Chapter 360: Drawing First Blood
David Silva didn't stop the ball; he directly passed it back to Stones, acting like a wall. Stones received the ball, now directly facing United's central defenders. This was a very dangerous position for United.
From here, Stones could play various combinations with City's agile forwards. If they found space, he could deliver a killer through ball. He didn't even need to watch his teammates' movements closely; just a well-placed pass could be deadly.
He adjusted the ball under his feet, preparing to send a straight pass. To his left, between United's central defenders Maguire and Van Dijk, there was a gap. If he could thread the ball through, either Iheanacho or Nolito could receive it and have a clear shot on goal. The chances of not scoring were very slim.
Just as he was about to make the pass, a foot appeared in front of him, poking the ball away. Stones stumbled, kicking the opponent's foot instead.
The disruptor was Kante! As United's defensive core, Kante was specifically tasked with countering Stones' forward runs. Stones hadn't noticed Kante before because he had been hiding, waiting for this moment.
Kante nudged the ball to central defender Van Dijk. Although Stones had kicked him, Kante didn't care and immediately started running forward. Van Dijk, knowing the danger of lingering with the ball in such a position, quickly passed it to Gündoğan, who then swept it forward to Bruno.
In less than three seconds, United had transitioned from defense to attack, moving the ball to open space. This was classic United—quick and deadly in their attacks.
Bruno accelerated to full speed, charging forward with the ball. With Fernandinho covering as a central defender, there was a clear twenty-meter stretch ahead of Bruno with no immediate threat. Meanwhile, Stones had been left far behind.
Seeing this unfold, Mourinho stood up from his seat, knowing exactly what this meant. This was the opportunity they had practiced countless times, specifically targeting Stones.
At this moment, the cheers from United fans reached a new peak. Those familiar with United's style knew what kind of opportunity this was.
"Damn it…" Stones, glancing back at Bruno pulling away, realized his mistake. Now, all he could do was race back and hope Fernandinho could slow down Bruno.
Fernandinho, initially behind, immediately charged at Bruno. This created an empty space behind him, a move that did not go unnoticed by Stones, who cursed silently, "This idiot!"
Unlike a defensive midfielder, a center-back can't just charge forward to tackle. Doing so leaves a huge gap behind, allowing the opponent to exploit it.
As if validating Stones' fears, Bruno passed the ball into the open space behind Fernandinho. Ibrahimović ran diagonally from the center to receive it—one-on-one with the keeper!
"Bruno's through pass is brilliant!" "Ibrahimović has the ball! No offside! No offside!"
Otamendi chased after Ibrahimović, and Fernandinho realized his grave error, hurriedly turning to defend.
As Fernandinho turned, Bruno sprinted past him. Hesitating for a moment, Fernandinho decided to continue chasing Ibrahimović.
Otamendi, having anticipated the pass, quickly closed in on Ibrahimović. The stadium atmosphere grew tense.
Could Otamendi block Ibrahimović's shot? Would Ibrahimović manage to get past Otamendi?
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the pair.
Seeing Ibrahimović prepare to shoot, Otamendi lunged to block. But it was a feint. Ibrahimović pulled the ball back with his left foot, fooling Otamendi.
This was Fernandinho's chance to redeem himself! If Ibrahimović had to adjust before shooting, it would give Fernandinho time to close in.
As Fernandinho moved to close in, Ibrahimović passed the ball. The Swedish striker sent it past Fernandinho to Bruno behind him!
Bruno, having sprinted forward, received the pass after slowing down near the box, allowing Fernandinho to overtake him.
"Bruno—!!" shouted the United commentators, as fans anticipated a shot.
City's players, seeing the ball with Bruno, immediately focused on blocking his shot. Bravo, quickly repositioning, yelled, "Don't let him shoot!"
Stones, sprinting back, aimed to tackle Bruno just as he did to Stones earlier. But Bruno didn't shoot; he passed the ball again, this time to Rooney on the other side, who was unmarked due to Otamendi being drawn away by Ibrahimović.
"Great pass! Beautiful switch!"
Rooney, unmarked, received the ball in a perfect position set up by Bruno. This kind of opportunity, too good to miss, was created by the whole team for Rooney.
"Rooney, Rooney, Rooney—" "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!"
"Rooney shoots! The ball… it's in! Beautiful! What a goal!" "United lead by one goal against City!"
Rooney's shot went into the top corner. Bravo, despite his best efforts, couldn't stop it. He could only watch as the ball sailed over him into the net.
"In the Manchester Derby, United draw first blood!!" "What a brilliant play, showcasing United's strengths!" "This is United—quick, sharp, exploiting defensive gaps with rapid passing and movement. They've done it!"
As the ball hit the net, the Old Trafford stands erupted in thunderous cheers. United fans leaped up, arms raised, hugging and patting each other, tears of joy in their eyes, voices hoarse from shouting.
"Glory! Glory! Man United!!" "We're leading! We're leading City!" "Amazing! What an attack!" "Look at Bruno's two passes, brilliant! He controlled City's defense perfectly."
Watching Rooney score, many United fans at home jumped from their seats, cheering the goal and applauding Bruno's performance.
Rooney, celebrating, hugged Bruno, who had assisted him. Teammates swarmed around them, forming a jubilant huddle.
Bruno shouted, "Guys, the match isn't over! Now's not the time to celebrate. We need more goals! Remember, United's football is about attack! Don't stop, we need to go faster!!" "Faster!!!"
On the sidelines, Mourinho jumped with arms raised, celebrating like they had already won. Nearby, City's bench was silent, Guardiola with a stern face, biting his lower lip.
This goal came from meticulous planning and exploiting defensive errors. Such opportunities were rare, but United seized this one perfectly.
Would Guardiola concede? No, he wouldn't.
Guardiola's pride had seen him dominate La Liga, the Bundesliga, and Europe. Even when defeated, the victors often emerged battered. For example, in the 2009-2010 Champions League semifinals, his Barcelona was eliminated by Mourinho's Inter Milan, but Guardiola never accepted it as a true defeat. To him, Mourinho and Inter had stolen the victory.
Public opinion after that match largely supported Barcelona, looking down on Mourinho and Inter's win. NBA star Steve Nash famously mocked Mourinho for parking the bus in front of Inter's goal.
(End of Chapter)
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