Chapter 876: Harry Kane
With a swing of his right foot, using the arch to push the ball forward, Kylian Mbappé chose to pass.
Harry Kane, sprinting in at full speed, arrived at the perfect moment. As the rolling ball came toward him, Kane struck it directly with a powerful volley.
At that instant, Ederson had no chance to readjust his balance or position to block Harry Kane's shot.
The ball flew into the net without any suspense.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"Harry Kane! Harry Kane!! Harry Kane!!!—GOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLL!!!!" Gary Lineker shouted passionately, his voice hoarse with excitement.
It was Harry Kane's second goal of the game, meaning England's national team talisman had now scored twice.
Additionally, Marcus Rashford's earlier goal had been assisted by Harry Kane.
Two goals and one assist—Harry Kane had played a part in all three of Manchester United's goals!
In a critical UEFA Champions League semifinal, such a superb performance by Harry Kane had all the English commentators, especially Lineker, absolutely thrilled.
Since Wayne Rooney's retirement, Harry Kane had become England's new leading star and captain, carrying a heavy sense of responsibility. But since joining Manchester United, he had always been overshadowed by Bruno Fernandes, leaving him with little hope of becoming the main symbol of honor for the historic English club.
Despite United's dominance in both the Premier League and across Europe in recent seasons, when people mentioned Manchester United, they thought first of Bruno and José Mourinho—the two Portuguese figures. Although Kane was an essential part of the team, his presence wasn't nearly as commanding.
The British fans could only feel helpless. Mourinho, as United's head coach and arguably the best manager in the world, needed no introduction. Bruno, as club captain and the current top footballer on the planet, even outshone legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. How could Kane possibly compete?
However, tonight's match was his explosion of brilliance—a moment of pure joy for English supporters, especially with the European Championship just around the corner.
...
After scoring, Harry Kane was overcome with emotion. He ripped off his jersey and was soon swarmed by jubilant teammates.
Mourinho was equally ecstatic on the sidelines, pumping his fists before opening his arms to hug his assistants in celebration.
3–2!
Taking the lead right before halftime and entering the break with that advantage dealt a massive psychological blow to Manchester City.
One only needed to look at the disappointment on City players' faces to see the toll it took.
A minute later, German referee Felix Brych blew the halftime whistle.
Pep Guardiola immediately approached him, insisting that Manchester United's third goal should have been disallowed. He argued that Mbappé had fouled John Stones during their collision before the goal.
Mourinho didn't bother joining the argument. Watching Guardiola gesticulating furiously, he just shook his head, tempted to tell him, "Listen to the referee."
From Mourinho's perspective, though, that collision between Mbappé and Stones was a fair challenge. There was no foul whatsoever.
Commentator Gary Lineker agreed, noting that "in the Premier League, that kind of contact happens all the time—it would never be called a foul," and went on passionately.
...
The first half ended with Manchester United coming from behind twice before taking the lead late on.
Five goals in 45 minutes—aside from City's disappointed home fans, everyone watching was enjoying an absolute spectacle.
Inside the visitors' locker room at the Etihad Stadium, Mourinho stood at the doorway, observing his players, who were buzzing with discussion about the first half.
Harry Kane, with two goals and an assist, was the undisputed hero. The players surrounded him, congratulating him with cheers and pats on the back.
When the excitement settled down, Mourinho entered, coughed lightly, and everyone quickly returned to their seats.
He picked up the tactics board and began outlining plans for the second half.
"In the first half, we conceded twice," Mourinho began. "I won't dwell on the first goal."
David de Gea rubbed his face. Mourinho hadn't publicly criticized him, sparing him embarrassment, but he knew where the problem lay and felt guilty about it.
"As for the second goal," Mourinho continued after a pause, "our defense wasn't disastrous."
The defenders collectively exhaled.
"Still, could we have marked Sergio Agüero a little tighter? That's something the backline needs to reflect on and improve."
