Chapter 370: Reaping What You Sow
Lineker had grown silent, unable to maintain his optimism. If Manchester United could manage to hold on to the current draw, it would already be a stroke of luck. Losing the match seemed the most likely outcome. When that happened, he might have to resort to the clichéd commentary phrases like "an honorable defeat" or "life is cruel, but don't give up, don't despair..."
He took a moment to glance at the section where the visiting fans were seated. The over two thousand Manchester City fans at Old Trafford had already begun celebrating their victory early. They were all standing, waving their arms, and singing City's anthem. Despite the score still being 2-2, City fans believed that with their team dominating the game and having an extra player, there was no way City could lose.
In stark contrast, the majority of United fans, despite their overwhelming numbers, had already given up. They sat dejectedly in their seats, seemingly resigned to a draw or even a loss. From their perspective, United was completely suppressed by City, struggling even to gain possession.
Given the current situation, it seemed unlikely that United would score to take the lead. It was a struggle just to fend off City's attacks, and losing the game seemed inevitable.
Lineker refocused on his commentary. Although he greatly admired Bruno, nearly as much as he did Messi, as a commentator, he had to strive to remain impartial.
"City continues to control the ball, displaying their skilled passing and teamwork... David Silva passes to De Bruyne... De Bruyne... Fernandinho... Otamendi... Stones... they're playing the ball around in their own half... City seems hesitant to push forward, even with the extra man!" Lineker remarked, feeling a bit sorry for United.
City indeed was passing the ball around in their half. Despite the draw and having one more player than United, they didn't risk pushing forward, appearing content with the draw. This cautious approach indicated they saw United as a very dangerous opponent.
City continued passing the ball around, with Bruno, Lingard, and Rooney trying to press them. However, what could the three of them do? With the 30-year-old Rooney nearly out of energy, they were effectively just two and a half players pressing.
City's players toyed with the pressing United players, passing the ball around as if in a training exercise. The loyal United fans in the Stretford End started booing, unable to accept City's time-wasting tactics. They expressed their discontent with boos, middle fingers, and insults. This sentiment quickly spread, causing more fans to join in the booing whenever City players touched the ball.
These boos made City players hesitate. Why should they be afraid of a team with one less player? And why settle for a point on their rival's turf? They needed to score again to seal the game and remove any doubt. They decided to attack.
Stones passed the ball to Fernandinho, urging him forward, and the proud City players couldn't stand the boos any longer. They wanted to prove their style of football was the most beautiful, pure, and admirable in the world.
Fernandinho faked a pass backward, then turned and dribbled past Lingard, moving forward. Bruno stepped up to meet him. Fernandinho knew better than to let Bruno steal the ball. He passed to David Silva as Bruno chased the ball.
Fernandinho thought Bruno's efforts were futile, believing the ball would just be passed to another City player once he reached Silva. David Silva received the ball and saw Bruno approaching. Recognizing the threat, Silva quickly passed to De Bruyne and moved forward, expecting the ball back.
But De Bruyne was immediately pressured by Kante, who grabbed his shirt and stuck close to him. Bruno, seeing Kante's struggle, changed direction and charged at De Bruyne. Hearing David Silva's warning, De Bruyne glanced at Bruno, allowing Kante to steal the ball.
De Bruyne blocked Kante, trying to regain possession, but Van Dijk stepped in, poking the ball away to Bruno. Bruno turned and moved forward with the ball, finally finding the counterattack opportunity he had been waiting for. He knew this was his moment to seize victory.
"Opportunity! Opportunity!" Lineker suddenly exclaimed, his earlier lethargy replaced by excitement.
On the pitch, Bruno moved forward with the ball, supported by Lingard and Ibrahimović, with Rooney nearby. The fast break was on a different level than United's previous attacks. Despite the desperate situation, Bruno advanced swiftly, aiming for Fernandinho.
Rooney, determined to support Bruno, chased after him. Earlier, Rooney wouldn't have imagined himself in such a supporting role, but now he was fully committed.
As Bruno neared Fernandinho, he passed the ball back to Rooney, then darted to the right. Rooney, seeing Fernandinho, quickly passed the ball back to Bruno and continued running forward. Bruno, unmarked, passed the ball to Rooney's side again, who found himself in open space as De Bruyne was out of position.
(End of Chapter)
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