The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 44

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== An Uphill Battle, Nana Returns ==
Tuesday May 7
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League semi-finals, 2nd leg)
Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
6:55 PM BST
Making through the bleacher on the way to their seats, Noriko and her relatives saw that each seat had a colored card attached to it. Looking around, Noriko saw that the cards had different colors in seemingly specific areas, which meant that a giant card stunt was in the books for the moment the players would later walk out of the players' tunnel.
"It looks like we will have a mosaic to show at Bayern Munich later on." Noriko said.
"I'm not surprised. This is the deepest Champions League run we have had since 2011. Hence we have to go big." Robert replied.
"Is Sarah with Taeko?" Sayuri asked Noriko.
"Same thing as usual for a big match: Tae-nee is taking her alongside with the rest of the Women's Team in that private box."
"I hope Kakeru and Nana will be in the squad tonight." Harry said.
"I'm crossing fingers right now as well. We should know about the team within a few minutes, but we need them so badly." Noriko replied.
"Messrs. Lineker, Ferdinand, and Hargreaves are set to be on the air soon with the team news." Robert said.
"I'll also receive a notification on my smartphone when it will come." Noriko replied.
Then Noriko looked at the presenters and pundits on the edge of the playing surface, on a short distance away from the first row in the South Stand. When the clock struck 7:00 PM, the pre-match broadcast started. Around that time, the starting lineups were expected to be released as well.
Gary Lineker: Hello! Good evening and welcome to Old Trafford. This is the live coverage of the 2nd leg between Manchester United and Bayern Munich on BT Sport. I'm Gary Lineker. Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves are alongside me. Manchester United were defeated by 3 goals to 1 to Bayern Munich 6 nights ago. Guys, what should Manchester United do to turn things around?
Rio Ferdinand: Just like Andrew Butler said yesterday in his press conference, the most important thing they have to do is to score the first goal so his team can start believing. I expect United to try coming out strong early on. They need to get this crowd going, and an early goal would do that and put Bayern Munich on their heels.
Gary Lineker: Owen, Bayern Munich scored 3 times. However, Bayern's central defence had its word on the result. How important do you think they are in the equation tonight?
Owen Hargreaves: Toru Asuka and Karl von Seckendorff have been very solid. They have done about everything right one could ask from them. They recovered loose balls, they came up with good tackles, and they blocked shots that could have been a problem for Bayern Munich. The only goal that Manchester United scored came from a mistake by Manuel Neuer. Asuka and Von Sckendorff will have to be strong again if Bayern Munich hope to get through because Manchester United will be expected to come out strong.
Gary Lineker: We have just been informed that Kakeru Aizawa and Nana Mishima will start on the bench for Manchester United. Nikolaj Kristiansen is back in the starting lineup. How much of a boost the return of those 3 players can that be for Manchester United? First, Rio.
Rio Ferdinand: It is a massive boost. Manchester United did not have the kind of creativity they needed from midfield to break Bayern Munich down. Kristiansen can pick up a good pass or take a good shot on goal himself. The main question with Mishima is about how mentally ready she is after the personal issues she is having, but we all know how good of a player she can be if she keeps her focus on her game. The players will be rallying around her for sure. As for Aizawa, he can find the back of the net out of nothing if United needs a goal somewhere, especially in the second half.
Owen Hargreaves: I agree with Rio. In the first leg, the midfield was the weak link for Manchester United. With Kristiansen back from his suspension, the attackers will receive better support from the midfield. If Mishima gets the call, she and Kristiansen can find multiple ways to send the ball to the forwards, which is a reason why they have been difficult to contain this season for anybody. When it comes to Aizawa, we're talking about a player who has scored 41 goals in all club competitions so far. Even if Aizawa doesn't score goals, he can also draw defenders out of position. In any case, Manchester United will need everyone to be sharp right from the start because this Bayern Munich side will look to take advantage of every single mistake.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Kakeru and Nana are in the squad! They are not starting the match, but they are available on the bench if we need them at any point." Noriko said as she watched the official team news for the match on her smartphone.
"Well, it's better than nothing." Robert replied.
"Let's hope that will give some energy to the team." Harry said.
"Players are going to rally around them." Noriko finished.
7:42 PM BST
In the Manchester United dressing room, the players were in the middle of their respective pre-match routines following the usual warm-up session. Nana, who was dressed with her training jacket and her training pants on like other substitutes, was looking for something among her personal effects in the drawer behind her seat. She finally found a misanga – the same one that her mother gave to her before Nana right before she met Kakeru and Suguru.
