Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 296: One-up

Chapter 296: One-up

[Peter, let’s talk about that goal again. Benjamin absolutely destroyed Johnson, then had the confidence to rainbow-flick Carragher! That’s something you try in training, not in a Europa League match!]

[And yet he pulled it off, John! Then, to have the awareness to pick out the perfect pass? That’s what separates good players from great ones. Berghuis still had work to do, but he reacted brilliantly to put it away!]

Brendan Rodgers on the touchline clapped his hands together, urging his team to reset. Liverpool had been playing well, but now they were behind.

[Well, this changes everything. Liverpool have to respond now. They’ve looked dangerous, but AZ Alkmaar have drawn first blood]

Gertjan Verbeek, meanwhile, was pumping his fists in the air. The home crowd was on their feet, singing in unison.

[Listen to this stadium, John! The fans are absolutely loving this. They know their team is in a fight tonight!]

As the celebrations died down, Liverpool gathered at the center circle, ready to restart. Gerrard pulled Suárez and Sterling close, speaking with urgency.

[And now we see what Liverpool are made of, Peter. They’ve got quality all over the pitch. Can they find a way back?]

[You’d never count them out, John. But AZ Alkmaar have their tails up now. This could get very interesting!]

Fweeee!

The referee signaled for play to resume.

[Game on!]

Liverpool didn’t waste time. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Gerrard knocked the ball back to Agger, who played it forward to Lucas. The tempo immediately picked up.

[Liverpool back in possession, Peter. They need a response, and they need it quickly.]

[Absolutely, John. They’ve been the better side in spells, but AZ Alkmaar took their chance. Now it’s about character—who steps up for Liverpool?]

Lucas pivoted and sent the ball out wide to Sterling. The young winger controlled it in stride, his first touch immaculate as he sized up his defender.

[And here comes Raheem Sterling. We’ve seen him cause problems already tonight.]

Sterling feinted left before bursting right, using his blistering pace to drive down the flank. Johansson chased, but Sterling had a yard on him.

[Look at the acceleration! Sterling is away!]

He reached the byline and whipped in a dangerous cross. The ball curled toward Suárez, who had peeled away from his marker.

[Suárez! He’s there—]

The Uruguayan leapt and met the ball with a powerful header. The stadium held its breath as it flew toward goal—

[What a save! Alvarado denies him again!]

Alvarado, who had already produced heroics earlier, reacted instinctively, diving to his left and parrying the ball away.

[Alvarado is having the game of his life! That was point-blank range, John!]

[It’s top-class goalkeeping, Peter. He’s been AZ Alkmaar’s rock so far.]

Liverpool pressed forward, eager to capitalize on their momentum. Sterling retrieved the loose ball and squared it to Gerrard, who wasted no time unleashing a thunderous strike.

[GERRARD FROM DISTANCE—]

The shot had power. It had accuracy. But just as it seemed destined for the top corner—

[BLOCKED! Viergever gets his body in the way!]

The Dutch defender put everything on the line, diving across to deflect the ball out for a corner. Gerrard threw his arms up in frustration.

[Liverpool are turning up the pressure now, Peter. It’s relentless.]

[And look at AZ Alkmaar—they’re being forced deep. This is a big test for them.]

Gerrard jogged over to take the corner. He raised his hand, signaling a play, then curled in an inswinger.

[Great delivery! Agger rises—]

Agger met it with a towering header, directing it downward toward goal—

[OFF THE LINE!]

Johansson, positioned perfectly, reacted in time to clear it away just as it was about to cross the goal line.

[That was inches away, John! Liverpool can’t believe it!]

[This is turning into a siege, Peter. AZ Alkmaar are holding on, but for how long?]

Despite Liverpool’s dominance in possession, AZ Alkmaar remained composed. They defended with discipline, staying compact and cutting off passing lanes.

Then, out of nowhere—

[OH, LOOK AT THIS! AZ ALKMAAR ON THE COUNTER!]

A quick clearance found Henriksen, who flicked it on to Benjamin. The crowd roared as the teenager took off, sprinting past Lucas.

[Here we go again! Benjamin in full stride!]

The Liverpool defense scrambled back. Gerrard tried to close him down, but Benjamin slipped the ball through his legs, drawing gasps from the crowd.

[Nutmeg! He’s making this look easy!]

Benjamin drove forward with confidence. He had Altidore making a run to his left and Berghuis cutting inside on the right. He glanced up, assessing his options.

[What’s he going to do here, Peter?]

[He’s got options, John, but he might just go himself—]

He shifted his weight and cut inside, selling Agger with a quick body feint. The opening was there. He went for it.

[Benjamin goes for goal—]

He struck it sweetly, the ball curling toward the top corner—

[OH MY—]

The stadium collectively held its breath. Reina launched himself across goal, fingertips stretching—

[OFF THE BAR!!!]

The ball rattled against the woodwork and bounced back into play.

[That would have been a goal of the season contender!]

Liverpool breathed a sigh of relief. Reina scrambled to recover, smothering the ball before Altidore could pounce.

[Benjamin is playing like a man possessed, John. This kid is fearless.]

[And the confidence! That was inches from being a wonder goal. Liverpool have to find a way to stop him.]

The game refused to slow down. Back and forth, attack after attack. It was pure, chaotic, end-to-end football.

[We are witnessing a thriller tonight, Peter. This is why we love European nights.]

[And it’s not even halftime yet, John. There’s still so much more to come!]

The camera panned to both managers. Brendan Rodgers paced the technical area, issuing instructions with urgency. Gertjan Verbeek, meanwhile, stood with arms crossed, nodding approvingly.

[The tactical battle is fascinating. Liverpool are throwing everything forward, but AZ Alkmaar are playing with so much confidence now]

[It’s a game of moments, Peter. And so far, the biggest ones have belonged to AZ Alkmaar]

As the clock ticked past the 20th minute, the intensity showed no signs of fading. Players battled for every ball, the energy in the stadium electric.

[We said before kickoff this would be a battle, John. And that’s exactly what we’ve got.]

[Strap in, folks. This one is far from over!]