Chapter 498: Decisive Victory
After the goal, Mbappe excitedly ran towards Bruno, wrapping him in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground. Once they landed, both rushed to the sidelines, celebrating the goal with great enthusiasm. Despite the fact that Manchester United was attacking the end where Liverpool's die-hard fans were seated in the Dalglish Stand, it didn't dampen the United players' celebration. Even though Liverpool fans were not far from them, spewing insults and making threatening gestures, the United players reveled in their triumph.
"Bruno's performance has been outstanding; much of the credit for this goal goes to him." "Especially that imaginative backheel pass just now. We almost have to wonder if he has eyes in the back of his head. How else would he have known that Mbappe was making that run?" "And we have to admire Bruno's creativity. He clearly understands his teammates' characteristics very well. As soon as Mbappe accelerated, he left Moreno behind. The Spanish defender is just a bit slower." "Although Mbappe scored, Bruno was instrumental in this goal."
The stadium echoed with deafening boos from the Liverpool fans, but this had no effect on the Manchester United players, who celebrated their goal freely right under the eyes of their rivals' supporters.
"The situation is becoming very unfavorable for Liverpool. Manchester United has clearly become more active in the second half." "Klopp might need to consider adjusting the team's tactics and possibly strengthening the attack."
...
Before Klopp could make adjustments, Mourinho quickly made a substitution. Herrera replaced Rashford, and Manchester United shifted to a 4-3-1-2 formation, focusing on playing defensively and launching counterattacks.
This change infuriated Liverpool: "What a cowardly move, scoring a goal and then retreating!"
Trailing by a goal, Liverpool began to launch a counter-offensive. However, their attacks couldn't penetrate Manchester United's defense. The most threatening moment came in the 62nd minute when Salah crossed from the right, but Firmino, waiting at the back post, missed the ball completely.
This miscue reflected Liverpool's anxious mentality.
Soon after, Klopp substituted Oxlade-Chamberlain for Salah, and Sturridge for Coutinho, clearly aiming to bolster the attack.
When Liverpool starts pressing, Manchester United can be in real danger.
In the 83rd minute, Bruno, while tracking back to defend, took down Henderson, who was surging forward with the ball. This resulted in a free-kick for Liverpool from about thirty meters out and earned Bruno a yellow card.
The Liverpool fans at Anfield booed Bruno loudly, clearly unhappy with his foul.
After all, Henderson's sudden forward run had disrupted Manchester United's defense. Had Bruno not committed the foul, it could have been a significant opportunity for Liverpool.
...
Liverpool continued to push forward, and Klopp brought on Solanke for Firmino, further intensifying their attack.
However, Manchester United deliberately slowed the pace. Mourinho replaced Valencia with Lindelof, focusing on solidifying the defense and waiting for the right moment to counterattack.
In the 88th minute, Liverpool once again pushed into Manchester United's box and won a corner. The ensuing corner created chaos in the penalty area, but the ball didn't find the back of the net. Instead, Bruno cleared it from near the goal line with a long pass towards the halfway line, finding a teammate precisely.
Harry Kane had dropped back to defend, but Mbappe stayed upfield. As Van Dijk's long pass came in, Mbappe was constantly assessing the ball's trajectory and managed to outmaneuver Moreno, positioning himself advantageously to shield the ball from the Liverpool left-back.
Standing taller than Bruno, Moreno at 1.71 meters, though physically robust, already had a yellow card. Thus, he hesitated to risk a direct confrontation with Mbappe, fearing another booking. Moreno's strategy was to stay behind Mbappe, preventing him from turning.
Mbappe, anticipating this, took a step forward to meet the ball, heading it in a new direction. He quickly turned and sprinted forward.
...
Moreno reacted quickly but remained on the back foot. As Mbappe turned and sprinted, Moreno responded, initially considering grabbing and pulling Mbappe down. But aware of his yellow card and the presence of teammate Gomez, he chose not to foul, instead, racing to catch up with Mbappe.
Mbappe's rapid strides quickly carried him toward Liverpool's goal. Gomez, too, rushed back, aiming to intercept Mbappe before he reached the box. But Mbappe, anticipating this, suddenly decelerated, making Gomez think he would shoot, causing Gomez to also slow down.
Realizing he had been tricked, Gomez saw Mbappe accelerate again, leaving him behind and entering the box. Facing a stationary Mignolet, Mbappe coolly slotted the ball home.
2-0!
...
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL!!!!!!!" "In the 89th minute, Manchester United scores again!" "Another brilliant goal by number 7, Mbappe, after a long solo run!" "Mbappe dribbled past two Liverpool defenders and calmly scored against the keeper!" "Manchester United capitalized on Liverpool's corner, launching a swift counterattack." "The French winger is truly a clutch player. In this high-stakes match, his two goals have given Manchester United a solid lead over Liverpool." "United paid a hefty sum of £100 million to sign this French prodigy from Monaco, setting a record for players under 20." "Initially, many questioned if the deal was worth it, some even predicting Mbappe would flop. But in less than two months at United, he's shown the world his talent!" "He's proven he has limitless potential!"
Anfield fell silent, Liverpool fans stunned by the sudden turn of events. Moments earlier, they were besieging Manchester United, and now their team had conceded again.
After scoring, Mbappe ran to the corner flag, sliding on his knees before Liverpool's fans, arms wide open.
This is what he had dreamed of!
He didn't just want to lead Manchester United to victory; he wanted to show Europe and the world his strength!
He wanted everyone to know that Manchester United wasn't just about Bruno Fernandes or Harry Kane—it also had him, Kylian Mbappe!
...
"We made some serious mistakes." In the post-match press conference, Liverpool's manager Klopp reflected on the just-concluded game, looking despondent after his team's loss.
0-2, as per convention, the home team first, followed by the away team.
Despite his second-half changes to bolster the attack, it didn't yield the desired results.
In the final minutes, Liverpool pinned Manchester United back, but United's defense held firm. Maguire and Van Dijk, forming a solid duo, repelled Liverpool's assaults.
Thanks to Mbappe's double, Manchester United defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield.
However, the man of the match wasn't the young Mbappe but Bruno. He not only assisted twice but also excelled in both defense and attack for Manchester United.
Klopp admitted in response to a journalist's question that the team's main issue was too many mistakes, a recurring problem this season.
"In high-level matches, you can't afford mistakes. Unfortunately, we made several serious defensive errors today, leading to a painful defeat."
...
Klopp acknowledged Manchester United's strong defense, making it difficult for Liverpool to find a breakthrough. Despite having more possession, their effective control wasn't much better than United's. Their many shots were mostly long-range efforts, with few truly threatening the goal.
"Throughout the game, we had more possession and seemed more dominant, but our control-to-chance conversion was insufficient. We didn't put enough pressure on their defense." "In simple terms, we need to be more aggressive and efficient." Klopp admitted this had been an ongoing issue for Liverpool this season but didn't attribute it to inadequate signings.
Klopp believed his squad had strong forwards like Salah, Firmino, Mane, Sturridge, and Solanke, as well as midfielders like Coutinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Emre Can. The defense also had capable players like Matip, Lovren, Moreno, and Gomez, making it a competitive team.
(End of Chapter)
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