The Greatest of all Time

Chapter 755 Measured, Masterful, and Merciless

After the fifteen-minute break, both teams emerged from the tunnel with renewed energy, but something was clearly different in the body language of the City players. Whatever Pep Guardiola had said at halftime, it had landed. The Manchester City side came out sharper, hungrier, and more aggressive.

The second half kicked off with an immediate shift in momentum.

City pressed higher and pushed their fullbacks even further forward. The midfield trio tightened their grip on the ball, stringing passes together with renewed confidence. Kevin De Bruyne in particular looked like a man on a mission, dictating play from deep and pulling strings across the pitch.

Just three minutes in, City produced their first dangerous chance of the half. In the 48th minute, David Silva drifted centrally, drawing in both Zachary and Henderson before slipping a clever reverse pass into De Bruyne's path. The Belgian barely needed to look. With one quick glance, he spotted Gabriel Jesus, who had just come on at the break for Leroy Sané.

De Bruyne threaded the needle, releasing Jesus into the left channel. The young striker broke the defensive line with a burst of pace and found himself inside the box, cutting toward the near post.

He unleashed a low, driven shot from a tight angle, aiming for the far corner. But Alisson had anticipated it. The Liverpool keeper dropped quickly and stretched out a strong left hand to push the ball away from danger. It was a vital stop, and it set the tone for the second half.

City did not let up.

In the 64th minute, a curling cross from Zinchenko nearly found Sterling at the back post, only for van Dijk to rise and flick it clear with a towering header. In the 69th, De Bruyne tested Alisson again with a rocket from outside the box. The shot dipped late, forcing the Brazilian into a full-stretch save to tip it over the bar.

Then came a dangerous sequence in the 72nd minute. Bernardo Silva wriggled through two defenders on the right wing and sent in a cutback that rolled dangerously through the six-yard box. Jesus got a toe on it, but Robertson lunged in and cleared just before it could sneak inside the post.

The 77th minute brought another scare. City worked a flowing move through the middle, with Gündoğan now on the pitch in place of David Silva. His late runs were unsettling Liverpool's midfield. After a quick exchange with Rodri, Gündoğan released Sterling into the box again. This time, it took a last-ditch slide from Joe Gomez to block the shot and send it spinning out for a corner.

By now, Liverpool were struggling to keep their grip on the match. The tempo had tilted heavily in City's favor. While Klopp's men still posed a threat on the break, they were increasingly pinned in their own half, forced to absorb pressure and wait for moments to spring forward.

As the clock edged toward the 80th minute, the scoreline still read 1–0 in Liverpool's favor. But by the run of play, it felt fragile. The balance had shifted. The gaps were opening. And City smelled blood.

Then came the 81st minute.

Gündoğan started it. He collected the ball deep and quickly played a one-two with De Bruyne. The combination sliced past both Fabinho and Henderson, pulling Liverpool's midfield apart. With space to work, Gündoğan turned and sprayed the ball to the right wing where Bernardo Silva had sprinted into space.

Bernardo Silva wasted no time.

He drove down the wing with pace, then whipped in a low, fast cross that tore through the heart of the penalty box. Raheem Sterling timed his run perfectly, arriving near the penalty spot just as the ball reached him. He lunged, got a boot to it, and directed it toward goal.

But the finish lacked power. Whether from the pressure of Gomez closing in or a poor connection, the shot skidded low and central.

Alisson reacted swiftly.

He dropped to his knees, set his hands low, and palmed the ball away before it could slip past him. It rolled out over the byline, and City were awarded a corner.

Hoping to keep up the pressure, Manchester City took the resulting corner quickly. Kevin De Bruyne whipped in a wicked delivery, sending the ball into a packed penalty area where blue and red shirts clashed in the air. John Stones timed his run perfectly and leapt with force, but Alisson was quicker. The Liverpool keeper rose above everyone and snatched the ball out of the sky just inches above Stones' head.

With the ball secured in his gloves, Alisson landed on both feet and took a brief breath. It was a vital moment. Liverpool needed to settle. They needed structure.

Within seconds, the players spread back into position. The defenders moved into lanes, the midfield dropped into shape, and the wide men peeled toward the flanks. On cue, Alisson rolled the ball short to Virgil van Dijk, who stood just outside the six-yard box.

