Chapter 513: Manchester United at Their Best
Rashford was sprinting as the ball descended from the air. Newcastle's center-back Florian Lejeune came out to defend, using his strong body to bump into Rashford, preventing him from comfortably controlling the ball. Originally planning to control the ball, Rashford quickly changed his mind. He jumped and headed the ball forward!
A header pass!
Harry Kane was in the middle, facing away from the goal, holding off another center-back, Ciaran Clark. The English striker nodded the ball forward to Mbappe, but Mbappe moved away from it. A miscommunication?
Then, Bruno came rushing in and gently pushed the ball down from the air, perfectly setting it up for Rashford. Bruno's delicate touch allowed Rashford to take a smooth, clean shot!
The ball shot up swiftly. Harry Kane smartly ducked, letting the ball fly over his head, soaring towards the goal. It sailed over Newcastle's goalkeeper Elliot, hit the underside of the crossbar, and bounced into the net!
Goal!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL!!!!" Lineker shouted into his microphone. "What a wonderful goal! Marcus Rashford! Manchester United have quickly equalized, extinguishing Newcastle's brief hope!"
"One minute and fifty-three seconds!" Andy Gray exclaimed. "Less than two minutes after Newcastle scored, Manchester United equalized! This goal tells their opponents that they might be a newly promoted team, but Manchester United are the Premier League champions!"
...
"Damn it!" Newcastle's manager Benitez angrily stood up, waving his hands in frustration. How could they concede a goal just two minutes after scoring?
"Not bad," Mourinho nodded in satisfaction. He had made the correct adjustments, and the players executed his tactical plan perfectly, scoring a goal that gave him a sense of accomplishment. Seeing the admiration in Carrick's eyes made it even more gratifying.
"The surprise ends here," Mourinho said, sitting back in his seat. "We can take control of the game now."
Carrick wanted to ask why Mourinho was so sure, but he held back, fearing it would show his lack of understanding. He felt the gap between himself and Mourinho was growing, despite his efforts to learn and improve. Carrick felt a bit self-conscious. Was it true, as Mourinho suggested, that some people were born to be head coaches, while others were meant to be assistants?
Carrick found himself pondering his place in life.
...
After the equalizer, Newcastle pulled back their defense, realizing that while sitting back might not hold forever, it might hold for a while. Maybe, if luck was on their side, they could secure a 1-1 draw?
Newcastle's adjustment was anticipated by Mourinho. By the 21st minute, they fouled Bruno in their own half, giving Manchester United a free kick in a favorable position.
Manchester United's captain, Bruno Fernandes, took the free kick, curling the ball beautifully over the wall and into the net off the inside of the post.
2-1!
Manchester United had taken the lead!
The cheers at Old Trafford reached their peak since the match began. Bruno, who had just turned 23 two months ago, ran to celebrate. The broadcast focused on him, surrounded by his young teammates: 27-year-old Gündoğan, 24-year-old Harry Kane, 19-year-old Mbappe, 26-year-old N'Golo Kanté, 23-year-old Cancelo, 22-year-old Luke Shaw, 26-year-old Virgil van Dijk, 23-year-old Lindelof, and 27-year-old De Gea.
Bruno's young teammates were jumping, running, and cheering around him. On the sidelines, their coach watched with a smile and applause.
Beside Mourinho on the bench were 26-year-old Mahrez, 24-year-old Maguire, and 20-year-old McTominay...
This scene would later be captured and turned into posters by journalists and fans, becoming a classic memory of unforgettable times.
...
Ten minutes later, Gündoğan provided an assist, Rashford beat the offside trap, and charged into the box. Faced with the oncoming Newcastle goalkeeper Elliot, he executed a beautiful chip.
3-1, Manchester United extended their lead to two goals.
In the first-half stoppage time, Cancelo made a fast break from the right, delivering a low, fast ball into the box. Amid the chaos in Newcastle's goal area, neither the attacking players nor the defenders managed to touch the ball, until Rashford slid in at the far post and scored!
