The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 37

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== The Italian Job - Part 2 ==
"We always said 'We have to beat an Italian side' in those days to win the Champions League." – Denis Irwin (Former Manchester United player, 1990-2002).
"For Man United education wise, Juve were the model for us, the teams of [Marcello] Lippi. They were the best, they gave us some beatings and our great moment in beating them in 1999 was the progress was wanted to make. Juventus was the model for that." – Sir Alex Ferguson.
...
After Nana's successful stint with Nadeshiko Japan, Andrew Butler allowed her to enjoy some rest and get rid of the jet lag before returning to full training. As such, she was not in the Manchester United squad for the first of 3 home matches in a row across 3 different competitions. In the Premier League, United defeated Cardiff City by a comfortable score of 3-0 (March 9). In the day after, Arsenal were defeated when they visited their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. As a result, United opened up a 3-point gap at the top of the standings on second-place Arsenal after 31 Premier League matches.
For the following match, United were set to face Juventus in the 2nd leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. For the English side, a win, a draw, or a 0-1 defeat for Manchester United would push the Red Devils into the quarterfinals. However, a hypothetical 2-1 victory for Juventus after 90 minutes would force extra time because of a perfectly tied aggregate score (3-3) with the same number of away goals scored by each side. Furthermore, a defeat by 2+ goals or a one-goal defeat with Juventus scoring 3+ away goals would propel the Italian side into the quarterfinals. United had a considerable advantage with 2 away goals scored in Turin, but everyone knew there was a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Wednesday March 13
Manchester United vs. Juventus (UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg)
Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
6:57 PM GMT
In the early evening, Noriko and her relatives were walking inside the corridors at Old Trafford ahead of the match. When they got through the bleacher leading to their seats, they saw that the stadium was starting to be filled towards an eventual near-sellout. A short distance away from where the Lewises' seats were, a TV crew getting ready to give their pre-match impressions. Of course, the presence of presenters, pundits, and reporters in that specific area before matches was a regular occurrence.
"So... Who do we have here today?" Robert asked as he took a look at the broadcasters.
"I see... Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand... and the third one is Owen Hargreaves." Noriko replied.
"Ah, Hargo is there too! The people on the telly have a good bunch they can listen to today." Harry said.
"Yes, I'm sure Sarah will enjoy listening to what they have to say as well." Noriko replied.
"Where is Sarah watching the game tonight?" Sayuri asked Noriko.
"Tae-nee kept a place for her inside the private box where the Women's Team is watching tonight."
Then Noriko's smartphone signalled an incoming call.
"Speaking of Sarah, there she is." Noriko said.
Noriko pressed the button on her screen to accept the incoming call.
"Hello, Sarah. Are you already in?"
"I already am. You're on the way to your seats?" Sarah returned the question.
"On my way now. I will wave from here." Noriko said before she waved towards the box where she was. "Can you see us?"
"Aye, I see you from here." Sarah replied. "Some good company you have in front of your seats there."
"Messrs. Lineker, Ferdinand, and Hargreaves are about to go on the air in a few minutes."
"Really? I definitely can't miss that. They have the telly here in the box."
"I will watch them too on my phone, Sarah."
"OK. I'll text to you later when I have news about the lineups. I hope Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke will start the match together this time." Sarah said.
"I have a good feeling they will." Noriko replied. "Call you back, later. Bye!"
Noriko ended the conversation with Sarah. Then she got an app running so she could watch the pre-game show on her smartphone. At 7:00 PM, the broadcast started.
Gary Lineker: Hello! Good evening, everybody, and welcome to Old Trafford. You're watching the live coverage of the 2nd leg of the Champions League round of 16 match between Manchester United and Juventus on BT Sport. Gary Lineker here. Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves alongside me. Manchester United defeated Juventus by 2 goals to 1 in Turin 3 weeks ago. Guys, what can we expect from Manchester United tonight?
Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United are in the best form of the season right now. Sure, they looked overwhelmed in the early minutes 3 weeks ago, and they got scored on. But United, as they have shown a number of times this season, have grown much stronger in matches. They came back with 2 goals, and held on to that score. I think we can expect another solid, aggressive, and fast-paced effort from United tonight against Juventus.
Gary Lineker: Owen... Andrew Butler admitted in the press conference after the 1st leg that he was asked by Yusuke Saeki to go marking Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half. That being said, how much of an impact do you think that decision has had on the result?
Owen Hargreaves: I think it had a massive incidence on the result. On the Juventus goal, Cristiano Ronaldo had no one marking him in particular. We know how strong, fast, and good he is. That goal was just typical Cristiano Ronaldo. In the second half, Saeki followed him everywhere. The man-marking was so effective that Ronaldo got nothing on target in that second half. It was as impressive of a performance as I have seen by a defensive midfielder in many years. I think the word for Saeki will be: "more of the same."
Rio Ferdinand: I had the opportunity to play with and against some of the greatest midfielders ever. But Saeki's performance against Juventus was definitely one of the best individual performances I have seen from a midfielder in his position. I also think he should keep on playing and keep things simple like he did 3 weeks ago.
Gary Lineker: Juventus will be looking to make amends for a rather lackluster performance by their standards when they play at home. What do you think need to do in order to get a result here?
Rio Ferdinand: Well, I think they need goals coming from other players. Cristiano Ronaldo is the main attacking threat, but they have to get more from the likes of Dybala, Mandžukić, and Pjanić going forward. Chiellini and Bonucci remain threats on set pieces, but that's about all they can do up front. If nothing comes from them, it could be a long night for Juventus.
Owen Hargreaves: If Juventus score an early goal, they might fancy a chance like when they defeated Tottenham last year. But if United scores the first goal, it would be come more and more difficult for them to come back. If I was Andrew Butler, I would ask the players to carry on what they did well in Turin.
Rio Ferdinand: Keep attacking and shoot on sight; that's the best way to keep the pressure on Juventus. In 2008, we [Manchester United] played with that same approach against AS Roma to make sure they wouldn't have a chance.
Then at mid-way into the broadcast, Noriko looked at the starting lineups: Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke were announced to be part of the starting XI. Around 7:15 PM, both teams got on the pitch to get warmed up ahead of the match. Being regarded as a Manchester United legend, Cristiano Ronaldo received a warm welcome from the fans at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, the players in red had no intention of letting "Ronnie" run the show on the night.
7:45 PM GMT
In the Manchester United dressing room, the players were making their final preparations prior to the moment they would walk out of the dressing room. The dressing room was mostly silent as most players were working on mental reparation and visualization. Only a few were a little more vocal by giving words of advice before the match.
"How we played against them last time after 20 minutes, that's how to do it. Be relentless." Matthias said.
"We shoot everything at the net. Best way to make them question themselves." Nana added.
"Everything in the details; we can control those. Let's play our game." Yusuke added.
As we entered the final dozen minutes before kickoff time, Andrew Butler came in to deliver his final words before the match.
"Right. I know people still talk about our last game in Turin, but that is long behind us now. What matters to us tonight is to get in the moment; we play tonight as if it is 0-0 on aggregate. Expect a much better start from them, but I also expect a better one from us as well. Trust your preparation; we have been good all week. Let's get to our game, and let's get after them from the start. Shoot everything at their goal, and make sure their Ds are nervous when we go forward. All right? Now let's go out there and earn us our place in the next round." Andrew Butler delivered his speech.
"COME ON, LADS!" Matthias threw the shout, which was repeated by a number of players in the midst of the applause.
"Let's finish this Italian job." Kakeru said to Nana and Yusuke.
"Yep. Let's do this." Nana replied.
"Time to hunt some Ronaldo." Yusuke added.
In the following minutes, the Manchester United players walked out of their own dressing room. The starting XI for Juventus made their way in the tunnel first, but it was going exactly as planned as Andrew Butler was going to make Yusuke stand right next to Cristiano Ronaldo from the moment both teams stood side by side in the tunnel. The Portuguese superstar was trying to stay as frosty as possible, but one could say that psychological warfare has already begun.
When the clock hit 7:55 PM, both teams followed the referees on the way out of the tunnel under the thunderous applause of the 74,000+ in the attendance. Among the contingent of nearly 6,000 Juventus supporters located in the upper East Stand, some of them already popped up smuggled flares when the players arrived. However, the 68,000+ Manchester United supporters responded by chanting their support in full voice.
While BT Sport had their own commentary team, the commentary is given to you by Clive Tyldesley again.
