Chapter 502: A Two Hundred Million Euro Bargain!
After pushing Bruno down, Strootman turned and ran off without helping him up. However, Bruno didn't mind; he got up from the ground and brushed the grass off his legs.
His teammate Kante came over to check on him, but Bruno shrugged and said, "It's fine, he went easy on me."
Because of Strootman's foul, Manchester United got a free kick in their own half. The Roma players used this opportunity to run back to their half.
Bruno stood over the ball to take the free kick. Instead of sending a long ball forward, he passed it to the nearby right-back Valencia. Then Bruno moved to another position and asked Valencia for the ball. The Ecuadorian full-back passed it back to him and ran along the sideline.
Valencia's movement pulled a Roma defender with him, with Nainggolan tracking back to cover, leaving Bruno unchallenged.
Meanwhile, Roma shifted their defensive focus to this side, but Bruno didn't linger there. He cut inside, dribbling toward the center of the pitch. Perotti closed in on him, but Bruno passed the ball to Kante and ran past Perotti.
Kante, seeing that Bruno had shaken off Perotti, returned the ball to him.
Bruno received the ball and faked a straight run through the inside channel, causing Gonalons to step back. Instead, Bruno pushed the ball to the center and continued to dribble horizontally.
...
Strootman awaited him in the middle. With a stern look and a rugged beard, he seemed determined to stop Bruno there. And he did try, charging in with a sliding tackle as soon as Bruno shifted the ball to the center.
Bruno was quick to react. He narrowly avoided Strootman's challenge by pushing the ball to his right with his left foot and turning sharply to dodge through Strootman's legs.
After evading Strootman, Bruno stumbled a bit but kept running forward. The ball he had nudged forward wasn't aimless; he had seen Mbappe moving centrally and directed the ball to him.
Mbappe received the ball and quickly passed it back to Bruno, creating another one-two combination.
Although Bruno's steps were still a bit unsteady, he managed to regain control of the ball and continued his run into the box.
...
"Bruno! Beautiful quick passing sequence!"
The stands erupted in cheers again.
Bruno, though stumbling, advanced with the ball. Fazio rushed toward him. Bruno saw Fazio coming and, despite not having fully regained his balance, shifted slightly to shield the ball from Fazio's challenge.
Bruno's physical strength proved crucial as Fazio's challenge didn't bring him down.
Seeing Bruno pushing forward, Jesus also closed in. With two central defenders on him, it seemed unlikely he would get through.
Fazio attempted a tackle from behind while Jesus blocked his shooting angle.
The experienced Brazilian defender knew Bruno couldn't keep advancing as his balance was off. Any further attempts would likely result in losing possession.
To prevent Bruno from shooting, Jesus positioned himself in the shot's path.
Bruno leaned back, using his left foot for balance, and lifted his right foot. Everyone thought he was going to shoot, but instead, he passed the ball horizontally to the other side of Jesus.
...
"A pass!"
"Brilliant!!"
"Harry Kane!!"
In a chorus of commentator exclamations, Harry Kane, who had been lurking in the box, received Bruno's pass. Facing an open goal and an out-of-position Alisson, he took a left-footed shot.
The ball curved around Alisson's outstretched hand and into the net, brushing the post.
"Harry Kane—GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!! Manchester United leads Roma 2-0 at Old Trafford!"
No one had expected the game to turn out like this. Even the most optimistic Manchester United supporters hadn't predicted such an easy lead by the 17th minute of the first half.
Roma's fans were in shock, both those at the stadium and watching on TV, unable to accept the score.
But there was no denying it. United's second goal was clean, and there was no reason to blame offside like with the first goal.
"Incredible, just incredible…" the commentators marveled, shaking their heads. "The game is only 17 minutes in, and Manchester United already leads 2-0!"
"Harry Kane! He scores his third goal of the season in the Champions League! What a fantastic goal!"
"Bruno's run completely disrupted Roma's defense! This was a beautiful solo run! Neither Gonalons nor Strootman could stop him. He held off Fazio and, despite Jesus's interference, still delivered a perfect assist! It's fair to say he single-handedly defeated Roma's defense!"
"Manchester United's start is perfect, their fast attack strategy completely nullifies Roma's play, leaving Roma scrambling!"
...
After scoring, Harry Kane ran to Bruno and hugged him, thanking him for the assist.
Initially, Kane wasn't sure if Bruno would pass to him since Bruno's own scoring ability had improved immensely. For several years, he had rivaled top forwards like Ronaldo.
However, as a forward, Kane positioned himself optimally, anticipating a possible pass from Bruno.
Indeed, Bruno passed the ball to him, and all Kane had to do was finish.
With no Roma defenders marking him, Kane had an easy job. Missing such a chance would have indeed drawn the fans' ire.
Other Manchester United players also joined the celebration in front of Roma's goal, with the dejected and bewildered Roma players providing the perfect backdrop.
The Manchester United fans in the stands sang their team's anthem joyfully, their spirits soaring from the great start.
...
"Before the game, Di Francesco said that Bruno would be Manchester United's most dangerous player, so he assigned special marks on him. But it's clear now that his plan didn't work. Strootman and Gonalons couldn't stop Bruno's brilliant performance!" the Italian commentator critiqued Roma's poor performance harshly.
He believed that while Roma's strength might not match United's, they shouldn't be trailing 2-0 just 17 minutes in. He attributed the main fault to Di Francesco's lack of Champions League experience.
Di Francesco thought the Champions League was just like domestic league matches, but they are quite different. Many coaches thrive in domestic leagues but falter in the Champions League due to inexperience.
...
British commentators couldn't praise Bruno enough.
"This is Bruno's brilliance! He can score himself, be the finisher, or create opportunities for his teammates, assisting directly or indirectly. He's a player who's very difficult to contain!"
"When Manchester United signed Bruno for two hundred million euros last year, many doubted the decision. Some even thought Bruno would become the biggest flop in history. But from his performances since joining United, it's clear they got an incredible bargain!"
"Back then, many top European clubs were interested in Bruno, but he chose Manchester United, a team in decline."
"Remember, United hadn't even qualified for the Champions League at that time. As the European Championship top scorer and final MVP, Serie A champion and top scorer, and European Golden Shoe winner, Bruno had a real chance to compete with Ronaldo for the 2016 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Joining United meant he gave up those opportunities."
"And indeed, in the subsequent Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, Bruno wasn't a match for Ronaldo."
"Moreover, because United only played in the Europa League last season, Bruno was out of contention for the 2017 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Despite his excellent performances in 2017, his main competitor was Ronaldo, who successfully defended the Champions League and won La Liga."
"Before the game, 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' claimed United was a one-man team revolving around Bruno. Although exaggerated, it's not entirely wrong. United might have eventually rebuilt without Bruno, but he has accelerated their progress immensely. Today's United is like a rocket, soaring rapidly!"
The TV broadcast didn't focus on the scorer, Harry Kane, but on Bruno, showing that the director knew the game well.
Sometimes, the player creating the chance is more crucial than the one finishing it.
United fans, after singing their anthem, started chanting songs dedicated to Bruno.
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