphere at the scene became even more enthusiastic, whether it was the fans or the media at the scene.
The commentators of He Wei and Xu Yang had to speak two octaves higher, otherwise they themselves would not be able to hear themselves clearly.
"China Central Television, China Central Television, audience friends, welcome to watch the top event program. Today we bring you the focus game of the fifth round of Premier League. Manchester United plays against Liverpool at home, which is also often called North West Derby. It is the most watched game of Premier League in the year. There is no one.
Now that the two teams have entered the field, let me introduce to you the starting lineup of the two teams. The home team Manchester United's starting lineup is 433, goalkeeper No. 1 Van der Sar; the defenders are No. 22 O'Shea, No. 23 Evans, No. 15 Vidić, and No. 3 Evra; The midfield three are No. 18 Scholes, No. 24 Fletcher, and No. 11 Giggs; the three forwards are No. 33 Zhang Kuang, No. 10 Rooney, and No. 9 Berbatov."
Xu Yang: "Liverpool starts with 4411: goalkeeper No. 25 Reina; defenders No. 2 Glen·Johnson, No. 23 Carragher, No. 37 Škrtel, No. 3 Konchesky; The midfielders are No. 17 Maxi·Rodríguez, No. 28 Poulsen, No. 4 Meireles, and No. 10 Joe·Cole; the forwards are No. 8 Gerrard; No. 9 Torres."
(Author's note: The previous article mentioned that Torres appeared in Community Shield's Chelsea lineup. There is actually an error. Torres was transferred to Chelsea in the winter window of 2011. Now he is still a member of Liverpool. The previous article has been changed!)
He Wei: "Let me introduce the players on the bench for both sides. Manchester United is..."
The whistle sounded.
Liverpool kicks off first.
Torres passes the ball to Gerrard, and Gerrard passes it back to Meireles.
The game has begun.
Zhang Kuang is standing on the left wing, opposite Liverpool's right back Glen·Johnson and right midfielder Maxi·Rodríguez.
Maxi is a Argentina guy. He is not tall, but he is very flexible and has good foot skills. He also has a characteristic: he is short-tongued.
"Hey, China boy," Maxi came over, "I heard that you are very popular recently?"
Zhang Kuang ignored him.
"Passed five people in a row? Ha, my grandma can pass Glasgow Rangers's defenders."
Zhang Kuang still ignored him.
"What? You don't understand English?"
Zhang Kuang finally turned his head and looked at him.
"Are you done? Are you going to exchange trash talk with me? Are you sure?"
Maxi was stunned for a moment. "Hey, do you understand English?"
"After that, I want to tell you something," Zhang Kuang said, "If your grandma can really beat five people in a row, she should be playing football at Manchester United now, not Liverpool. By the way, when your grandma passes, which ball passes first?"
"What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
"It doesn't mean anything. It's just a literal meaning. Your grandma has so many balls. Which ball passed first?"
Maxi's expression changed. "Fake, you..."
Zhang Kuang blinked. "Tell me, what am I? Tell me."
Maxi's face turned red from holding back. "Huh, you have sharp teeth and a sharp mouth. I hope that when we bump into each other later, you will be as sharp as your mouth."
Zhang Kuang: "I don't know who is better between you and me, but if your grandma bumps into me, I'm sure I will be better. In fact, if your mother or your sister bumps into me, I will definitely bump their stomachs."
Maxi: "Fake, you trash, what else can you do besides talking trash?"
Zhang Kuang: "I also play football, and even my skills in bed are very good. If you don't believe me, ask your wife or girlfriend to compare. They will definitely say that my skills are better than yours."
Maxi was a little angry. "Do you want to die?"
Zhang Kuang: "Yes, I really want to die. Come on, do it."
Maxi was so angry that his face turned blue.
The left back of Konchesky and Liverpool next to him was assigned to help defend Zhang Kuang today. When he heard this sentence, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Maxi, were you yelled at by a child?"
"Shut up!" Maxi glared at Konchesky.
In the third minute, Zhang Kuang got the ball for the first time.
Scholes passed the ball to him in the midfield, Zhang Kuang took the ball with his back, and Konchesky followed him.
