Chapter 1039 Stunning Kick
In fact, Manchester United's attack in the second half of extra time could not go through a series of passes like before and find a breakthrough in the passes.
Manchester United did not have that much time. Fifteen minutes may not seem short, but it is definitely not long either. In a fast-paced game, it passed in the blink of an eye.
In football matches, when a last-ditch effort is needed, people often resort to simpler, more direct methods, such as long passes or crosses from the wing.
These direct and simple methods may not be very efficient, but if they are done enough times, the quantitative change may lead to qualitative change.
Manchester United's more simple and direct approach is to cross the ball from the wing.
Under Mourinho's command, Maguire has rushed to the front and acted as a center forward, using his height and header advantage to threaten Liverpool's goal.
The two full-backs rushed up to act as wingers, constantly kicking the ball towards the goal.
Although it looks simple and crude and does not require much technical skills, it still makes Liverpool fans feel terrified.
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There is no other way to cross the ball from the wing, and once the ball is kicked out, it feels like both the defending and the attacking sides are "leaving it to fate".
Many people are disdainful of the tactic of passing the ball from the wing to the bottom at the last moment, thinking that it is a waste of opportunity.
But think about it carefully, why do teams all over the world, when they need to make a last-ditch effort, all choose to pass the ball from the wing?
Is it because the head coaches of teams around the world have problems in their brains and don’t they know that this is a waste of opportunity?
Since everyone uses it this way, there must be a reason for it.
Although crossing the ball from the wing will waste a lot of opportunities, it will also create just as many opportunities. If the attacking team seizes even one of these opportunities, it could be fatal!
This is exactly what Manchester United wants to achieve now.
Because Maguire made a forward run, Liverpool's focus when defending was basically on the two tall players, Maguire and Harry Kane.
When Manchester United players pass the ball, they will indeed run towards Maguire or Harry Kane. However, under the opponent's close marking, Maguire and Harry Kane's jumping effect in the header is not very good.
Bruno discovered this through his own observations and felt that the team's tactics still needed to be slightly changed.
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When Greenwood moved to the right to make a cross, Bruno ran from outside the penalty area into the penalty area.
But he did not run directly to the front of the goal to score. Although his header was pretty good, the penalty area full of tall players was definitely not his best place to perform.
Bruno ran straight to the back point.
After Greenwood used his skills to create an angle, he directly kicked the cross. He didn't even look at the situation in the penalty area before crossing.
Under the high-pressure pressing of Liverpool players, he didn't have that time and could only pass the ball based on his feeling and experience.
As for who will be knocked down in the end, that is beyond his control.
After passing the ball, Greenwood looked up at the penalty area and saw Maguire and Harry Kane jumping up one after the other, trying to compete for the header.
Liverpool's defenders also jumped up with them, but none of them headed the ball.
The ball passed by Greenwood drew a clear outer arc, passed over their heads, and then went straight to the back of the penalty area.
Everyone's eyes and attention followed the football, and they saw Bruno appear at the back point. He adjusted his posture sideways, then supported his body with his left foot and swung his right foot.
This looks like a volley!
At this time, no one dared to ignore Bruno's shot, because in regular time, it was Bruno's shot that equalized the score for Manchester United.
He has some physical problems now, but that doesn't mean he has lost his shooting accuracy.
Immediately, two Liverpool players rushed towards Bruno in the penalty area. In addition, Alisson also turned around and rushed back, trying to block Bruno's shot.
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Bruno saw everything clearly. Not only the situation in front of him, but also the situation around him was basically in his mind.
He knows exactly where the players on both sides are, so he knows what he should do next.
When the football flew to his feet, Bruno's right foot did not shoot the ball towards the goal, and the wonderful volley that everyone was expecting to see did not happen.
Bruno just shook his ankle and used his right foot to kick the ball in the air towards the middle of the penalty area.
This is not a shot, this is a pass!
Zhan Jun was surprised to see Bruno didn't shoot. Then a thought popped into his head: Was it because of poor physical fitness that his technical and tactical movements were distorted, and did he miss the shot?!
No! wrong!
Immediately afterwards, Zhan Jun felt that this kick could not have been a miss by Bruno, but a premeditated pass!
