August 29th.
Friday.
The lights of the Stade Louis II illuminated the Monaco night sky.
Waves of white roses rose and fell in the stands.
Li Shiguang stood in front of the coaching bench, the corner of his black trench coat lifted by the Mediterranean wind, revealing the Leeds United team crest embroidered on the lining.
The timer on the big screen jumped to 19:45, and the European Super Cup final officially began.
In this match, Li Shiguang used the same lineup he used in the second half of the previous Community Shield match against Manchester United.
Zenit Saint Petersburg were the UEFA Cup champions last season.
Last season, teams from Russia performed exceptionally well, dominating their domestic league and also making great strides in the UEFA Cup.
In the final, they defeated Glasgow Rangers 2-0.
Even so, today, facing the formidable Leeds United.
Zenit St. Petersburg's head coach, Advocaat, remained wise, fielding a 4-5-1 defensive formation in an attempt to win the game through counter-attacks.
Therefore, from the very first minute of the match, Leeds United took control of the game.
For those who have been seeing this scene frequently since the beginning of this season, it's not surprising at all, after all, this is what Leeds United's matches look like this season!
The match has reached the seventeenth minute.
Kroos suddenly delivered a pinpoint through ball from the center circle, the ball piercing through the four Zenit St. Petersburg defenders and reaching the right flank.
Cristiano Ronaldo sprinted out from the sideline like lightning, abruptly stopping and changing direction before Zenit St. Petersburg's left-back Pogrebnyak could block him, instantly shifting Pogrebnyak's center of gravity two body lengths away.
"Here it comes again! Cristiano Ronaldo has once again used his individual skills to shake off the defender and break into the penalty area!" Lineker's commentary suddenly rose in volume.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not disappoint the Leeds United fans who were already preparing to celebrate.
The Portuguese player dribbled the ball forward, and just as he touched the penalty area line, he swung his right leg and kicked the ball hard with the instep.
The football flew at incredible speed as if defying gravity.
Although Malafeev, who rushed out of his goal, touched the ball, he couldn't stop Ronaldo's powerful shot. The ball swept past the Russian goalkeeper and slammed into the goal!
1-0! Leeds United take the lead!
Despite the deafening cheers from the crowd, Leeds United's offensive pressure did not diminish despite taking the lead.
Twenty-second minute and twenty-eighth minute.
Adriano and Modric each unleashed two incredibly accurate long-range shots, leaving Malafeev in a very awkward position.
As Leeds United's offensive became increasingly intense.
Li Shiguang noticed that the opponent's attacking midfielder Tymoshchuk had started to drop back frequently, and he knew very well that this meant Zenit was going to tighten their defense.
"Luka!" Li Shiguang walked to the sidelines and gestured towards Modric, "Push to the top of the arc!"
This adjustment yielded remarkable results five minutes later.
In the 33rd minute, Casemiro intercepted the ball from Denisov and quickly passed it to the wing.
Kaka's cross was cleared to the edge of the penalty area.
Modric, outside the penalty area, didn't wait for the ball to bounce before unleashing a rainbow-like arc with the outside of his left foot, the ball grazing the underside of the crossbar and nestling into the top corner.
Leeds United lead 2-0!
"A world-class goal!!! Luka Modric!!! The absolute core of Leeds United!!!" Lineker was more excited than ever. Although the first half wasn't over yet, he seemed to have already seen the European Super Cup in Leeds United's pocket. "Leeds United have scored their second goal. Zenit St. Petersburg looks like a weak child in front of them!"
After halftime, Advocaat reacted quickly, bringing on "Tsar" Arshavin and midfielder Shkolov in an attempt to regain the lead in the second half.
Li Shiguang had anticipated this.
In the locker room, he also emphasized to the players on the defensive line that they needed to stay focused after the start of the second half.
Fifteen minutes later.
The two sides switched sides and started the game again.
Clearly, the Russian counterattack was more ferocious than expected.
In the 47th minute, Arshavin suddenly cut inside to get past Boateng, and Neuer made a diving save to tip his chip shot over the crossbar.
In the 52nd minute, it was Arshavin again. The "Tsar" dribbled past Lahm's close marking and broke into the penalty area, but his final shot was cleared out of bounds by Boateng.
After withstanding Zenit St. Petersburg's counterattack during this period, Leeds United gradually regained control of the situation.
However, they held a two-goal advantage.
Leeds United's players played calmly and methodically, with Modric and Kroos controlling the team's tempo. While ensuring the team wouldn't be caught off guard by a sudden counter-attack, they orchestrated wave after wave of attacks on Zenit St. Petersburg's goal.
The Zenit St. Petersburg players were panicked.
They all knew very well that if things continued like this, the team would only be slowly dying.
They want to continue their counterattack.
But Leeds United's midfield control was too strong.
After receiving a reminder from Li Shiguang, Lahm and Casemiro worked together to cut off Arshavin's connection with the midfield.
In the time that followed.
Arshavin never got a third shot!
Eighty-second minute.
Leeds United completely killed the game.
Leeds United, who were passing the ball around in their own half, suddenly sped up.
Modric seized the opportunity in midfield and delivered a 30-meter low through ball.
Adriano burst through Zenit St. Petersburg's defense like a heavy tank, breaking the offside trap while receiving a through ball from Modric.
Then, the Brazilian swung his left leg from the edge of the penalty area.
The football flew like a cannonball, whistling through the air, towards the Zenit St. Petersburg player. When it hit the net, Malafeev didn't even have time to make a save.
3-0!
At this point, the competition is basically over.
Two minutes of added time were up.
Even though Leeds United were still organizing their attack, the referee didn't give them a single second more and blew the final whistle to end the match.
Leeds United defeated Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-0 to win the 2008 UEFA Super Cup, securing their fifth title of the season!
When the final whistle blew, the 3-0 scoreline on the big screen became a new legend in English football.
Under Li Shiguang's leadership, this Leeds United team has officially surpassed Manchester United and Liverpool to become the first team in English football history to win five titles!
Even more terrifying is...
The five-time champion title is not the end.
They will also travel to Japan to participate in the Club World Cup at the end of this year.
If Leeds United can win the Club World Cup.
Then they will create a miracle for the whole world and become the only six-time champions in the world of football!
As Li Shiguang said in an interview with the media after the match.
"Five titles are just the beginning. As for those who ask when we'll stop, my answer is—when the white roses bloom on every possible field!"
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