Chapter 31

As the match entered the 70th minute, the score remained 2-2.

Although Manchester United's defense had stabilized, their attacking play had become increasingly ineffective. Jin Taige studied his forward line, his brow furrowing in deep concern.

He had overlooked a critical issue the team's offensive struggles were just as severe.

With Giggs dropping deeper to support the midfield, United's central attacking presence had weakened. On the right wing, Nani's performance was inconsistent. Over the past few games, his form had fluctuated at his best, he could rival the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo; at his worst, he seemed completely ineffective. In this match, he was clearly struggling against Leverkusen's tall and physically dominant defenders. He was not only unable to advance but was also losing possession far too easily.

Jin Taige sighed. He needed to reassess Nani's role in the squad.

With the midfield unable to provide service, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney were left isolated up front. Neither of them were players like Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, capable of single-handedly dismantling a defense. Van Persie was an elite finisher, among the best in the world, while Rooney's aggressive playstyle made him a constant threat. But against Leverkusen's towering defenders, they had found little success.

The only bright spot was Riyad Mahrez. His dribbling and pace had caused havoc for Leverkusen's defense, earning him a goal in the first half and creating several scoring opportunities. However, Leverkusen had adjusted their tactics in the second half, assigning multiple defenders to mark him closely. The moment he received the ball, at least two opponents swarmed him, effectively neutralizing his impact.

Jin Taige realized that he had to make tactical adjustments.

Meanwhile, in the BT Sport broadcast studio, commentators Trik and Norrie were analyzing the match.

"This is a crucial Champions League fixture," Trik observed. "It's Jin Taige's first Champions League match as Manchester United's manager, and it's being played at Old Trafford. He'll be desperate to win. But with 70 minutes gone, it's still 2-2."

Unlike the composed Trik, Norrie was more direct and passionate. A former professional player in England's second tier, his playing career was unremarkable, but he had built a strong reputation as a pundit.

"Jin Taige's team is struggling," Norrie stated. "They started strong with two early goals, but after Leverkusen equalized, they haven't found a way through. Their best player tonight, Mahrez, has been completely shut down by Leverkusen's defense."

Trik nodded. "I think Taige needs to make a tactical change. If United can maintain pressure on the right wing, it will not only provide better service for Van Persie and Rooney but also relieve some of the pressure on the left side."

Norrie chuckled. "Sir Alex Ferguson's United used to dominate with both wings. But right now, Taige's team looks like a one-winged angel dangerous on the left, but ineffective on the right."

Trik glanced at the bench. "If I were Taige, I'd replace Nani with Antonio Valencia. Valencia has excellent crossing ability and a powerful shot. He could make a real difference."

Just as they were discussing this, the fourth official raised the substitution board.

Trik smirked. "Looks like Jin Taige had the same thought as me. He's taking off Nani and bringing on… wait, Anthony Martial?"

Norrie was surprised. "Martial is a striker. Does this mean United are switching to a 4-3-3?"

But they were both wrong.

In the 71st minute, Jin Taige made his second substitution. He replaced the ineffective Nani with Martial.

Before sending him onto the pitch, Taige gave him clear instructions. "You saw what Mahrez was doing, right? I want you to use your speed and dribbling ability to exploit Leverkusen's defense. Attack them relentlessly."

"Got it, boss," Martial replied confidently.

Fully warmed up, he high-fived Nani before sprinting onto the field.

Jin Taige patted Nani on the shoulder. "Good effort. Go get some rest."

Nani lowered his head as he returned to the bench. He knew Taige's words were just to encourage him his performance had been poor. Frustrated, he watched the game closely, particularly Martial, who had just taken his place.

Back in the BT Sport studio, Trik and Norrie were debating the substitution.

"I think Taige should have gone with Valencia instead," Trik insisted. "Valencia has experience, great crossing ability, and a powerful shot. Martial, on the other hand, is a striker. Playing him on the wing might not work."

"I agree," Norrie added. "Martial has looked promising in recent matches, but this is the Champions League. In a high-stakes game like this, you need experienced players."

But they were about to be proven wrong.

Martial immediately changed the game.

Leverkusen's defenders had spent over an hour battling Nani and had adjusted to his playing style. They were completely unprepared for Martial's pace and unpredictability.

His first touch after coming on was a pass from Giggs in midfield. He immediately sprinted down the right flank, effortlessly accelerating past his marker. His dribbling was sharp, fast, and fearless showing no signs of nerves.

Seeing the danger, a Leverkusen full-back rushed forward to intercept. Instead of continuing down the wing, Martial suddenly cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box. The ball whizzed just over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Martial attacked again. This time, he faced two defenders but skillfully dribbled past them, reaching the byline before delivering a dangerous cross. A Leverkusen defender managed to clear it, but the warning signs were there.

Within five minutes, Martial had already created two clear scoring opportunities one shot, one cross.

Leverkusen's defenders were starting to panic.

Jin Taige watched from the sideline, his expression calm. He had made his move. Now, it was just a matter of time.

Within 25 minutes, Martial had already produced two dangerous attacking moves one shot and one assist forcing Leverkusen onto the back foot.

At this moment, Manchester United fans erupted in excitement, cheering loudly for their team. Martial's impact had reignited United's attack, and the entire stadium was buzzing with anticipation. Everyone was eager to see Jin Taige secure his first Champions League victory of the season.

