Chapter 487: Mahrez
Upon returning to Manchester from Monaco, Bruno immediately focused on preparing for the next match. This Saturday evening, Manchester United would face Leicester City at home in the third round of the Premier League.
In this match, Bruno continued to play as a winger. Compared to the away game against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, Mourinho made only one change to United's starting lineup, rotating Lingard in place of Rashford.
By the 53rd minute of the match, the score was still 0-0. Facing the formidable Manchester United, Leicester City adopted a pragmatic approach, firmly sticking to a defensive counter-attacking strategy. They were determined not to suffer the same fate as West Ham United and Swansea, who had been crushed by the Red Devils.
Leicester City launched an attack into United's half, but when Mahrez tried to pass the ball into the box, Maguire made a beautiful defensive play and intercepted it. Blind then took the ball on the left side, quickly pushing forward and sending a long pass behind Leicester's defense.
Bruno swiftly sprinted between Leicester's left-back Fuchs and left center-back Huth, chasing after the ball at high speed.
"Leicester City's defenders raised their hands, signaling for offside, but the referee did not blow the whistle. This is a quick counter-attack for Manchester United!"
...
Bruno made a diagonal run to the left side of the arc, catching up with the ball and driving it into the box. At this point, Leicester City's center-back Huth had tracked back into the box and was blocking Bruno's shooting angle from the left side of the six-yard box.
"Now it's a two-on-one situation in the box. Bruno is facing two Leicester City center-backs, Morgan and Huth."
Bruno was acutely aware of his current predicament. If he tried to cut inside, Huth, who was slightly behind Morgan, would immediately close in and block all his shooting angles. The two defenders worked well together, and with the goalkeeper's positioning, Bruno had very few options. But given Bruno's skill level, he was determined to create a scoring opportunity even in the tightest of spaces.
As he reached the left side of the six-yard box, Bruno suddenly feinted a stop, pretending to cut inside to shoot with his right foot. Morgan reacted by stopping and shifting his weight to block the shot, with his teammate also moving to close in. Everything unfolded as Bruno had anticipated—their coordination was seamless.
At this crucial moment, Bruno swiftly cut the ball back to the baseline, catching Morgan off guard. He then aimed for the small gap between Leicester's goalkeeper Schmeichel and the left goalpost and shot with his left foot.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!"
"The ball is in!!!"
"In the 53rd minute, Manchester United finally broke the deadlock! Bruno, using his individual skill, toyed with Leicester City's defenders and goalkeeper in the box, finding the back of the net!"
"This was an incredibly high-quality goal, showcasing Bruno's exceptional individual talent. From receiving Blind's long pass to the subsequent feints and dribbles, Bruno's movements were fluid and seamless."
"Leicester City's defense was very tight today. Despite creating several scoring opportunities in the first half, United couldn't break through. But now, Bruno has stepped up again, scoring his sixth league goal of the season!"
"Over 70,000 Manchester United fans are chanting Bruno's name—he is the new king of the Theatre of Dreams!"
...
Bruno's goal had a significant impact on Leicester City. From the start, United had maintained control of the game. Their high pressing caused numerous problems for Leicester City, making it difficult for them to adapt.
Particularly, the midfield trio of Gundogan, Mata, and Kante made it hard for Leicester City to get the ball forward, let alone pose a threat. However, Leicester never intended to win at Old Trafford; their strategy was defensive counter-attacking, aiming to take one point home. If they could win, they wouldn't hesitate.
Today, the Foxes played very conservatively, defending their half most of the time. But United's attack eventually pierced through their defense, dealing a heavy blow to Leicester City.
After the restart, United continued to press and attack. Leicester, now disorganized, conceded another goal just two minutes later. Lingard combined with Blind on the left, passing to Mata at the edge of the box, who scored decisively.
2-0!
This marked Mata's third consecutive match with a goal this season. Ecstatic, Mata celebrated loudly, showing his fiery spirit despite his calm and composed exterior.
...
In the end, the match concluded with Manchester United winning 2-0 against visiting Leicester City, thanks to goals from Bruno and Mata. The Red Devils maintained their lead in the Premier League with three consecutive victories.
After the match, Mahrez was the first to approach Bruno. They exchanged pleasantries and shirts. The two had been teammates at Udinese, although only for a year before Mahrez transferred to Leicester City, where he quickly became the Foxes' midfield core and key player in their miraculous Premier League title win.
That season, Mahrez scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists, the only player in the Premier League to achieve double figures in both categories. Additionally, he averaged 3.5 dribbles per game, ranking second in the league. His outstanding performance earned him the PFA Player of the Year award.
Last season, despite Leicester City's performance dropping significantly after losing their defensive core Kante, Mahrez still shone brightly. He played 48 matches across all competitions, starting 43, scoring 10 goals, and providing six assists, including six goals and three assists in 36 Premier League matches and four goals and two assists in nine Champions League matches.
Consistently performing at a high level for three consecutive seasons, Mahrez had become one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League, with top clubs, including Manchester's two giants, eyeing him eagerly.
...
However, Leicester City had no intention of selling Mahrez, Vardy, or any of their core players. They had only sold Kante last summer because he was determined to leave, and Leicester's management did not view him as an indispensable core player. Consequently, they allowed him to transfer to Manchester United.
With Kante helping United to a dominant title win last season while Leicester City's performance plummeted, Leicester's management deeply regretted letting Kante go.
This summer, despite receiving high offers from Manchester United, Manchester City, and other top clubs, Leicester City refused to let Mahrez leave.
...
As Mahrez was about to leave, Bruno suddenly asked, "Riyad, interested in joining Manchester United?"
Mahrez was taken aback and then asked, "Is this your idea or the club's?"
Bruno chuckled, "I'm the captain of Manchester United. What do you think?"
Mahrez hesitated before saying, "I'm happy at Leicester City and have no plans to leave for now."
Bruno replied, "Think about it. With Leicester's strength, even if their management is ambitious, it's hard to go further. Manchester United is different. Our goal is not just the Premier League; we aim for the stars and the sea!"
Mahrez's eyes revealed a hint of sadness. Although he had achieved great things at Leicester, he sometimes regretted not staying at Udinese, where he could have won more titles and honors.
Take Kante, who joined Udinese with Mahrez, for example. The French midfielder stayed an extra year at Udinese, winning another Serie A title and Europa League trophy.
Last summer, Kante left Leicester for Manchester United and won several more titles last season. Kante even set a record by winning league titles with three different teams in three seasons!
Mahrez knew that with Manchester United's current strength, their ambitions extended beyond the Premier League, making them strong contenders for the Champions League. The greatest assurance for Mahrez was Bruno himself—this guy was practically a guarantee for winning championships. Wherever he went, titles followed.
From Novara to Udinese and now to Manchester United, and even the Portuguese national team, any team with Bruno never lacked trophies.
"Should I really leave Leicester City?" Mahrez couldn't help but ask himself this question.
(End of Chapter)
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