Chapter 545: Champions League Knockout Stage
A week later, Manchester United comfortably beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the 5th round of the FA Cup, advancing to the quarter-finals. Harry Kane scored twice, with Bruno providing an assist. From this day forward, United would enter another busy period in their season. Between February 17th and March 17th, they were scheduled to play eight matches across four competitions: the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Champions League.
Schedule:
February 17th: FA Cup 5th round away at Huddersfield Town.February 21st: Champions League Round of 16 first leg away at Shakhtar Donetsk.February 25th: EFL Cup Final against Arsenal.March 1st: Premier League Round 28 at home against Chelsea.March 6th: Premier League Round 29 away at Crystal Palace.March 10th: Premier League Round 30 at home against Liverpool (second leg of the season's North-West Derby).March 13th: Champions League Round of 16 second leg at home against Shakhtar Donetsk.March 17th: FA Cup quarter-final at home against Brighton.
Every match was critical, with fixtures against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and two Champions League knockout games.
Midweek, United would travel to face Shakhtar Donetsk. Among the sixteen teams in the Champions League knockout stage, Shakhtar wasn't the strongest opponent, but playing them posed significant challenges. Donetsk, deep in continental Europe, still experienced freezing temperatures, unlike Manchester, where the climate was milder. The drastic temperature change would be a substantial hurdle for the traveling team.
Additionally, Mourinho had to consider the upcoming EFL Cup Final. Despite the EFL Cup being of lesser importance for a club of United's stature, reaching the final meant they wouldn't abandon the pursuit of the trophy. However, with only four days between the two matches, and a 3,000 km round trip between Manchester and Donetsk, it was impossible for players to fully recover.
Mourinho decided to use a rotated squad against Shakhtar, saving the main squad for the EFL Cup Final. Nonetheless, he wouldn't entirely give up on the Champions League match, so team captain and midfield maestro Bruno would travel to Ukraine and start the game.
Having worked with Bruno for almost two years, Mourinho noticed that travel fatigue hardly affected him. Bruno managed to rest effectively, maintaining his energy for matches.
Players focused on playing well, leaving tactical considerations to the coach. Their cheerful demeanor during training reflected their confidence, buoyed by their 8-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League standings. They felt assured of victory.
As one of Europe's top clubs, United's perceived competition included the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City. Shakhtar Donetsk, despite their regular appearances in the Champions League, didn't seem like a significant threat.
United faced Shakhtar midweek, with the EFL Cup Final against Arsenal on Sunday night.
Before the Shakhtar match, Mourinho made substantial changes to the starting lineup, resting key players for the upcoming final. He shifted from the usual 4-3-3 formation, benching the out-of-form Ibrahimovic and adding defensive midfielder Fellaini.
In the past two seasons, Fellaini saw reduced playing time due to the arrival of Kante. This match presented an opportunity for him to prove himself alongside Bruno. Fellaini believed that if he could impress while playing with Bruno, he might regain his spot.
His enthusiasm, however, led to overexcitement. Just ten minutes in, he earned a yellow card for an unnecessary midfield tackle, frustrating Mourinho. Bruno also showed his disapproval.
Fellaini ignored Bruno's reaction, determined to make a strong impression on Mourinho. His overzealousness resembled Paul Gascoigne in the 1991 FA Cup Final, where Gascoigne's reckless play resulted in injury and a critical mistake.
In the 17th minute, while advancing with the ball, a Shakhtar midfielder pulled Fellaini's jersey. In his effort to break free, Fellaini swung his right elbow, striking the opponent's face. The Shakhtar player collapsed, unmoving.
"God… what just happened? Fellaini's elbow is a vicious foul! The Shakhtar player seems to be knocked out…"
Fellaini continued playing as if nothing had happened until the referee's whistle stopped him. Realizing the severity, he saw Shakhtar players rushing towards him angrily.
Bruno quickly intervened, standing between Fellaini and the approaching Shakhtar players.
"Calm down! Calm down! Everybody, relax…," Bruno shouted. He wasn't afraid of a fight but didn't want his team to be further disadvantaged by losing more players.
Bruno motioned for teammates to pull Fellaini away from the crowd to prevent further escalation. Mahrez dragged Fellaini out, admonishing him, "What were you thinking, Fellaini? That was unnecessary!"
Fellaini, still dazed, defended himself, "He was pulling my shirt…"
"That's no excuse for an elbow!"
"I was trying to break free…"
"Tell that to the referee, but it won't help now…" Mahrez replied, shaking his head.
Bruno and others managed to de-escalate the situation. The Shakhtar player received medical attention while the referee showed Fellaini a red card, calming the Shakhtar players somewhat.
Mourinho, however, was livid. Not at the referee, but at Fellaini for his reckless behavior.
After being shown the red card, Fellaini realized the gravity of his actions. His mind cleared, he looked towards the bench, seeing Mourinho kick a water bottle in frustration.
Walking off the pitch to a chorus of boos from the Metalist Stadium, Fellaini knew he had severely let his team down.
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