"Now, about the sequence right before our third goal—City's attack," Mourinho said, his face suddenly hardening. "Our pressing at the top of the box wasn't good enough. I don't want to see that happen again."
N'Golo Kanté stepped forward to take responsibility, promising he'd be more careful.
"Enough about defending," Mourinho said, clapping his hands with a smile. "Let's talk about our attack—I have to praise you all for that."
The players burst into laughter.
...
Meanwhile, in the Manchester City dressing room, Pep Guardiola was laying out his second-half adjustments.
His tactical instructions boiled down to two key points:
First: "United's central defense is compact, and both Luke Shaw and João Cancelo love to push forward. So—we attack down the wings."
Second: "We can't concede again. Absolutely no more away goals for Manchester United."
"Defensively, we must be more proactive," he emphasized. "Reactive defending only leaves us vulnerable."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the room, lingering a bit longer on John Stones.
Stones frowned; he knew the coach was singling him out.
More proactive defense… He realized that he had indeed been too passive during the first half, always reacting instead of dictating play.
Time ticked on. Over in the visitors' room, United players were already heading back onto the pitch.
Captain Bruno Fernandes walked alongside Mourinho. "Boss," he asked, "Stones, Dias, Rodri… who should we target most?"
"Stones," replied Mourinho after a brief pause. "He's nervous. Prone to mistakes."
Bruno nodded. "Got it."
...
The second half began.
Manchester United adopted a defensive posture, ready to absorb pressure and strike on the counterattack.
With the 3–2 scoreline giving them the advantage in the two-legged tie, United could afford patience.
City, on the other hand, had no choice but to push forward aggressively if they wanted to keep their qualification hopes alive.
As Mourinho anticipated, City launched wave after wave of attacks immediately after kickoff.
Guardiola frowned on the touchline. He had expected United to play defensively in the second half, but seeing it in action made him uneasy.
Having Kanté already caused City headaches, but now İlkay Gündoğan was also focusing on defense. Meanwhile, Cancelo and Luke Shaw had both dropped back, leaving no open flanks for City to exploit. Guardiola's planned wide attacks were neutralized before they could even begin.
He couldn't help but joke inwardly—did Mourinho have a hidden microphone in City's dressing room? How else could his counter measures be so perfectly timed?
Of course, he knew better. This was simply Mourinho's terrifying brilliance—anticipating everything before it happened.
United's defense was solid as a fortress, but City had no choice except to attack. At 2–3, they were boxed in by circumstance.
From another angle, continued attacking was also a good form of defense, keeping their own goal temporarily safe.
...
Fifteen minutes into the second half, the score remained 3–2 to Manchester United.
City had spent that entire time probing for an equalizer but had not created any clear chances. United's defense was immaculate; it left City frustrated, unable to find a way through.
On the sideline, Mourinho glanced at his watch. The time was right.
He had agreed with his players to hold firm for the first fifteen minutes and then suddenly press forward to catch City off guard.
Paul Pogba took possession in midfield, scanning for passing options. Suddenly, he heard Rodri shout behind him, "Paul, watch out!"
Pogba realized the danger too late. N'Golo Kanté lunged in to press, with Luke Shaw closing from the side.
Panicked, Pogba passed to the nearest teammate—Phil Foden, the City academy product, who was momentarily unmarked.
That was exactly what United had been waiting for. Harry Maguire stepped in early for the interception, cut the pass, and quickly released the ball to Gündoğan.
"Counterattack! United's counterattack!"
"This is what defines this Manchester United side—their counters strike suddenly, without warning, and few teams can withstand them!"
...
United's counterattack was lightning-fast, executed entirely with one-touch passes. Maguire to Gündoğan, who sent a diagonal long ball to Bruno.
The captain surged down the flank and delivered a low cross toward the center for Harry Kane.
Just as Kane prepared to sprint into position, his marker, John Stones, moved faster this time—desperate and reckless. He lunged forward with a sliding tackle.
The ball deflected sharply upward… and flew into Manchester City's own net.
The ball… was in!
(END CHAPTER)
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