Under Liverpool's aerial bombardment tactics, Barcelona's game was incredibly frustrating.

Because of Liverpool's attacking style, the players didn't have to run and switch positions frequently, allowing them to maintain a relatively complete formation. This created a siege-like situation for Liverpool.

Even if Barcelona managed to clear the ball, it would eventually end up back at the feet of a Liverpool player.

If Barcelona tried to counterattack during Liverpool's goal kicks, they would be surrounded and annihilated by Liverpool's superior forces in midfield.

Messi encountered the villain Pepe in this match. They had faced each other many times in La Liga, each time accompanied by countless controversies, mainly revolving around whether Pepe had committed a foul in the match and whether Pepe lacked sportsmanship.

Real Madrid eventually sold him to protect their club's image.

But in Liverpool, Pepe didn't have such concerns. Because Martin O'Neill told him not to be polite to Messi in the match, even if he got a red card and was sent off, the club would support him.

This immediately gave Pepe a sense of "a scholar dies for his confidant."

But he wasn't stupid and wouldn't really act recklessly in the match.

At least in the early stages of the match, he didn't act too tough.

His restrained performance in defense allowed Messi to score two goals. Of course, there were many reasons for conceding goals, and Pepe couldn't be entirely blamed.

But Pepe's performance in the match inevitably led to criticism. Later, as Liverpool changed their strategy, the pressure on his defense was reduced, and he improved slightly.

However, everyone always looked at him with preconceived notions.

Now, his chance to prove himself had arrived.

As the end of the match approached, Pepe's defensive intensity began to increase. When facing Messi, his movements became more aggressive than before. This made Messi very uncomfortable and suffer a lot.

When Pepe was still at Real Madrid, he was Mourinho's main weapon against Messi.

Pepe had a set of methods for dealing with Messi.

He couldn't guarantee that he could contain Messi for the entire match. But in these last ten minutes or so, he was confident that he could prevent Messi from scoring!

Because of his defense, even if Barcelona had offensive opportunities, they ultimately ended in vain.

Barcelona was now attacking but couldn't break through; defending, but didn't know how long they could hold on.

How frustrating was that?

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Piqué had tried his best. Every time he jumped, he wished he could directly hug Chen Hero with both arms, but it was useless. Most of the time, Chen Hero was still able to head the ball away.

In his opinion, Liverpool's style of play was an unreasonable act of robbery. It lacked technical content, but the problem was that this tactic, lacking in technical content, caused them so much pain.

Liverpool and Piqué were struggling in this pain.

In the eighty-seventh minute, their pain ended.

Of course, it wasn't because they scored a goal.

It was because Liverpool scored a goal.

In the eighty-seventh minute, Adam Johnson, who had come on as a substitute not long ago, crossed the ball directly from a forty-degree angle from the back. The air raid sirens sounded again in the sky above the Gazprom Arena.

In the midst of the air raid sirens, Chen Hero rushed into the penalty area and jumped high again.

In front of him was Fontàs, to his side was Piqué, and Busquets had also joined in.

The three tallest players sandwiched Chen Hero in the middle.

But all of this was in vain.

Because Chen Hero jumped higher than all three of them and found the landing point very accurately!

So when he headed the ball, the three of them could only watch helplessly.

Valdés lunged at the ball, but the ball Chen Hero headed this time was faster than any previous one!

He really used all his strength for that lion's head shake!

Valdés in the air could only watch the ball fly past his fingertips and then… plunge into the goal!

Barcelona was freed. They no longer had to struggle for a match victory and a Champions League title.

Because they had completely said goodbye to this championship!

With a two-goal deficit and less than five minutes left in the match, there was basically no chance of equalizing.

Even the theoretical possibility was very slim.

So they could finally be free…

But why did they look even more painful?

Pedro sat down on the ground with his head in his hands.

Villa supported his knees with both hands, bent down, gasped for breath, and looked a little dazed.

Fàbregas put his hands on his hips and looked up at the night sky.

Against this background, the crazy Liverpool players surged towards Chen Hero from all directions. They opened their arms, cheered, and their faces were distorted with excessive excitement, looking slightly ferocious.

They swept past those stunned Barcelona players, like joyful birds passing through the jungle.

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"Hero! Hat trick!!!"

