Chapter 330: Charging Towards the Seven-Trophy Title!

Chapter 330: Charging Towards the Seven-Trophy Title!

In the second half, both teams switched sides and resumed the match. Unwilling to stay behind in the score, Real Madrid made some substitutions. They replaced Isco with James Rodriguez, who had recently joined the team. As the most expensive transfer of the summer, Rodriguez's entry was met with high expectations from the fans. Everyone wanted to see what the 82 million euro star could bring to the team.

Rodriguez was very active after coming on, showing great effort both in attack and defense. His attitude pleased Real Madrid's coach Ancelotti, who nodded approvingly from the sidelines. Although Rodriguez's price tag was high, he still had a long way to go compared to the team's top stars. To quickly integrate into Real Madrid's tactical system, he needed to maintain a high level of effort.

Despite his enthusiasm, Rodriguez struggled with team coordination. Apart from a few impressive moments shortly after he came on, he quickly became less visible on the field. This performance left Real Madrid fans at the stadium deeply disappointed—was this what 82 million euros had bought? It felt like a waste of money.

Even though Rodriguez's performance was below expectations, other Real Madrid players stepped up. After a summer of intense shooting practice, Benzema's shooting had improved significantly. In the 62nd minute of the second half, he received a pass from a teammate and scored an almost impossible goal. The shot was so unexpected that Manchester City's goalkeeper Navas was unprepared and couldn't make the save, becoming just a backdrop to Benzema's celebration.

Scoring against last season's best La Liga goalkeeper was a testament to the beauty of Benzema's shot. After scoring, Benzema slid on his knees in celebration, roaring towards the camera. After being eliminated from the World Cup, Benzema had been burdened with much criticism. Being blamed at both the club and national team levels was too much for him. He had considered retiring from the national team but changed his mind after a conversation with coach Deschamps. However, the frustration had been building inside him, and now he had finally let it out.

Seeing Benzema's passionate celebration, the Manchester City players were puzzled. It was just a friendly match; was such excitement necessary? It seemed as if they were still playing in a Champions League semifinal!

However, not all Manchester City players were indifferent to Benzema's goal. Newcomer defender Van Dijk, who had played in four consecutive matches, took the goal personally. He immediately went over to Navas to apologize, indicating that his defensive mistake had led to the goal. Van Dijk had positioned himself well initially, pushing Benzema towards the sideline where it seemed unlikely he could shoot effectively. Underestimating the skill of a top player was a mistake—Benzema was particularly dangerous near the baseline.

"It's okay, I didn't expect him to shoot either!" Navas generously forgave him, though he hadn't really blamed Van Dijk in the first place. Van Dijk, unfamiliar with Real Madrid's players from not having faced them before, was bound to make mistakes. Navas, having previously played in La Liga against Real Madrid, should have been more aware of Benzema's capabilities but also failed to anticipate the shot.

As the defenders reviewed their errors, Manchester City's midfielders discussed how to disrupt Real Madrid's midfield passing. "Modric is crucial for Real Madrid's offense. We need to focus on him, limit his passing, and not let their forwards receive the ball comfortably and shoot," they planned.

Throughout the game, Modric was heavily targeted by Manchester City. Despite his experience and stamina helping to mitigate some of the pressure, he still made several mistakes. Manchester City capitalized on these errors, with Lin and Aguero scoring in the 77th and 89th minutes, respectively.

Eventually, Manchester City defeated Real Madrid 4-2 and advanced to the final. The script was almost identical to their previous Champions League semifinal meeting, where they also eliminated Real Madrid and went on to win the championship. It seemed they were set to replicate that miracle!

In another match, Liverpool and Manchester United faced off in a fierce encounter. Liverpool initially led by two goals, but in the second half, Manchester United's stars, particularly Di Maria, powered a comeback. Di Maria won a penalty and scored a goal himself, leading to a 5-3 victory for Manchester United in this iteration of the fierce rivalry.

Now, the two Manchester teams were set to meet in the final three days later, promising another exciting Manchester derby for global fans. Last season, Manchester City had dominated Manchester United with significant victories, fueling United's desire for revenge. They were eager to prove on the field that the Red Devils were the true kings of Manchester.

With this vengeful spirit and anticipation for victory, Manchester United's stars made bold statements in the media and on social platforms, challenging Manchester City and vowing to teach them a lesson. Manchester City, including Lin, responded coolly to these provocations, seeing no need to engage further. They preferred to let their performance on the field do the talking, intending to show that Manchester was still dominantly blue.

On August 5th, the Miami Hard Rock Stadium hosted the Manchester derby, not on British soil but thousands of miles away in the United States. Even so, the derby atmosphere was electric. As one of the world's most influential clubs, Manchester United had a substantial number of fans in the U.S., filling nearly half of the 80,000-seat stadium with supporters in red. Manchester City, having risen to prominence more recently, had about half as many fans present. The rest of the audience was neutral, with some fans wearing jerseys from other clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich coming to enjoy the spectacle.

