Chapter 524: A New Record
On December 11, the draw for the 2017-2018 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw rules dictated that group winners face group runners-up, teams from the same group cannot meet again, and clubs from the same country must be kept apart.
Since defending champions Real Madrid finished second in their group, the draw was full of suspense. No group winner wanted to face a team with Cristiano Ronaldo, the best scorer in football today.
But the unexpected happened. Two of Europe's most high-profile teams were drawn against each other: Real Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain.
From another perspective, this was a result many fans anticipated. When Ronaldo, Isco, and Ramos meet Neymar, Cavani, and Di Maria, these two legs of the knockout stage are sure to attract massive viewership.
For the Premier League teams, the draw brought mixed reactions.
Manchester City, recently thrashed by Manchester United in the derby, got a favorable draw against Swiss club Basel.
United also got a good draw, facing Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, which should not be too challenging for them to advance to the quarter-finals.
Chelsea were drawn against Europa League specialists Sevilla, a tie where both teams have a fair chance.
Tottenham, however, were less fortunate. After surviving a group of death with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, they now face Italian giants and last season's Champions League runners-up, Juventus.
The Champions League draw did not hold the public's attention for long, as the matches wouldn't start until February, two months away.
Manchester United quickly shifted their focus back to the Premier League. As European leagues began their winter breaks, English clubs were gearing up for the grueling Christmas schedule.
The day after the Champions League draw, the Premier League continued with its 17th round of matches.
On December 13 at 8 PM, Manchester United hosted Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
This was the final match of the round. In earlier matches, Manchester City vented their frustration from the derby defeat by thrashing Swansea 4-0. Chelsea and Tottenham both won their matches, but Liverpool and Arsenal played out goalless draws.
Bournemouth, sitting 14th in the league table, boasted a decent defense, having conceded just 19 goals in 16 matches, making them a tough opponent.
In the cold and rainy night at Old Trafford, Bournemouth parked the bus, defending resolutely. It wasn't until the 70th minute that Bruno's sharp cross from the right side forced an own goal from Bournemouth's defender. Harry Kane added a second goal, securing a 2-0 win for United.
With this victory, United extended their winning streak to 17 matches from the start of the season, and 18 matches across two seasons, surpassing Inter Milan's 17-game streak and just one win shy of Guardiola's Bayern Munich, who set a record of 19 consecutive wins in the 2013-2014 Bundesliga season.
After this round, United remained top of the league with a five-point lead. Although Bruno did not score, his tally of 26 Premier League goals kept him far ahead in the scoring charts.
On the weekend, in the 18th round of the Premier League, United faced West Bromwich Albion away.
Both teams were determined to win. United aimed for the league title, while West Brom were fighting to avoid relegation, making neither side willing to concede easily.
It wasn't until the 68th minute that Bruno broke the deadlock, receiving a pass from Gundogan and scoring. In the 89th minute, he assisted Harry Kane to extend the lead. However, West Brom pulled one back through Gareth Barry in the dying moments.
United's 2-1 victory, thanks to Bruno's goal and assist, extended their winning streak to 19 matches, equaling the record set by Guardiola's Bayern Munich four years ago.
Moreover, with 54 points from 18 matches, United secured the Premier League's half-season title, leading City by five points and Chelsea by a staggering 21 points.
In the midweek League Cup quarter-finals, United faced Bristol City.
Many saw this as a favorable draw for United, as Bristol City were the only Championship side left among the eight teams, the rest being Premier League clubs.
United's match against Bristol City was the last of the quarter-finals. The previous day, Arsenal had narrowly beaten West Ham 1-0 at home, while Leicester City drew 1-1 with Manchester City in regular time and extra time, only to lose 4-3 on penalties, sending City to the semi-finals.
On December 20 at 8 PM, United's match against Bristol City began at Ashton Gate, while Chelsea's match against Bournemouth had already been underway for 15 minutes.
Due to the congested fixture schedule, Mourinho rotated his squad, with none of the starting XI from the weekend's match against West Brom making the starting lineup. Ibrahimovic led a second-string side.