The commentator went crazy again, even more crazy than last time.

"He completed a hat trick! Three goals, this is his twenty-first Champions League goal this season! He broke his own record of twenty goals set last season and created a new single-season goal record!"

"After Liverpool took the lead, everyone was wondering one thing - can Barcelona still equalize? Now this question has a final answer, the answer is no! Barcelona has no chance! They are two goals behind, there is very little time left in the match, and no one believes they can still equalize!"

"This is a goal that seals the victory! Liverpool can cheer for their Champions League! This will be the sixth Champions League in their club's history!"

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Before, every time there was a cross, the air raid sirens on the stands were relatively short, because the result would be known soon. Since there was no goal, there was no need to continue shouting.

This time was different. Their air raid sirens continued until after Chen Hero scored a goal, and even increased in volume. Because Chen Hero scored a goal.

After the air raid sirens finally ended, they sang the "Hero's Song" again. The singing resounded throughout the stadium, without any noise.

Because Chen Hero had shown the world his strength and power with his indisputable performance.

No matter who it was, no matter how much they hated Chen Hero, in the face of Chen Hero's overwhelming performance, they had to shut up.

"He is a fierce giant bear from the north, breaking high mountains and tearing apart the cold winter! Everywhere on earth will sing: Hero! Chen Hero! Our Liverpool giant bear!"

"He is a magical dragon from the east, spitting out flames that are scorching and bright red! Everywhere on earth will sing: Hero! Chen Hero! Our Liverpool dragon!"

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In the fans' singing, Chen Hero ran towards the stands, taking off his jersey and throwing it aside as he ran.

He showed his solid muscles and the tattoo on his back again.

The giant bear, accompanied by his running movements and the undulations of his muscles, seemed to come alive.

The singing continued.

"Everyone must accept this reality, the invincible Hero has become a reality! Pay the deepest respect and fear to the world's most powerful hero!"

"Long live! Hero! Long live! Long live! Long, long live——!"

The last sentence was not sung, but roared, hysterically roared by all the Liverpool and Zenit fans.

After roaring, all the Liverpool and Zenit fans made a prostrate gesture.

Chen Hero and the giant bear behind him roared to the sky together.

The atmosphere at the scene reached its peak!

※※※

While Chen Hero was celebrating his goal wantonly, Guardiola stood blankly on the sidelines.

Leading the team into the Champions League final twice in a row, and finishing as runner-up twice in a row…

He suddenly felt so tired.

Then he turned and walked back to the coaching bench, sat down, and said nothing.

The Barcelona fans in the stands were all silent. They held their heads or bit their scarves, staring blankly at the field, their eyes gradually turning red.

Sacrificing the domestic league and watching their arch-rival win the championship two rounds in advance. What was the point of paying such a high price?

Wasn't it just to dominate the Champions League?

Among the three most prestigious clubs in Europe today, Barcelona has the fewest Champions League titles. Real Madrid has ten, Liverpool has five, and Barcelona has four. So Barcelona attaches great importance to this Champions League title.

Who would have thought…

Working so hard, giving up so much, and paying so much, they still didn't get the championship they wanted.

Everyone was deeply affected.

They originally thought that their team could reach the Champions League final for two consecutive seasons, which proved the team's strength and that there was no one else like them in Europe.

Losing to Bayern Munich last season was bad luck. Bayern Munich was too shameless. They used a defensive tactic to deal with them and dragged the final to a penalty shootout… Just as the Barcelona players themselves said, the championship should belong to the team that performed better. They, Barcelona, had a high possession rate and more shots, so they naturally belonged to the team that performed better, so the championship should be theirs. Bayern Munich didn't deserve to win the championship.

Okay, then, the championship should be ours this season, right?

But they still lost…

Reaching the final for two consecutive seasons and losing for two consecutive seasons, is this still a matter of luck?

So in this match, did Barcelona perform better than Liverpool? Their possession rate did once take the lead, but after Liverpool's bombardment in the second half, the possession rate of both sides was almost equal. Barcelona only led Liverpool by a slight advantage of four percentage points. The number of shots from both sides was also similar, and Liverpool even had an advantage in the number of shots on target.

How could they still have the nerve to say that the championship should belong to them, who performed better?