This Poland was 1.91 meters tall and weighed nearly 90 kilograms. He was a standard "tough guy". When he came up to him, he hit Zhang Kuang hard on the shoulder.
Zhang Kuang didn't move.
Konchesky was stunned for a moment, then bumped again.
Zhang Kuang still hasn't moved.
Konchesky's eyes flashed with fear.
"Is this kid tougher than Drogba?" He muttered in his heart.
Zhang Kuang returned the ball to Scholes, then turned around and ran into the penalty area. Konchesky caught up with him, and Maxi also followed from the side. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, closed like two doors.
Zhang Kuang didn't slow down and crashed directly into it.
"Bang!"
Konchesky felt like he had been hit by a truck, and his body tilted to the side involuntarily. Maxi was even worse, being bounced away, staggering two steps and almost falling.
Zhang Kuang squeezed between the two people, splitting two boards like a wedge.
"Beautiful!" Martin·Tyler shouted, "Zhang Kuang used his body to carry Konchesky and Maxi away! What kind of power is this?"
"I no longer want to evaluate Zhang Kuang's physical ability," Rob Hawthorn said, "Because every time I say, 'This is the limit,' he can break through the limit in the next game."
Zhang Kuang rushed into the penalty area, and Scholes's pass just landed at his feet. He didn't stop the ball and shot directly.
The ball flew towards the upper left corner of the goal like a cannonball.
Reina flew to save and touched the ball with his fingertips.
The ball changed direction and missed the crossbar and flew out of the baseline.
Corner kick.
"Wow--"Old Trafford Stadium sighed.
"Reina!" Martin·Tyler shouted, "Spain goalkeeper made a world-class save! Zhang Kuang's shot was exciting enough, but Reina's reaction was even more exciting!"
"Without Reina," Rob Hawthorn said, "Liverpool might have fallen behind 0:1 now."
He Wei waxed poetic in CCTV-5's studio. "Reina's save was like a dexterous cat that accurately caught the moth in the dark."
Zhang Kuang's shot is fast enough, accurate enough, and hard enough, but Reina is faster, more accurate, and harder. This is Premier League, this is North West Derby, and every detail may determine the direction of the game."
Xu Yang said, "Teacher He, your 'cat catching a moth' metaphor reminds me of a movie."
"What movie?"
""Catch Me If You Can"."
"... Director Xu, your joke caught me off guard."
In the sixth minute, Zhang Kuang made a comeback.
This time, he took the ball on the left wing and faced the double team of Konchesky and Maxi.
He didn't force the ball, but gave the ball to Evra who stepped in, and then ran towards the center.
Evra knocked the ball back, Zhang Kuang made an emergency stop after catching the ball, and Konchesky rushed over.
Zhang Kuang took the opportunity to cut inside, cutting from the side to the center like a knife.
"Robben-style incision!" Martin·Tyler shouted, "Everyone knows what Robben is going to do, but no one can stop him! Does Zhang Kuang's 'Robben-style incision' have the same effect as Robben?"
Yes, everyone knows that Zhang Kuang needs to be cut inside.
Konchesky knows, Maxi knows, Carragher knows, Reina also knows.
But if you know it, you know it. Whether you can prevent it or not is another matter.
Konchesky made the first sliding tackle, but Zhang Kuang jumped with the ball in his arms and jumped over Konchesky's sliding tackle.
Maxi was hit second, Zhang Kuang made a counter collision, and Maxi fell in the penalty area. Then he reached out and shouted to the referee, "He fouled, he fouled."
Zhang Kuang: "North West Derby is calling this a foul? Don't embarrass Liverpool."
The referee also made no comment, and Maxi was very angry.
Zhang Kuang cuts inside to the top of the penalty area, then raises his right foot and makes a shooting gesture.
Carragher stretched out his feet to block it.
Zhang Kuang's foot came down and instead of shooting, he made a fake move and spiked the ball to his left foot.
Carragher's kick came up empty, his body lost balance, he stumbled and almost fell down.
Zhang Kuang shoots again with his left foot.