In the first half, the woodwork twice denied United, blocking efforts from Ibrahimovic and Lingard. The teams went into halftime with a 0-0 score.
In the 51st minute of the second half, Bristol City surprisingly took the lead through Bryan's powerful strike. Sensing danger, Mourinho quickly brought on Bruno to turn the tide.
As Bruno stood ready to come on, United earned a free-kick in a dangerous position. Ibrahimovic stepped up and drilled the ball through the wall into the top corner, equalizing for United.
Bruno entered the game in the 60th minute, replacing defender Blind, signaling Mourinho's intent to win by shifting to a 3-4-3 formation.
With Bruno on the field, United took control and launched relentless attacks. In the 74th minute, Bruno's cross from the left found Ibrahimovic, who headed home to complete his brace and put United ahead.
In the 80th minute, Bruno scored United's third, rounding the keeper to slot the ball home. Bristol City managed a consolation goal in stoppage time through Smith, but it was too late.
United's 3-2 win saw them join Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea in the semi-finals, featuring the Premier League's top four teams.
English media hailed this year's League Cup semi-final lineup as one of the strongest and most exciting in years.
In the subsequent draw, Manchester United were paired with Manchester City, and Arsenal with Chelsea, setting up two thrilling derbies in the semi-finals.
On December 23 at 7:45 PM, in the 19th round of the Premier League, United played Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
This was the final match before Christmas, and in earlier matches, Arsenal and Liverpool played out a 3-3 draw, while Chelsea and Everton drew 0-0. Manchester City thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 at home, and Tottenham, free from midweek Cup duties, beat Burnley 3-0 away.
The world's attention was now on the King Power Stadium.
In the 17th minute, United's left-side attack saw Rashford cut inside and pass to Luke Shaw, who overlapped and crossed into the box. Leicester's defenders were pulled out of position, leaving Bruno unmarked to chest down the ball and volley it into the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOALLL!!!!"
"Bruno scores for United in the 17th minute!"
Despite scoring early, Bruno was relentless, continually pressing and looking for more opportunities.
In the 38th minute, Bruno received a pass from Gundogan on the left, cut inside, and curled a shot into the top corner for his second goal.
United players celebrated wildly as Bruno netted his 29th Premier League goal of the season. With half the season still to play, he looked set to break his own record for the most goals in a single Premier League season.
In the second half, Bruno continued his dominant display, assisting Harry Kane in the 70th minute to make it 3-0.
Leicester managed a consolation goal through Vardy near the end, but United won 3-1.
With this victory, United completed the first half of the season with a perfect record, surpassing their 18-1 record from last season.
United also set a new Premier League record with 20 consecutive wins, surpassing Bayern Munich's record of 19.
The football world was in awe. The biggest question now was who could stop United's winning streak. United had 57 points from 19 matches, leading City by five points and Chelsea by 21, while Swansea, at the bottom, trailed by a staggering 44 points.
United's unbeaten record in the Premier League was thanks to their flawless performance in both attack and defense.
In 19 matches, United had scored 75 goals, averaging 3.95 goals per game, the highest in Europe. They had conceded just 8 goals, averaging 0.42 goals per game, with only Barcelona (7 goals) and Porto (6 goals) conceding fewer, but they had played fewer matches.
United had scored at least three goals in 11 matches and conceded more than one goal only twice, in a 5-2 win at Huddersfield and a 6-2 win against Manchester City.
United were not only dominant in the Premier League but also unbeaten in Europe. They defeated Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and achieved 5 wins and 1 draw in the Champions League group stage. Domestically, they won the Community Shield against Chelsea and reached the League Cup semi-finals with three consecutive wins.
In the 2017-2018 season, United had a record of 29 wins and 1 draw across all competitions, the only draw coming in a 3-3 result against Roma in the Champions League group stage.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was the team's standout player. The 23-year-old superstar, after narrowly missing out on the 2017 FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or, had an incredible season with 29 goals and 14 assists in 19 Premier League matches.
His stats for the entire season were 37 goals and 20 assists in 27 matches, numbers that many players struggle to achieve over an entire season.
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