Chapter 375: The North West Derby
On the afternoon of October 17, match day, Bruno and his teammates arrived at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool by bus. Since Liverpool and Manchester are close, just an hour's drive away, there was no need to arrive early.
In the visitor's locker room, the Manchester United players put down their bags but didn't rush to change and warm up. The locker room is a mysterious place, not just because it's almost never open to the public, but also because each player has their own rituals and superstitions.
Bruno had only been with the team for two months. While he was familiar with his teammates, he only had a few close friends like Kante and Maguire. The other players were lively and noisy.
English locker rooms are the loudest, with different pop and rock songs blaring. To talk to the teammate next to you, you had to shout, making it seem like everyone was arguing.
After about twenty minutes of this, assistant coach Faria opened the door and shouted, "Time to warm up, gentlemen!"
The players put their things away and headed out, chatting as they went.
Since Liverpool FC was founded in 1892, they have played at Anfield. The stadium's football history dates back to 1878, when it was known as Stanley Park, named after the St. Domingo's team.
Stanley Park in 1878 was a public ground, unlike the canceled "New Anfield" stadium. Back then, anyone could watch the games for free, but as crowds grew, the authorities decided to move to a new ground where they could charge admission – hence Anfield.
Today, Anfield Stadium has 54,074 seats, making it the fifth-largest in the Premier League.
As Bruno and his teammates warmed up on the pitch, he noticed the stands were already full. Around 2,000 Manchester United fans were there, confined to an area behind one goal, separated by security from the rest of the crowd.
As the most anticipated fixture in the Premier League, the North West Derby often saw clashes between fans, necessitating strict security measures.
The remaining 50,000 spectators were, of course, Liverpool fans, as this was their home ground.
Seeing the United players on the pitch, Liverpool fans started hurling abusive language and displaying offensive banners.
"Why are we the villains in a movie?" Kante complained, dissatisfied with the Liverpool fans' behavior.
Players are human too, and no matter how professional, there's no reason to accept such insults.
Bruno pulled Kante's arm and said, "Ignore it. You can't stop them from shouting at you. Even if you score against them, they'll just shout louder."
Bruno always believed in not engaging in verbal battles, knowing it was pointless. Just like when fans and media questioned his decision to join United, he never defended himself, believing actions spoke louder than words.
"How do we shut them up then?" Kante asked, still upset.
"Do we win the Premier League? Will they shut up then?"
Bruno looked at the banners insulting United and their owner Jassim's female relatives and shook his head. "No, they'll still shout."
"Then if we win a lot of titles, not just the Premier League, but also the Europa League?"
Bruno continued shaking his head. "They still won't stop."
Kante exclaimed, "This is endless!"
Bruno laughed and patted Kante. "You have to accept it, N'Golo. Let me tell you, don't see their insults as an offense. See them as compliments."
"Compliments? How is this a compliment? They shout at you and you're happy?" Kante found Bruno's perspective bizarre.
Bruno nodded. "Of course. They shout at us because they fear us. Look, if we were just a relegation team, always fighting to stay in the Premier League, and any team could easily beat us, would their fans go crazy and shout at us?"
Kante thought for a moment, then shook his head.
Bruno pointed to the banners in the stands and said, "Exactly. People don't use the most vicious language to attack an ant because it's too easy to crush them. But we do shout at a dangerous enemy. Why shout? Because apart from shouting, there's nothing else we can do. We can't beat them; we can't resist them, so we shout. That's what they're doing now."
"They know we're strong and they have no chance, but they won't admit defeat. So they retaliate this way. But shouting won't make us lose, so let them shout. I don't care, and I'm happy about it. The more they shout, the more it shows we threaten them. It's a backhanded compliment, even if they won't admit it. They're praising us because we scare them."
With that, Bruno continued his warm-up.
Kante stood there, pondering Bruno's words. He looked at the banners again and mumbled, "Afraid of us? Liverpool afraid of us?"
Liverpool fans chanted for Jassim to die, while United fans responded with chants like, "If you're jealous, just say so!"
Liverpool fans retorted, "Liverpool jealous of United? That's the funniest joke I've heard! Hahaha!"
Even before the match began, the atmosphere at Anfield was tense.
In the midst of this fan rivalry, United and Liverpool finished their warm-up and returned to their dressing rooms. After a twenty-minute break, they would return to the pitch for the start of the match.
As Valencia and Henderson led their teams onto the field, the crowd's roar was deafening.
At that moment, Liverpool fans focused on cheering for their team rather than attacking United.
In this match, Rooney was once again on the bench, and with Carrick not starting, Valencia captained United.
After the captains exchanged flags and the coin toss determined sides, the players took their positions for the kickoff. Insulting chants from the stands resumed.
On the field, Ibrahimovic and Rashford prepared for the kickoff, while Bruno gestured to Ibrahimovic to push forward through the middle as soon as play began. Ibrahimovic nodded in understanding.
The referee, after syncing his watch with the fourth official, blew the whistle to start the match.
Bruno received the ball, surveyed the field, and passed back.
After three passes among the defenders, the ball returned to Bruno. By then, Liverpool's previously tight formation had been stretched as they pressed forward, trying to keep the pressure on United as Klopp had instructed.
Seeing this, Bruno passed to left-back Blind on the wing and moved forward.
Blind and Rashford executed a one-two, advancing down the flank. Instead of crossing from a 45-degree angle as expected, Blind cut the ball back to the edge of the penalty area.
Bruno, receiving the ball, didn't hesitate and struck a powerful shot. The ball rocketed towards the goal, whizzing past Liverpool defender Lovren, who felt the wind rush past his ear.
Liverpool goalkeeper Karius saw the ball coming but had no time to react properly. He instinctively raised his hand, feeling a sharp pain as the ball struck his wrist, deflecting it over the bar and onto the advertising boards behind.
"Bruno's shot! Powerful but too straight…"
"An unexpected long shot from Bruno caught Karius off guard. A shame it didn't go in, but what a strike!"
Karius, still shaken, glanced at Bruno, thinking this guy has a powerful shot. He'd need to stay alert. Then he shouted, "Corner kick! Watch the defense!"
Bruno, having eyed Karius, slowly walked into the penalty area, ready for the corner.
(End of Chapter)
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