Clive Tyldesley: This is the team that Andrew Butler selected for tonight's game. There are 5 changes from the team that played against Cardiff City in the weekend. Didier Kamara and Joel Muamba replace Erik Johansson and Diogo Blanco at the back. In midfield, Nana Mishima returns a week after Japan have won the invitational SheBelieves Cup in the United States; she replaces Francisco Serrano, who makes the bench. Up front, Kakeru Aizawa starts as a centre-forward instead of Marius van Leeuwen, who has been ruled out because of illness. Anthony Laurent and Kevin Flynn, who did not start in the Premier League on the last weekend, are on. The big talk around United is the addition of 17-year-old striker Sean MacKinnon, who has been scoring for fun with the Under-23s; he is on the bench tonight.
United sent the following starting XI: Jan Farkas (goalkeeper), Joel Muamba (right-back), Didier Kamara (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Andrew Shaw (left-back), Nana Mishima (central midfielder), Yusuke Saeki (central midfielder), Nikolaj Kristiansen (central midfielder), Kevin Flynn (right forward), Kakeru Aizawa (striker), and Anthony Laurent (left forward). Marius van Leeuwen had to make a pass on the match because of stomach flu, but the door was open for Sean "Kinner" MacKinnon to be part of the 18-man squad.
Meanwhile, Alan Keegan first presented the Juventus lineup to the crowd in his public address. While each Juventus player received boos upon the announcement of his name, only one of them received a warmer welcome from the Old Trafford faithful.
Alan Keegan: Number 7, welcome home... Cristiano Ronaldo.
The crowd applauded and cheered at Ronaldo's name.
Back to the lineups:
Clive Tyldesley: Juventus have only made 3 changes to the side that started the first leg in Turin. Matthia De Sciglio replaces João Cancelo at right-back, former Liverpool player Emre Can replaces Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield, and Mario Mandžukić starts the match as a centre-forward. All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, who was signed from Real Madrid for the purpose of having those great performances on the European stage. But you also have to feel that his teammates must do more to take Juventus over the line. Can they provide the help that Ronaldo desperately needs? We will find out.
On the other hand, Juventus sent Wojciech Szczęsny (goalkeeper), Mattia De Sciglio (right-back), Leonardo Bonucci (centre-back), Giorgio Chiellini (centre-back and captain), Alex Sandro (left-back), Emre Can (central midfielder), Miralem Pjanić (central midfielder), Blaise Matuidi (central midfielder), Paulo Dybala (right winger), Mario Mandžukić (striker), and Cristiano Ronaldo (left winger). On the bench, Douglas Costa and youngster Moise Kean were some of the favored options should the Italian side need more pace on the attack.
Manchester United, with their field players dressed with their characteristic home kit, had their eyes on the East Stand for the first half. On the other hand, Juventus, whose field players were dressed with all-black kits, were set to kick the match off with eyes on the Stretford End. All eyes were on the referee as his watch soon reached 8:00 PM.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Kickoff time.
The crowd roared as the action took off. Juventus tried to gain control of the pace early on by controlling the ball. However, it was Manchester United who were the ones about to dictate the pace in early stages of the match.
In the 7th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: De Sciglio... Bonucci...
As Juventus were controlling the ball from just inside their own half, De Sciglio passed the ball to Bonucci from the far right side to the left. Then the Italian centre-back advanced a few yards forward until he launched a long ball forward intended for Ronaldo. But once again, Yusuke was following the Portuguese superstar.
Clive Tyldesley: Tossed forward towards Ronaldo. Well won by Saeki...
By standing his ground, Yusuke impeded Ronaldo just within tolerable limits so the Japanese could head the ball in the opposite direction and towards Nana. The Little Witch recovered the ball, but had to mover her way past Matuidi. Nevertheless, Nana managed to launch a long pass ahead as Kakeru was running forward.
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima on the ball... Looking to get Aizawa running beyond Cheillini...
The ball kept on bouncing as it went just inside of the Juventus penalty box. Kakeru ran after the ball, but Chiellini got to it first. Then the Juventus captain made a turn onto his right before he kicked the ball a few yards away and out of play, not taking any risks.
Clive Tyldesley: Giorgio Chiellini is 6'2". He's been learning the job from some of the best when he first arrived to Juventus in 2005. He's on top of his game for most of the decade. A wonderful central defender.
Nevertheless, the throw-in was about to take place just before the final third of the pitch, inside the Juventus half. Joel threw the ball in for Kevin, who then passed the ball in retreat for Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: Flynn... to Mishima...
Just as Kevin made the pass towards Nana, the Little Witch tried to lob a pass forward for Joel. Then the English right-back attempted a headed pass towards Kevin. However, the pass was kicked away by Chiellini. But the ball went only as far as Nana, who then attempted a through pass into Kevin's run.
Clive Tyldesley: Comes back to Mishima... a little too far ahead for Flynn.
As the ball continued rolling forward, Alex Sandro walked alongside it to ensure a goal kick. However, the ball slowed down, which prompted Kevin to go for the ball. The English forward easily dispossessed the Brazilian left-back with a poke of the ball close to the side of the Juventus penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Well won by Flynn... runs past Matuidi...
Kevin retreated a few yards back to try getting a shooting angle, but Matuidi stood in the way. Nevertheless, the English forward threaded the needle ahead by sliding the ball diagonally between Matuidi's legs, making it a drop pass towards Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: Drops it back for Mishima...
Upon receiving the ball in her path, Nana pulled the trigger from just outside the box. Unfortunately for her, the ball flew into the side netting and not into the back of the net. The goalkeeper was also in position to cover the shot if it came closer to the goal. Old Trafford responded with a massive "OOOOOHHH!"
Clive Tyldesley: Side netting.
"Should have aimed more on the left!" Nana shouted out loud for herself.
"Good try, Seven! Good try." Kakeru cheered Nana up.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Good effort! Good effort!" Noriko exclaimed.
"That was good persistence by Kevin Flynn. Everything was possible because he forced a mistake on Alex Sandro." Robert said.
"Creating something out of nothing like this may rattle Juventus a little." Harry replied.
"I know. For as long as also keep shooting on sight, Juventus will be kept on their heels." Noriko finished.
Now that the first threat on goal came from United, the home side were looking to maintain the pressure on their opponents. On the other hand, Juventus were looking to weather the storm long enough before they could mount a serious attack. But in the end, it's the English team in red that earned the next good scoring chance.
In the 12th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Kamara... Muamba...
This time, the Manchester United defenders were the ones controlling the ball inside their own half. When Joel received the ball, he started a run forward for a few yards. Then he launched a long ball towards Kakeru, who surprisingly stood with no marker nearby for a few seconds just outside of the center circle inside the Juventus half.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa, the target... Well found.
Bonucci raised his hand to claim an offside call against Kakeru, but nothing was given. Meanwhile, Kakeru chested the ball down before he launched a through pass into Kevin's run.
Clive Tyldesley: Flynn is on his way. He's got Laurent in support...
Kevin ran after the ball until he reached it on the side of the penalty area. Then, the Englishman instinctively unleashed a quick pass across the penalty area and towards Anthony's intended run. The Frenchman appeared to have the Juventus goalkeeper at his mercy.
Clive Tyldesley: ANTHONY LAURENT! Good stop! Good reaction from Szczęsny!
However, Anthony's shot was denied by Wojciech Szczęsny's quick reaction save. Then the ball was cleared down the pitch and out of play to slow things down a bit. Neither the players nor the 68,000+ Manchester United supporters in the stadium could believe what just happened.
"Putain! (Bollocks!)" Anthony cursed.
'How did we miss that?' Kakeru asked in his thoughts.
'We need to keep the pressure on, but we need to take our chances as well.' Nana thought.
Meanwhile in the Women's Team's private box:
"Damn it! I thought we would score there." Sarah said.
"I was sure it would go in." Taeko replied. "So far, we have the best 2 chances. We should be 2-0 up by now."
"I just hope we will score that important first goal to put the pressure on Juventus soon."
"For as long as Juventus doesn't attack, we must keep pushing at them." Taeko finished.
For a number of minutes, Juventus was enduring the same kind of early slump that United had in Turin. To make matters worse for the Bianconeri, the Red Devils were relentless in their ability to recover loose balls and to launch counterattacks that keep pushing the visitors back into their own half. It was only a matter of time before the Old Lady would crack.
In the 19th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen... finds Aizawa, but Bonucci pushes it away.
