News about the match spread rapidly across the internet.
Twitter exploded as the topic trended worldwide, with likes and retweets skyrocketing.
With the World Cup approaching, more and more people were paying attention to football.
The buzz around this match exploded, with Ling being the most talked-about topic on the platform.
Tweets and replies under various reports kept increasing by the second.
@RedDevilFan99: Manchester United playing at home today really made a difference! The efficiency of their defensive counterattacks was massive—much stronger than in the first leg.
@TacticsTim: Replying to @RedDevilFan99: After all, the atmosphere at home versus away games is different, and it greatly affects the players' mentality. Old Trafford was loud tonight.
@YouthScout: For Ling to reach the Champions League semifinals right after his debut season... I think it's already perfect! What a talent.
@GoalHighlightz: And both of Ling's goals—one a Cruyff turn that deceived the world, the other an incredibly smooth overhead kick—were brilliant enough to make the top ten goals list of the year!
@MbappeFan: It's a shame Ling debuted a year late. He missed the chance to compete with Mbappe for this season's Golden Boy award.
@CR7_Lover: I wonder if he'll have a chance to win the Ballon d'Or in the future—that would be truly unprecedented!
@FootballExpert: It's tough. Since the Ballon d'Or merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year, they've started emphasizing national team performance heavily.
@UnitedStand: Club performance has to be overwhelmingly dominant, but with Messi and Ronaldo gradually fading from the scene eventually, I'm still very optimistic about Ling.
Before the season had even concluded, fans on Twitter were already speculating about the Ballon d'Or, which felt a bit like setting someone up for a fall.
However, what they were even more excited about was the Premier League Golden Boot award.
After all, that was a tangible, reachable goal.
Ling was currently leading the scoring charts.
Although Manchester United's upcoming opponents were all strong teams, as long as Ling could maintain his red-hot form, he still had a good chance.
After returning to the training base and completing his post-match recovery session, Ling declined his teammates' invitations and dragged his exhausted body back to the dormitory.
He simply didn't have the energy to go out partying.
Moreover, in three days, Manchester United would face Manchester City away in the 34th round of the Premier League—a match that would be the most crucial of their season.
It would essentially decide the fate of the Premier League title.
So Mourinho had reminded the Manchester United players: they could have fun, but they needed to keep it in moderation.
After freshening up, Ling lay on his soft bed and browsed through the highlights of another match.
Juventus vs. Real Madrid!
Just two minutes into the game, Sami Khedira delivered a cross from the right flank.
Mario Mandžukić arrived at the far post like a flash and powered a fierce header into the net.
0-1!
Khedira, returning to the Bernabéu, excitedly waved his arms, feeling as though the tables had turned.
But what made Real Madrid fans even more nervous happened again.
In the 38th minute.
Mandžukic scored another header.
0-2!
Zidane on the sidelines was drenched in cold sweat.
He had prayed before the match, so why was the game so difficult?
Juventus continued their fierce onslaught.
In the 60th minute, Keylor Navas fumbled a save, and Blaise Matuidi easily tapped the ball in.
0-3!
The Juventus fans in the away stands went wild.
Having witnessed Manchester United's comeback earlier, they couldn't help but feel a surge of hope.
Could Juventus pull off a miracle?
After the match resumed, things tightened up.
Since conceding an incredible bicycle kick from Ronaldo in the first leg, Buffon seemed to have returned to his peak form, making save after save to keep Real Madrid's attacks at bay.
Soon, the match was nearing its end.
Just as it seemed Juventus would drag the game into extra time Lucas Vázquez burst into the penalty area without posing much of a threat.
But Medhi Benatia pushed Vázquez from behind.
The referee immediately blew the whistle, pointed to the penalty spot, and then showed Benatia a red card.
The hearts of Juventus fans sank into their stomachs.
Ronaldo slowly retreated to the penalty area line, pulled up his shorts to reveal his muscular thighs, and his eyes grew resolute.
Beep!
With the sound of the whistle, Ronaldo took his run-up, swung his leg, and unleashed a thunderous shot!
The ball soared like a cannonball toward the top right corner of the goal.
Even though Buffon guessed the direction correctly, he couldn't keep it out.
Real Madrid had won it at the death!
In the remaining time, Juventus, down to ten men, failed to threaten Real Madrid's goal.
After the match, Zidane flashed a mysterious smile at the cameras, as if saying, "I just wanted to test how tough my luck really is. What, were you all nervous earlier?"
...
The next day.
At Carrington Training Ground.
The Manchester United players were undergoing recovery training under the assistant coach's guidance.
They needed to be in peak condition to face their title rivals, Manchester City!
Now, with 34 rounds of the league completed, Manchester United had 32 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 97 points.
If they could win the next match, they would officially enter the 100-point club, setting a new record.
But if they reached 100 points and still failed to win the Premier League title, it would be the most frustrating thing in football history.
After a day of training, the Manchester United players did not leave but instead gathered in the meeting room.
There were two Champions League matches scheduled for the night: Liverpool vs. Manchester City and Barcelona vs. Roma.
The group chose to watch the former.
The match began quickly.
Similarly, in the second minute, Fernandinho intercepted the ball and delivered a through pass.
Sterling made a run into the right side of the penalty area and cut the ball back to the center, where Gabriel Jesus followed up with a tap-in to score.
1-0!
This excited Manchester City fans, who believed their club could also stage a comeback.
And it seemed things were going as they had hoped.
Just before the end of the first half, De Bruyne dribbled into the penalty area, but Karius punched the ball away with both hands.
In the ensuing scramble, Leroy Sane slotted the ball into the net.
But the linesman had already raised the flag for offside.
Guardiola angrily confronted the fourth official and even stopped the referee after the first half ended.
As a result, he was immediately sent to the stands.
In the second half, Liverpool capitalized on a counterattack.
Sadio Mané dribbled past Laporte and crossed the ball, allowing Mo Salah to chip it in effortlessly.
1-1!
With the aggregate score at Liverpool 4-1 Manchester City, the match was essentially over.
Ling consulted his teammates and immediately switched to the other match.
At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the second half had just begun, with the score at 1-0. Roma had scored in the 6th minute.
Barcelona seemed to be in control.
But the Roma players had found their rhythm, continuously creating threatening attacks.
In the 57th minute, Piqué pulled down Edin Džeko in the penalty area, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Penalty!
De Rossi stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the right side of the net.
2-0!
The aggregate score was now 3-4!
The meeting room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Manchester United players stared at the screen in disbelief, entertaining an outrageous thought.
What if Roma could actually advance?
After the match resumed, Barcelona seemed to regain their composure, launching relentless attacks that pinned Roma in their own half.
But Roma defended resolutely.
Every player in red, like ancient Roman warriors, executed their defensive tactics to perfection.
Finally, in the 82nd minute, they found the perfect opportunity.
A corner from the right was flicked on by Manolas at the near post and headed into the net at the far post.
3-0!
The aggregate score was now 4-4, and Roma led on away goals!
All Barcelona fans had one thought: 'The underdogs had exploded!'
Barcelona went into a frenzy, but every time Messi got the ball, he was met with a foul.
Finally, the referee blew the whistle.
Roma had advanced to the Champions League semifinals!