'Mom, I will carry you with me tonight.' Nana thought as she looked pensively at the misanga in her hand.
"Are you OK?" Kakeru asked.
"Yeah. I was just thinking about Mom for a moment." Nana replied.
"Is that a misanga? It looks like..."
"Oh, that one was made by my mother a long time ago. On the day I joined you and Suguru-san in the school's soccer team, Mom gave this to me before I went to school. I was unsure about myself, so she gave me the misanga to remind me that she would be with me along the way. It was her good luck charm before she gave it to me."
"It reminds a lot about the misangas you gave to me and Nii-chan." Kakeru said.
"You're right. That old misanga was my inspiration behind the ones I made for myself, for you, and for Suguru-san when we made the promise that we would wear the Japanese uniform." Nana replied as she put the misanga around her right wrist.
"Where did you find your old bracelet?"
"It was in an amulet that was stuck in a frame that had a picture of Mom and I from the time when I first arrived at the school. After I remembered everything about it, I carried it on me ever since... just like today." Nana said as she recovered the misanga with a sports wristband.
"It's OK. You're here to carry the dreams and hopes she always had for you, and I will definitely help you carry them." Kakeru said.
"Yeah." Nana replied before she wiped out a few tears in her eyes.
Kakeru put his hand on Nana's shoulder to comfort her. Then it was Yusuke's turn to walk up to Nana before he put a comforting hand on her other shoulder. Seeing what was going on, all of the other Manchester United players walked up to gather together, shoulder to shoulder in a huddle that was seen as a mark of solidarity towards Nana in this moment of personal turmoil.
"Guys..." Nana said.
"Don't worry about it. When you will come on, give everything out there. We will cover for you." Matthias said.
Then all players nodded in agreement. None of the other players said a single word, but the look in the players' eyes said thousands of words. Seconds later, Andrew and his assistants entered in the dressing room. But upon seeing of the moment of solidarity between players, the coaches chose to walk out for a few minutes before they would deem the players ready to receive the pre-match speech.
Then a couple of minutes later, the manager came back when all players were back to their respective seats. Andrew wanted to make sure his players were ready.
"This is it, people. It's the big game tonight. We all know it was tough for us against them last time, but it was in their stadium, in their world. Now it's our turn to drag them into our own world here." Andrew said.
"Right." Matthias replied.
"Yeah." the other players added.
"I know we didn't have it easy in the last couple of matches, but we have 3 big players who are back. Knight, Nicky, and Witch are all back with us. That won't harm us at all!"
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Jan shouted.
"YEAH, COME ON!" the other players added.
"The gameplan is simple: we go hard and quick at them like they haven't seen before. Every time they get the ball, you put pressure on the player with the ball. If you recover the ball, I want to see quick movement forward from everyone. If we get that first goal, then they will start to second-guess themselves. Who are we? We are United and we fear NO ONE!" Andrew said.
"RIGHT!!!" several players shouted altogether.
"One last thing: you're not alone in doing is. We are tens of thousands against 18 players. You know your job. Go at them, everyone! GO AND GET THEM!!!"
"COME ON! LET'S DO THIS!! LET'S GO!!!" Matthias shouted.
Then the players responded with applause before they got up and walked out of the dressing room, shouting all kinds of things to get even more pumped up.
In the tunnel, players remained silent towards opposition players. Not even Matthias said anything to his fellow teammates from the German National Team, who were on the other side for the night. Tension was reaching its climax as both teams eagerly waited for the referee to lead the march towards the middle of the pitch.
Alan Keegan: Old Trafford, the players will come out soon. Please hold up the mosaics. We will introduce both teams in just a moment. Please hold them as long as it takes. Thank you.
At 7:54 PM, the people inside Old Trafford stood up and carried their assigned cards above their heads. The end result saw several sections covered with mosaics; only the Bayern Munich away supporters' area in the upper East Stand had none. In the lower sections of the East Stand, a red background supporting a message in white written "UNITED" was displayed. In the Stretford End, the lower sections carried the legendary message "BELIEVE" in white over a red background. For the other sections that belong to Manchester United supporters only, mosaics were made of patterns consisting mainly of a red background followed by specifically placed and thinner white and black stripes as on a traditional Manchester United scarf.
Then the referee led the walkout at 7:55 PM.