Immediately, Raheem Sterling surged forward to press the Dutch defender, hoping to force a mistake. But van Dijk was composed. He shaped his body calmly, took a touch, then guided the ball up the left flank to Andrew Robertson.

Bernardo Silva charged forward to close down Robertson, but the left-back anticipated the pressure. With a single touch, he turned inside and found Fabinho, who had opened himself just enough to receive the ball.

Fabinho took the pass and scanned the pitch. But City were pressing with precision. Before he could lift his head fully, both Sterling and De Bruyne closed in from opposite angles, trapping him in a shrinking pocket of space. Recognizing the danger, Fabinho wisely sent the ball back to van Dijk.

It was clear that Liverpool's back line was being squeezed.

From the midfield, Zachary took note. He had been lingering higher up the pitch, looking to receive in space, but the situation called for support. He dropped back quickly, eyes locked on van Dijk, waving his arm and shouting for the ball. İlkay Gündoğan saw the movement and tried to follow, chasing him step for step.

But Zachary's stride was longer. His burst was sharper. He kept two yards between himself and Gündoğan, enough to control the rhythm.

Van Dijk, moments away from being boxed in again, spotted him and didn't hesitate. He drove the ball forward with precision, threading it into Zachary's path.

Zachary's timing was flawless. As he approached the ball, he glanced over his shoulder and noticed Gündoğan closing in fast. Then, with a subtle shift in pace, he slowed just slightly, luring his pursuer in.

At the last possible moment, just as the ball was about to reach his feet, Zachary faked as if he would stop and control it.

But then, he let it run.

The ball slid through his legs and continued past him.

Gündoğan took the bait. He stepped toward the path of the ball, only to realize too late that it was a trap.

Zachary spun sharply and exploded in the opposite direction. In one swift motion, he had peeled away and chased down the ball that was still rolling in open space, now completely behind Gündoğan.

The crowd roared as Zachary caught up to it and regained possession, shifting it under his control without breaking stride. Ahead of him, another blue shirt was already closing in.

It was Rodri.

Zachary, still staying true to his new philosophy of efficiency over flair, didn't bother trying to dribble past him. There was no need to force a one-on-one with a player like Rodri when the space was opening elsewhere. Instead, he played the ball smartly, squaring it across to Jordan Henderson, who was already shifting into position.

Henderson took a quick touch to control and immediately passed it up to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had been fresh and lively since coming on for Origi.

By the time Oxlade-Chamberlain received the ball, Zachary had already surged forward a few more yards. He found himself in a clean pocket between the lines, unmarked and alert. Oxlade-Chamberlain didn't hesitate. He spotted the window and slipped the ball back into Zachary's feet, completing a sharp, beautiful triangle.

Zachary met the return pass with subtle flair. A feather-light touch with the inside of his right boot brought it under control, while his awareness told him exactly where the defenders were. That quick combination had dismantled the City midfield, and now he stood just a few strides from the final third.

But Otamendi was closing in hard.

Zachary didn't panic. Instead of trying to beat the center-back with a dribble, he turned his hips and released the ball quickly into the space on the left. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had already anticipated the move and was racing down the channel, accelerating past Kyle Walker with ease.

The pass found him in stride.

Oxlade-Chamberlain pushed the ball forward, hugged the sideline for a few seconds, then darted in toward the box. John Stones shifted over to contain the angle, but Oxlade-Chamberlain didn't engage him. He chose efficiency over confrontation and squared the ball low across the box.

Zachary was already arriving.

Timed to perfection, he met the ball at the top of the area, taking a soft touch with his left to guide it just over the white line into the box. Zinchenko came flying in from the side, anticipating a shot and sliding desperately to block.

But Zachary didn't shoot.

Instead, he planted his left foot, paused for half a second, and let Zinchenko fly past him, off balance and helpless.

Now, the space was his.

Zachary nudged the ball forward a few inches, raised his eyes, and spotted the opening, just inside the far post, tight and unforgiving. With the composure of a player in complete control, he stepped into the strike and smashed it low and true, just inside the post.

Claudio Bravo stretched, but he was too late.

The ball kissed the inside of the post and rippled the back of the net.

Goal. Liverpool 2 : Manchester City 0.

It was Liverpool's second of the day and Zachary's second for the day.