The ball drew an arc and flew towards the lower right corner of the goal.
Reina flew to save again. This time, he did not touch the ball.
The ball missed the post and flew into the goal.
1:0.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!" Martin·Tyler's voice was heartbreaking, "Zhang Kuang! It's Zhang Kuang again! In the sixth minute of the opening, Manchester United took the lead! This is his tenth Premier League goal this season! Ten goals in five games! What level of performance is this?"
"Incredible!" Rob Hawthorn said, "Zhang Kuang's goal today reminds me of Robben. The same inside cut, the same curve ball, the same unstoppable.
But Zhang Kuang is more comprehensive than Robben, because he can not only cut inside, he can also break through, pass, header, and take the ball with his back. This is a perfect offensive player!"
He Wei has stood up.
"The ball is in! The ball is in! The ball is in! In the sixth minute, Zhang Kuang cuts in and scores, Manchester United leads Liverpool 1:0! This is his tenth Premier League goal this season and his first goal in North West Derby!"
"This is a typical 'Zhang Kuang-style' goal," Xu Yang said excitedly. "It doesn't make sense, doesn't follow routines, and just relies on personal ability to beat the opponent. Konchesky, Maxi, Carragher, three people couldn't guard him!"
"It's not that you can't guard against it," He Wei said, "It's that you can't guard against it. Some people, you know exactly what they are going to do, but you just can't stop them. Zhang Kuang is such a person."
Zhang Kuang ran to the corner flag area, knelt down and slid several meters away.
Three deep scratches were left on the turf.
Old Trafford Stadium's 76,000 fans stood up at the same time, raised their arms and let out deafening cheers.
In the stands, some fans were so excited that they tore off their clothes.
It's not just male fans.
A blond female fan, wearing a red jersey of Manchester United, was so excited that she pulled the jersey off her head, and then realized that she was wearing nothing underneath.
Two rays of spring light swayed in the sunshine.
Zhang Kuang happened to glance in that direction, and then froze.
He covered his eyes in embarrassment and turned away.
But this action is already too late.
Cameras captured the scene, and commentators around the world saw it.
Martin·Tyler laughed loudly, "What did Zhang Kuang see? Why did he cover his eyes? Isn't he a playboy? Playboys can also be shy?"
"Maybe the playboy is not shy," Rob Hawthorn said, "It's just that the picture was too dazzling and made his eyes look a little dazzled?"
He Wei coughed twice.
"Well... we won't comment further. Director Xu, please talk about the technical details of this goal."
Xu Yang suppressed a laugh, "The technical details of the goal are perfect, but I want to talk more about Zhang Kuang covering his eyes. This shows that although he is a playboy, he still has a bottom line."
"What's the bottom line?"
"Don't watch it for free."
"... Director Xu, your joke is a bit cold."
The game continues.
Liverpool's players had dissatisfaction written all over their faces.
Especially Maxi·Rodríguez.
After this Argentina man was scolded once by Zhang Kuang, he was still feeling angry. He came over again and started talking trash in Zhang Kuang's ear.
"Boy, you were lucky to score the goal just now."
Zhang Kuang ignored him.
"But luck won't always be on your side."
Zhang Kuang still ignored him.
"Did you hear me?"
Zhang Kuang finally turned his head and looked at him.
"Maxi, let me ask you a question."
"What's the problem?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Maxi was stunned for a moment. "Yes. What's wrong?"
"Then do you know who she slept with last night?"
Maxi's face suddenly turned red.
"What the hell did you say?"
"I didn't say anything," Zhang Kuang smiled, "I just asked you a question. Look at you, you get angry so easily, which is not good for your health. Oh, by the way, ask her how Chinese Zhang's skills are."
"Shet, what did you say?"
Maxi was so angry that he was shaking all over and opened his mouth to curse, but he didn't know what to curse.
"Do you want to do something? Come on, come on, I've been waiting for about ten minutes. You are a person who can't talk trash. You are a good person and love to play. I guess you are like this in bed."
"You, you, you..."
At this time, Konchesky quickly pulled Maxi away. Zhang Kuang sneered at Maxi and ran away.