Leon Fischer stood in the tunnel, the roar of the crowd washing over him, a powerful, undulating wave that vibrated through his very bones. Liverpool.

This wasn't just another game; it was a clash of titans, a test of will, a true measure of Aston Villa's ambition.

He closed his eyes for a split second, visualizing the ghostly projections, practicing interpreting them. A faint, swift arc – a quick pass.

A solid leg-and-ball outline – a powerful shot. An outstretched, shimmering boot – an incoming tackle. He felt ready. He had to be.

He looked around the tunnel.

Ollie Watkins, eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. John McGinn, bouncing on his toes, radiating nervous energy. Douglas Luiz, calm and composed, a quiet anchor.

They were ready too.

As they stepped onto the emerald green pitch, the roar erupted into a thunderous symphony.

The Liverpool fans, a smaller but equally passionate contingent, made their presence known, adding to the incredible atmosphere.

Leon scanned the opposing.

The referee blew his whistle. BOOM! Kickoff!

Liverpool, as expected, came out flying.

Their famous 'Gegenpress' was immediate and intense, swarming Villa players whenever they received the ball.

Leon found himself under pressure the instant he touched it. His 'sight' was working overtime, feeding him a constant stream of predictive data.

The commentator's voice, barely audible over the crowd, still cut through

"Early pressure from Liverpool! They're flying out of the blocks! It's Alexis Mac Allister, relentless in the midfield, winning that ball back from McGinn!"

Leon quickly adapted. He didn't try any fancy moves; instead, he focused on quick, simple passes, moving the ball away from danger, keeping possession.

He saw a 'ghosted outstretched leg' from Alexis Mac Allister as John McGinn received the ball.

Leon shouted a warning

"McGinn! Man on!" McGinn reacted, quickly laying the ball off to Emiliano Martínez (Current: 85) in goal, averting an early turnover.

The game was a whirlwind of motion. Liverpool's midfield, led by Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai (Potential: 87, Current: 85), was relentless.

Leon found himself battling fiercely, using his 'sight' to anticipate their runs and interceptions.

He saw a ghostly arc from Trent Alexander-Arnold's foot, a long, pinpoint pass attempting to find Mohamed Salah on the wing. Leon lunged, getting a touch, deflecting it out for a throw-in.

A small victory, but crucial.

Around the 15th minute, Liverpool broke through.

Darwin Núñez (Potential: 88, Current: 85), all raw pace and power, received the ball at the edge of the box. Leon saw the 'leg-and-ball' projection, a powerful strike aiming for the top corner.

He screamed a warning to the defense, but Núñez's shot was too quick, too fierce.

BOOOOOM!

The ball rocketed into the net.

- Liverpool 1 - Aston Villa 0!

Villa Park groaned, a collective sigh of disappointment. Leon felt a familiar pang of frustration.

They were trying, but Liverpool's quality was immense. His 'Current' rating flickered, reflecting the emotional impact of the early goal.

He looked around. Ollie Watkins (Current: 86) looked determined. John McGinn (Current: 84) was pumping his fists, urging his teammates on.

Leon refused to give up. He remembered his lesson from the City game.

Even when trailing, fight. He started pushing higher, trying to win the ball in Liverpool's half.

When Virgil van Dijk (Current: 90) received the ball from Alisson Becker (Current: 88), Leon saw the faint arc of a short, calm pass to Ibrahima Konaté (Potential: 87, Current: 85).

Leon burst forward, closing down Konaté before he could settle. He forced a rushed clearance, a rare mistake from the Liverpool defense.

"Excellent pressing from Leon Fischer! He's not letting Liverpool settle on the ball!"

The momentum began to shift slightly. Villa, spurred on by the home crowd, started creating chances.

Leon received the ball from Douglas Luiz in midfield. He looked up, his 'sight' scanning the field.

He saw a 'ghosted arc' from Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, indicating he was preparing a pass wide to Andy Robertson (Potential: 87, Current: 85).

But Leon also saw a tiny 'open space' between Van Dijk and Konaté, a sliver of opportunity.

Leon didn't hesitate. He hit a precise, curling through ball that split Liverpool's central defenders.

Ollie Watkins, anticipating the pass, burst through, leaving Van Dijk grasping at air.

Watkins was one-on-one with Alisson Becker (Current: 88).

WHISSHH! Watkins struck it, a low, powerful shot.

Alisson, quick as a cat, got a hand to it, pushing it wide. Corner kick! A collective groan from Villa Park.

So close!

The first half ended with Villa trailing 1-0. The dressing room was focused. Coach Emery gave clear instructions.

