Chapter 728: Fierce Battle
The 50,000 Manchester United fans in the stands chanted Bruno's name, their collective voice powerful enough to stir the blood of anyone present.
Bruno Fernandes finally broke free from the jubilant fans, only to be engulfed in a celebratory hug by his teammates.
"We still have the second half! The second half!" Bruno shouted, catching his breath.
Manchester City was a formidable opponent. A one-goal lead was far from secure, especially with an entire 45 minutes left to play. City had the quality and time to turn the game around. United needed to remain vigilant and give their all if they wanted to lift the trophy.
The first half concluded shortly after, followed by a brief halftime interval. When the second half began, Manchester City showed no signs of panic despite trailing 1-0.
"This is a team with immense experience," Andy Gray remarked, praising City's composure.
...
Five minutes into the second half, Harry Maguire made a costly error in United's defensive third. His pass to N'Golo Kanté lacked power.
Sergio Agüero seized the opportunity, intercepting the ball.
"This is dangerous!"
Agüero charged into the penalty area, but Virgil van Dijk managed a desperate sliding tackle to knock the ball away. However, David Silva, trailing the play, was first to the loose ball. He struck it cleanly into the top-left corner of the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!"
"David Silva levels the score for Manchester City!"
"City's experience shines through. They stayed composed, capitalized on United's mistake, and equalized!"
"F**K!" José Mourinho cursed under his breath.
The contrast in composure between the two teams was evident. City remained calm despite being behind, while United, eager for the title, let their emotions get the better of them. This pressure translated into uncharacteristic errors.
Guardiola, satisfied with his team's response, sat back down on the bench. Spotting Mourinho's frustrated demeanor on the touchline only added to his amusement.
...
City's quick equalizer disrupted United's strategy of controlling the game and waiting for counterattacking opportunities. The match entered a tense stalemate.
In midfield, Paul Pogba, David Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne controlled possession with short, deliberate passes, showing no urgency to press forward.
In the 58th minute, N'Golo Kanté was shown a yellow card for a tackle on Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Mourinho was visibly upset with the decision, arguing that Kanté's challenge warranted only a verbal warning. Moments later, Kyle Walker committed two fouls within 30 seconds on Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford but escaped with just a verbal caution. The inconsistency in officiating drew loud boos from the United fans.
"Rashford! Over the bar!"
"Agüero! Just wide!"
"Bruno! Oh, so close!"
With chances drying up, both teams resorted to long-range shots, though none truly troubled the goalkeepers.
Kylian Mbappé, using his blistering pace, drove forward, only to be brought down by Aymeric Laporte. The referee hesitated briefly before signaling for play to continue.
Mourinho stood silently on the sidelines, his face darkened with frustration. Having already been warned by the referee earlier, he avoided any overt protests.
"Anthony Taylor's officiating is inconsistent," Martin Tyler commented.
"If Kanté's tackle on Zinchenko warranted a yellow card, Laporte's challenge on Mbappé was at least a foul."
United players protested, raising their hands to signal the foul. Meanwhile, City attempted to capitalize with a quick counterattack. However, Luke Shaw made a brilliant sliding challenge to dispossess David Silva, quelling the threat.
Mourinho applauded Shaw's determination and clean interception, shouting encouragement from the touchline.
Three minutes later, Shaw slid in again, this time on De Bruyne. The referee issued only a verbal warning, much to Guardiola's dismay.
Throughout the match, the referee's decisions drew the ire of both managers, making him one of the most talked-about figures on the pitch.
...
In the 72nd minute, the game took an unexpected turn.
Paul Pogba intercepted a pass in midfield and launched a long ball forward. Sergio Agüero, chasing the ball, slipped and fell awkwardly on the turf.
This wasn't the first time players had lost their footing during the match. The pitch at the newly built Wembley Stadium had long been criticized for being too hard, often causing slips and injuries.
As Agüero lay on the ground, João Cancelo approached to check on him, while United players gestured for City's medical staff to enter the field.
"F**K!" Guardiola exclaimed, immediately instructing Gabriel Jesus to warm up.
The Manchester City manager had voiced concerns about Wembley's pitch quality before the match, and now his fears seemed justified.
