I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Under the pressure, Real Madrid’s defensive line began to loosen.

In the 60th minute, Van Dijk rose above Chen Zhong from a corner and powered a header at goal! The ball was struck with immense force, heading straight for the bottom corner! At the critical moment, Courtois flew across and, with one outstretched palm, tipped the ball over the bar!

Chen Zhong turned to look at Van Dijk, and Van Dijk looked back at Chen Zhong. This wasn’t the first time the two had faced each other. Once upon a time, Chen Zhong could dominate Van Dijk, but today, in this match, Van Dijk clearly held a certain advantage.

Even Van Dijk himself was a little shocked by what had just happened.

Since when had Chen Zhong become so weak?

Looking at Chen Zhong’s jersey, soaked as if it had just been fished out of water, a flash of realization passed through Van Dijk’s eyes.

Maybe...

He really had grown old.

"Courtois! A world-class save! Van Dijk was inches away from giving Liverpool the lead again!" The commentator’s roar was like a bucket of cold water, jolting Real Madrid awake.

Alonso reacted quickly, starting to reinforce the midfield’s running and Interception.

Real Madrid’s players began to consciously focus on Ball Control. Chen Zhong also cut down his forward runs, staying more in the middle and back to direct play with long-range Dispatch, trying to drag Liverpool’s shape out and create Sprinting space up front for Mbappe and Vinicius.

The rhythm of the match shifted from Liverpool’s wild surges to a fierce midfield war of attrition.

Slot saw this and frowned. He knew Real Madrid were trying to disrupt their tempo, to force Liverpool to move to Real Madrid’s rhythm, and clearly, their approach was having an effect.

Time ticked away, and the score was still 0–2 (2–2 on aggregate).

Liverpool’s attacks were still ferocious, but Real Madrid’s Defense, under the organizing of Chen Zhong and Valverde, became more layered and resilient.

On the touchline, Slot paced back and forth, his expression dark.

He made his second substitution, bringing on the more explosive young forward Ben Dock for the underwhelming Gakpo for one last gamble.

However, fate always seems to enjoy playing tricks at crucial moments.

In the 75th minute, Liverpool suffered a heavy blow. Mac Allister went down in agony after clashing boots with Valverde in a midfield challenge, clutching his ankle and unable to stand. After the team doctor came on to examine him, they reluctantly signaled to the bench for a substitution.

Liverpool fans’ hearts sank. Mac Allister was one of the engines in midfield; his withdrawal was a huge loss to the team’s organization and Interception.

This unexpected twist disrupted Liverpool’s rhythm and gave Real Madrid a chance to breathe. Alonso keenly seized on the momentary void in the opponent’s midfield.

This was also a golden opportunity for Real Madrid, and Mac Allister’s departure made Chen Zhong unconsciously let out a breath—this diligent guy had indeed been a real nuisance.

The match entered the 82nd minute.

Liverpool’s attack in the final third was desperately cleared into touch by Chen Zhong.

Liverpool won a throw-in.

The Liverpool player launched the ball long into the penalty area, and chaos broke out as players from both sides scrambled for it.

In the melee, the ball was somehow deflected and bounced strangely toward the edge of the box!

It was the zone that Mac Allister would normally cover, but in that instant, because Morton’s lack of experience left his positioning slightly off, a brief pocket of space appeared!

A white figure, as if he had already foreseen the ball’s path, arrived right in that pocket!

It was Chen Zhong!

He seemed to tear free from the shackles of his 35-year-old Body, burning through his last reserves of strength as he surged forward at full speed! No time to adjust, no time to think, not even time to look up at the goal.

In the instant when Van Dijk and Konate hurled themselves at him in panic, in the moment when Alisson abandoned his line to rush out, under the despairing stares of every Liverpool fan at Anfield, Chen Zhong made a move that seemed to freeze time—

He launched into the air, his Body fully unfurled, back to goal, and met the dropping ball with his right foot, whipping it with all his might up and back!

A thunderous bicycle kick!

The ball flashed like a white bolt of lightning, spinning violently as it traced an impossible Arc, sailing over Alisson’s despairing fingertips, kissing the underside of the crossbar, and slamming into the absolute top corner of the net! The net was smashed upward in a huge ripple!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL——!!!