Alan Keegan: Old Trafford, this is the semi-finals' 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League. Will you please welcome F.C. Bayern Munich and MANCHESTER UNITED!!!
Both starting lineups walked their way out of the tunnel under thunderous cheers from the crowd of 74,000+ people as the entrance music for UEFA Champions League matches was heard in all speakers. Nevertheless, the rowdy Old Trafford faithful shouted their support for their team.
"UNITED!!! UNITED!!! UNITED!!!"
Other songs, mainly an anti-Manchester City song, could be heard in the stands in strong voice. When both teams finally lined up in front of the benches, the UEFA Champions League Anthem was played at the same moment that the flag bearers waved the ball-shaped insignia of the UEFA Champions League.
Ils sont les meilleursSie sind die BestenThese are the champions
Die MeisterDie BestenLes Grandes ÉquipesThe Champions
After the song was done playing, the crowd roared in expectation for the upcoming 8:00 PM kickoff. Just as Alan Keegan started presenting the Bayern Munich lineup and then the Manchester United lineup in that order, TV broadcasts were set to do the same in the opposite order.
For this match, your commentator is Clive Tyldesley.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, Manchester United have got themselves a mountain to climb after they lost against Bayern Munich by 3 goals to 1 in the first leg. But as in the words of their manager, overcoming a 2-goal deficit has happened in the Champions League in recent years. In their long history in European competitions, United have overcome such deficit before. They will have to do it once again if they want to reach the European Cup final again.
For this match, United sent the following starting XI in a 4-3-3 formation: Jan Farkas (goalkeeper), Joel Muamba (right-back), Erik Johansson (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Jeremy Williams (left-back), Francisco Serrano (central midfielder), Yusuke Saeki (central midfielder), Nikolaj Kristiansen (central midfielder), Santiago Araya (right forward), Marius van Leeuwen (striker), and Anthony Laurent (left forward). Outside of Kakeru and Nana, another noteworthy substitute was Sean MacKinnon.
Clive Tyldesley: Andrew Butler had to rotate his team against Everton on the weekend. Matthias Köhler and Erik Johansson return at the heart of the defence. Nikolaj Kristiansen returns in midfield after serving his one-match ban last week. Yusuke Saeki was also rested on the weekend; he's starting today. Santiago Araya and Marius van Leeuwen get the nod on the attack. But the biggest talking point on the bench is the return of Nana Mishima to the squad. Mishima, who had to endure the aftermath of an accident in which her mother has been severely injured, flew back from Japan with a personal purpose of being here tonight. After an injury scare on last Wednesday, Kakeru Aizawa has passed the fitness to start on the bench as well.
In response, Bayern Munich sent the following players in a 4-2-3-1 formation at the start of the match: Manuel Neuer (goalkeeper and captain), Joshua Kimmich (right-back), Toru Asuka (centre-back), Karl von Seckendorff (centre-back), David Alaba (left-back), Corentin Tolisso (central midfielder), Thiago (central midfielder), Kingsley Coman (right forward), Thomas Müller (attacking midfielder/second striker), Serge Gnabry (left forward), and Robert Lewandowski (striker). To make full contrast with the Manchester United home kit, the Bayern Munich field players wore mint green shirts, navy blue shorts, and mint green socks.
Clive Tyldesley: Manuel Neuer was rested on the weekend, but he returns in goal tonight. Toru Asuka and Karl von Seckendorff both scored in Gelsenkirchen against Schalke, extending Bayern's lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich have made only one change from the side that took the first leg in Munich. Corentin Tolisso starts instead of Javi Martínez in midfield. Up front, Robert Lewandowski spearheads the attack again after he scored twice on Saturday against Schalke. The heroine of the first leg for Bayern Munich, Mina Meier, is again starting on the bench for this one. But Meier will be hoping to play against Nana Mishima, which would be the first time that 2 female players would play against one another in the UEFA Champions League.
After the coin toss, Manchester United were set to kick things off with eyes towards the East Stand. On the other hand, Bayern players had their eyes towards the Stretford End for the first half. Then everyone looked at the referee as the clock reached 8:00 PM.
PEEP!
The crowd roared when Santiago kicked the ball behind and towards Nikolaj. As expected, the Red Devils started the match by applying strong pressure upon the Bayern Munich players. United were looking to cut the aggregate goal deficit in half as early as possible, and thus they were looking to find early shooting opportunities at the Bayern Munich goal.
In the 4th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Williams driving forward... now back to Kristiansen...
