Chapter 604: Proud Real Madrid
Real Madrid was indeed passing the ball around in their own half. Even though they were leading and had one more player than Manchester United, with less than five minutes left in the match, they still chose not to take risks with aggressive attacks. They didn't play the beautiful, fan-pleasing football; instead, they passed the ball around in their own half. Whenever they managed to get the ball forward, if Manchester United's defense showed any sign of resistance, they would quickly retreat as if startled.
This approach might seem uncharacteristic of a proud top-tier team, but facing the temptation of the Champions League title, they were willing to abandon their dignity to ensure victory. They didn't want to throw away the victory that was within their grasp at the last moment.
This also showed that they indeed regarded Manchester United as an equal and very dangerous opponent. After all, if they were playing against Barcelona or Bayern Munich, and the score was also 3-2, they would certainly do the same.
Real Madrid kept passing the ball around in their own half, with Rashford, Harry Kane, and Ibrahimović pressing, but what impact could these three have? Rashford and Kane were exhausted and could barely run, while Ibrahimović, though recently subbed in, was almost 37 years old and well past his prime.
Facing these few Manchester United players, Real Madrid players passed the ball around easily, almost as if they were toying with them in a training session.
...
The neutral and Manchester United fans in the stands were not happy. It's natural for Manchester United fans to dislike this situation, but even the neutral fans, who had come to see a thrilling showdown between two top-tier teams, were dissatisfied. In contrast, Manchester United, who twice led Real Madrid and only fell behind after being a man down, gained more support from the neutrals.
Those neutrals, who had cheered for Real Madrid's brilliant plays earlier, were now applauding every Manchester United player still running and jeering at the Real Madrid players who kept passing the ball around.
The boos initially came from some neutrals who couldn't accept Real Madrid's shameless time-wasting. They expressed their discontent with boos, middle fingers, and foul language. Their emotions quickly spread, creating ripples of boos throughout the stands.
Soon, many Manchester United fans joined in, and even some Real Madrid fans, who were also displeased with their team's performance.
...
Real Madrid fans are known to be some of the most peculiar in the world. Fans of other teams rarely boo their own players unless the team is losing badly and seems hopeless. However, Real Madrid fans might boo their players even when they are winning.
This most prestigious club in football has fans who demand not just victories but also beautiful football. Otherwise, the players will face boos and white handkerchiefs.
Moreover, Real Madrid fans booing their own players is not uncommon. Even their star player, Ronaldo, has been booed by the picky Real Madrid fans.
For instance, in last season's Champions League quarter-finals, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick at the Bernabeu, helping Real Madrid eliminate Bayern Munich with a 6-3 aggregate. One would expect such a performance to receive universal praise, but Ronaldo was booed by the home fans because his performance wasn't flawless throughout the match.
This seems unbelievable but is indeed true.
Now, Real Madrid, with an extra player and a lead, playing so cautiously, naturally drew the ire of some proud Real Madrid fans who joined in booing their own team.
Every time a Real Madrid player touched the ball, the boos grew louder.
...
The Real Madrid players noticed that the boos weren't just from Manchester United fans or neutrals but also from some of their own supporters.
Being booed by opponents can be seen as a badge of honor. Being booed by neutrals is acceptable since they aren't your supporters. But being booed by your own fans, especially when you're about to win, is intolerable.
In such boos, the Real Madrid players started to hesitate: "We are Real Madrid! Why should we be so afraid of a team that is one man down and trailing by a goal?"
Moreover, a one-goal lead is the most precarious!
Only by scoring another goal before the match ends can they truly crush their opponents and remove any suspense.
For safety, isn't scoring the best option?
So, they needed to attack!
Ramos passed the ball to Casemiro and shouted, "Forward! Forward! Don't pass it back!"
The proud Real Madrid players couldn't stand the boos and contempt anymore. They wanted to prove through their actions that they were still the noble top-tier team, representing the world's most beautiful, purest, and most admirable football!
...
Casemiro feinted a backward pass and then suddenly turned, taking the ball past Harry Kane and advancing.
Bruno came up to meet him.
Facing this opponent, Casemiro had to admit he hadn't beaten him in the match, but at least his team was beating Bruno's team.
He wasn't foolish enough to let Bruno steal the ball. After nearly ninety minutes of play, he knew how good Bruno was at one-on-one defense.
Apart from the beginning of the match when Ronaldo got past him a few times, Ronaldo hadn't succeeded in a one-on-one against Bruno since. Casemiro knew he wasn't as skillful as Ronaldo, so he didn't waste time here.
And more importantly, Real Madrid needed to score, not for him to regain face against Bruno. He had a clear sense of priorities.
He passed the ball directly to Modric up front.
Bruno turned and chased after the ball.
The Brazilian shook his head, thinking Bruno was foolish. No matter how fast he could run, he couldn't outrun the ball. By the time he caught up to Modric, Modric could just pass the ball to the next teammate, making all of Bruno's efforts futile, like a monkey being toyed with... Was there any point in doing this?
...
Modric received the ball, seeing Bruno. He knew Bruno was dangerous, especially since he still had plenty of energy, rushing up and turning back without any signs of fatigue.
Such a dangerous player should be avoided as much as possible.
Modric didn't wait for Bruno to come up and tangle with him. He immediately passed the ball to Kroos. Then he moved forward, expecting Kroos to pass the ball back to him.
But Kroos didn't pass the ball because he was being marked!
Kanté gritted his teeth, grabbing Kroos's jersey and pressing against him at an awkward angle, preventing him from passing the ball.
However, winning the ball was also difficult. Physicality wasn't Kanté's strength, and Kroos had excellent ball control.
Bruno knew Kanté couldn't hold off Kroos for long. As he was defending, he suddenly accelerated and changed direction, rushing toward Kroos from behind.
Modric, watching Bruno closely, shouted, "Toni!" to warn Kroos.
Kroos heard Modric's shout and turned to find Bruno, momentarily forgetting about Kanté.
Taking advantage of Kroos's distraction, Kanté quickly poked the ball away from him!
...
Kroos reacted immediately, blocking Kanté to prevent him from reaching the ball, and tried to regain control.
Of course, the German midfielder kept an eye on Bruno.
Kroos was so focused on Bruno that he completely ignored the other Manchester United players.
After Kanté poked the ball away, center-back Van Dijk surged forward, poking the ball further away before Kroos could regain control.
Van Dijk didn't panic and clear the ball aimlessly. He had noticed Bruno before acting, passing the ball straight to him!
Bruno turned, received the pass from Van Dijk, and started to advance.
The direct interception and counter-attack opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived!
If he missed this chance, he would deserve not to win the Champions League, disappointing his teammates and fans!
(END CHAPTER)
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