Inside the Juventus half, Nikolaj passed the ball towards Kakeru. However, the Japanese forward was quickly closed down by Bonucci, who kicked the ball towards the middle of the pitch. But then Yusuke attempted a through pass intended for Kakeru.
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki... the pass has found Aizawa, but his first touch lets him down. That's a shame.
Kakeru tried to receive the pass, but a slightly heavy first touch allowed Chiellini to recover the ball and then start a counterattack with a pass to Pjanić. The Bosnian ran with the ball until he reached the halfway line. The following pass rolled towards Mario Mandžukić, but Yusuke quickly challenged him with a standing tackle that threw the Croatian striker down.
Clive Tyldesley: Another good challenge by Saeki. This time on Mandžukić.
After the referee declared fair play, Yusuke passed the ball ahead to Nana. Then the Little Witch launched the ball forward to Kakeru, who was running towards the Juventus penalty area. The Old Trafford crowd started buzzing as Kakeru approached the box while Kevin and Anthony were running forward on the left.
Clive Tyldesley: And now Aizawa can run. He's got Flynn and Laurent in support...
Entering the penalty area, Kakeru chose to take a cross towards one of his teammates. However, Chiellini blocked the pass while deflecting the ball out of play to concede a corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Cross comes to nothing, but it is a corner.
The vast majority inside Old Trafford roared when they saw the corner kick being given. Nana ran quickly towards the corner flag while her teammates were positioning themselves inside the penalty area. Finally, everyone was ready to proceed.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima's corner...
Nana kicked a long ball that was originally destined for Matthias, who stood 2 yards away from the 6-yard box and in line with the far post. However, the ball flew above both Matthias and the Juventus player marking him. However, Yusuke retrieved the ball, still inside the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Too high for Köhler. Saeki...
Just as Yusuke received the ball, a Juventus defender tried to get to him. However, Yusuke easily skipped past his opponent by running towards the byline before he launched a quick pass across the face of goal. The ball went off Emre Can, but then rolled behind Kakeru and a little too far ahead of Anthony. One man was both at the right time and at the right place though.
Clive Tyldesley: It's deflected... KAMARA!! IT'S IIIIIINN!!!
Holding his ground against his marker, Didier fired the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net. At last, Old Trafford erupted in joy as the home side took the 1-0 lead on the night and a commanding 3-1 aggregate score after 109 minutes of football between United and Juventus.
Clive Tyldesley: Didier Kamara has scored his first goal of the season! But more importantly, Juventus have got themselves a big, big problem with less than 20 minutes gone on the night! They are down 1-3 on aggregate.
"Well done, Didi!" Kakeru congratulated his Ivorian teammate.
"Huge goal! Your first in the season too!" Nikolaj added.
"Tu l'as eu! (You got it!)" Anthony added.
"Thanks, lads!" Didier replied.
"Bien joué, Didi! (Well played, Didi!)" Nana also joined in the celebrations.
"Nice! They are in trouble now!" Matthias said.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"WELL DONE, DIDI! NICE PASS, YUSUKE!" Noriko exclaimed.
"NICE! COME ON, UNITED!" Robert added.
"That was well played by Yusuke there." Sayuri said.
"He did, Mom! That was a clever pass by him even if it had some luck!" Noriko replied.
"Juventus are in trouble now. Perfect." Harry said.
"Aye, but we must not let them breathe one bit." Robert replied.
"With one of the best players in the world on their side, we must not slow down." Noriko added to her father's words.
Juventus took a serious blow to their quarterfinal aspirations, but they were not quitting yet. On the following restart, Juventus controlled the ball a little better. Just 2 minutes after the goal, the Bianconeri launched their first threat on Jan's goal.
In the 21st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: De Sciglio... now Chiellini... Pjanić.
After a few passes between the defenders, Chiellini passed the ball across the halfway line for Pjanić. The Bosnian midfielder advanced further inside the Manchester United half before he passed the ball ahead and on the left for Ronaldo.
"Not going through." Yusuke said as he moved on Ronaldo.
"Aquele tipo... (That guy...)" Ronaldo said to himself in Portuguese.
But instead of holding onto the ball, Ronaldo flicked the pass back into Pjanić's run. Nana tried to catch up with the Bosnian midfielder and defend, but then a pass was made forward to Mandžukić. The Croatian striker was walking across on the edge of the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Back to Pjanić. This is Mandžukić...
Moving to his right, the Croatian striker created some space away from Matthias before he took a right-footed shot towards the goal. The ball flew out of Jan's reach with pace, but struck the inside of the post to the goalkeeper's left. However, the ball was rolling back with pace towards Ronaldo just inside the penalty area with an open goal in sight.
Clive Tyldesley: ...with the shot. That comes back off the post, and Ronaldo is there...
Ronaldo immediately struck the shot just as he saw the open goal in front of him, but Yusuke struck the leg to block the shot at the crucial moment.
Clive Tyldesley: Blocked by Saeki!
The ball was deflected out of play on the side for a Juventus throw-in. Nevertheless, many Manchester United supporters stood up to applaud Yusuke's defensive effort.
Clive Tyldesley: The ball has gone out, but that is the nature of the danger. Juventus coming a whisker away of equalizing almost immediately.
"Well done, Yusuke." Nana congratulated her friend.
"Thanks, Fury. I should have done better on marking Mandžukić." Matthias added.
"Thanks. Let's keep the focus." Yusuke replied.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"That was dangerous." Noriko said.
"That should be a good reminder as to why we shouldn't let them off the hook with over 69 minutes left to play." Robert replied.
"I really spoke too soon about Juventus. Better hope I'm not jinxing them." Harry added.
"The best defence is to attack." Noriko replied.
The first scoring chance in favor of Juventus cooled down some of United's endeavors for a few minutes. However, it was only temporary as the home side would later find enough stride again to try putting the tie away from Juventus.
In the 30th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Muamba... long ball towards Laurent.
With United pushing the attack inside the Juventus half, Joel made a long and high diagonal pass forward and on the opposite flank to Anthony. Then the Frenchman made a cushioned header pass intended for Kakeru, who stood just outside of the penalty area with the goal in front of him. However, Giorgio Chiellini kicked the ball away before it could reach Kakeru.
Clive Tyldesley: Almost got to Aizawa, but Chiellini clears it away...
The ball flew far and high until it went on a descending trajectory towards the center circle. Matthias arrived to head the ball back in the opposite direction and towards Nikolaj.
Clive Tyldesley: Headed back in by Köhler. Now Kristiansen...
When Nikolaj was about to receive the ball, the Juventus players expected that he would try to hold onto the ball a little longer. However, the Dane chose to chip a pass ahead. Incidentally, it flew towards the path of his French teammate, Anthony Laurent.
Clive Tyldesley: Great pass towards Laurent. Can he finish it?
Anthony perfectly timed his run to stay onside as he easily went beyond Mattia De Sciglio. Entering the penalty area in full speed, Anthony lobbed his shot above the rushing Juventus goalkeeper. However, the shot struck off the crossbar.
Clive Tyldesley: Great chip! Off the crossbar!
The play wasn't dead yet as the rebound was still in play for a split second. But then Chiellini kicked the ball out of bounds.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared by Chiellini! Oh, what a chance it was for Manchester United! Laurent denied by the crossbar after a magnificent pass from Kristiansen.
The following corner conceded by Chiellini was then an easy catch for Wojciech Szczęsny. In the stands, the Manchester United supporters were still shocked that the scoreline still stood at 1-0 instead of 2-0.
'I don't believe this! What will it take to finish them off?' Kakeru asked in his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Yusuke and Nana were having a chat about what just happened as well.
"We're really wasting chances there." Nana said.
"Yeah, but it's still good that way. We're piling up pressure on them." Yusuke replied.
"Let's make sure they don't get too close to our goal."
"Count on me, Nana." Yusuke finished.
After that missed opportunity, the home side was still looking for the second goal that would finish off the contest. However, Juventus have a weapon that was not given the right opportunity to be used against Juventus so far. It was a matter of time before Juventus would be given the opportunity to exploit it, and it was also something that Manchester United were familiar with.
In the 35th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Chiellini... Matuidi...
Controlling the ball just inside the Manchester United half, Juventus were trying to unlock the United defense. When the ball arrived to Matuidi, he was advancing a little from just beyond the center circle. However, Nana was standing in front of him.
Clive Tyldesley: ...has Mishima in front of him.
