Chapter 29: The Climb to the Top

Chapter 29: The Climb to the Top

In the 71st minute of the game, Bari launched another quick counterattack into Novara's box, earning themselves a corner kick. The corner caused chaos in the box, but Novara's central defenders managed to clear the danger with a long kick to midfield.

During the corner defense, Bruno had not retreated too deeply but positioned himself at the edge of the penalty area to guard against potential long shots. As Bari took the corner directly into the box, Bruno started moving forward, and by the time Novara's center-back cleared the ball, he was already sprinting toward the midfield circle.

Anticipating the ball's trajectory, Bruno positioned himself advantageously ahead of Parisi, blocking the Bari left-back from reaching it. Despite Parisi's height and physical prowess, he had to be cautious due to already having a yellow card. He couldn't afford a direct confrontation with Bruno, so he chose to stay behind him without giving him a chance to turn.

Bruno, guessing Parisi's intentions, met the incoming ball with a forward step and a flick of his head. Although heading was considered one of his weaker skills, Bruno had consistently trained on headers. His feel for the ball with his head, shoulders, and even legs was comparable to that with his feet.

His flick changed the direction of the ball, and he quickly turned to sprint. Parisi, older and slower, reacted too late to turn around. He thought about grabbing and pulling Bruno down but remembered his yellow card and instead opted not to foul, trying to catch up instead.

Bruno's dribbling speed was incredibly fast, and he dashed towards Bari's goal with great strides. Another Bari defender tried to intercept him at the edge of the box but was deceived by Bruno's sudden deceleration, thinking he was about to shoot. When Bruno accelerated again, he easily outpaced him and stormed into the box.

Facing the Bari goalkeeper, who dared not leave his line, Bruno executed a calm and precise shot that found the back of the net. 2:1 — Novara took the lead!

"GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!" "In the 71st minute, Novara scores again!" "A brilliant goal by Bruno Fernandes after a long sprint!" "He single-handedly broke past two Bari defenders and coolly finished in front of the goalkeeper!" "Novara took advantage of a Bari corner to counter swiftly."

Bruno's performance today, with one goal and one assist, helped Novara overtake Bari. He now leads the Serie B top scorers list with 19 goals this season and has made a record-breaking 30 assists. "His progression this season has been stunning. It's clear to everyone that his potential is limitless," echoed around Piola Stadium as fans chanted his name.

After scoring, Bruno sprinted to the stands, slid on his knees before the fans, and threw his arms wide open in celebration. This was exactly what he wanted—to lead Novara to victory and show his prowess to all of Italy and Europe.

Following the match, Coach Teser praised Bruno and the team extensively, especially highlighting Bruno's role as a key player who stepped up when needed. He lamented that a blatant handball wasn't awarded as a penalty in the first half. "That was a clear handball. It should have been a penalty. Our players protested, but the referee stuck with his decision, which was clearly a mistake," Teser commented.

Despite a 2:1 victory over Bari, putting Novara at the top of the league for the first time this season, the pressure was now on Sassuolo. If they didn't win their match the next day, they would lose the top spot after a round for the first time this season.

Italian media were all praises for Bruno Fernandes. With his one goal and one assist, not only did he help Novara beat Bari, but his actions also positioned them favorably in the race for the Serie B championship. This season, Bruno might become the first player in Serie B history to achieve "20 goals and 30 assists" in a single season. "Last summer, Novara made their best signing by bringing in Bruno Fernandes for a mere 40,000 euros. Just nine months later, his value has skyrocketed," reported Milan Sports.

With Bruno leading the way, Novara finally took control in the championship race, turning the tables on Bari and putting significant pressure on Sassuolo to perform in their upcoming matches.

(End of Chapter)

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