Chapter 132: Champions League Ticket Almost Secured

Chapter 132: Champions League Ticket Almost Secured

Upon returning to Udine, Udinese did not engage in another large-scale celebration but immediately began preparing for their next match. Just under 72 hours after the Coppa Italia final, on the evening of May 6th, local Italian time, Udinese was set to host the 36th round of the Serie A at home.

This match was originally scheduled for the weekend but was postponed by three days to accommodate the Coppa Italia final. Their opponent would be Bruno's former team, Novara.

For Udinese, this match was crucial for their battle for a Champions League spot; for Novara, it was a key fight in their struggle against relegation. With only three rounds left in the league, Udinese was only four points ahead of Napoli, a slim margin that made securing a win in this match vital for their Champions League aspirations.

After 35 rounds, Novara was sitting 19th with only 25 points, three points behind Bologna, equal with Sassuolo, and five behind Chievo. Cagliari, well ahead, was already safe from relegation. The three relegation slots were likely to be filled by some combination of Catania, Novara, Bologna, Sassuolo, and Chievo.

Catania, having played 36 rounds, was practically guaranteed relegation with only 24 points; Novara, with 25 points from 35 rounds, faced significant relegation pressure; Bologna and Chievo were also under tremendous pressure with 28 and 30 points respectively after 36 rounds. Sassuolo, with 31 points, still had a significant chance of staying up.

With such stakes, Novara could not afford any mistakes in their remaining three matches.

Before the match, Bruno exchanged warm greetings with his former teammates from Novara, but once the game started, all prior affections were set aside. Under immense pressure to avoid relegation, Novara played aggressively at the Friuli Stadium and scored an early goal in the 13th minute.

Although Guidolin rotated his squad, retaining six players who started in the Coppa Italia final, Udinese appeared tired. However, Novara's goal spurred Udinese into action. Under intense pressure from Udinese, a Novara defender committed a foul in the box, awarding Udinese a penalty. Unfortunately, Dinatale's execution was poor, and the Novara keeper saved it.

In the 19th minute, Bruno took a corner kick which Dinatale converted to level the score at 1:1. Despite taking the lead later, Udinese maintained pressure but Novara was resilient, managing to equalize in the 29th minute, making it 2:2.

The pace of the game then shifted in favor of Udinese. In the 33rd minute, Silva assisted Pereira who scored from midfield to put Udinese ahead again. Then, in the 44th minute, Badu crossed from the wing for Pereira to score his second goal of the game, extending Udinese's lead to 4:2. A minute later, Dinatale scored his second goal of the game, assisted by Pizzicato.

Bruno played a relaxed game, as Udinese had firm control over the match. His role was primarily orchestrating attacks from midfield or linking up play in the forward line. Udinese's dominance was bolstered by stellar performances from rotational players.

Badu and Pizzicato, in particular, made significant defensive contributions in the first half, breaking the season's record for most tackles in a Serie A match. The media widely praised the performances of the substitute players.

Despite Bruno not standing out in this 5:3 victory, media outlets, including the Milan Sports Newspaper and Italian Football, defended him, emphasizing his focus on facilitating goals for his teammates rather than scoring himself.

On May 10th, as Udinese faced this season's surprise team Verona away, Guidolin made extensive changes to rest key players like Bruno and Dinatale ahead of the Europa League final against Sevilla. Alan and Kante, however, started as defensive midfielders, signaling Guidolin's intent to secure at least a draw through solid defense.

However, Verona quickly took the lead with a penalty by Toni in the 14th minute and extended it in the 54th with Halverson's goal. Reacting to the adverse situation, Guidolin sent Bruno and Dinatale onto the field, which immediately turned the tide. Within two minutes, Bruno initiated a play that led to Dinatale scoring, narrowing the deficit to 1:2.

In stoppage time, Udinese equalized. Bruno initiated another attack that led to Badu's equalizing goal, securing a vital point on the road and maintaining a narrow lead over Napoli in the race for a Champions League spot.

As the season draws to a close, Juventus set a new Serie A record for points in a season, overshadowing Udinese's struggle for a Champions League spot and setting the stage for a historic achievement if they avoid defeat in their final match.