Even Trik and Norrie in the BT Sport studio had to admit their earlier doubts were misplaced.

"I initially questioned Jin Taige's substitution, but after watching Martial for just five minutes, I'm completely convinced," Trik admitted. "Leverkusen now faces a tough decision should they continue attacking in search of a winner, or should they drop back and settle for a draw? Is one point enough, or do they risk losing all three?"

Norrie added, "And it's not just Leverkusen that should be worried Nani should be thinking about his future as well. The only thing he has over Martial is experience, but just look at Martial's performance! He doesn't play like a newcomer to Manchester United, let alone a young player making his Champions League debut. If he keeps this up, I guarantee Jin Taige will rethink his starting lineup."

Before the match, even Jin Taige had some concerns. It wasn't just Martial making his Champions League debut N'Golo Kanté and Riyad Mahrez were also playing at this level for the first time. Could they handle the pressure?

After watching most of the match, Jin Taige was completely reassured. Despite some discomfort in his knee, Kanté's defensive work remained rock solid. Mahrez had been one of United's liveliest players, scoring a spectacular long-range goal. And now, Martial was dominating the right flank. Watching him, Jin Taige couldn't help but see flashes of a young Thierry Henry a fearless attacker with blistering pace and precise dribbling.

Martial was completely different from Nani. His dribbling was faster, more precise, and more direct. Since coming on, he had completely transformed United's right side. Even Rooney had started drifting toward that flank to combine with him.

Not only that, but Martial's relentless attacking play on the right had also eased the pressure on Mahrez. For most of the second half, Mahrez had been tightly marked and unable to influence the game as much as he had in the first half. But with Leverkusen now forced to shift their focus to Martial, space was opening up on the left.

Leverkusen knew they needed to relieve the defensive pressure by attacking. Son Heung-min tried to dribble past Kanté, but the French midfielder anticipated his move perfectly and intercepted the ball. Without hesitation, he launched a long pass from the edge of the penalty area straight to Martial on the right wing.

"Martial again he's back in possession!"

"This is the third time he's broken forward since coming on! He's flying down the wing. Three Leverkusen defenders are already in position, blocking his passing options."

"What will Martial do next?"

"A switch of play! Martial plays a cross-field pass to the left flank!"

"Mahrez receives it! He's been quiet for most of the second half, but now he's in space! He drives toward the byline, cuts inside, and delivers a perfect cross into the box!"

"Van Persie shoots! GOAL!!! GOAL!!!"

"Robin van Persie scores his second of the game! Manchester United take the lead once again 3-2!"

"What an incredible goal! That was a difficult ball to handle most strikers wouldn't be able to hit that cleanly. But this is Robin van Persie, last season's Premier League Golden Boot winner, a world-class forward! He places it perfectly into the bottom corner Leverkusen's goalkeeper had no chance!"

"The momentum is fully with Manchester United now!"

Old Trafford erupted. In the 78th minute, United had regained the lead, and the fans went wild. Chants of "Van Persie! Van Persie!" echoed through the stadium as the players celebrated.

On the touchline, Jin Taige was just as ecstatic. He hugged his assistants Scholes and Ferran.

Ferran shouted, "Tiger, we're ahead again! Van Persie is unstoppable!"

Scholes grinned. "That was a perfect delivery from Mahrez, and Martial's switch of play was crucial!"

Van Persie ran toward the sideline and embraced Jin Taige. "One more for safety!" Taige shouted at him.

"Got it, boss!" Van Persie replied with a grin before jogging back onto the pitch. On his way, he patted Martial on the shoulder. "Great pass!"

Martial, despite his fiery playing style, simply smiled showing none of the arrogance one might expect from a young player stealing the show.

Two minutes later, Jin Taige made his final substitution. Ashley Young replaced Mahrez, who had given everything and was visibly exhausted. With this change, United looked to keep their attacking momentum alive on the left flank.

Taige then ordered Giggs to drop deeper alongside Kanté, reinforcing the midfield and adding an extra layer of defense. With just over 10 minutes remaining, protecting the lead became the priority. United shifted into a more defensive 4-2-3-1 shape, with Rooney moving into an advanced midfield role to link play, while Van Persie remained the lone striker.

By the 85th minute, United struck again.

Martial launched another attack down the right, cutting inside before laying the ball off to Rooney at the edge of the box. Without hesitation, Rooney unleashed a powerful shot. Leverkusen's goalkeeper managed to parry it but the ball fell straight to Van Persie.

And Van Persie never missed those.

He calmly slotted the rebound into the net, completing his hat-trick and sealing Manchester United's victory.

"GOAL!!! It's 4-2!!!"

"Van Persie gets his hat-trick! There are just five minutes left, and this game is over!"

"Once again, Martial was involved! Since coming on, he's been absolutely sensational! Jin Taige's substitution has paid off in the best possible way! We are witnessing the rise of a future football star!"

On the pitch, United's players huddled together in celebration. Leverkusen's players, on the other hand, looked devastated they knew they had let the game slip away.

On the touchline, Jin Taige simply smiled.

This was his first Champions League match as Manchester United's manager. And with a 4-2 victory in front of the Old Trafford faithful, it couldn't have gone much better.