"The pitch at Wembley Stadium looks like it hosted a rock concert the night before. For a national stadium, this condition is simply unacceptable. This venue cost £800 million, yet its most critical feature—the pitch—has glaring issues. I don't know what causes this, but it's truly intolerable."
...
Manchester City's medical staff entered the pitch to attend to Sergio Agüero, while the players from both teams took the opportunity to hydrate.
Moments later, City's medical staff signaled for a substitution.
"There's an unfortunate development here. Sergio Agüero has slipped and sustained an injury. It looks like he won't be able to continue, and Manchester City is preparing a substitution," Martin Tyler remarked with concern.
Agüero, being stretchered off, wore an expression of pain, covering his face as if he were crying. Both Manchester United and Manchester City fans in the stadium applauded to show their respect for the veteran player.
City brought on Gabriel Jesus to replace Agüero. Meanwhile, Mourinho made a change of his own, introducing Riyad Mahrez for Marcus Rashford.
Even Mourinho didn't anticipate how quickly this substitution would yield results.
...
N'Golo Kanté received a pass from the backline near the edge of the penalty arc. Turning sharply, he sent the ball to Kylian Mbappé on the flank. Mbappé carried it forward a few steps before passing it to Bruno Fernandes, who immediately shifted it to Mahrez.
Mahrez attempted a lofted pass over the top, but Paul Pogba intercepted and headed the ball back into play.
Kanté quickly redirected the ball to İlkay Gündoğan, who passed it back to Mahrez on the flank.
This time, Mahrez opted not to dribble but instead delivered a precise diagonal long ball across the field.
"A brilliant diagonal pass!" Andy Gray exclaimed.
The ball cut through the half, flying toward the left flank.
There, Mbappé, who had switched wings moments earlier, sprinted onto the ball. With a deft touch from his left foot, he brought it down perfectly.
Mahrez's visionary switch of play caught Manchester City's defense off guard.
...
On City's right flank, Kyle Walker had been caught high up the pitch after joining the attack. Seeing Mbappé take control of the ball, Walker desperately sprinted back.
But matching Mbappé's speed? Impossible.
City's high defensive line from their recent attack left them vulnerable. Mahrez's simple yet incisive pass tore through the defensive structure.
With an open field ahead, Mbappé surged forward at lightning speed. The City defenders scrambled to retreat, but this was Mbappé's ideal playground—a wide-open pitch tailor-made for his explosive runs.
Pogba, attempting to block his compatriot's advance, stretched his long legs in a diagonal run to intercept.
Mbappé momentarily slowed down.
"Got you now, kid," Pogba thought, closing in to apply pressure.
Sensing the challenge, Mbappé feigned a cut inside toward the box. Pogba shifted his body and weight to block the move.
In an instant, Mbappé used the outside of his left foot to flick the ball toward the sideline and accelerated.
"What a move!"
"He's broken through!"
"Mbappé is into the box!"
City goalkeeper Ederson adjusted his position, poised to either rush out or dive for a save.
Mbappé feinted a shot, drawing Ederson off balance. Realizing the deception, the keeper scrambled to reset, but it was too late.
Mbappé whipped a low cross into the six-yard box. The ball sped across the face of goal.
...
"Harry Kane—!!"
Kane slid in at full stretch, with City captain Vincent Kompany shadowing him but avoiding any rash challenge to prevent an own goal. Kane narrowly missed connecting with the ball as it whisked past his outstretched boot.
City fans exhaled in relief, but the danger wasn't over. At the far post, a streak of red appeared.
"Bruno—!!"
Wearing the iconic No. 8 United shirt, Bruno Fernandes arrived at the far post. Aymeric Laporte, sprinting desperately, couldn't catch him. All Laporte could do was watch as Bruno met the cross.
With perfect timing, Bruno struck the ball with a clean, powerful volley.
Thud!
The shot was like a sledgehammer, sending the ball flying past Ederson's outstretched left hand and into the back of the net.
"BRUNO—GOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
Commentators leapt to their feet, fists pumping as they roared with excitement.
Around the world—in pubs, living rooms, and crowded stadiums—Manchester United fans erupted in unison.
"GOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
In the stands of Wembley, in the pubs of Manchester, and on screens across the globe, fans celebrated wildly. Bruno Fernandes had done it again.
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