This match wasn't just depressing for the fans in the stands and in front of the TV.

Chen Hero on the field also felt depressed.

He understood the manager's desire to be cautious, but couldn't they be a little less cautious? At least before, it was a normal defensive counterattack. After Gerrard came to relay the message, the team's offense became even more conservative.

Now, with the ninety minutes almost over, Liverpool hadn't scored a single goal. And he himself didn't have any decent chances.

Having played so many games this season, this was the first time Chen Hero had encountered a game like this.

He didn't know what his boss was thinking. If the score hadn't changed by the end of the ninety minutes, he was going to have a good talk with O'Neill.

What he also found strange was Real Madrid's performance. They didn't look like Real Madrid at all, but more like a newly promoted team, choosing to park the bus in front of their goal when facing Liverpool.

But that was quite in line with Mourinho's style...

In short, this atypical Champions League final was making Chen Hero very unhappy.

Since the team's tactics weren't supporting him enough, he decided to go solo.

As the game neared its end, Chen Hero suddenly became unexpectedly active.

He frequently used his individual skills to create threats to Real Madrid's goal.

The commentators also got a little excited along with him.

Unfortunately, Mourinho's Real Madrid was indeed very good at defending. Chen Hero and his teammates were never able to find a breakthrough.

When the referee blew the whistle to end the ninety minutes, the score on the big screen was still 0:0.

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"What a boring game. It's shocking that a game like this is the Champions League final..."

"For Chinese fans staying up late to watch the game, this match is really disappointing... Not only did neither side score, but there were very few decent shots on goal. The only highlight of the game came near the end of the first half, when Liverpool and Real Madrid each had a threatening attack. Another reason for the disappointment of Chinese fans is that Chen Hero didn't score. He had another excellent opportunity, but it was stopped by Casillas... Now there are thirty minutes of extra time, let's grit our teeth and get through it together. There's really nothing we can do about ending up with a final like this... Both sides want to win, but they're even more afraid of losing."

"The ninety minutes are finally over! After thirty minutes of extra time, there will be a penalty shootout... I think I've finally perked up a bit. I've found a reason and motivation to keep watching. That's to see a cruel, tense, and exciting penalty shootout! I believe you viewers in front of the TV are all looking forward to it just like me, right? As for extra time, let's just get it over with quickly!"

Amid the commentators' voices, the players from both sides walked off the field and gathered on the sidelines.

After the end of the ninety minutes, the players don't go to the locker room to rest, but instead take a simple rest on the sidelines for about five minutes.

During these five minutes, the players seize the time to rest, while the team doctors and therapists are busy giving the players leg muscle massages. The coaches then begin to make tactical arrangements for extra time.

Actually, there's not much to arrange, because once it goes into extra time, everyone starts conserving their energy to prepare for the penalty shootout.

Chen Hero walked off the field and went straight to Coach Martin O'Neill and asked, "Boss, what's going on? How did the game go to extra time?"

To be honest, it wasn't just Chen Hero who couldn't figure it out, the other Liverpool players couldn't either. But the coach still had authority, and everyone had to listen to him on the field.

O'Neill had one good point: he never put on airs. This was his responsibility, and if it were another coach, they might deny it outright and even scold the player who asked the question. But O'Neill? At most, he would just look embarrassed, and then apologize to everyone.

"I'm sorry, everyone, it's my fault. I thought they were trying to deliberately show weakness to lure us to attack, and then hit us on the counterattack. I didn't expect them to be so determined to drag the game into a penalty shootout..."

Hearing him say this, everyone was shocked.

Penalties?

Many people instinctively started to get headaches.

Penalties are a problem that many players are afraid to face. The pressure is just too great...

And they hadn't done any special training for penalties before this final, so it could be said that they were completely unprepared.

Then they realized the seriousness of the problem.

If Real Madrid succeeded, the team's chances of winning the championship would really be bleak.

With preparation versus no preparation, it was really too easy to calculate who would win in a penalty shootout...

Chen Hero was the first to react, and he also figured out why Real Madrid insisted on going to penalties.

