Chapter 491: Crazy Red Devils
With an eight-goal victory in the league, Manchester United was riding high on a wave of morale. In midweek, the team faced Qarabag in the first round of the Champions League group stage at home.
Despite the opponent's weakness, United still fielded their strongest lineup. De Gea was in goal, with Cancelo, Maguire, Lindelof, and Ashley Young in defense. In midfield, Kante and Gundogan formed the double pivot, with Bruno returning to his familiar attacking midfielder role. Up front, new signings Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe teamed up with Rashford to form the attacking trident.
It was clear that Mourinho intended to give it his all against any opponent, leaving Qarabag with no room for hope.
Within ten minutes of the start, Bruno scored from the right, assisted by Cancelo, to give United the lead. This was Bruno's first Champions League goal of the season and the 32nd of his career in the competition. It was also his first goal in the Champions League in 525 days, with his last coming on April 5, 2015, when Udinese defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, where Bruno scored twice.
In the 36th minute of the first half, Rashford assisted Harry Kane to double the lead, making it 2-0. This was Rashford's Champions League debut and his first assist in the competition.
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In the second half, Bruno remained very active on the field. In the 55th minute, Bruno assisted Maguire from an indirect free-kick, with Maguire heading the ball into the net from the center of the penalty area. United led Qarabag 3-0, effectively sealing the victory.
In the 60th minute, Mourinho substituted Mata for Bruno and brought on Fellaini for Kante three minutes later. These changes indicated that Mourinho was beginning to conserve energy for the team's upcoming matches. After all, they would be facing Everton at home over the weekend.
Despite removing two core players, United's onslaught continued. In the 67th minute, Rashford struck the crossbar from the left side of the penalty area after receiving a pass from Mata.
Rashford, who missed out on his first Champions League goal, was visibly disappointed. Although he didn't score, United soon added a fourth goal. Mata's corner found Gundogan, who scored with his left foot from the center of the box.
Mata and his teammates worked hard to create opportunities for Rashford, who was eager to score. Finally, in the 75th minute, Mata orchestrated a play, and Gundogan assisted Rashford to score his first career Champions League goal.
The young United academy product was overwhelmed with emotion, celebrating on his knees by the sidelines. Mbappe's arrival had motivated Rashford to become even more active. Despite his goal, he continued to pursue more opportunities to score.
In the 80th minute, Mourinho used his final substitution, bringing on McTominay for Harry Kane. Two minutes later, United scored again. Ashley Young provided an assist, and Rashford scored from the right side of the box, securing a brace and locking the score at 6-0.
In the other group match, Roma and Atletico Madrid played to a goalless draw.
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After the midweek Champions League match, United prepared for the fifth round of the Premier League, hosting Everton at Old Trafford.
Having sold their key forward Lukaku in the summer, Everton, despite welcoming back Rooney, had a poor start to the season, with only one win, one draw, and two losses, placing them 16th in the standings. In their Europa League group stage opener, Everton suffered a 0-3 defeat to Atalanta, making them the only English team to lose in the first round of European competition.
Ronald Koeman's side, despite losing Lukaku, made significant investments in signings. Besides bringing back Rooney, they spent £45 million on Sigurdsson from Swansea, £30 million on goalkeeper Pickford from relegated Sunderland, £30 million on Michael Keane from Burnley (a United academy product), £23.6 million on Klaassen from Ajax, £8 million on Vlasic, £6.8 million on Onyekuru, and £5.2 million on Ramirez, with a total expenditure exceeding £150 million. This made Everton the fourth highest-spending club behind United, City, and Chelsea, surpassing teams like Tottenham, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
However, integrating so many new players disrupted Everton's team chemistry, resulting in poor performances. Despite this, their heavy spending and Koeman's coaching capabilities meant they couldn't be underestimated. Especially with Rooney returning to Old Trafford as an opponent, there was much anticipation for this match.
Would United continue their winning streak, or would Rooney lead Everton to a surprise result?
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In the 15th minute, United executed a beautiful attacking move. Kante and Gundogan combined to win the ball, with Gundogan quickly passing to Bruno.
Bruno, with excellent vision, already knew how to handle the ball upon receiving it. A diagonal pass from him split Everton's defense. United's swift counterattack left Everton struggling to keep up.
As Rashford and Cancelo exchanged passes and cut inside the box, Everton's defense fell apart. Cancelo then delivered a ground cross, and Kane, with his back to the goal, nudged the ball to Mbappe, who was left unmarked. Facing an open net, Mbappe calmly slotted the ball in to make it 1-0.
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! A brilliant goal! United leads 1-0," exclaimed Lineker. "The key is the beautiful goal. United's counterattack was incredibly fast, slicing through Everton's defense with quick passes. Everton had no answer to such an attack."
Andy Gray echoed the sentiment, praising the goal and remarking how Everton's players seemed dazed and unable to defend effectively, resulting in the conceded goal.
Mourinho applauded from the sidelines, satisfied with the early goal. He believed that another goal would significantly diminish Everton's resolve.
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Mourinho's confidence in his team's strength was vindicated as the second goal came quickly. Ten minutes later, Bruno's run drew a foul, earning United a set-piece opportunity. Bruno's free-kick into the box saw Kane's header saved by Pickford, but Jagielka's poor clearance fell to Gundogan, whose deflected shot was poked into the net by Kane.
"2-0! Harry Kane scores his fourth league goal, keeping pace with Bruno on the scoring chart," shouted Gray. "United scores again. Against United, Everton has no chance. This season's United is terrifying. They've scored five against West Ham, five against Swansea, two against Leicester, and eight against Stoke, all without conceding a single goal. Now they lead Everton 2-0 early on. This formidable team is Mourinho's creation," Lineker rapid-fired his analysis.
Kane celebrated with his teammates, thoroughly enjoying his smooth transition to United.
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United didn't relent, launching waves of attacks. In the 39th minute, Gundogan assisted Bruno for a goal, making it 3-0. Before halftime, Mbappe scored again with a curled shot from the right, securing a brace and extending the lead to 4-0.
United entered halftime with a 4-0 lead, leading commentators Lineker and Gray to declare the match essentially over.
"United's relentless attack has utterly destroyed Everton."
In the second half, Everton had no response to United's fast and aggressive play. In the 66th minute, Bruno's long-range shot caused chaos in Everton's box. Amidst the scramble, Kane muscled past defenders and scored despite Pickford's efforts.
5-0!
(End of Chapter)
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