Jeremy attempted to push deeper inside the Bayern Munich half as he arrived at the same level as the longer edge of the penalty area. However, Kimmich and Coman quickly arrived to deny any opportunity of making a long pass. Then Jeremy made a short back pass towards Nikolaj before he returned the ball to Jeremy, who then made a side pass into Nikolaj's lateral run to complete the give-and-go.
Clive Tyldesley: Nice passing play...
Nikolaj cut his run from left to right with the ball as he approached the penalty area. Corentin Tolisso was standing his ground on the edge of the penalty area, but Nikolaj made one step further to the right before he unleashed a long aerial ball aimed towards the far post.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a good long ball towards Araya...
The ball was destined to reach Santiago's run, but then Karl stuck his head in to deflect the pass away. Nevertheless, the ball bounced behind the byline for a corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Von Seckendorff got across very quickly. It's a corner for Manchester United. There was a glimpse of an opportunity for Santiago Araya.
The majority inside Old Trafford roared as they expected some dangerous action on the upcoming corner kick. Tens of thousands Manchester United fans kept shouted "UNITED!!! UNITED!!! UNITED!!!" as a means to boost their team
While Nikolaj was moving towards the corner flag to the goalkeeper's left, United had 5 players entering the penalty area: Matthias, Yusuke, Erik, Marius, and Anthony. Meanwhile, Bayern had 8 players defending inside their own penalty area, especially Toru and Karl marking Marius and Matthias respectively.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen with the corner...
As players started to move, Nikolaj whipped the ball towards the area between the penalty spot and the edge of the 6-yard box. In that area, Yusuke outjumped the shorter Thiago to head the ball towards goal.
Clive Tyldesley: It's towards Saeki...
Manuel Neuer rushed to counter the shot, but Yusuke's powerful header went off the German goalkeeper's shoulder before the ball bounced dangerously towards the Bayern Munich goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Neuer was nervous...
Kimmich and Neuer both made a desperate dash to try clearing the ball away from danger, but Erik ran in at the right height to head the ball into the yawning cage. And suddenly, Old Trafford erupted into an explosion of noise.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S IN!! ERIK JOHANSSON GOT THE FINAL TOUCH, AND MANCHESTER UNITED HAVE SCORED THE CRUCIAL FIRST GOAL!! Takeoff inside 5 minutes! Johansson with the biggest smile because he just finished it off over the line. It was the untidiest of goals, but Yusuke Saeki's power in the air is what unsettled Neuer and the Bayern Munich defence. And Manchester United are only one goal away from turning the tie around with still over 85 minutes left to go.
While the players on the pitch celebrated, everyone was on their feet at the Manchester United bench as well.
"YEAH, VIKING!!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"ATTABOY, VIKING!" Nana added.
"We had some luck. Yusuke's headed shot went off Neuer."
"Good point, Kakeru. Yusuke did just enough to make difficult for Neuer, and then Erik did the rest."
"Let's hope we can carry on with the momentum." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, we need to keep knocking at their door." Nana replied.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"One more goal to go! One more to go!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Perfect start for us!" Robert added.
"I guess Bayern will start doubting themselves now." Sayuri said.
"Only if United keep attacking them. We must not let Bayern off the hook." Robert replied.
"Spot on. They will get on their heels only if we keep on attacking." Harry said.
"Attack is always the best defence." Noriko finished.
With the early 1-0 goal on the night, Manchester United found themselves only trailing Bayern Munich by 2-3 on the aggregate score by then. Only one more goal was necessary to tie the aggregate score at 3-3 and thus tilt the semi-final back in United's favor through the away goal scored in Munich. Shortly after the restart, the Red Devils continued pushing forward in search of that goal.
In the 8th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Thiago... a pass ahead towards Müller...
From around the center circle, Thiago made a pass intended for Thomas Müller. But as soon as the German playmaker received the ball, he was confronted by Yusuke.
"Komm! (Come!)" Yusuke challenged Müller.
"Nimm das (Take this)." Müller replied.
Seeing that Gnabry, Lewandowski, and Coman were all marked at that moment, Müller tried to run his way past Yusuke with a dribble. However, Yusuke didn't lose track of Müller at all. In a swift motion, Yusuke stole the ball away from Müller.
Clive Tyldesley: Good challenge by Saeki on Müller.