The French midfielder then passed the ball towards Pjanić before he started running past Nana. Then the Bosnian midfielder passed the ball back into Matuidi's path. Nana went after him as fast as he could.
Clive Tyldesley: Pjanić... back to Matuidi...
The Frenchman bent his run from left to right as he advanced forward. Nana was almost catching him up to try a tackle. However, Matuidi's back leg got tangled with Nana's front foot, precipitating the Frenchman onto the ground.
Clive Tyldesley: Matuidi is fouled. Free kick for Juventus from quite an interesting position.
"No! That's not a free kick!" Nana defended herself.
"You touched Matuidi. Not on purpose, but it is still a foul." the referee replied. "Please move back."
"Oh, come on!" Nana lamented.
"It's OK, Seven. We have to defend this free kick." Kakeru comforted Nana as he pulled her away.
The point of infringement was located at 30 yards from goal, but it was a decent angle for a direct free kick. What United dreaded the most was to give Cristiano Ronaldo the opportunity to strike one of his trademark direct free kicks with some of those having helped United's cause in the past.
Clive Tyldesley: It will be Cristiano Ronaldo who will take this free kick. Never too far away for him.
While the Manchester United players were setting up the wall and other defenses ahead of the upcoming free kick, Ronaldo was performing his usual routine in such situation.
After the Portuguese superstar put down the ball in the desired position, he walked back 3 paces from the ball and slightly positioned to the side. Then Ronaldo stood up with his feet wide apart, took a deep sigh with his lips pursed, let his shoulders go up and down, and pulled his shorts up. Then the referee blew his whistle.
PEEP!
Then Ronaldo sprinted towards the ball until he struck it with power on his dangerous right foot. As the ball flew beyond the wall and towards the Manchester United goal, the ball appeared to swirl a little towards the goalkeeper's right. With little choice left, Jan put both hands to deflect the shot out of play. The Slovakian goalkeeper also lost his balance after the contact because of the sheer power and pace in the shot.
Clive Tyldesley: Wonderful shot! And a better save by Farkas! It is a corner though.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Phew! Thank God that Farkas saw that in time." Noriko said.
"I almost forgot how Ronaldo's free kicks were difficult to stop if the shot was on target." Harry said.
"That's a very good save in the circumstances alright." Robert replied.
"We still have to defend the corner kick though." Noriko said.
Both teams stood in position for the upcoming corner kick, which was about to be taken by Pjanić.
PEEP!
The Bosnian midfielder kicked the ball towards the mass of players. Bonucci used his hands to up on Chiellini's shoulders to gain a legal advantage in height, but Matthias also jumped up to distract his Italian opponents. In the end, the ball flew way above the Manchester United goal, earning sarcastic cheers from the pro-United crowd.
Clive Tyldesley: Bonucci puts it high above the goal. Goal kick.
"Cazzo!" Bonucci cursed.
Meanwhile, the 3 Japanese players in red had a little quick chat.
"They came really close." Kakeru said to Nana.
"Yeah, and I was at fault in the first place." Nana replied.
"You did your best, Nana. It's a reminder that they are still dangerous even if they trail on the scoreboard." Yusuke said.
"Just send the ball forward. We must push them back." Kakeru said.
"Count on us." Nana replied.
After that narrow escape, Manchester United regained control a little bit more by passing the ball around and wasting time when they had it. Juventus tried to launch more attacks when they had the ball, but they were also making themselves vulnerable to United's counterattacking strength.
In the 41st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Chiellini... Bonucci... looking ahead of him.
Bonucci advanced forward with the ball until he arrived just before the half of the center circle just inside the Juventus half. Then the Italian passed the ball forward to Pjanić, who then advanced a few yards before he passed the ball ahead to the Croatian striker, Mario Mandžukić.
Clive Tyldesley: Pjanić... Mandžukić...
But just as the Croatian was about to start running towards the Manchester United penalty area on the attack, Yusuke cut in front of him to steal the ball away.
Clive Tyldesley: Well taken by Saeki.
After Yusuke created some space for himself, he passed the ball ahead to Nana. The Little Witch then saw that Kakeru was attempting to make a run that would propel him behind the 2 Juventus defenders – Chiellini and Bonucci.
"IKE! (GO!)" Nana shouted.
Nana kicked the long ball intended to be a through pass for Kakeru. The Japanese forward was entering the final third of the pitch, under the roar of the 68,000+ United supporters. However, Chiellini and Bonucci, both aware of Kakeru's speed and positional awareness, chose to follow him instead of attempting the offside trap.
Clive Tyldesley: And here's Aizawa looking to put the tie away. He's got away from Chiellini...
Kakeru ran in full stride past Chiellini, but Bonucci was still denying the possibility of a right-footed shot as the latter kept running after Kakeru. Nevertheless, Kakeru was entering the Juventus penalty area with a quick decision to make.
'Have to go left-footed. No choice.' Kakeru thought.
Clive Tyldesley: It's Kakeru Aizawa...
Despite the increasingly difficult angle to shoot into, Kakeru slapped the left-footed shot across and towards the goalkeeper's left just as the latter went to the right. Everyone watched the ball rolling really close to the target, but it ended up going an inch wide to the far post.
Clive Tyldesley: AH! SO CLOSE!!! Aizawa didn't do much wrong there. It was just, but only just wide to the far post.
Kakeru would only put his hands on his head in disbelief.
"Shimatta! (Crap!)" Kakeru cursed out loud.
"It's OK, Kakeru. Good try." Nana tried to cheer Kakeru up.
The Knight in the Area gave the Little Witch in return to acknowledge the great pass.
'I have to score the next time I have a chance.' Kakeru thought.
Following that last attack, neither team came near the other team's goal in the following 4 minutes and the short minute of injury time. The last few minutes of the first half winded down. United were fine with the one-goal lead for now while Juventus were the most disappointed side for being unable to play their game to better effect.
In the Manchester United dressing room:
"More pressure on them. We don't stop attacking. We did well for 45 minutes, but that's not enough here." Matthias reminded everyone of the task at hand.
"Not enough. We bring the hammer on them." Kakeru added to the rally cry.
"They're right. Let's keep going at them!" Nana said to her teammates.
"I hear ya, sister." Nikolaj replied to Nana.
Then Andrew Butler came in the dressing room to give his instructions ahead of the second half. He was fairly satisfied with his team's performance so far, but he had to make sure that complacency would not creep in among his players.
"OK, lads. Really good job so far, so we stay with it. Don't get frustrated because we haven't scored more than one goal so far. They are the ones being frustrated right now. They will try to push men forward and open up the game. Let's not sit back; we keep the pressure on them. We recover loose balls, we get right back at them, and we pin them down in their own end. Come on! Let's go!" Andrew said.
The Manchester United players responded with applause. They were determined to have another go at Juventus and to finish the job. Before the time to walk out of the dressing room arrived, Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke gave words of encouragement between themselves.
"So far, so good. Let's grind them down!" Yusuke said.
"Yep! Only 45 minutes to go, and then we can relax after they are sent back home." Nana replied.
"Keep up the good job on Ronaldo, Yusuke. Let's finish them off here." Kakeru said.
Two minutes later, the game restarted with Juventus trying to find gaps to exploit in the Manchester United setup by sending more players forward. However, the defensive efforts from Yusuke and the 4 United defenders crushed all attacking endeavors from Juventus. United continued to apply pressure on Juventus before they pushed forward, but the 2 veteran Italian centre-backs – Chiellini and Bonucci also neutralized the Red Devils' attacks. In short, both teams canceled out each other. It was not until we approached the hour mark that the game started regaining some momentum again.
In the 59th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Muamba with the throw...
In a throw-in situation inside the Juventus half, Joel threw the ball forward to Kevin. The English forward was tussling with Alex Sandro when the former headed the ball. Then Nana arrived on the ball a split second before Emre Can did. The Little Witch even surprised the German midfielder with a sombrero flick, which also became a side pass to Nikolaj.
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima... terrific flick above Emre Can. Now Kristiansen...
Nikolaj continued advancing a few yards across the width of the pitch before he passed the ball to Shawzy, who was supporting the attack.
Clive Tyldesley: He finds Andrew Shaw...
The English left-back arrived on the edge of the Juventus penalty area before he crossed the ball towards the face of goal. In that area, Kakeru and Chiellini were tussling to gain position. The Juventus captain appeared to hold an advantage as he stood in front of Kakeru, but the Japanese forward continued to force his way forward. And then Chiellini suddenly lost his balance and went rolling onto the ground a tiny split second before Kakeru headed the ball into the top corner of the Juventus goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa with the FREE HEADER! IT'S IN!!!
