Chapter 415: The Comeback
Sturridge stood on the sidelines, continuously moving his body, doing his final warm-ups. The fourth official held the electronic display board, ready for the substitution. However, there hadn't been a break in play yet, so he had to wait a little longer.
Liverpool's players wouldn't intentionally kick the ball out of bounds just to make the substitution unless it was absolutely necessary. And Manchester United's players certainly wouldn't let the ball go out to allow Liverpool to complete the substitution. They were well aware of the threat Sturridge posed and what he could do once he was on the field. They wished the match could continue without a break until it ended.
But that was not going to happen.
The ball was passed to Jordan Henderson once again, and Kanté arrived almost simultaneously with the ball. As soon as Henderson received the ball, Kanté collided with him from behind.
A legitimate body check couldn't knock Henderson down or make him lose control of the ball, but it forced him to adjust, making him hold onto the ball a bit longer, creating an opportunity for Kanté and Bruno to "hunt" him.
Bruno saw Kanté make contact and clenched his fist in approval: that was a good hit! Without wasting another moment, he left Coutinho and charged forward.
Coutinho looked at Bruno's back in surprise: wasn't he afraid that Henderson would pass the ball to him?
...
Henderson was almost knocked off balance by Kanté. To avoid losing the ball, he worked hard to control it while turning to shield Kanté behind him, thinking it was Kanté who was trying to take the ball.
Just as he managed to regain control of the ball, he looked up to scan for his teammates, only to see a flash of red in his field of vision. Bruno was already upon him like lightning.
Ignoring Henderson's shocked expression, Bruno kept his eyes on the ball. Henderson, startled by the sudden situation, became disoriented. He intended to pull the ball back but accidentally poked it forward instead!
This was Bruno's chance! He surged forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, seizing the ball that Henderson had inadvertently poked away. The large number "8" on his back told Henderson exactly who it was.
It was Bruno!
...
"Bruno! He swiftly appears beside Henderson and snatches the ball!" commentator Gary Lineker exclaimed excitedly.
With the ball at Henderson's feet, Liverpool was transitioning from defense to attack. Their defensive line was exposed, with only center-backs Lovren and Klavan at the back while full-backs Arnold and Milner had pushed forward.
Milner was almost in a winger position, and Arnold was slightly ahead, near the halfway line. Realizing Henderson had lost the ball, Liverpool's players hurried back to defend. Arnold and Milner naturally rushed back, while Lovren moved to intercept Bruno, trying to force him to the flanks or slow him down. He couldn't worry about the United forwards behind him; whoever had the ball was the greatest threat.
Klavan decided to mark one of United's forwards. If he also went for Bruno, he was certain Bruno would pass to the open Ibrahimovic or Rooney, giving them a clear shot at goal. Even though Mignolet was good at saving one-on-ones, they couldn't solely rely on him.
...
Bruno wasn't the furthest forward for United; Ibrahimovic and Rooney were ahead of him, not having had time to drop back. However, Mata and Gundogan had been actively defending. Now, Bruno, Ibrahimovic, and Rooney formed a triangle, with Bruno at the base and the two forwards at the points.
Both experienced forwards knew Bruno well, having played with him for over half a season. Seeing him steal the ball, they instinctively moved wide, Ibrahimovic to the left and Rooney to the right.
Klavan glanced over and decided to mark Rooney. As for Ibrahimovic, Arnold was rushing back to cover him.
Bruno didn't intend to duel with Lovren in midfield. Seeing his forwards' positioning, he passed to the temporarily unmarked Ibrahimovic and then ran forward, clearly aiming for a one-two pass. Lovren stayed with Bruno, believing Ibrahimovic wouldn't shoot from the wing.
However, Ibrahimovic didn't pass back to Bruno but moved towards the center. Lovren, realizing the increased threat, abandoned Bruno and rushed to block Ibrahimovic.
...
"United's quick counterattack is on! Liverpool's players can't get back in time, and they've already reached the edge of the box!" The commentators and fans were on their feet, shouting and waving their arms.
Both managers left their seats, watching intently. Even Sturridge, waiting to come on, stood still, focusing on the pitch.
Ibrahimovic didn't continue with the ball or shoot. Seeing Lovren rushing towards him, he passed back to Bruno.
"Bruno receives it again!"
Bruno took the ball, turned towards the goal, as if ready to shoot. Everyone believed he would, given his scoring prowess this season, with 26 goals in 21 Premier League games and seven in the Europa League.
"Bruno, shoot!" the United fans chanted.
...
Mignolet adjusted, moving to block Bruno's shot. Lovren, turning back towards Bruno, felt like a "monkey" being toyed with.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic ran into the box, aiming for the goal's center. Klavan, initially marking Rooney, hesitated and moved towards Ibrahimovic.
Bruno, with his head down, looked at the ball, not surveying his surroundings. As Klavan moved, Bruno passed the ball, not shooting but finding Rooney at the far post.
"Bruno passes... Rooney! Rooney gets the ball!"
Rooney controlled the ball, while Klavan turned and Mignolet rose. Lovren, exhausted from the back-and-forth, watched Rooney, unable to sprint back again.
...
Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Milner rushed into the box, but it was too late. Rooney gently pushed the ball past Mignolet, who couldn't save it in time.
The crowd at Old Trafford erupted.
"GOOOOOOOAL! In the 71st minute, United takes the lead, 2-1!"
Rooney, after seeing the ball go in, rushed to Bruno, who had set him up perfectly.
Bruno, having delivered the decisive pass, watched as Rooney calmly finished the move, securing United's lead.
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