Yusuke passed the ball across the halfway line to Francisco, who then flicked the pass towards Marius. Then the Dutch striker moved with the ball for a few yards before he passed the ball to Anthony on the left.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen... Laurent. Now they can stretch Bayern Munich.
The crowd roared as Anthony charged forward on the left flank. But as soon as the Frenchman arrived within a few yards from the Bayern Munich penalty area, Kimmich stood in the way. Instead of forcing his way through, Anthony waited for teammates to arrive in support.
"Tony! Tony!" Nikolaj called for a pass.
"Nicky!"
Then Anthony made the back pass to Nikolaj, who then shifted his own run onto his right. The Danish midfielder came in to shoot from distance.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen arriving... trying his luck from range.
Nikolaj's shot was struck with strength, but Toru got his body in the way to deflect the ball away. Nevertheless, it was a corner kick for the home side.
Clive Tyldesley: Deflected by Asuka. It's another corner kick.
Quickly enough, both teams set up the same way as on the previous corner kick: 5 Manchester United players against 8 Bayern Munich field players. But the main difference was Nikolaj having to take the kick from the corner flag to the goalkeeper's right, which meant a different angle of attack.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen with the corner again...
PEEP!
Nikolaj whipped a ball that was intended to curl in towards the front of the 6-yard box. However, it was Karl who headed the ball away. Nevertheless, Santiago retrieved the ball just outside of the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Headed away by Von Seckendorff... as far away as Araya...
One of the Bayern Munich players rushed towards Santiago to deny a potential shot, but the Chilean-Colombian forward whipped a long pass back inside the penalty area again. Then the ball reached Marius' head, but the headed shot went straight into Neuer's hands.
Clive Tyldesley: Tossed back into the center. Van Leeuwen this time! Caught by Neuer this time.
With the ball caught by the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, the Manchester United players retreated backwards to assume more defensive positions.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench:
"That's a shame." Kakeru said.
"That was tough for Roman to get anything better from that pass anyway." Nana replied.
"What we must think about is about how Bayern will react from the moment they weather the storm."
"For as long as they are denied real chances on our goal, that's fine." Nana finished.
For a few minutes, Bayern Munich held their ground by gaining some control of the ball. However, the few shooting attempts at Jan's goal were either easy catches for the Manchester United goalkeeper or gross misses. In response, Manchester United came back with more threats against Neuer's goal.
In the 16th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki... finds Kristiansen on the left...
Controlling the action inside the Bayern Munich half, the Manchester United players looked to break the defensive block. Yusuke first passed the ball towards Nikolaj, who was soon confronted by Thiago and Coman altogether. Nevertheless, the Danish midfielder made a couple of steps to his right before he made a long pass towards the right wing.
Clive Tyldesley: Long ball on the right. Santiago Araya...
Upon receiving the pass, Santiago ran with the ball towards the Bayern Munich penalty area. Alaba and Gnabry then arrived to try blocking all passing lanes. Nevertheless, Santiago made a pass that flew towards the long edge of the penalty area. While the Bayern players had their eyes on Marius, Anthony, Nikolaj, and Francisco, no one saw Yusuke arriving behind and in some space.
Clive Tyldesley: He played it back for YUSUKE SAEKI!!!
As Yusuke entered the penalty area, he struck the ball with his favorite left foot. The shot went between the legs of the nearest Bayern player, bounced off the ground, and then bounced slightly upwards and quickly towards the bottom corner to Neuer's left. However, the German goalkeeper took a desperate dive to parry the shot away from danger.
Clive Tyldesley: Saved by Neuer! Araya...
The rebound following the goalkeeper's parry went to Santiago's feet, but then...
PEEEEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Offside. Flag is up. Araya must have been offside when Yusuke Saeki struck the shot.
The referee called the offside, much to the dismay of the vast majority in the crowd. Meanwhile, Yusuke cursed out loud. He was mostly disappointed that his effort didn't trouble Neuer as much as it could have done.
Clive Tyldesley: That was a fine save by Neuer. It bounced up at a good height for him as he dived to his left. There was a lot of bodies between Neuer and Saeki.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Oh, come on!" Noriko exclaimed in dismay.
"That was a good shot, but a good save from the goalkeeper too." Robert replied.
"The worst thing that can happen now is that Bayern Munich gets a boost from that save." Harry said.
"From the moment they will have weathered our storm, they will be looking to attack us more seriously." Noriko replied.
Just as Harry said, the last save made by Neuer provided a wake-up call for Bayern Munich. The visitors started to make better use of the time when they controlled the ball, and it wasn't going to be long until they would edge their way closer to the Manchester United goal.