The entire Anfield fell into a deathly silence! All the noise, songs, and shouts seemed to be sucked out of the stadium in an instant! Only the dull thud of the ball hitting the net echoed over and over in the minds of tens of thousands!

Then, the stand where the Real Madrid fans were gathered erupted like a long-dormant volcano! Deafening cheers and roars tore through the night sky above Anfield! The players and coaches on Real Madrid’s bench went crazy and charged onto the pitch!

0–3!! 2–3 on aggregate!! Real Madrid had pulled off an unbelievable comeback just as the match was nearing its end!!

Chen Zhong crashed hard onto the turf but was almost instantly back on his feet! He broke free from the teammates rushing to hug him and sprinted wildly toward the corner flag! He tore at his jersey, baring his solid chest, and turned to the delirious white end of the stadium, unleashing a sky-shaking roar!

A yellow card?

Chen Zhong no longer cared.

He flaunted his muscles without restraint, flaunted his physique.

And when it was finally over, Alonso himself handed Chen Zhong a fresh jersey on the touchline.

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Chen Zhong! A bicycle kick! A last-minute winner! Another last-minute winner!" The commentator’s voice had gone completely hoarse and distorted, trembling with disbelief. "Anfield curse? Real Madrid mystique? No! This is Chen Zhong! This is Chen Zhong’s Champions League moment! At the twilight of his career, in what might be his final Champions League away match, he has scored a goal worthy of the history books, hauling Real Madrid back from the edge of the cliff and sending them into the final! Liverpool have paid a brutal price for their first-half conservatism! Slot’s strategy pales into insignificance in the light of Chen Zhong’s brilliance!"

On the touchline, Alonso dropped to his knees in ecstasy. Back when they were still teammates, Chen Zhong had stepped up time and time again, and now, once more, it was Chen Zhong!

Again, it was Chen Zhong!

Slot stood frozen on the sideline, his eyes hollow, as if his soul had been drained away.

Van Dijk stood with hands on hips, head thrown back as he let out a long, helpless sigh. That yellow card now felt like a merciless piece of irony.

The Liverpool players seemed drained of all strength, standing on the pitch in a daze.

The diehard fans in the Liverpool end did not give up. With ragged voices they once again began to sing "You’ll Never Walk Alone," the song sorrowful yet steadfast, trying to pour the last ounce of strength into the warriors bleeding on the pitch.

But the 0–3 scoreline and the dwindling seconds were like an icy tide, drowning every last hope.

In the final minutes, Liverpool launched desperate charges, but Real Madrid stood united and unbreakable, holding their lead firm.

When the referee blew the final whistle, the stadium split cleanly into two worlds: on one side, a white sea in ecstasy, Real Madrid’s players locked in tight embraces as they rushed toward their hero, Chen Zhong; on the other, a vast red silence of heartbreak and disbelief, many Liverpool fans slumped in their seats, faces buried in their hands as they cried.

Chen Zhong was hoisted high by his teammates, tossed again and again into the night sky above Anfield.

He spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the whole stadium, to embrace this legendary Chapter that belonged to him.

Mbappe, Vinicius, Valverde and the other younger generation gathered around him, their eyes full of awe.

This was not just a ticket to the final; it felt like the last, resplendent flourish of a grand coronation, a blaze of glory before the torch is passed on.

Alonso walked over to the shattered Slot, and the two men shook hands out of courtesy.

Slot gave a bitter smile and shook his head, as if wanting to say something, but in the end he just patted Alonso’s shoulder. Everything was understood without words—he knew he had done all he could with caution and calculation, but against a farewell performance destined to be legendary, any scheme was feeble and powerless.

In the players’ tunnel after the match, Chen Zhong was surrounded by countless cameras and microphones.

He wore a weary yet contented smile. "This was an incredible battle. The atmosphere at Anfield is second to none. Liverpool are a great team. But my teammates never lost their belief. That goal? Maybe it was a gift from God, maybe just a bit of luck accumulated over 22 years of my career." He paused, his gaze deep. "To fight for Real Madrid, for this shirt, until the very last second, never give up—that’s our DNA. Now, we head to London (the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium)!"