At halftime, Manchester United led Newcastle 4-1, and Marcus Rashford, who had just turned 20 less than three weeks earlier, celebrated his first hat-trick for Manchester United!
In the dressing room, Mourinho gave Rashford a strong hug.
"Oh, Marcus, if you were a girl, I'd kiss you," Mourinho joked.
Rashford blushed, though it wasn't visible on his darker skin.
The players laughed heartily.
After the laughter died down, Mourinho clapped his hands, and the dressing room fell silent. Leaning on the table, he looked at his players and said, "I'm very satisfied! Less than two minutes—no, precisely one minute and fifty-three seconds—after Newcastle scored, we equalized! That crushed the visitors' budding spirit."
Waving his hand, he continued, "Then we used relentless attacking pressure to completely break our opponents! We showed our guests that this is our territory, and they are here to be beaten!"
The players laughed again.
Mourinho laughed with them, and once everyone calmed down, he said, "I'm very satisfied with the first half. Now, let's talk about the second half. I want this to be a perfect match!"
The dressing room fell silent again as everyone watched their coach, who was making notes and adjustments on the tactics board.
...
In the sixth minute of the second half, Bruno sent a lofted pass, and Harry Kane's header was saved by Elliot, resulting in a corner kick.
Bruno's corner found Van Dijk at the near post, who jumped but missed the ball, disrupting the goalkeeper's judgment. At the far post, Lindelof rose high and powerfully headed the ball into the net between Elliot's hands!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL!!!!"
"Lindelof! He's scored!" Dolores shouted. "This is redemption for the Swedish defender, whose mistake earlier put Manchester United behind."
"5-1! Manchester United have sealed the victory!"
On the sidelines, Mourinho rushed out, raising his arms and applauding in celebration.
"Coach Mourinho is very excited, celebrating passionately," Andy Gray commented. "He wasn't this excited for United's third goal, but he is for the fourth and fifth!"
"United's fourth goal was Rashford's hat-trick, his first for the club. The fifth was Lindelof's first goal for United. These are important moments for the players. As a coach, Mourinho understands this and is genuinely happy for his players!"
"I've heard that Mourinho is well-liked and supported by the players at United, and I think this is why he can lead the team to continuous victories."
...
At the 72nd minute, Mourinho made a substitution, bringing on Ibrahimovic for Harry Kane. After six months out with an injury, Zlatan was finally back.
Three minutes later, Mourinho substituted Mata for Rashford, giving the hat-trick hero a chance to receive applause from the Old Trafford crowd.
Amid the cheers, Rashford left the pitch, clapping his hands in gratitude to the fans.
Mourinho laughed as he watched, then high-fived Rashford and ruffled his hair, encouraging him, "Well done!"
Mourinho didn't stay on the sidelines to watch the rest of the match closely. At 5-1, the game was effectively over. Bringing on Ibrahimovic and Mata was not a tactical move to strengthen the attack but rather routine substitutions—Zlatan to regain match fitness, and Mata to let Rashford bask in the applause.
However, Manchester United's scoring didn't stop there.
In the 77th minute, Mbappe's cross was met by Ibrahimovic, who scored at the near post. 6-1!
In his first game back from injury, the Swedish veteran marked a perfect return with a goal.
Three minutes later, Bruno and Mata exchanged passes, with Ibrahimovic letting the ball through, and Mbappe's half-turn shot found the net!
In the 88th minute, Bruno's free-kick from the left caused chaos in Newcastle's goal area, and Ibrahimovic pounced on the loose ball to complete his hat-trick, setting the final score at 8-1!
A few minutes later, the referee blew the final whistle. Manchester United had thrashed Newcastle 8-1 at home!
At the sound of the whistle, the players started running and cheering, while the stands erupted in a roar akin to a volcanic eruption.
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