Chapter 486: Best Midfielder
Hat-trick!
Unstoppable Bruno!
Red Devils Crush the Swans 5-0 Away, Manchester United's New King Shines!
...
When Manchester United finished their 5-0 victory over Swansea City away from home, the entire English football scene was shaken. Following their 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United at Old Trafford in the first round, Manchester United secured another 5-0 victory in the second round. With ten goals scored and none conceded in two matches, Manchester United firmly occupied the top spot in the league table.
Trailing behind were the dark horses Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion. Both teams also achieved two consecutive wins to start the season, but their goal differences were much smaller. Huddersfield's goal difference was four, and West Brom's was only two.
Bruno, with his five goals in two rounds, led the scoring chart by a considerable margin. Of the other 19 teams, only Watford and Leicester City matched his five goals.
In other words, 17 Premier League teams had scored fewer goals than Bruno alone!
The British media widely praised Manchester United's potent attack, particularly highlighting manager Mourinho's tactical shift.
...
The Guardian published an article stating that Mourinho's changes had completely revitalized Manchester United's offense.
"From the first two games of the new season, it's evident that Manchester United has adopted a more aggressive and proactive tactical approach compared to last season. They've abandoned the double pivot system, pushed Gundogan's position forward, and placed Bruno at the forefront. This has made United's attack more formidable, as evidenced by their ten goals in two matches."
"Bruno has been the biggest beneficiary of this tactical shift. He has had more shooting opportunities in the first two games, scoring five goals. He even scored the new season's first hat-trick against Swansea, his fourth hat-trick in the Premier League."
"Although it's only two games, it's clear that after a season of adaptation, Manchester United's strength has improved significantly in the new season."
"Manchester United is still active in the transfer market, with reports suggesting that Tottenham's Harry Kane and Monaco's Kylian Mbappe are very close to joining the club!"
"These moves by the Red Devils clearly aim not only for success in the Premier League but also for a strong challenge in the Champions League, as it's been nine years since their last Champions League victory."
...
Apart from The Guardian, other major British media outlets also reported on Manchester United's consecutive victories. United was the only team among the BIG6 to achieve two wins in the first two rounds, while the other five teams had already experienced draws or losses.
In the second round, Manchester City was held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at the Etihad Stadium, with the goal scored by former United captain Wayne Rooney. The former Manchester United captain continued to help his old club in different ways.
Following Chelsea's first-round defeat, both Arsenal and Tottenham suffered upsets in the second round. The Gunners lost 1-0 away to Stoke City, while Spurs were defeated 2-1 by Chelsea in a London derby at the new Wembley Stadium.
Despite the two consecutive victories, Manchester United manager Mourinho remained calm. In an interview with the media, he downplayed the significance of the two wins and the top position in the league table, pointing out that the teams they faced were not strong.
He emphasized that the Premier League is a long 38-round competition with formidable opponents like Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham. Any slip-up in these matches could derail their entire campaign.
...
On the evening of August 24, Central European Time, the UEFA Awards Ceremony for the 2016-2017 season and the Champions League group stage draw for the 2017-2018 season were held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Bruno attended the awards ceremony, accompanied by Manchester United manager Mourinho and club CEO Cristiano Giarratta. Bruno was there to receive an award, while Mourinho and Giarratta represented Manchester United at the Champions League group stage draw.
At the ceremony, the three Manchester United representatives seemed somewhat isolated. Despite United's success last season, winning six trophies in 2017, they were not the main focus of the evening.
As the first team to successfully defend their title since the Champions League's reformation, Real Madrid was the biggest winner of the night. Of the five awards presented, Real Madrid players were finalists in all but the best goalkeeper category, and they were favorites to win the rest.
The three finalists for best goalkeeper were Buffon, Neuer, and Oblak, with Buffon ultimately winning the award. At 39, Buffon led Juventus to the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles and helped them reach the Champions League final. Despite his age, Buffon's performances remained as solid as ever, making him a key player for Juventus.
The three finalists for best defender were Marcelo, Bonucci, and Ramos, with Ramos winning the award. As Real Madrid's captain, Ramos was crucial for the team, scoring 10 goals in 44 appearances last season. His goals often came at critical moments, such as his stoppage-time equalizer against Barcelona and his double against Malaga.
...
The three finalists for best midfielder were Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Bruno, with Bruno winning the award. Despite not playing in the Champions League last season, Bruno's incredible performances in the Europa League and domestic competitions, where he scored 58 goals and provided 32 assists in 58 matches, earned him the accolade.
The three finalists for best forward were Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Paulo Dybala, with Ronaldo winning the award. Last season, Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 46 matches for Real Madrid, including 12 goals in 13 Champions League matches, winning both La Liga and the Champions League. Messi scored 54 goals in 52 matches for Barcelona, but his team only won the Copa del Rey. Dybala scored 19 goals in 48 matches for Juventus, but his stats were less impressive compared to Ronaldo and Messi.
The three finalists for UEFA Men's Player of the Year were Ronaldo, Messi, and Bruno, with Ronaldo winning the award. Despite Bruno's impressive individual and team achievements, not participating in the Champions League was a significant disadvantage, leading to his clear loss to Ronaldo, who also outscored Messi in the voting.
According to UEFA's website, Ronaldo received 482 points in the voting, far ahead of Messi's 142 points and Bruno's 109 points.
In addition to these five awards, the ceremony also presented the UEFA President's Award to Roma legend Totti, who retired at the end of last season. This marked the second consecutive year an Italian player received this honor, following Udinese captain Di Natale last season.
...
Alongside the awards ceremony, the draw for the Champions League group stage took place.
The rules for the 2017-18 Champions League group stage draw were similar to previous years. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group, and teams from Russia and Ukraine were also kept apart due to political tensions. The 32 participating teams were divided into four pots.
As the Premier League champions, Manchester United were in Pot 1, alongside defending Champions League winners and La Liga champions Real Madrid, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, Serie A champions Juventus, Ligue 1 champions Monaco, Primeira Liga champions Benfica, Ukrainian Premier League champions Shakhtar Donetsk, and Russian Premier League champions Spartak Moscow.
Unlike the previous season, where five English teams participated in the group stage, this season had only four, with Manchester United taking the Premier League champion spot. Manchester City and Chelsea were in Pot 2, while Tottenham were in Pot 3.
After a tense draw, Manchester United ended up in Group C with La Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid, Serie A's AS Roma, and Azerbaijani side Qarabag. This was considered one of the toughest possible draws for United.
However, Manchester United was not the only team facing a difficult draw. Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team were drawn into a group with Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur, and Cypriot side APOEL, forming another "Group of Death."
Interestingly, both Real Madrid and Manchester United were the favorites to win the tournament, according to various betting companies.
William Hill, a well-known betting company, listed defending champions Real Madrid as the top favorites to win the Champions League at 5/1 odds, with Manchester United close behind at 6/1. Bayern Munich was third at 7.5/1, while Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain were tied for fourth at 8/1.
Clearly, many believed in the strength of these two teams, considering them top contenders not just to advance from the group stage but to win the tournament.
Ultimately, the real "Groups of Death" were for the teams drawn alongside Real Madrid and Manchester United.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10