Chapter 369: Psychological Warfare
After calming down, Mourinho quickly made a decision: he substituted the other center-back, Smalling, for the defensive midfielder, Gündoğan. This was a risky move, clearly showing that he was ready to go all in—either succeed or die trying.
Many fans remember Mourinho as a staunch advocate of defensive counter-attacking football, sometimes even seen as anti-football during certain periods. However, Mourinho has never lacked passion or even madness in matches. He often sends on attacking players in the final stages, showcasing famous scenes with four or even five forwards.
In this Manchester derby, Mourinho couldn't care less about the impact of losing a defensive midfielder on the team's backline. At this point, if United couldn't score, it was as good as losing.
Ferguson's influence on Manchester United runs deep. Adhering to the philosophy of lifelong learning, Ferguson's United never had a fixed tactical style but excelled at attacking. Thus, no matter the problem, they always chose to solve it with offense. Although Mourinho is the fourth manager to take the helm at United since Ferguson's retirement, this attacking spirit still exists. Even after several months of Mourinho's remodeling, the demonic nature ingrained in United's bones has not faded.
At this crucial moment, Mourinho had no intention of suppressing this spirit. While maintaining the integrity of the backline, he did not reduce the team's attacking power.
Maguire walked off the pitch with his head down, dejected. Mourinho gave him a hug, patted his back, and sent him to the locker room. Smalling jogged to the sidelines and swapped places with Gündoğan.
Mourinho hugged Gündoğan, comforting him and explaining that the substitution was due to tactical needs, not poor performance.
City had De Bruyne take the penalty. City had already made two substitutions, with striker Iheanacho and winger Sterling replaced. Thus, the penalty duties fell to the midfielder De Bruyne.
De Bruyne received the ball from a teammate, carefully placing it on the penalty spot. The protesting United players were driven out of the penalty area by the referee. They had no choice but to accept the outcome.
At this moment, Bruno suddenly ran to the goal, exchanged a meaningful glance with De Bruyne, then whispered something to De Gea, who kept nodding.
This scene was captured by the broadcast cameras, piquing everyone's curiosity about what Bruno had said to De Gea, especially given what happened next: De Gea, typically poor at saving penalties, saved De Bruyne's penalty!
Facing De Gea, De Bruyne attempted a well-executed Panenka penalty, but De Gea, waiting in the middle, easily caught the ball. Realizing De Gea didn't dive, De Bruyne knew he had been deceived.
Before the penalty, De Bruyne noticed Bruno subtly indicating a direction to De Gea—the direction De Bruyne usually favored. He assumed Bruno had warned De Gea about his penalty habits and decided to change his technique to a Panenka. But De Gea stayed in the middle, perfectly positioning himself for the save.
De Gea's penalty save kept the game level, sending commentators into a frenzy. Everyone wanted to know what magic words Bruno had whispered to De Gea to transform him from a penalty liability into a hero.
However, this would remain a mystery until after the match.
Although City couldn't take the lead with the penalty, their players weren't disappointed. The situation was still in their favor, with an extra man making a lead seem inevitable. United's resistance was seen as a mere struggle before the inevitable defeat.
City continued to play their game, maintaining control and pressing United. A City commentator confidently declared, "Other teams might struggle with an extra man, but not our City! City's strength is controlling the game, and now, with an extra man, they will dominate and kill off the match. This game is over!"
But he spoke too soon. United's players, like rabid dogs, sprinted tirelessly, fiercely pressing City's players. Their intense pressing exceeded even their initial efforts. This unexpected ferocity caught the now complacent City players off guard, leading to a few United counter-attacks.
In one instance, after a high press and a quick interception, Bruno's through ball found Ibrahimović, who turned and shot. If not for Bravo's alertness and quick reflexes, City might have conceded.
Guardiola, who had returned to the bench after United went a man down, quickly moved back to the sidelines, displeased with his team's defense.
Otamendi called out to his teammates, "Stay alert! The game isn't over! We're not winning yet!"
Responding to his reminder, City's players regained their focus, once again showcasing their ball control prowess.
By the 80th minute, the score remained 2-2. Mourinho made another substitution, bringing on Lingard for Rashford. The high intensity of the match had taken its toll on the not yet 20-year-old Rashford.
"With ten minutes left, the score is still 2-2. City is controlling the ball, and United, with one less player, is struggling to keep up. This numerical disadvantage is amplified against a team like City," one commentator noted.
Indeed, City's players controlled the ball, making United chase in vain. Whenever it seemed like United might intercept, City passed the ball away.
By this stage, many players were exhausted. United's full-field pressing tactic was physically demanding, and with one less player, they had to run even more. Despite the season just starting and players being relatively fresh, the high intensity of this match was draining. After 80 minutes, how many could keep going? How could they take the lead again?
These doubts plagued everyone, including some United players. Many felt that holding City to a draw with ten men was respectable enough. If the match ended in a draw, there would be no shame or regret—they had given their all.
Sometimes, one must acknowledge their limits and not attempt the impossible. After all, the season had just begun, and the league is a marathon, not a sprint. It spans 38 rounds over ten months; there's no need to fight for short-term glory.
Only one person didn't think this way. No matter how City tried to maneuver them, Bruno kept running tirelessly. He seemed unaffected by City's passing game, persistently chasing like a relentless bulldog.
With five minutes left, the score was still 2-2. City dominated possession, making it difficult for United to win the ball back. Even when United managed to gain possession, City quickly regrouped, forcing United to build their attack from deep, a challenging task against City's tight defense.
City's well-organized defense and United's predicament created a sense of despair. If the game continued like this, United wouldn't score even with fifty more minutes. Conversely, every City attack put United under severe pressure. Without De Gea's heroics, United would have already been trailing.
Breaking the deadlock seemed unlikely, except perhaps through set-pieces. But City controlled the game so well that United couldn't even earn fouls to exploit their free-kick specialists like Rooney, Bruno, and Ibrahimović.
Bruno believed the only way to break the deadlock was to continue their high pressing and counter-attacking strategy, catching City off guard. This required the entire team to work together. However, given the current physical condition of his teammates, even if they won the ball back, they might not have the energy to launch a swift counter-attack.
Among his teammates, only two were relatively fresh: the recently substituted Smalling and Lingard. Smalling, being a center-back, couldn't participate in pressing and quickly advance to support the attack.
Thus, the only one who could match Bruno's pace and assist him was Lingard.
Defense remained crucial, even if City passed the ball quickly. United had to find a way to regain possession.
(End of Chapter)
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