Chamberlain immediately sprinted back after losing possession, and the rest of the red team quickly transitioned into defense. Left-back Robertson surged forward to press, while Pierre also adjusted his position.
With his sharp tactical awareness, Pierre placed himself in an awkward spot for Salah, cutting off the passing lane to Firmino. If Salah attempted the pass, Pierre or Van Dijk would intercept it.
With no clear passing options, Salah had to drive forward himself.
"Great positioning and awareness," Klopp murmured as he watched closely.
He had studied Pierre's match footage—how he completely nullified Dembele, blocking all 16 of his attempted dribbles. Even Messi had struggled against him, forced into making simple passes rather than taking defenders on.
But watching videos was one thing. Klopp needed to see Pierre's ability firsthand.
---
Salah wasn't flustered despite being surrounded. He spotted Robertson charging in and reacted instantly.
A quick pull-back. A sharp flick.
Using a nutmeg, Salah slipped the ball through Robertson's legs and accelerated past him.
It was a reminder of why he was called the "Egyptian Messi." His dribbling skills were world-class.
Robertson stumbled as Salah suddenly cut inside.
Pierre immediately saw through the move.
"He's cutting inside…"
It was a standard winger's maneuver. Anticipating Salah's next move, Pierre reacted instantly.
Like an arrow, he darted forward and positioned himself directly in Salah's path.
Salah's movement slowed for a fraction of a second.
He feinted left.
Pierre didn't bite. He stood his ground, unmoved.
Then, Salah shifted his weight to the left.
"A nutmeg…"
Pierre instantly recognized the trick. The shift in weight was a decoy—Salah planned to slip the ball through his legs and sprint past.
Pierre decided to play along.
He lunged slightly to the left, intentionally opening a gap.
Salah's eyes flashed with excitement as he took the bait.
He poked the ball forward, aiming for the gap.
Just as he tried to sprint past, Pierre pivoted on his right foot like a compass, using his body to block Salah's route.
Salah collided into him and staggered.
Pierre used the momentum to recover the ball, quickly passing it off to Henderson.
**Turn. Block. Tackle. Pass.**
Smooth. Efficient. Perfect.
**[Negative emotion value from Salah +800]**
A system notification flashed in Pierre's mind.
*Eight hundred?*
Pierre smirked slightly, glancing at Salah.
Jogging back into position, Salah suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
*What was that?*
He looked around but saw nothing unusual. He took a deep breath, rubbing his chest where the impact had landed.
Something didn't feel right.
*I pulled off the nutmeg. I should have been past him.*
*But somehow… he saw it coming?*
It was like Pierre had baited him into making that move. As if Salah had been the one following Pierre's plan.
And that wasn't the worst part.
Pierre looked lean, but the impact had felt like running into a solid wall.
---
On the sidelines, Klopp was stunned.
His assistant coach let out a slow whistle. "That… looked intentional."
"He let Salah nutmeg him on purpose," the assistant coach continued, shaking his head in disbelief. "He wasn't fooled at all—Salah walked right into his trap."
Klopp's eyes burned with excitement.
*We've found a gem.*
"He predicted Salah's movements and created a fake opening. He made Salah think he had a chance, then shut him down completely," Klopp said, his mind racing.
Pierre's football IQ was exceptional. His defensive ability was exactly what Liverpool needed.
Van Dijk and Pierre as the core defensive duo—combined with Lovren and Henderson's support—could make Liverpool's defense nearly impenetrable.
As Klopp began mentally adjusting his tactics, the match suddenly shifted again.
---
The yellow team launched a counterattack.
Salah surged forward, dribbling at full speed.
A quick feint. A sharp change of direction.
He bypassed Chamberlain and Robertson in an instant.
Just as he was about to deliver a pass—
Pierre reacted.
But instead of pressing Salah directly, he read the play and positioned himself on the passing lane.
As Salah attempted to send the ball forward, Pierre intercepted it mid-air, leaping and chesting it down.
Salah recovered and immediately pushed forward again.
This time, he tried to dribble into the box.
Pierre was waiting.
He lunged in with a precise challenge.
Salah had no choice but to jump over the tackle—
But the moment he landed, the ball was already at Pierre's feet.
Another interception.
Salah stood there, stunned.
Again.
Pierre had read his movements.
Again.
It was like he was under Pierre's control, dancing to his rhythm.
His confidence wavered.
---
Klopp exhaled, shaking his head with a grin.
"He did it again."
Pierre had completely neutralized Salah—twice.
Klopp turned to his assistant coach. "Get the paperwork ready."
The assistant coach blinked. "What for?"
Klopp grinned.
"He's getting the No. 10 jersey."
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