Chapter 551: Advancing to the Champions League Quarterfinals
After defeating Liverpool, Manchester United secured 86 points in the first 30 rounds of the Premier League, leading their city rivals Manchester City by 8 points. With only 8 rounds remaining in the league, it seemed like only a matter of time before United clinched the title.
In this context, United faced Shakhtar Donetsk at home in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The first leg ended in a 2-2 draw, meaning United only needed a 1-1 or 0-0 draw at home to advance to the quarterfinals on away goals.
Despite this, United didn't play conservatively at home. They launched a fierce attack from the first minute of the game.
In the 10th minute, Harry Kane's long-range shot was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 23rd minute, United came close again with Bruno's free-kick cross, but Maguire's header went wide.
Constant pressure finally paid off for United. In the 34th minute, Rashford's free-kick from the left was cleared by Shakhtar's defense, but it fell perfectly to Bruno. He controlled the ball with his right foot and, from 31 meters out, unleashed a left-footed rocket into the top right corner. The ball flew like a missile, leaving the Shakhtar goalkeeper helpless despite the distance. 1-0!
Old Trafford erupted in cheers, and the commentators jumped out of their seats, shouting, "What a world-class goal!"
This goal significantly boosted the players' morale and opened the door to victory for United. Just four minutes later, Kante intercepted the ball near the halfway line and passed it to Bruno, who flicked it with his heel into the empty space in Shakhtar's box. Harry Kane latched onto the ball, dribbled past a defender, and calmly slotted it past the advancing goalkeeper, hitting the far post and finding the net. 2-0!
"What a beautiful combination! Bruno's backheel pass was simply delightful!"
United entered the second half with a 2-0 lead. However, early in the second half, Harry Kane had to leave the field with an ankle injury and was replaced by veteran Ibrahimović.
Despite this setback, United didn't slow down their attacking play. Shakhtar tried to resist, but United maintained firm control of the match.
In the 64th minute, Rashford played a short pass to Bruno and then crossed to Ibrahimović in the middle. Ibrahimović dribbled into the box and fired a low shot into the net, making it 3-0!
Three minutes later, United won the ball in the attacking third. Bruno faked a shot from the edge of the box, fooling the defenders and passing to Mbappé, who had slipped behind them. Mbappé then fired into the top of the net, making it 4-0!
With less than 70 minutes played, United were leading 4-0, and the aggregate score was now 6-2. Shakhtar lost all hope, and the match effectively entered garbage time.
Considering the recent intense schedule and the increased number of injuries, Mourinho began to substitute his key players to preserve their fitness and avoid further injuries.
Bruno, as the team's core player, had been increasingly subjected to "special attention" from opponents, raising his risk of injury. Opponents employed all sorts of rough tactics: kicking ankles, kneeing thighs, sweeping legs, pushing, pulling, jostling, and even covert elbow strikes and tackles. If Bruno were a more theatrical player, going down easily and dramatically, opponents might see more red cards.
Mourinho had advised Bruno to protect himself, but Bruno's character was such that he never wanted to show weakness. If opponents played hard, he played harder. Consequently, after every match, the team's physio would find numerous bruises on Bruno's body.
Thus, in the 75th minute, Bruno was substituted and replaced by Mata. As he walked off, the entire Old Trafford crowd stood and applauded, cheering for his excellent performance that had helped secure a crucial victory. Bruno raised his hands in gratitude to the fans.
After Bruno's substitution, Mourinho also brought on Darmian for Luke Shaw. The remaining time saw little action as both teams had resigned to the result. The score remained 4:0 until the final whistle.
Manchester United achieved another emphatic home victory, advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals with a 6-2 aggregate score.
Despite United's strong advance, not all Premier League teams were as successful in the Champions League knockout stage. Tottenham, who drew 2-2 away to Juventus in the first leg, lost 1-2 at home in the second leg and were eliminated with a 3-4 aggregate score. Chelsea, having drawn 0-0 away to Sevilla in the first leg, also lost 1-2 at home and were knocked out alongside Tottenham.
Manchester City, however, progressed with a 5-2 aggregate score. They won 4-0 away in the first leg and, despite losing 1-2 at home with a rotated squad, comfortably advanced.
In the other ties, Real Madrid, Porto, and Bayern Munich advanced. A surprising result came from the match between Roma and Barcelona. After winning 4-1 at home, Barcelona lost 0-3 away, and with a 4-4 aggregate score, Roma advanced on away goals.
On March 16th, the draw for the 2017-2018 Champions League quarterfinals took place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon. The eight teams were Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Juventus, Roma, Bayern Munich, and Porto.
UEFA Secretary-General Marchetti and draw guest Shevchenko conducted the draw. The results were as follows: Real Madrid would face their previous season's final opponents Juventus, Sevilla would play Bayern Munich, Manchester United would meet Roma again, and Manchester City drew the weakest team, Porto.
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