The tens of thousands United supporters inside Old Trafford went into total bedlam. Kakeru celebrated his goal by first acknowledging the pass from his teammate.
"Great pass, Shawzy!" Kakeru pointed towards Shawzy.
"YEAH! Get in!" Shawzy congratulated Kakeru.
"Well done, Kakeru!" Nana added.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United lead 2-0 on the night! It's 4-1 on aggregate, and Juventus have a steeper mountain to climb now!
At the very same time that the Manchester United players celebrated the goal, several Juventus players were protesting to the referee. They were invoking a push by Kakeru on Chiellini before the goal.
"È stata una spinta! Aizawa lo spinse! (That was a push! Aizawa pushed him!)" Bonucci protested.
"I was pushed from behind! That's a foul." Chiellini added to the protest.
"You can't allow that goal. We can't protect ourselves with that!" Ronaldo added.
"Calma, calma. (Calm down, calm down.)" the referee first replied to Bonucci in Italian before he addressed to the other players in English. "I saw a good goal, but I'm also waiting from the VAR."
The referee listened through his earpiece to receive news from the video assistant referee (VAR) as to whether the goal is confirmed or can be open to a reversal. After a short moment, the referee made the screen-like gesture to signal a play under review before he made his way towards the TV monitor to have a look.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, the referee is indicating that he will be having a look at VAR here. This could come down as a matter of opinion, a matter of interpretation.
The vast majority inside Old Trafford booed at the referee from the very moment that the VAR review of the goal was on. The home supporters were a little tad more anxious about the outcome, especially a history of controversial decisions against English clubs in the context of European club competitions.
"What are they reviewing the goal for?" Sayuri asked Robert in Japanese.
"I guess they're looking at whether Kakeru pushed Chiellini before he scored." Robert replied.
"If they disallow the goal for that, it would be... I thought Chiellini went down too easily for a guy of his size against Kakeru." Noriko said.
"That would be rubbish. I also think he went down quickly when he should be holding his ground." Harry replied.
"More than rubbish, Grandpa. The referee would be conning us if he overturns his own decision." Noriko said.
"Knock on wood." Robert finished.
On TV replays, the incident showed that Kakeru had his arms in a position to push the Juventus captain as the former was trying to gain territorial advantage at the end of Shawzy's pass. However, there was an impression that the push on Chiellini was not really hard to be deemed as impeding, and thus that the Juventus captain blatantly dived to draw a free kick. Finally, the referee made his decision by pointing towards the point of infringement rather than the center of the pitch, which meant the only thing that United fans did not want to see out of that.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, the referee has disallowed it! Well, that's extraordinary! The referee thinks that Aizawa pushed Chiellini prior to the goal, and it's still 1-0.
"NO! I can't believe that!" Kakeru shouted in despair.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority inside Old Trafford voiced utter displeasure and disgust at the referee's decision to disallow the goal on grounds of impeding. Furthermore, Kakeru was not done voicing out his opinion to the referee.
"Excuse me! That was a good goal!" Kakeru said.
"That's a foul. Free kick to Juventus." the referee replied.
"Oh, come on! Chiellini went down so easily! The whole stadium saw it." Kakeru continued to argue. "I don't know if you noticed, but that's an important moment."
"I saw a shove, so I have to reverse the decision. Nothing will change my call."
"You took the bait like a novice, and that's how refereeing is supposed to be at this level? That's shambles!" Kakeru pushed his case further.
"ABSOLUTELY BOLLOCKS!" Noriko shouted from her seat.
"THAT WAS A DIVE!" Robert added to the protests in the crowd.
"You're on a final warning. Next time will be a yellow card." the referee warned Kakeru.
"Come on, Knight. Let it go for now. We'll get them." Nikolaj said as he pulled Kakeru away.
Matthias and a couple of other Manchester United players protested a little more, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Juventus made the first substitution of the match in the 60th minute by replacing Paulo Dybala with the young Italian forward of Ivorian descent, Moise Kean. The Juventus head coach was hoping that Kean's energy would provide the spark that his team desperately needs.
In the 63rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Too short for Matuidi. Saeki retrieves... finds Mishima...
Following an interception by Yusuke, the action shifted back into the Juventus half with Nana running with the ball. Then the Little Witch passed the ball into the path of Kakeru, who saw a potential gap to go through.
'Let's get in that gap.' Kakeru thought.
But just as Kakeru was pushing forward, Leonardo Bonucci was arriving with a shoulder-to-shoulder contact form the side. The Italian defender was marking Kakeru as tightly as possible, but the Japanese forward was still standing strong until Bonucci made a timely tackle from behind to push the ball away from Kakeru.
Clive Tyldesley: It's Aizawa... Great challenge by Bonucci! Szczęsny catches the ball.
The ball was pushed towards the Juventus goalkeeper, who recovered it before he threw a pass for Chiellini to start a counterattack. The Juventus captain ran with the ball forward before he played a quick give-and-go with Pjanić. Then Chiellini arrived at the level of the center circle before he launched a long pass forward.
Clive Tyldesley: Chiellini... looking to find Kean...
Chiellini's pass bounced off Joel's head, but it still found a way to drop into Kean's path. The Italian forward was onside and on the run all alone towards the Manchester United goal. Didier tried to catch up and block the shooting lanes, but Kean quickly found himself inside the Manchester United penalty area. The Italian forward struck a left-footed shot across the goalkeeper...
Clive Tyldesley: Farkas back-peddling... MOISE KEAN!!
The ball rolled out of the goalkeeper's reach, but it also rolled wide to the post at Jan's left and out of play. The 68,000+ United supporters sighed in relief.
Clive Tyldesley: Everything right but the finish.
"That was too close." Yusuke said to Nana.
"Yeah, that Kean guy is a lot quicker than Dybala. We have to be careful now." Nana replied.
"Stay sharp, everyone! Let's do our job!" Matthias rallied his teammates.
"Right!"
The home side still held the ground well, but the recent scoring chance injected a dose of new energy for the visitors. Momentum swung in favor the Bianconeri as their attacks are edging closer to the Manchester United goal.
In the 68th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Pjanić... Emre Can...
With the play shifting on the right wing inside the Manchester United half, the German midfielder had to deal with 3 Manchester United players in the vicinity. Nevertheless, Emre Can found a gap to pass the ball to Ronaldo, who entered just inside the Manchester United penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a good ball to Ronaldo...
Ronaldo was not quite in a good position to shoot when he received the ball. Furthermore, Yusuke and Matthias were double-teaming on the Portuguese superstar. However, Ronaldo lobbed a ball intended to reach Mario Mandžukić across on the left. Fortunately, the ball was touched by Didier first before it rolled out of bounds on the side.
Clive Tyldesley: Cross towards Mandžukić! Deflected away by Didier Kamara! Really good defending by the Manchester United centre-back.
Alex Sandro quickly dashed to the spot where the ball came out of bounds to proceed with a quick throw-in that would maintain the pressure on United. The Brazilian left-back passed the ball to Matuidi, who then passed the ball to Pjanić before the Frenchman moved forward to increase the numbers inside the Manchester United half.
Clive Tyldesley: Matuidi... to Pjanić. Juventus are gathering numbers in the box. Now Emre Can on the right...
The Bosnian midfielder passed the ball to his German midfield teammate, who stood lurking on the edge of the penalty area. Emre Can waited De Sciglio to make an overlapping run to open up a gap. And then that happened, Emre Can crossed the ball inside the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Cross coming in...
The ball had both pace and accuracy as it reached Mandžukić's head. The Croatian redirected the ball out of Jan's reach and into the left-hand top corner of the Manchester United goal. And suddenly, Old Trafford was stunned into silence but for 6,000 Juventus supporters as the game was tied at 1-1!
Clive Tyldesley: MANDŽUKIĆ!!! It's 1-1! Juventus still trail 2-3 on aggregate, but they are one goal away of forcing extra time with a little more than 22 minutes to play! We said that Cristiano Ronaldo would need support from his teammates, and Mario Mandžukić has delivered an important goal.
In the immediate aftermath of the goal, Ronaldo picked up the ball and quickly ran with it to the center circle, forcing the restart to be as quick as possible. However, Andrew Butler had other plans to stall Juventus and to re-energize his team.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Man! Did we really need this?" Noriko asked out loud.
