Chapter 605: Key Player
"Hey? Hey, hey! A chance!!" The previously listless He Wei suddenly shouted excitedly.
It's worth noting that He Wei is actually a Real Madrid fan, but as a commentator, he is required to maintain neutrality. Besides, tonight's match clearly showed Manchester United performing better. Plus, he was also a bit dissatisfied with Real Madrid's conservative approach despite having both a numerical and score advantage. He wanted to see a more exciting game, which is why he reacted that way. He's quite representative of Real Madrid fans!
At almost five in the morning, his loud shout woke many people up.
On the TV screen, Bruno was turning with the ball and advancing. In front of him were his teammates Harry Kane and Zlatan Ibrahimović, and behind him was Marcus Rashford.
This counterattack by Manchester United was on a completely different level compared to their previous ones. It looked a bit desperate, but that didn't slow down Bruno's forward momentum. He rushed towards Casemiro with the ball.
Rashford was sprinting behind him, trying to get closer to Bruno to support him if needed.
Rashford was still running when he saw Bruno pass the ball back and then move to the right. Rashford noticed Casemiro in front of Bruno. Without stopping the ball or continuing to dribble, Rashford quickly passed the ball to Bruno's side.
Casemiro turned to block Bruno, who then passed the ball horizontally again. Rashford ran forward and received the ball. There was no one in front of him, as Nacho was on the other side and couldn't reach him in time.
Rashford did not pass the ball back to Bruno, who was now surrounded by both Casemiro and Nacho. Instead, Rashford passed the ball directly to Harry Kane up front.
...
"Manchester United's counterattack! Even though it's the 88th minute, their speed is still astonishing, and the counterattack is sharp!" British commentator Andy Gray shouted excitedly.
Knowing Manchester United well, he understood how dangerous such a counterattack could be.
With his back to the goal, Harry Kane didn't hesitate and passed the ball back to Bruno, who was charging forward.
Due to Rashford and Kane drawing the attention of Casemiro and Nacho, Bruno found a gap to receive the ball.
However, he wouldn't have much time to hold onto it, not even enough time to take a proper shot. Nacho was right next to him, ready to block as soon as the ball came.
Bruno didn't stop the ball. He immediately passed it forward to Ibrahimović!
"Ibrahimović——!!" the commentator shouted as the Swedish veteran let the ball run past him, then took a powerful step forward and shot!
...
This could very well be Manchester United's last scoring chance. If they scored, they would miraculously survive; if they missed, their game would be over.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the fast-moving ball. They saw it flying towards the far corner of the goal, and Keylor Navas diving to save it.
"He blocked it!!" the Spanish commentator shouted crazily.
The ball hit Navas's outstretched foot and bounced up!
"Real Madrid!!" Real Madrid fans in the stands cheered.
"The attack isn't over!!" shouted the British commentator. He saw the ball blocked by Navas but not going out of play; instead, it was heading out of the penalty area, right towards Bruno.
"Bruno! A chance!!"
...
Bruno saw Navas deflect the ball and quickly predicted where it would land. He moved there faster than anyone else.
A second later, the ball landed in front of him, with only Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos close by.
Ramos followed the ball down and then saw Bruno. He rushed over, trying to use his body to block Bruno and prevent him from shooting properly.
Bruno ignored everything else. At this moment, all he saw was the ball and the goal. Nothing else mattered.
This ball has to go in! It must go in!! It will go in!!!
Chanting in his heart, Bruno swung his right leg.
Ramos collided from the other side, and in that instant, Bruno struck the ball.
Navas had just gotten up and saw the ball flying towards him. Instinctively, he raised his hands to block it.
Almost simultaneously, the ball hit his fingertips, bounced, and then flew into the netting above.
As the ball met resistance and dropped, it had already crossed the line behind Navas!
...
The commentators in the media section of the Kyiv Olympic Stadium went crazy, shouting wildly into their microphones.
"Incredible... Manchester United has equalized! 3:3!!"
"Incredible! Incredible! This is unbelievable!!"
"What did we just see? A miracle is happening! Ten-man Manchester United has tied the game against the powerful Real Madrid in the final moments!!"
"Bruno! Bruno!! Bruno!!! He has done the almost impossible! He did it! He pulled the team back from the brink!"
"Oh no! No! Manchester United scored... this goal... this goal..."
"Nineteen years ago, at the Camp Nou, Manchester United trailed for ninety minutes but scored two goals in injury time to win. I think this match can definitely rival that final!"
"A thrilling goal! Manchester United has tied the game in the final moments! They have saved themselves!"
"I must remind everyone, this was done by Manchester United with one player down!"
"Also, this is Bruno's 14th Champions League goal this season, just one less than Ronaldo. Now, with the game heading into extra time, Ronaldo's top scorer title isn't so secure!"
"This game is getting more and more interesting. I wonder if Ronaldo is regretting giving that penalty to Bale now?"
...
The director, understanding the audience's interests, immediately focused the camera on Real Madrid's star player Ronaldo. The captain of Bruno's national team was furious, his face grim.
...
When Bruno scored, Manchester United fans in the stands jumped up and shouted in delight.
They truly witnessed a miracle!
"Look! Bruno! The ball... the ball went in! He scored!!"
"Hahaha! Bruno really did it! He did it!"
...
Watching Bruno score, his family in the box stood up, raising their arms in celebration. Those supporting Bruno and Manchester United cheered while Real Madrid supporters sat in stunned silence.
They couldn't believe what just happened!
Not only them, but all the Real Madrid fans in the stands, the players on the bench, the coaches, and the players on the field couldn't accept the result either.
A man-up Real Madrid was tied at the last minute by their opponents?!
Bruno ran towards the section with Real Madrid fans, putting a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet!
From the moment they started celebrating early, Bruno was annoyed with them.
We haven't given up, so why are you celebrating early?
This goal finally let him vent his frustration!
...
After silencing the Real Madrid fans, Bruno turned around, spreading his arms to welcome his teammates.
All the Manchester United players rushed towards him. The nearest was Ibrahimović, who jumped onto Bruno like an excited youngster, waving his arms and shouting, "Well done, Bruno! Damn well done!"
More teammates swarmed and surrounded them, even goalkeeper Romero sprinted the length of the pitch to join the celebration.
They had every reason to be so ecstatic because this miraculous escape felt so wonderful!
Just a few seconds ago, they were watching in despair as Bruno struck the ball after Ibrahimović's missed shot. Now, their hearts were finally at ease!
Bruno's excitement soon subsided. He knew it wasn't time to celebrate yet. There were still a few minutes left of the ninety, plus they had to endure thirty minutes of extra time. For a team with one player down, that wasn't good news.
Taking advantage of everyone gathering around him, he shouted to his teammates amid the noise, "The game isn't over! Guys, we still have a few minutes, maybe even extra time. Stay calm! Our situation hasn't completely turned around. We must fight with everything we have for every minute! I know we've been running for ninety minutes and are exhausted. But even if we are tired, it's just thirty more minutes. We must hold on no matter what!"
What would happen next? Not only his teammates, but even Bruno himself didn't know.
Should they keep attacking or focus on defending? If it went to penalties, how likely were they to win?
None of the Manchester United players knew. They just didn't want this hard-fought draw to go to waste.
(END CHAPTER)
🔥 Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
⏰ Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 10, 2026.
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10