THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-687

The Liverpool players arrayed themselves into their familiar 4-3-3 triangular formation and began passing the ball around, following Klopp's match strategy to the letter.

The goal was clear: control the tempo, dominate possession, and remain composed through the tricky opening minutes of an away game. Each pass and each movement was measured and deliberate, as Liverpool sought to impose their rhythm on the game.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, set up in a solid 4-4-2 defensive structure. Their strategy was to frustrate Liverpool and look for opportunities to counterattack. Every player, including strikers Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha, fell back to fortify their defense, forming a tenacious wall against Liverpool's advances.

The match then unfolded predictably in the first fifteen minutes. Liverpool maintained control, moving the ball efficiently and effectively, but struggled to create clear goal-scoring chances. Crystal Palace's defense held firm, absorbing the pressure and denying Liverpool any space to exploit. The Reds, however, remained unfazed, continuing to execute their game plan with patience and precision.

Finally, at the 15th-minute mark, the Liverpool players upped the tempo. Their movements became sharper, their passes quicker. The intensity of their press increased, pushing Crystal Palace deeper into their own half. The change in pace was evident, and the pressure began to mount on the home side.

In the 24th minute, Liverpool's efforts finally showed the first signs of paying off as a swift transition from defense to attack caught Crystal Palace off guard.

Georginio Wijnaldum intercepted a pass and quickly released the ball to James Milner. Milner received it with a deft touch and then sent it forward—to Sadio Mané, who had just positioned himself past the halfway line.

Mané was as collected as ever as he connected with the pass. Turning sharply, he sprinted down the left wing, dragging defenders along with his run before switching play with a perfectly timed cross-field pass to Mohamed Salah on the right flank.

Salah received the ball with a great first touch and immediately set off on a dribble past Patrick van Aanholt, Crystal Palace's left-back. With a burst of speed and a clever feint, Salah beat van Aanholt and surged towards the penalty area. The home crowd's cheers quieted as Salah approached the box like the wind at breakneck speed.

Mamadou Sakho, Crystal Palace's center-back, rushed forward, scrambling to close down the attack. But Salah showed composure and didn't try to take on the center-back. Instead, he squared the ball toward the middle, finding Roberto Firmino in space.

Firmino received the ball with his back to the goal and then turned swiftly away from his marker to unleash a first-time shot towards the bottom left corner.

The stadium held its breath as Firmino's technique and accuracy were impeccable, and the ball seemed destined for the back of the net. But at the last moment, Wayne Hennessey, Crystal Palace's goalkeeper, performed an incredible dive, stretching out a hand to intercept the ball. The home crowd erupted in relief as the ball was deflected to the other side of the box.

Zachary was still watching intently from the bench. He placed his hands behind his head, mirroring his teammates' reactions as the close call had been a moment of high tension, a glimpse of the brilliance Liverpool could unleash at any moment.

He quickly turned his attention back to the pitch as Aaron Wan-Bissaka collected the intercepted ball and sent it along the line to find Andros Townsend, Crystal Palace's right winger.

The counterattack was on, prompting Klopp to start yelling from the sidelines for his players to fall back quickly. But Townsend was already in motion, connecting with the ball from Wan-Bissaka before playing a diagonal ball to Christian Benteke in the middle.

Benteke expertly used his body to hold off Joe Gomez, one of Liverpool's center-backs, and controlled the ball with his chest. Georginio Wijnaldum, the defensive midfielder nearby, tried to rush back and help, but Benteke gave him no chance. He quickly passed the ball to Wilfried Zaha, who had just made a daring run on his right.

Zaha effortlessly connected with the pass and used his pace and trickery to drive into the box, looking to create a clear goal-scoring opportunity. But just as he pulled the trigger, Virgil van Dijk, who had tracked back, slid in and blocked the shot, sending the ball out of play for a corner kick.

The entire Liverpool bench, including Klopp and Zachary, let out a breath of relief, having just survived a dangerous Crystal Palace counterattack. It had been an exciting and intense few minutes of play that wowed the fans, but for the substitutes and coaches, it was just pure torture as they watched the unpredictability of the situation on the playing field.

Crystal Palace took the corner kick, but it didn't result in anything due to Liverpool's well-organized set-piece defense. After that, the game continued with Liverpool pushing the counterattack behind them and dominating possession while Crystal Palace defended tenaciously and occasionally launched counterattacks.