"This is going to be a nervous 20+ minutes to endure." Sayuri said.
"We're still in the lead though." Robert replied.
"If we can keep on playing our game while Juventus are forced to bring more men forward, they won't go anywhere." Harry added.
"I wonder if changes will be made soon on our side." Sayuri said.
"It looks like Andrew Butler is not waiting to respond at all, Mom. He's got a couple of players ready to come on." Noriko replied.
Indeed, there were 2 Manchester United players ready to come on before the restart. One of them was the 17-year-old striker and Manchester United Academy product, Sean MacKinnon.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, this is interesting. Andrew Butler will be sending the teenager Sean MacKinnon in action.
The 4th official held up the electronic board showing number 11 in red and number 54 in green before Alan Keegan made the official announcement. A young player who makes his senior debut always received a good round of applause from the Old Trafford crowd.
Alan Keegan: Substitution for Manchester United: replacing number 11, Anthony Laurent... number 54, Sean MacKinnon.
Meanwhile, Andrew asked Matthias and Nana to come over so he could transmit his new orders.
"Matthias, Nana. Here's how we go now: 4-1-2-1-2. Nana, you push forward. Matthias... Yusuke will drop to support the Ds. Give the word." Andrew said.
"OK, Boss." Matthias replied.
"We'll get this done." Nana added.
The second substitution saw Kevin getting replaced by Francisco. Hence Nana would move into an advanced playmaker's role while the Spanish midfielder would patrol the right of midfield.
Alan Keegan: Substitution for Manchester United: replacing number 14, Kevin Flynn... number 21, Francisco Serrano.
Sean stood alongside Kakeru ahead of the upcoming restart kick. The young Englishman had butterflies in his stomach as this was the greatest moment of his young career so far. The Japanese forward, being the older of the 2 strikers, took a moment to calm his younger English teammate down.
"Relax. You will do fine." Kakeru said. "Don't worry about who stands around you."
"OK, I will." Sean replied.
"I have been there before. Play the way you know best, just like in training." Kakeru finished.
PEEP!
The action finally resumed with United kicking the ball off. Juventus continued to apply pressure in order to retrieve the ball and to launch more attacks in pursuit of a second goal that could at least force extra time. However, United were alert in their defending. Much sooner than later, the Red Devils found themselves in a position to play within their strengths, especially on counterattacks.
In the 71st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Matuidi... trying to get away from Serrano...
The French midfielder tried to get away from Francisco's marking as Juventus were looking to force the issue inside the Manchester United half. But as Matuidi tried to pass the ball forward, it went off Francisco and then towards Matthias.
Clive Tyldesley: It's been cheaply given away by Matuidi. It's been energetic and alert defending from Manchester United.
Matthias advanced a few yards ahead before he passed the ball into Kakeru's path ahead and on the left. With the Old Trafford crowd roaring, the Japanese striker ran forward with the ball with Nana and Sean in support as the 3 players entered the attacking third of the pitch.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa trying to stretch his opponents here...
The Juventus defenders were scrambling to defend against Kakeru's attack, but there were gaps to be exploited. Kakeru passed the ball towards Nana on his right; the Little Witch was arriving within 10 yards from the front of the Juventus penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: And Mishima is forward. Nana Mishima...
Nana feinted a shot, which got both Chiellini and Bonucci bracing for it. However, Nana scooped up the ball before she passed it towards Sean on the right. The English striker was facing Alex Sandro, but Sean used his dribbling skills to feint going on the outside before he went on the inside. Just as the Brazilian left-back was neutralized out of the equation, the ambipedal striker in red took a strong left-footed strike on goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Sean MacKinnon... Good save by Szczęsny! Needed to be.
The shot was flying towards the bottom corner of the goal to the goalkeeper's right, but it was parried away and out of play by the Juventus goalkeeper. Sean looked in disappointment at the outcome as he thought he had scored his first senior goal.
"Good try, Kinner! Good try!" Nana cheered her younger teammate up.
"Thanks. Good pass too, Witch." Sean replied.
"Let's keep going at them! That's how we do it." Kakeru said.
Kakeru and his teammates were determined to finish Juventus off as soon as possible. However, they had to stop the Juventus attacks as well. And when one team has Cristiano Ronaldo in its ranks, it was no easy task at all.
In the 74th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Pjanić... finds Ronaldo...
With Juventus on the rush, the Bosnian midfielder passed the ball forward to Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar was far ahead of any of his teammates, so he decided to try dribbling his way past all Manchester United players in the vicinity.
Clive Tyldesley: ...goes past Shaw, past Köhler...
Ronaldo turned Shawzy inside out before he dribbled past Matthias. It appeared that Ronaldo would enter the penalty area with a clear sight on goal as Didier was hustling back a little further away. However, Yusuke was also arriving to try denying further entry.
"Oh, no. You don't!" Yusuke said.
Coming slightly from behind at an angle, Yusuke threw a tackle that was intended to hook the ball away from Ronaldo. With a stroke of luck, the ball bounced off Ronaldo before it rolled into Jan's hands.
Clive Tyldesley: Great challenge by Saeki again. Farkas picks it up...
But instead of slowing the play down, Jan threw the ball forward. The pass went towards Nikolaj, who tried to start a counterattack until he was impeded by Emre Can. The referee called the foul.
Clive Tyldesley: Free kick against Emre Can...
There was no yellow card, but the Juventus players had their eyes on the referee. That small window was all that Nikolaj needed to play a quick free kick, which became a pass ahead to Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: Played quickly by Kristiansen. Mishima...
Nana advanced a few yards into the attacking third before she passed the ball to Sean on her left. However, the young English striker was marked by Matuidi, and thus was forced to make a drop pass to Francisco.
Clive Tyldesley: MacKinnon... back pass to Serrano...
Just as Francisco received the pass, the Spaniard saw Nana making a run between Matuidi and Alex Sandro. Finding the right split second, the through pass was made from Francisco to Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a lovely ball. A chance here for Mishima...
Nana managed to run behind Chiellini and to enter the Juventus penalty area. Bonucci and Szczęsny both rushed towards Nana to deny her the scoring chance.
'Gotcha!' Nana thought.
The situation was going exactly as she wanted. Instead of taking the shot, Nana made a short side pass into Sean's run on the left. By the time the Juventus players realized what was going on, the young Englishman tapped the ball into an empty net to give his team the lead again.
Clive Tyldesley: AND NOW FOR MACKINNON!! MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 JUVENTUS!!
For the second time on the night, it was pandemonium at Old Trafford. More importantly, the prospect of extra time was pushed away once and for all.
Clive Tyldesley: The teenager has given United the lead again! It's 4-2 for United on aggregate, and the quarterfinals move closer on the horizon. Juventus have a big problem now: they have to score twice in the next 16 minutes plus stoppages in order to survive.
"COME ON!" Sean shouted in the midst of the celebrations.
"Well done, Kinner!" Kakeru congratulated his young teammate.
"First senior goal, and a big one!" Nana added.
"Thanks for the pass, Witch!" Sean replied.
"Huge goal!" Nikolaj said.
"We have them now!" Matthias added.
Alan Keegan: UNITED'S GOAL... HIS FIRST SENIOR GOAL... SCORED BY NUMBER FIFTY-FOUR... SEAN MACKINNON!!!
The crowd gave the loudest round of cheers on the night when Sean's goal was officially announced.
"Well done, MacKinnon!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Great way to begin a career." Sayuri said.
"I know. He will never forget this moment." Robert replied.
"That was also a clever play by Kristiansen to take the quick free kick. Then Nana played the final pass perfectly." Noriko said.
"Thanks to all of them, Juventus now have to score twice until the final whistle." Harry remarked.
"It's all about continuing in the same way until the very end now." Noriko replied.
In the aftermath of the goal, the Juventus manager played his final cards by replacing Blaise Matuidi with Federico Bernardeschi in the 76th minute and then replacing a tired Mario Mandžukić with Douglas Costa in the 80th minute. The visitors gave a desperate push to first erase half of the deficit before they could think of setting up a nervy finish to the match.
In the 82nd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Alex Sandro... Douglas Costa...
As Juventus laid a siege around the Manchester United penalty area, the ball was passed from Alex Sandro to Douglas Costa. Joel and Francisco arrived on the side of the penalty area to deny Douglas Costa further entry, but the Brazilian winger laid the ball into Alex Sandro's overlapping run.
Clive Tyldesley: Towards Alex Sandro again...