Both teams took this final match of the International Champions Cup seriously. Even Van Dijk, who had played continuously, sat this one out. While Manchester City was indifferent to the so-called International Cup, they were keen on another trophy—the UEFA Super Cup. After this warm-up, they were set to return to Europe to face last season's Europa League champions Sevilla in a battle for the Super Cup.

Recent Super Cups had seen the Champions League winners surprisingly defeated, turning the event into a breeding ground for upsets. Manchester United, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and other champions had fallen to Europa League winners. Last season, Bayern Munich nearly lost to Chelsea in such a match. If not for Lukaku missing a crucial penalty, the outcome might have been different.

As the newly crowned Champions of Europe, Manchester City was participating in the Super Cup for the first time and took it very seriously. Losing to the Europa League champions would be embarrassing. Out of respect for Sevilla, Manchester City planned to use their local rivals Manchester United as practice to refine their tactics for the Super Cup.

Once the match started, Manchester United players aggressively pressed all over the field. They were desperate to score multiple goals against Manchester City to redeem themselves. However, Manchester City remained unphased, skillfully passing and moving, using the full width of the field to manipulate their opponents. They even strategically retreated to lure Manchester United forward, exposing gaps in their defense.

Seizing the opportunity for a quick counterattack, Manchester City capitalized on these gaps. Manchester United players, adopting a total football strategy reminiscent of Dutch tactics, found themselves stretched. Such a strategy demands high individual skill, and under the pressure of Manchester City's attacks, United's players began making mistakes.

In the 27th minute, Manchester City disrupted United's defense with several coordinated movements, confusing their marking assignments. Lin, sensing a vulnerability, suddenly accelerated through a gap between two United players who miscommunicated and failed to even foul him. Lin continued into the box, easily bypassed a rash challenge from Smalling, and faced his national team colleague De Gea. With confidence, he pushed forward into the small box and coolly slotted the ball into the far corner. De Gea, typically reluctant to come off his line, was caught out, unable to adjust in time to prevent the goal.

1-0. Manchester City temporarily led Manchester United!

After scoring, Lin did not celebrate excessively. Such a goal didn't warrant it. Despite the many stars Manchester United had bought, their lineup seemed top-heavy. Van Gaal's tactics might not be suitable for them, Lin thought.

While Lin refrained from celebrating too much, Manchester City's other players didn't hold back. Captain Kompany ran to the sidelines, gesturing for applause from the fans. The spectators complied enthusiastically, except for the 40,000 Manchester United fans who collectively booed. They couldn't stand seeing Manchester City celebrate.

They began shouting the names of their players, urging them to stand up and equalize the score, leading the team to victory. With top stars like Van Persie, Rooney, Mata, Falcao, and Di Maria, surely they could score, right? Inspired by the fans, Manchester United launched even more intense attacks. Particularly Falcao, who played desperately to prove himself.

However, Manchester United's attacks were all bluster. Their front-line coordination was chaotic. With so many stars on the field, who should hold the ball, who should lead the attack, and who should support were all unresolved issues. Until Van Gaal sorted these matters, Manchester United played more like a collection of individuals than a cohesive team.

Taking advantage of Manchester United's frantic offensive, Manchester City executed several quick counterattacks. In the 44th minute, Manchester City scored again. De Bruyne's lethal through ball sliced open United's defense, allowing Aguero to beat the offside trap and score one-on-one with the keeper. Just before halftime, Manchester City extended their lead.

In the second half, Manchester City played more steadily while Manchester United grew increasingly anxious. Their desperation hindered their ability to score. In contrast, Manchester City, ready to conserve energy for the Super Cup, capitalized on United's mistakes to extend their lead.

In the 76th minute, Manchester City exploited a defensive error by United, scoring again. The match ended with a 3-0 victory for Manchester City. Manchester United, despite 23 shots, failed to score a single goal. Manchester City, with only eight shots, scored three times. Without De Gea's crucial saves, the score might have been even more lopsided.

This defeat left Manchester United deeply frustrated. Despite significant investment and many new signings, they still lost badly to Manchester City. Why hadn't spending money strengthened the team? For the first time, Red Devils fans began doubting the effectiveness of spending big on transfers.

While United's fans were pondering their situation, Manchester City was already on their way back to Europe, preparing for the upcoming UEFA Super Cup. With three trophies already secured, they aimed for a sixth, even a seventh. Given the opportunity to claim seven trophies, Manchester City was determined to seize it. Thus, they were fully committed to winning the Super Cup!

(End of Chapter)