The match was exciting as both teams created several half-chances, but the score remained 0-0 until the 43rd minute when Liverpool got a clear chance to punish Crystal Palace.

The opportunity was created by Sadio Mané, who connected well with a pass from James Milner and then tried to drive past Aaron Wan-Bissaka. But just as Mané stepped into the box, Wan-Bissaka slid in, attempting to tackle the ball but failed, instead tripping Mané and sending him tumbling to the ground. The referee immediately blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot before awarding Wan-Bissaka a yellow card.

James Milner stepped up to take the penalty. The stadium held its breath as Milner, known for his composure under pressure, prepared to convert the spot-kick.

He took a few steps back, then approached the ball with confidence. With a swift and decisive strike, he sent the ball low and hard into the bottom left corner, out of Wayne Hennessey's reach. The Liverpool bench erupted in cheers, and Zachary felt a surge of approval as he saw his new team take the lead against Crystal Palace.

The score now stood at 1-0 in favor of Liverpool, and the players celebrated briefly before refocusing on the final minutes of the half.

Moments later, as the halftime whistle blew, the teams began to make their way to the tunnel. Zachary watched as Wilfried Zaha, his teammate from the Ivorian National Team and fellow World Cup winner, passed by the Liverpool bench. Zaha acknowledged Zachary with a nod, and Zachary nodded back, a silent exchange of respect between friends now on opposing sides.

Zachary then chose not to follow his teammates into the locker room. Instead, he joined the other substitutes and stepped onto the pitch, beginning some ball work to get a feel for the ball—just in case Klopp decided to call on him.

The atmosphere in Selhurst Park whirred with excitement as the fans noticed Zachary on the field. Known worldwide for his recent World Cup triumph and other accolades, Zachary's presence added an extra layer of intrigue to the match.

As he began his warm-up, the crowd's murmur turned into a mixture of cheers and jeers. While loyal to their team, some of the Crystal Palace fans couldn't help but be awed by Zachary's skills.

The cameras quickly focused on him, and soon, the jumbotron displayed his ball control mastery. With his newly acquired SSS-grade Ball Control, Zachary juggled the ball effortlessly, turning his warm-up into an entertaining spectacle for the fans.

Time passed quickly, and soon halftime ended. Zachary returned to the bench with the other substitutes as the starting players emerged from the tunnel. His heart beat with the hope that Klopp would give him an opportunity to prove his worth.

The second half commenced with Liverpool maintaining their dominance in possession. They patiently worked the ball to break down the resilient Palace defense, their movements sharper and more decisive.

Klopp's halftime pep talk must have invigorated the team, with Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold frequently finding themselves in promising positions. Mané used his pace and trickery to dart past defenders, Salah cut inside from the wing with his lethal left foot, and Alexander-Arnold unleashed precise crosses from the right flank.

Despite Liverpool's best efforts, Crystal Palace's defenders and keeper remained resilient, frustrating Liverpool's attempts repeatedly again and again.

The score remained 1-0 in favor of Liverpool, but an anxious air hung over their bench. The unease was understandable, as a single goal was never enough against a team like Crystal Palace, known for their ability to surprise with a counterattack or a well-executed set piece.

The proceedings moved forward, and as the game approached the 70th minute, Crystal Palace launched another dangerous counterattack.

Wilfried Zaha connected with a surprise long pass from Luka Milivojevic, sprinting down the left flank. He cut inside and took a powerful shot, but Alisson Becker made a crucial save, pushing the ball out for a corner. The Liverpool bench collectively sighed in relief, knowing how close they had come to conceding.

Seeing the situation, Jürgen Klopp shook his head and turned to the bench. His intense eyes scanned his players before settling on Zachary and Jordan Henderson.

"Zachary, Hendo, warm up!" he barked, his voice carrying the moment's urgency.

Zachary's spirits soared as he quickly rose and began his warm-up routine with Henderson. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the chance to prove himself on another big stage.

As he warmed up, he could feel the weight of the moment. The fans, the floodlights, and the crowd's cheers all fueled his anticipation. His heart pounded with excitement and determination as this was his chance to make an impact, to show why Liverpool had brought him to Anfield.