"We are in this. We are creating. We keep this intensity. Leon, your pressing is vital. Your vision is unlocking them. Keep doing that."

The second half began.

Leon was everywhere, winning tackles, dictating play.

He intercepted a pass from Dominik Szoboszlai (Current: 85), seeing the faint arc that indicated the target.

He immediately passed to Lucas Digne (Current: 82) on the left wing, sending him on a surging run.

Digne, a blur of motion down the flank, crossed the ball low into the box. Leon saw the ghostly

'leg-and-ball' outline above Ollie Watkins, indicating a shot.

But the ball was cleared by Virgil van Dijk.

Villa continued to press. Douglas Luiz won a fierce tackle in midfield, and the ball bounced to Leon.

He looked up, saw John McGinn making a run into space, and hit a precise pass.

McGinn controlled it, then played it wide to Leon Bailey (Potential: 87, Current: 84) on the right wing.

Bailey, with his pace, beat his marker and whipped in a dangerous cross.

It found Ollie Watkins in the box, who headed it powerfully towards goal.

boooom!!

The ball crashed against the crossbar! So unlucky!

Villa pushed again. Leon received the ball from Boubacar Kamara just outside the box.

He saw a small opening, a narrow gap in the Liverpool defense. He feigned a shot, drawing in Ibrahima Konaté , whose 'ghosted outstretched leg' indicated an incoming block.

Leon then, with a quick flick of his boot, threaded a perfectly weighted pass to John McGinn, who had burst into the box.

McGinn, with a clear sight of goal, took a touch and slammed the ball home!

GOOOAL!

- ASTON VILLA 1 - Liverpool 1!

Villa Park erupted into pandemonium! The noise was deafening, a wave of sheer elation. Leon ran to McGinn, high-fiving him, his 'Current' rating surging to 87. They had equalized against Liverpool! The belief, the fight, it was all there.

The final ten minutes were a blur of frantic energy. Both teams pushed for a winner.

Leon was exhausted, but his 'sight' kept him going, helping him anticipate, intercept, and create.

He was everywhere, disrupting Liverpool's attacks, trying to find that one final opening for Villa.

Then, in the 88th minute, came the moment. Liverpool launched a swift counter-attack.

A rapid sequence of passes: Alisson Becker (Current: 88) to Virgil van Dijk (Current: 90), a quick forward pass to Alexis Mac Allister (Current: 86). Leon saw the arc from Mac Allister's foot, a long, diagonal pass aiming for the right wing.

He started to sprint, but it was too fast.

The ball soared over his head, landing perfectly at the feet of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Trent took a touch, then, with his incredible vision, hit a first-time, curling through ball.

Leon's 'sight' flared.

He saw the shimmering arc of Trent's pass, heading straight for Mohamed Salah (Current: 89), who had made a characteristic darting run in from the right wing, creating a pocket of space between Lucas Digne (Current: 82) and Pau Torres (Current: 85).

Salah, with his uncanny ability to always be in the right place, received the ball just inside the box.

He took one touch, a perfect control that killed the pace.

Leon saw the ghostly 'leg-and-ball' outline above Salah, indicating a shot.

He also saw a faint 'body shift' on Salah's part, a feint, a slight hesitation to throw off the goalkeeper.

Emiliano Martínez anticipated the shot to his near post, moving slightly in that direction. But Salah, with a flick of his wrist, then shifted the ball just inches, aiming for the far corner.

Leon's 'sight' showed the impossible, almost imperceptible angle.

Salah's shot was unleashed, a pinpoint strike that curled agonizingly around Martínez's outstretched hand.

GO-...

The ball hit the inside of the post and nestled perfectly into the back of the net.

GO-GOOOAL!

- Liverpool 2 - ASTON VILLA 1!

A collective gasp, then a roar of celebration from the Liverpool fans, drowned out the stunned silence of Villa Park. It was a heartbreaker. Salah, with a moment of pure individual brilliance, had snatched the winner.

The final whistle blew seconds later.

The scoreboard read 2-1 to Liverpool. Leon stood on the pitch, exhausted, watching Salah celebrate.

They had fought, they had equalized, but in the end, Liverpool's quality, and Salah's genius, had proven too much.

Leon felt the sting of defeat, a raw ache in his chest. But even amidst the disappointment, a new determination solidified within him.

He had faced another giant, scored an assist, elevated his own game, and seen his 'Current' rating reach 81. He was still growing, still learning, still pushing.

This loss, as painful as it was, was just another step.

He looked up at the stadium lights, already envisioning how he would use his 'sight' to counter Salah next time.