He said, "If that's the case, then let's not let them get to the penalty shootout. Anyway, there's still thirty minutes left, let's attack with all our strength, and we can definitely break through their defense!"

"But if we attack with all our strength, what if they counterattack? Real Madrid is a very good counterattacking team..." Captain Gerrard questioned.

"We'll use our attack to completely suppress them, so that even if they have a chance to counterattack, they won't be able to!" Chen Hero said confidently and decisively. "Just like we did against Barcelona back then. Barcelona's attack was so powerful, but they couldn't even get to our thirty-meter area, could they?"

"The problem is that when we were dealing with Barcelona, we did ten days of targeted training, and the tactical arrangements were all aimed at Barcelona's attack. But now we haven't received any tactical training specifically for Real Madrid, so I'm afraid we don't have that ability..." Gerrard continued to express his worries.

Chen Hero shook his head. "Special training just lets us extend the time of our all-out attack from twenty minutes to ninety minutes. We don't need to persist for that long, just thirty minutes... No, fifteen minutes is enough! As long as we attack with all our strength for fifteen minutes, that's enough!"

Martin O'Neill, who had been listening from the side, also stood up at this time. "Hero is right. Let's make one last attempt in extra time, concentrate all our energy on attacking for fifteen minutes, and try to score at least one goal. Don't worry about their counterattack, because our attack will be enough to suppress their counterattack. If we can't break through their defense in these fifteen minutes, then we'll have to accept our fate, shrink our defense honestly, and wait to play them in a penalty shootout!"

Since the coach had said so, that was the final decision.

Everyone's eyes became more determined when they thought that if they failed, they would have to face the high-pressure penalty shootout.

These fifteen minutes were the real essence of this final!

Only victory is allowed, no defeat!

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On the other side, Mourinho was desperately trying to boost his players' morale.

"You guys did great, guys! This is the first time Liverpool hasn't scored a goal in ninety minutes this season! You did it! Great! Now keep working hard, and as long as you hold on for another thirty minutes, the victory and the championship trophy will belong to us! This is the eleventh Champions League trophy in Real Madrid's history! No team in European football has ever been able to do this! You will be the first team! In the face of such honor, everything else is insignificant! In the first half of extra time, I think Liverpool will conserve their energy, so their attack will not be strong. You can take the opportunity to rest and adjust your physical fitness. The most important thing is the second half. Liverpool will definitely launch a full-scale attack, because they definitely don't want to go to a penalty shootout! That's their last madness. As long as you see them do this, you should be relieved and firm in your belief. Because you know that Liverpool is afraid of going to a penalty shootout. Why are they afraid? Because they themselves know that they can't win us in a penalty shootout!"

Mourinho is worthy of being a master of psychology, skilled at boosting morale.

Under his words, the tired faces of many Real Madrid players regained their brilliance.

※※※

"First half, let's go all out in the first half! Don't leave any room for ourselves. Force ourselves into a dead end, and then see how much energy we can unleash!" Chen Hero was assigning tasks to his teammates.

O'Neill had already said the main points, and in the end, he volunteered to say a few words.

"What if we run out of energy before we score?" someone asked.

Chen Hero said murderously, "Then we'll die! We don't need to wait for any penalty shootout!"

His appearance made everyone shudder.

Then he took the lead and ran onto the field.

The first half of the thirty-minute extra time began...

※※※

Mourinho stood on the sidelines. At this time, he could no longer remain calm.

These thirty minutes felt like a century to him. As long as he could get through it, he would become the first and only coach to defeat Liverpool this season.

For him, this might be more important than winning the eleventh Champions League title.

Soon he discovered that it wasn't thirty minutes that was long, but... fifteen minutes!

Within his field of vision, Liverpool had launched wave after wave of attacks from the very beginning of extra time.

These attacks gave him a sense of déjà vu.

When watching Liverpool's game footage, he saw something similar to what was happening today in Liverpool's 6-0 victory over Barcelona at home.

The cheers from the stands grew from small to large, quickly sweeping the entire stadium.

He didn't need to look up to know that these were the cheers of Liverpool fans.

Because Liverpool fans, like him, saw the same thing!

He smelled the scent of danger in this frenzied air.