Chapter 559: Guardiola's Change
"Manchester City's lead has completely vanished! Bruno's goal has reignited Manchester United's hope. This goal has also made many City fans worried, fearing that the curse of not winning against United in the last ten official matches over four years will continue..."
The TV broadcast cut to a shot of the City fans in the stands. Indeed, some City fans had their heads in their hands, looking dejected.
"Haha!" Laughter erupted from the bar where United fans were gathered. They weren't just mocking City; they were also celebrating Bruno's goal, bringing everyone joy.
"For a while, Bruno's goals had dried up, and City fans were saying he was out of form. Now, those idiots must be dumbfounded, right? Ha! Out of form? Can an out-of-form player score at City's home ground? Out of form? Can an out-of-form player make Guardiola so furious? Haha!"
"Bruno! Score more goals! Even though you're not a forward, we love to see you score! Oh—"
No matter what difficulties Bruno faced or how poorly he performed, these United fans were his eternal supporters. They never doubted him, never denied him, never criticized him.
"United have shown their resilience. City's advantage didn't make them give up. After a period of confusion, they found their rhythm again. Most importantly, their core player, Bruno, is back in form and has found his pace. Guardiola's team needs to be cautious for the rest of the match!"
"Bruno's performance is truly world-class! He is the brain, the heart, and the lungs of United! Let's put it this way: he is Manchester United!"
Lineker showered Bruno with all the praise.
Despite United leading City on the league table and being unbeaten in nine official matches against them, City under Guardiola was the dominant side today, with United appearing weaker.
People naturally sympathize with the underdog. Bruno, representing the underdog, managed to score a crucial equalizer against the stronger side, earning him much admiration and praise.
Fernandinho, on the other hand, was furious. Watching Bruno and his teammates flaunt their celebration in front of City fans, he clenched his fists. As City's main defensive midfielder, he was primarily responsible for Bruno, and the recent goal was conceded under his watch.
The Brazilian didn't expect Bruno's shot to come so suddenly, catching him off guard. If he had known, he would have gone for a tackle.
"Don't worry, Fernandinho. It's just a goal. They only equalized," said his teammate, City captain Vincent Kompany, comforting him.
As an experienced captain who had served City for ten years, Kompany had seen it all.
"It's only a tie. There's no need to lose your cool."
Kompany's words calmed Fernandinho. "I'm fine now, Vincent."
Kompany smiled at him.
For some reason, seeing the captain's smile made Fernandinho feel it wasn't a big deal.
Goals are common in football. Getting equalized happens all the time. Their opponent isn't weak and is known for their strong offense. Scoring a goal is normal.
"Let's get back to the game. It's only..." Kompany glanced at the scoreboard, "the 34th minute."
Fernandinho nodded and ran back, thinking to himself that if United believed this goal could demoralize City, they were too naive. With Vincent around, City wouldn't be broken.
The goal also excited Mourinho. Equalizing on the road meant the next step was to pursue a bigger victory: a win! Beating City at the Etihad would practically secure the league title for the season.
After celebrating the goal with his staff, Mourinho moved to the sidelines, shouting to Bruno, "Attack! Keep going, Bruno!"
As the match resumed, United tried to ride the momentum of the recent goal to score again, but their waves of attacks met with City's resolute defense.
During United's goal celebration, Guardiola didn't waste time complaining but instead pulled several players—Fernandinho, Delph, Kompany, and Otamendi—aside to give them instructions. He understood the type of team United was. Once they found their rhythm, they were unstoppable and excelled at playing with a lead.
Guardiola's instructions were to focus on defense. For now, City wouldn't attack but would instead tighten their defense, weather the storm, and maintain their shape regardless of United's movements.
At this point, the TV broadcast showed possession statistics: United had 66% possession, while City, known for their tiki-taka style and ball control, had only 34%.
City appeared beleaguered under United's bombardment, often resorting to desperate clearances.
For a team renowned for their ball control, being pressed like this at home was embarrassing.
Commentators mocked City's approach.
But Guardiola, the mastermind, stood on the sidelines with a serene expression, unfazed by the criticism.
Though known for tiki-taka and possession football, Guardiola understood how to "park the bus" when necessary. As a fellow Barcelona graduate, he knew what the other manager, Mourinho, specialized in.
When tactics demanded it, Guardiola could also set up a defensive fortress. Facing today's strongest United, such tactics were needed.
Guardiola viewed today's United as the world's best, even more formidable than his former club, Barcelona, or last season's back-to-back Champions League winners, Real Madrid. With Bruno, the world's best midfielder, alongside talents like Mbappe, Rashford, and Kane, and Kante anchoring the defense, United were nearly perfect with no weaknesses.
This strength was why United remained unbeaten across all competitions this season and were on track to become the first team to win seven titles in a calendar year.
While the media praised City as equally strong, Guardiola knew his team wasn't on par with their city rivals.
Against such strength, adopting a conservative strategy wasn't shameful.
Besides, he only intended to defend for the remaining minutes of the first half, not the entire match like Mourinho often did.
Against City's compact and resilient defense, United struggled. Despite Bruno's praise, he wasn't superhuman and couldn't single-handedly break down eleven defenders.
During this period, City's offense was almost non-existent. Whenever they managed to push forward, they lacked support, often leaving Bernardo Silva isolated until he lost possession.
Guardiola's plan was to drag the 1-1 scoreline into halftime, where he could adjust tactics and break United's momentum. A fifteen-minute break could cool United's hot streak, and by the time they found their rhythm again, City would have reestablished their lead.
Thus, Guardiola aimed to use halftime to his advantage.
Bruno realized that halftime might not favor United, who were currently riding high. If he could choose, he would skip the break and continue into the second half, avoiding the potential disruption.
So, he intensified United's attacks, trying various methods to penetrate the defense: aerial balls when the ground was blocked, switching to the flanks when the center was clogged, and mixing up his passes to keep City guessing.
He even attempted direct shots.
Bruno tried every method he knew to organize the attack, hoping to score again and seize control of the game.
He came close a few times.
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