Chapter 412: The Impossible Goal
Liverpool's hopes of another quick counter-attack were crushed by a single player.
Gündoğan's shot was blocked by Lovren's leg, sending the ball flying to the center of the penalty area.
Henderson ran towards the ball, but he quickly saw a figure appear in his vision and in front of the ball!
"Bruno!" shouted the commentator.
Manchester United fans in the stadium couldn't help but stand up, leaning forward and shouting loudly.
Bruno rushed towards the ball with great strides, moving incredibly fast!
In his eyes, this wasn't just a ball; it was a race against Sadio Mané. He wanted to use his sprint victory to wash away the humiliation he suffered earlier.
In other words, he was determined to get to the ball!
In almost a fraction of a second, Henderson realized he couldn't get to the ball before Bruno.
As a midfielder known for his long-range shots, Henderson was familiar with this situation: the ball was right in front of him, and if he didn't shoot, what else could he do?
Although he might not get to the ball, he could still try to disrupt Bruno's shot.
So Henderson slid in for a tackle.
Bruno reached the ball in a few steps, his eyes only on the ball and the goal, as if Henderson didn't exist.
He struck the ball hard while sprinting!
"Boom!"
The sound was clear to Henderson's ears, to the fans in the stadium, and even to the viewers watching on TV.
...
The ball soared towards Mignolet's goal!
Mignolet dived, stretching fully in the air, but he couldn't touch the ball...
Old Trafford erupted in a thunderous roar.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Bruno suddenly appeared on TV screens, shocking many viewers, especially Liverpool fans who had been anticipating another Klopp-style counter-attack leading to a goal.
They didn't expect their counter-attack to be intercepted by Bruno!
"Bruno! Bruno!! Bruno!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!"
Old Trafford shook with excitement, and the camera footage trembled with the fervor of the crowd.
Bruno's shot had a slight curve, just enough to bypass Mignolet and hit the back corner of the net.
Against such a world-class shot, even elite goalkeepers would struggle, let alone Mignolet, who was generally considered average.
Henderson's slide tackle only managed to trip Bruno slightly, and it was after he had already taken the shot, making it pointless.
Bruno stumbled a bit but quickly regained his balance, stepping over Henderson.
The Liverpool captain turned back to see the ball spinning in the net, finally stopping and dropping to the ground.
He hadn't been able to prevent the goal...
In the thirty-eighth minute, Manchester United equalized!
...
"This is Manchester United's championship declaration! This match is the derby against Liverpool and directly affects their league title contention. It's a match they cannot afford to lose!"
"After trailing for eleven minutes, Manchester United has equalized!"
"Bruno's goal was absolutely beautiful! Even Neuer couldn't have stopped that shot!"
Commentators from around the world in the media section of Old Trafford were going wild.
Manchester United fans were ecstatic, waving their arms and shouting loudly in the stands.
"This is Bruno's twenty-sixth goal in the Premier League this season! Another stunning world-class goal! He continues the tradition of rising to the occasion against strong opponents, once again proving to be the key player in crucial moments!" the Manchester United commentator shouted excitedly.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's commentators had a different take: "Oh—Oh no... Bruno scored! This shouldn't have been a scoring opportunity..."
To the Liverpool commentators, Liverpool's defense seemed impenetrable.
Yet Bruno forced his way through and scored a seemingly unreasonable shot, breaking through Mignolet's defense...
Was it luck, or was it pure skill?
...
After scoring, Bruno was also very excited. He ran towards the sidelines, pumping his fists towards the stands, releasing his emotions.
His teammates were even more excited, resorting to expletives to express their joy.
"Damn, that was beautiful!"
Seeing the goal, Sadio Mané, who had been ready for another counter-attack, clapped his hands in disappointment, then stood in the center circle with his hands on his hips, watching the Manchester United players celebrate.
If the game were to restart, he wouldn't even need to move. He was already in the center circle.
However, the goal didn't affect his mood much. Apart from a bit of disappointment, he was still calm.
After all, there was still plenty of time left in the match. If they conceded, they could just score again.
Scoring was his specialty.
If this goal had happened in the eighty-fifth minute, he wouldn't be so composed.
Mané wasn't too concerned, but someone else was.
Klopp, seeing the goal, angrily stood up from his seat, looking for something to throw, but finding nothing but his notebook. So, he kicked his chair instead.
Then, not caring if the chair was still clean, he sat down heavily, visibly angry and frustrated.
Under his leadership, Liverpool's attacking power had greatly improved, with many high-scoring victories. However, they had a fatal flaw: their defense.
In the 20 Premier League games so far, Liverpool had conceded 27 goals, the most among the BIG6 teams!
Klopp was prepared for the possibility of conceding but didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Liverpool only led for eleven minutes.
That's what made Klopp so furious!
...
The first half continued, with both teams sticking to their attacking strategies. Neither team scored again before halftime. After one minute of stoppage time, the referee blew the whistle for halftime.
The teams headed to the locker rooms with a 1-1 scoreline.
Commentators agreed it was an exciting first half, even with just one goal each.
"It was an incredibly thrilling first half! Both teams played attacking football, and it was exhilarating to watch!"
"Remember their first encounter this season? That match changed people's perception of Mourinho's Manchester United. Since then, everyone has become accustomed to seeing Mourinho's United score goal after goal, winning games by large margins. Now, in their second encounter, they haven't disappointed, delivering another spectacular attacking battle!"
In the locker room, Klopp expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's defense but didn't dwell on it. He urged them to continue their aggressive play in the second half, aiming for a win.
At Manchester United's side, Mourinho praised the team's performance, especially singling out Bruno for his remarkable goal.
He was genuinely thrilled with Bruno's goal.
After Bruno scored, Mourinho leaped from the bench, rushing to the sidelines and celebrating with raised arms for a long time.
Bruno's goal meant they could go into halftime with a tie, allowing Mourinho to plan the second half more calmly, without having to take drastic measures from the outset.
Such drastic measures could only be used sparingly in a match, and using them too early could leave them vulnerable later.
...
During his time at Inter Milan, Mourinho had used such drastic measures in a game, once substituting two forwards at once, playing with five attackers on the field.
It was the 4th round of Serie A in the 2008-2009 season, with Inter Milan facing Lecce. Mourinho started with a 4-3-3 formation but continuously adjusted it through substitutions, moving from 4-2-4 to an all-out 2-3-5 attacking formation.
At that time, Ibrahimović's free kick hit the post, and Adriano's header from close range missed, leaving Inter struggling to break the deadlock.
At halftime, Mourinho brought on Quaresma and Maicon, shifting to a 4-2-4 formation to exploit the flanks for attacking opportunities.
Despite the adjustments, Inter still couldn't score, so Mourinho took off left-back Chivu, adding another striker, Cruz, placing five attackers upfront.
Argentinian forward Cruz came on in the 72nd minute and scored in the 78th, converting Ibrahimović's header to secure a 1-0 win, giving Inter their 4th consecutive victory to start the season.
Such tactics don't always work, sometimes leading to victory, sometimes not.
Mourinho generally preferred stability, steadily pressing the opponent, scoring, and securing three points.
That's the scenario Mourinho most desired.
Bruno's goal gave Mourinho more peace of mind, boosting the team's morale.
How to play the second half? Keep attacking, of course.
In most matches, taking a conservative approach after leading isn't a problem, but in a significant match like the derby against Liverpool, maintaining high morale is crucial.
Moreover, United had only equalized.
But how exactly should they attack?
(End of the chapter)
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