Alex Sandro was looking to find enough space to make a cross, but Kakeru came in with a strong sliding tackle to push the ball away. Then Joel recovered the loose ball, but the referee blew his whistle.
Clive Tyldesley: Foul called against Aizawa.
The Manchester United players were furious at the referee because of the call. Worse than that: Kakeru was shown a yellow card.
"I got the ball, not the player! That's ridiculous!" Kakeru protested.
"What is that for? That's a weak call!" Matthias added.
However, the referee said nothing in response as he walked towards the point of infringement. The vast majority among the 68,000+ United supporters voiced utter discontent against the referee. The TV replay showed that Kakeru's tackle was going to take the player down in any way, even though he made contact with the ball first.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa protests in frustration, but it's a free kick to Juventus.
With nothing changing the referee's decision, both teams set up. Cristiano Ronaldo was standing over the ball just outside of the penalty area. Meanwhile, the 2-man Manchester United wall dropped 9 yards inside the box, on the line of foam spray drawn by the referee. Kakeru was running like a free electron inside the penalty area.
'From that position, his best bet would be to pass towards the area behind the penalty spot.' Kakeru thought.
Everyone was ready to proceed.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Ronaldo...
Ronaldo took the same run-up as usual for his other free kicks. But instead of whacking the shot towards a danger area, Ronaldo made a layoff pass to the area between the penalty spot and the edge of the penalty area. Bernardeschi was coming in to take the shot, but Kakeru anticipated the action. The Japanese forward threw his body in the way.
Clive Tyldesley: Bernardeschi! Great block by Aizawa! The ball goes out of play.
The ball bounced off Kakeru and on the side for a Juventus throw-in. The Japanese Knight was congratulated by his teammates while the crowd applauded his effort.
"Great block, Knight!" Sean said.
"Nice, Kakeru!" Nana added.
"Huge block!" Nikolaj added.
"Let's finish them off! Let's go!" Kakeru replied with the rally cry.
Echoing Kakeru's words, United regained a little more control of the ball in the following minutes to limit Juventus' attacking capabilities. Short of another Manchester United goal, time was becoming the worst enemy to the Bianconeri.
In the 86th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Muamba... MacKinnon... Serrano...
The 3 Manchester United players were passing the ball around to each other in a triangle-shaped setup inside the Juventus half. After Joel and Francisco passed the ball to each other a couple of times, Joel laid off the ball to Sean. Then Joel attempted a run forward and behind Alex Sandro. However, the Brazilian left-back chose to deck Joel on the grass just as Sean was launching an attempted through pass forward.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a foul against Alex Sandro on Joel Muamba. A yellow card coming up for the Brazilian left-back.
The end result was an interesting indirect free kick that Nana could take. Both teams lined up on the edge of the Juventus penalty area before the referee blew his whistle.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima's free kick...
Nana whipped the ball to reach someone ahead of the line of players. However, the ball was headed away from the penalty area by Bonucci.
Clive Tyldesley: Bonucci gets to it first...
Nevertheless, Francisco headed the ball back in the opposite direction to Matthias, who then flicked the ball sideways for Yusuke.
Clive Tyldesley: Headed back by Muamba... Off Köhler towards Saeki...
Upon receiving the ball, Yusuke saw Kakeru attempting to slip behind the defenders. Without any hesitation, Yusuke lobbed a chip pass above Emre Can and behind the defenders. For a split second, Bonucci appeared to be in a position to get his foot on the ball before Kakeru. However, the Japanese forward moved his body in-between the ball and Bonucci, who fanned his kick and fell down.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa skipped through! Can he finish it off here?
The crowd roared when they saw Kakeru arriving all alone in front of the Juventus goalkeeper with no foul being called. The Japanese striker first feinted to go on his right, which was enough to have Szczęsny making the first move. And when the Juventus goalkeeper got compromised, Kakeru skillfully moved the ball onto his left foot.
Clive Tyldesley: HE MAY FINISH IT OFF HERE!!
And despite Chiellini's desperate attempt to get in front of the shot, Kakeru easily blasted the left-footed shot into the back of the net to send Old Trafford into bedlam. Juventus were practically dead and buried with a 5-2 score on aggregate, much to the relief and joy of the home supporters.
Clive Tyldesley: 3-1 TO MANCHESTER UNITED ON THE NIGHT; 5-2 ON AGGREGATE! This one will count for him! Kakeru Aizawa makes it 33 goals for the season, and slips Manchester United into the last 8 of the Champions League. Beautifully done!
In the celebrations, Kakeru whacked the nearest corner flag down to vent his frustration before he was met by his teammates.
"YATTAAAA!!!" Kakeru shouted.
"You did it, Kakeru!" Yusuke congratulated Kakeru.
"You finished them off, Knight!" Matthias added.
"Nice!" Nikolaj added.
"Great goal, Kakeru!" Nana said as she hugged Kakeru in the celebrations.
Alan Keegan: UNITED'S GOAL... SCORED BY NUMBER TEN... KAKERU AIZAWAAA!!!
The crowd cheered at Kakeru's name before his song was sung by the fans in the stands.
Meanwhile in the Women's Team's private box:
"Beautiful goal, Kakeru!" Sarah exclaimed.
"They are finished, at last!" Taeko said.
Then Sarah received an incoming call on her smartphone's Facetime app from Noriko.
"Yeah?" Sarah initiated the conversation.
"That was some goal!" Noriko said.
"For sure! I'm really happy that he got his goal after he's been denied one earlier." Sarah replied.
"He deserved it all night long." Noriko said. "Can you pass me my cousin? I want to talk to her a moment."
"Sure!"
Then Sarah gave her smartphone to Taeko.
"Hey!" Taeko called.
"We're in the quarterfinals now, Tae-nee!" Noriko said.
"That's great. I really can't wait for those matches to come up soon."
"Yeah." Noriko said. "Back on Kakeru's goal, that was some pass by Yusuke too."
"You're right. Cheeky and clever indeed."
"So... We meet outside after the game?"
"Sure thing, Noriko. We'll see you later at the usual meeting spot." Taeko said.
"Great! See you later." Noriko finished.
After Kakeru scored the goal that basically nailed the coffin, the desire to fight was no longer there for Juventus. The last few minutes went down at a much slower pace on both sides while the 68,000+ United supporters in the stadium kept on singing. After 3 minutes of injury time following the regular 90, the referee put the contest to an end.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: The final whistle ushers Andrew Butler and Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. They have beaten Juventus, who once came within one goal of forcing extra time. It's another setback for the Italian team after the major investment they have made by signing Cristiano Ronaldo. There will be 4 English clubs in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but it may yet be the start of something great for this young Manchester United team.
Under the thunderous cheers from the 68,000+ Manchester United supporters in the stadium, both teams shook hands sportingly. The most awaited handshakes involved Cristiano Ronaldo, Kakeru, and Yusuke.
"That was a great effort and a great goal. Good work, Aizawa." Ronaldo said.
"Thanks, Cristiano. I've been your fan for quite some time." Kakeru replied as he shook hands with Ronaldo.
"I kinda miss this feeling... being at Old Trafford when United win in front of this happy crowd."
"You can come back any time if you want to. It would be great to play on the same team." Kakeru said.
"No. I'm part of the past, but you are the present and the future of Manchester United." Ronaldo replied. "Give it all in the next round and maybe more."
"OK, I will." Kakeru replied.
Then Ronaldo turned his attention towards Yusuke.
"Good game, Saeki." Ronaldo said.
"Thanks. You fought very well too." Yusuke shook hands with Ronaldo.
"Good luck in the next round."
"Want to trade shirts?"
"Sure, you earned it. You're one of the toughest opponents I have played against." Ronaldo said.
"Thanks, Cristiano." Yusuke replied.
Then Yusuke and Ronaldo exchanged their shirts before the latter walked away to shake hands with other Manchester United players. Nana also joined Kakeru and Yusuke.
"How does it feel to get Ronaldo's shirt as a souvenir?" Kakeru asked Yusuke.
"It feels... wow. I never thought until now that I'd go home victorious with him saying that I am one of the toughest opponents he ever faced."
"Noriko will love it when she sees this shirt in the collection at home." Nana said.
"I'm sure she will." Yusuke replied.
"Let's give one more round of thanks to our fans." Kakeru said.
"OK!" Yusuke and Nana replied altogether.
