Chapter 367: Return

Chapter 367: Return

"Manchester United's attack... Rooney crosses! No one heads it... The ball is back at Bruno's feet. Now United is besieging City, and in this attack, not a single City player has touched the ball... United is showing their ball control skills against the famously possession-based City without any fear!"

The previous attack didn't result in a goal, leaving many United fans disappointed. Some even criticized Rooney for crossing too hastily, believing that if he had passed back to Bruno, a better attacking path could have been found. But Bruno didn't let them wait long. Soon, Lineker's shout was heard: "Hey? A through ball! Brilliant! Brilliant! This is a great opportunity! Bruno passes the ball to Valencia..."

From that moment, United fans watching on TV were on the edge of their seats, waiting to cheer. When Ibrahimovic scored, they erupted in joy.

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!" "GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Ibrahimovic scores, United leads City 2-1!! They take the lead for the second time!"

Old Trafford was like an erupting volcano, with cheers, songs, and applause blending into an indistinguishable roar. Ibrahimovic was hugging Valencia, who assisted him, while United's substitutes rushed out of the bench, shouting in excitement.

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Unbelievable!!" Lineker shouted three times, "What a magnificent attack! Who says only City can play such football? United can too!" "Wow! Fantastic! Well done, United!!"

United fans were the most excited, cheering wildly in the stands, some even becoming incoherent with joy.

Guardiola stood on the sidelines, clearly displeased with the conceded goal. From the moment United started the attack, it seemed City had fallen into their rhythm. Throughout the entire sequence of passes, not a single City player touched the ball!

Usually, it was City making their opponents look foolish with such passing, but now the tables had turned.

"What an amazing combination play..." The TV replay showed the goal sequence in fast-forward, allowing viewers to see the entire process quickly. The ball moved rapidly between United players, with City players unable to touch it, only running around trying to keep up. After a series of quick passes, Bruno found a gap, making a through pass that led to Valencia assisting Ibrahimovic's goal.

"Such delightful attacking play is usually seen from City, not their opponents. This United team is redefining our expectations. It's evident that Mourinho's transformation of this team is effective! They not only have solid defense but also distinctive attacking flair!"

"Guys, admit it, this opponent is no longer the United of recent years—they're strong!" As United players celebrated their second goal, City's captain David Silva gathered his teammates for a pep talk.

Silva's words left no room for rebuttal; the proud City players had their heads down. Silva continued, "We can't beat them with half effort. We need to put all our energy into this. Look at that goal—they played so well that even I would applaud if I were a fan. But this is our style! Let's show them our football!"

"Don't let the world laugh at us! We're stronger, so we should win. If we don't, imagine how the world will see us."

Silva pumped his fist, "Attack! Let's play our game!"

The impromptu meeting ended quickly, and the players dispersed, ready to kick off again.

Silva called out to Sterling, "Raheem."

Sterling turned to look at Silva.

"Is Bruno that hard to deal with?" Silva asked.

Sterling had struggled to get past Bruno several times. When Bruno was in front, he usually chose to pass rather than dribble, but passing wasn't Sterling's strength; his forte was dribbling and breaking through to create chances for his teammates. If he couldn't dribble, his threat was greatly reduced.

Sterling nodded, "He seems to always anticipate my moves; one-on-one is tough..."

Silva had observed this during the match, noting Bruno's impressive one-on-one defense. If Sterling, their best dribbler, couldn't get past Bruno, it indicated the Portuguese player was exceptional.

Silva gestured for Sterling to stay closer to him, "You're too far from me. Stick closer, and we'll combine to get past him."

Sterling nodded. Silva then spoke to De Bruyne, "You too, stay closer."

Mourinho's strategy to counter Sterling was simple: cut off his connections with Silva and De Bruyne, forcing Sterling to play solo. Without midfield support, Sterling struggled. But if Silva and De Bruyne stayed closer to him, Sterling's threat would increase significantly. City's strength wasn't just in individual skill but in their well-honed passing combinations, refined under Mancini, Pellegrini, and now Guardiola.

Their passing and control rivaled Barcelona's, and if they started moving the ball around, only parking the bus could stop them from finding defensive gaps.

This is why United's second goal stunned City's fans—it was a taste of their own medicine.

The game resumed with City kicking off.

Fans and viewers quickly noticed City's adjustment, as did the commentators. "City has intensified their attack, with players closer together, aiding Silva's passing..."

With reduced distances, City's attack immediately became threatening. A minute after conceding, they organized an attack. Silva passed to De Bruyne, who passed to Sterling. With the three close together, their passes were precise, making it hard for United to intercept. Even Bruno struggled; he couldn't defend against all three.

Sterling received the ball and dribbled diagonally, seemingly to break through. Bruno moved in, but Sterling back-heeled to Silva, who passed to De Bruyne on the wing. De Bruyne sent a low cross into the box, and Nolito received it in the half-space!

"Beautiful!" City's commentator shouted.

City pushed the ball into the box, close to scoring, hence the excitement. Nolito turned and swept the ball to the center. Iheanacho and Van Dijk clashed, but neither touched the ball, which rolled to the back post.

"Sterling——!!" Almost all commentators exclaimed!

But Lineker shouted a different name, "Bruno!!"

Sterling shot directly at the back post, but Bruno blocked it with his thigh, sending the ball flying. In City's fast attack, Bruno couldn't stop Sterling, but he knew they had to get the ball to the goal eventually, so he stayed in front of it.

However, this defensive success didn't bring him joy. If Iheanacho had scored earlier, it wouldn't have mattered if he blocked Sterling. City wasn't limited to one attacking point.

Bruno, not complacent after the successful defense, broke out in a cold sweat—not from fatigue, but fear. City's powerful attacks made each defense nerve-wracking.

With thirty minutes left, they had to continue defending. City's relentless pressure increased United's defensive strain, and Bruno worried about his teammates' endurance. His only option was to give his all in every defense, preventing City from succeeding.

Sterling, undeterred by the missed goal, pointed to the corner flag, signaling for a corner kick.

This was what frightened Bruno—City hadn't lost their fighting spirit or composure. Now, City seemed to be in their true form.

Is the match only starting now?

Though cliché, this was exactly what Bruno felt.

(End of Chapter)

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