"Diallo--!!" Gary Lineker shouted in a long voice, almost standing up from his seat.
Amid his roar, everyone noticed that near the penalty spot in the middle of the penalty area, Amad Diallo took a step forward, then supported his body with his right foot and swung his left foot!
His movements were similar to Bruno's just now, but in the opposite direction, and the two people seemed to be looking in the mirror.
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Because part of Liverpool's defensive strength was first taken away by Harry Kane and Maguire, and the remaining part was attracted by Bruno, Diallo is now in a state of no one guarding him.
He can calmly bend the bow and draw the arrow, gather his strength, and then twist his body, using his hips to drive his left leg, and his left leg to drive his left foot, just like a whip. All the power is transmitted through various parts and finally to the instep of his left foot, which is the tip of the whip.
The whip hit the flying football in the air hard, with a dull "bang" sound, followed by grass debris flying everywhere.
The football rushed towards the goal like a meteor, rubbing against the surrounding air, and penetrated the wall in front of the penalty area at lightning speed, flying into the goal past Alisson!
Alisson was tricked by Bruno and couldn't turn over to save the ball. His body was still moving backwards by inertia, and his arms swung backwards in vain, without touching the ball at all.
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In the second half of extra time, the two sides exchanged venues, and behind Liverpool's goal was the stand where Manchester United fans gathered.
When the football hit the net, all Manchester United fans jumped up from their seats and cheered.
Their cheers were so loud that the commentators on the scene could hardly hear their own voices. They could only shout as loudly as possible until their throats were hoarse and veins on their foreheads popped out.
"Diallo... volley! Great shot--!!! Great shot! Manchester United equalized the score! Oh oh oh! A world wave! A world wave! It's wonderful!" Lineker's voice was hoarse.
"Ohhhhhhhhh!! Diallo! Diallo! Diallo! Diallo! Diallo—GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!" The Spanish commentator showed off their signature lung capacity commentary.
"Ahhh! It's unbelievable! Manchester United equalized the score in the 109th minute of the game! They were behind in overtime, but they were still able to equalize! How tenacious! Liverpool took the lead twice in this game, but were equalized twice! This team is worthy of being the opponent who fought with them in the league for a whole season and finally surpassed them to win the championship!" The Portuguese commentator spoke excitedly, "Mourinho's Manchester United is a team full of fighting spirit!"
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After scoring the goal, Diallo lost his balance and fell to the ground because he had used up all his strength.
But his eyes were fixed on the ball. When he saw it fly into the goal, only one thought remained in his mind: I actually scored the equalizer in the Champions League final? I really did it?
He felt a sense of unreality, a sense that the world was so absurd. Things that he had never dared to dream of before were now happening in reality.
It was Bruno's excited roar that pulled him out of this sense of unreality.
He was knocked to the ground by Bruno, and the pain made him realize that he was not dreaming.
More Manchester United players rushed over and pinned them both down.
They celebrated unrestrainedly on Liverpool's doorstep.
Next to them were the dumbfounded Liverpool players.
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No one expected that Bruno's kick was actually a pass, not a shot!
You have to know that after he showed his stance, it was like an arrow on a string!
They say the arrow is on the string and must be shot, but Bruno actually didn't shoot it.
Bruno can hold it back, isn’t he afraid of spraining his waist?
Not only did he hold it back, he also passed the ball to Diallo very accurately. I don't know what words to use to describe how his ankle was shaking.
If you use a little more force, the ball will go far; if you use a little less force, the ball will not go far.
One point more or one point less will not do. The control of football is simply perfect.
All this was done in a flash. I don't know if he had thought it through before he kicked the ball, and treated the shot as a feint, or if he changed his mind at the last minute?
But no matter which reason it is, it is enough to make people feel that Bruno is simply unfathomable!
Faced with such a wonderful pass, even if they lost the ball, Liverpool really didn't know what to say.
Mourinho rushed out from the coaching seat, rushed into the field, and slid on his knees to celebrate. Then he stood up and ran back to the coaching seat, jumped high, and hugged the rest of the coaching staff warmly.
There was even more thunderous cheering on the bench. Everyone threw the things in their hands into the air and hugged each other.