After the handshakes, the Manchester United players gave a round of applause in appreciation of all the support from their fans before they left the pitch in front of their happy supporters. For the first time in Kakeru and Nana's careers at United, they were about to taste the thrill of the quarterfinals in the UEFA Champions League thanks to the vital contribution from their old friend, Yusuke.
Friday March 15
Aon Training Complex, Carrington, UK
11:08 AM GMT
In that morning, the Manchester United players were doing a training session ahead of their next match. As the morning training session came to an end, the players walked their way back inside the main building wo watch the final draw for the UEFA Champions League playoff tree on live TV. The draw was about to take place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
"So... Who do you think we will get?" Yusuke asked Kakeru.
"It could be anybody, you know."
"Kakeru's right. Unlike the round of 16, it's a completely open draw." Nana added to Kakeru's reply.
Then a former player and current ambassador to the UEFA Champions League Final arrived in front of the table with the 3 separate bowls containing the balls to be drawn later.
"Hey, that's Thierry Henry." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, that's him." Nana replied.
"I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for anybody to play against him in his prime." Yusuke said.
"Henry was an absolute monster at his best. He had about all the best physical attributes you could ask, and he knew how to analyze and then defeat any opponent." Nana replied.
"Yeah, he was also one of my brother's favorite players." Kakeru said.
Before the draw was set to proceed, director of communications at UEFA and host Pedro Pinto asked Thierry Henry the usual question about which team(s) is(are) the favorite(s). Thierry Henry replied that all remaining 8 teams are very good and that the competition will be very fierce. Then the next question was about Thierry Henry's past experience with the European Cup. UEFA Deputy Secretary General Giorgio Marchetti was also standing on the stage as the leading man in charge of the draw.
Pedro Pinto: You have played in 2 Champions League finals before; you lost in 2006 and then you won in 2009. Which one lasts longer in your heart, in your memory?
Thierry Henry: Well, they are both important to me for different reasons. The first one, we lost to a very good team when it was almost like playing at home for me. Personally, it was difficult. Then in 2009, I was fortunate to be part of a great team. I had to adapt in a new environment, and I made many sacrifices so we would win the Champions League. It was only after that I realized how difficult it is to win it.
Pedro Pinto: Thank you for these words. And finally, as a man who was born in the Paris metropolitan region and as someone who has so many great memories at the Stade de France, how special does it feel for the city and for this stadium to be hosting the Champions League final once again?
Thierry Henry: It is very special. The stadium is amazing. So many great moments of football history, both at club level and on the international stage, have unfolded in Saint-Denis over the years. It's a place that lives and breathes football, and we are glad that UEFA have put their trust on the Stade de France again to host this great event.
Pedro Pinto: Well, we are all happy to have you here today. I will leave you into the capable hands of Giorgio Marchetti as you get down to the draw.
Thierry Henry: Thank you.
Giorgio Marchetti: Thank you very much, Pedro. And now that we're getting ready for the draw, a quick reminder of the procedure. As you know, this is an open draw; no country protection, no seeded teams, and no special conditions. The 8 balls containing the names of the quarterfinalists are all placed in this central bowl, then will be shuffled, and then drawn. The first team drawn plays the first match at home against the second team drawn. In all, 4 pairings of the quarterfinals. However, I'd like to inform you that Manchester City and Manchester United cannot play at home the same night or on consecutive nights as decided by the relevant authorities. So should both clubs be drawn with the same sequence of home and away, the fixture of Manchester United will be reversed in accordance with the UEFA Club Competitions Committee principles as they had the lower domestic ranking in the previous season. The calendar of the quarterfinal matches, including the potential reversal of Manchester United, will be communicated soon after the draw at approximately 12:45 PM (Central European Time). The calendar of the semi-final matches, again including the potential reversal, will be communicated to all parties after the quarterfinals' return legs on the 18th of April.
The list of 8 quarterfinalists included: F.C. Barcelona; F.C. Bayern Munich; Liverpool F.C.; Manchester City F.C.; Manchester United F.C.; Paris Saint-Germain F.C.; Real Madrid C.F.; and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. After the list disappeared from the broadcast, Marchetti shuffled the 8 balls inside the central bowl before Thierry Henry picked up and opened the first ball.
"Here wo go, lads! Quiet please." Matthias said to his teammates.
Giorgio Marchetti: We're waiting now for the first team of the quarterfinals, playing, of course, the first leg at home. And that is...
Thierry Henry: Manchester United.
In Carrington, the Manchester United players were buzzing among themselves as the draw meant that the first leg will be played at home. At the same time on TV, Marchetti gave a brief description of United's previous results in the Champions League before the second ball revealed their opponents in Quarterfinal 1.
Thierry Henry: Real Madrid.
Giorgio Marchetti: Manchester United versus Real Madrid. So Real Madrid qualified after a comeback in the second leg in Madrid. The 3-time winner Manchester United and the record 13-time winner Real Madrid will face each other in the first quarterfinal.
Then the draw for the other quarterfinals continued until the matchups were set in the quarterfinals. The picture looked as followed:
Quarterfinal 1: Manchester United F.C. vs. Real Madrid C.F.
Quarterfinal 2: F.C. Barcelona vs. Manchester City F.C.
Quarterfinal 3: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. vs. F.C. Bayern Munich.
Quarterfinal 4: Liverpool F.C. vs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Giorgio Marchetti: Now we have completed the quarterfinals. But as you know, we have something more to do in this draw. We are now drawing the path of the semifinals. This is another integral draw. Among the 4 teams that will qualify from the quarterfinals, they are indicated as quarterfinals 1 to 4. Again the first club drawn will play the first leg at home, and I invite Thierry to start the draw.
The draw for the semifinals proceeded forward with Thierry Henry shuffling and picking up balls from a different bowl. After a few minutes, the picture for the semifinals looked like this:
Semi-final 1: Winners Quarterfinal 2 vs. Winners Quarterfinal 4.
Semi-final 2: Winners Quarterfinal 3 vs. Winners Quarterfinal 1.
This meant that United will play the second leg at Old Trafford if they can survive the quarterfinals against Real Madrid.
Giorgio Marchetti: Now with this, we only have one thing that we need to do. We have to determine by draw which team is to be considered the home team in the final. The winners of Semi-final 1 or Semi-final 2. This is obviously for operational reasons since both finalists will be treated absolutely equally. The final will take place in the famous Stade de France in Paris on the 1st of June 201X.
In the last bowl, there were only 2 balls left. Thierry Henry shuffled the balls a little before he picked one. When the ball was opened, the eventual home team for the final was revealed.
Thierry Henry: Semi-final 1.
Giorgio Marchetti: Semi-final 1. So one between Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, or Manchester City will be home at the Stade de France on 1st of June against the winners of the other semi-final...
Thierry Henry opened up the last ball, but it was only a formality.
Thierry Henry: Semi-final 2.
Giorgio Marchetti: Semi-final 2. So Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, or Bayern Munich. With this, we've done everything. Thank you very much, Thierry. Pedro, what do you think about this draw?
Pedro Pinto: Well done, gentlemen. Doesn't matter so much what I think as all the millions of fans, who are out there reacting already to these matches, are really looking for to them.
Pedro Pinto made a short recap of the draw of the quarterfinal draw while the broadcast also showed the matchups for the semifinals and for the final.
Pedro Pinto: Let's mark those calendars then. First legs of the quarterfinals will be played on the 9th and 10th of April, with the return legs scheduled for the following week. That's the 16th and the 17th. The semi-final first legs will take place on the 30th of April and the 1st of May, with the return fixtures scheduled for the 7th and 8th of May. Then there's the big final on the 1st of June. That's all from us. Thank you to Giorgio, Thierry, and all of you also for being here. That will do it from us at the House of European Football in Nyon.
After the broadcast, the players started chatting between themselves. They were both excited and yet a little anxious about the prospect of playing against Real Madrid. Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke did the same among themselves.
"What do you think?" Kakeru asked.
"In a different season, I would have said this is a bad draw. But with the huge amount of quality on all teams, I guess everyone will have to deal with it." Nana replied.
"Real Madrid will be quite a tough opponent. Almost all of the players who won their last Champions League title are still on the team." Yusuke said.
"In the current situation where Real Madrid can no longer catch up with the top domestically, they will go all out in the Champions League. But they are beatable." Nana replied.
"If we can go at them like we did against Juventus, I think we can beat them." Kakeru said.
"Well, let's go to work." Nana replied.
"More importantly, let's have fun." Kakeru finished with a smile.
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