In the 21st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here is Alaba for Bayern Munich...
With the action moving inside the Manchester United half, the Bayern Munich players moved forward under a rain of boos from the crowd. Alaba advanced with the ball until he arrived around the 3/4 of the length of the pitch. Although Francisco stood in front of Alaba, the Austrian left-back made a short pass towards Serge Gnabry on the left.
Clive Tyldesley: Gnabry...
As soon as Gnabry received the ball, he saw that there was some space to his right. Hence the German forward cut his run by 90 degrees and then burst his way forward to get past Joel. There was a sense of danger looming even though Joel and Erik ran from opposite directions to attempt intercepting the ball carrier.
Clive Tyldesley: Good burst of pace...
Gnabry arrived with a yard away from the Manchester United penalty area, but he was soon surrounded by 3 red shirts. Nevertheless, the German forward made a couple of feints before he made a pass that went towards the "D" outside the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Still Gnabry... put it behind Lewandowski...
The ball rolled behind Lewandowski while Yusuke was trying to intercept it. However, Thomas Müller arrived in a position to make a layoff pass back to the Polish striker. Outwitting Yusuke, Müller's clever play teed off Lewandowski.
Clive Tyldesley: Müller though... LEWANDOWSKI!!!
Lewandowski struck a hard shot with both pace and dip, but then the shot flew just high to the corner of the goal to Jan's left. In a flash, the vast majority inside Old Trafford sighed in relief as the outcome of that piece of action was a goal kick.
Clive Tyldesley: That wasn't too far away.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench:
"That was dangerous." Kakeru said.
"Just a little bit of misunderstanding between Spider and Frankie there. That allowed Gnabry to take the inside route. After that, Yusuke was left stranded against both Müller and Lewandowski at the same time." Nana replied.
"We can't afford to leave those two players with such space. Gotta play tighter."
"I agree, Kakeru. The worst thing is that anybody on that Bayern team can make the most out of the space they're given."
After that scoring chance, the momentum definitely shifted sides as Bayern Munich started to look more incisive on the attack. This situation forced Manchester United to be more cautious at the back. But just as Nana said, the Bayern Munich attackers did not need too much space to create danger.
In the 25th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern Munich keeping on the ball here. Von Seckendorff... 
Playing the ball from inside the Bayern Munich half, Karl started the next movement by passing the ball across the halfway line and on the left to Alaba. Then the Austrian left-back made a short pass to Thiago, who then got past Santiago on his way forward.
Clive Tyldesley: Thiago... now Müller...
Thiago passed the ball ahead for Thomas Müller, who then saw Yusuke charging towards him. Hence Müller made a pass ahead and slightly to the right towards Lewandowski. The Pole was standing less than 10 yards from the edge of the Manchester United penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Lewandowski...
Matthias quickly arrived to stand his ground on the edge of his own penalty area, in front of Lewandowski. Finding no way to go, the Polish striker attempted a pass to the left and into the path of Müller. The German playmaker was being held by Yusuke, who then suddenly slipped as he tried to get to the ball himself. Instead, it was Serge Gnabry who arrived in a shooting position, seeing a gap between Joel and Erik.
Clive Tyldesley: Hit by GNABRY!
Not wasting any time, Gnabry struck a low drive on the first touch of the ball. The shot was going towards the bottom corner to Jan's right, but...
Clive Tyldesley: OHH!!! Needed a save from Farkas! It is a corner kick for Bayern Munich though. Jan Farkas had to stretch to keep out Serge Gnabry.
Jan managed to touch the ball at full stretch, saving a goal for his team. However, Bayern Munich had a corner kick. As both teams got men in the Manchester United penalty area, Joshua Kimmich came to take the corner kick at Jan's right.
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich with the corner...
PEEP!
Upon the referee's whistle, Kimmich whipped the ball towards the area near the penalty spot. Under the intended landing zone of the long pass, Matthias and Karl tussled for position. Karl managed to jump up and hit the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: It's in towards Von Seckendorff this time...
Unfortunately for Karl and fortunately for United, the headed shot ended up above the crossbar and into the Stretford End.
Clive Tyldesley: It's gone over the crossbar. They are getting opportunities. They are getting sights of Jan Farkas' goal.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"That's not how to play against Bayern! Wake up!" Noriko shouted her displeasure.
"We have been poor for quite a few minutes now. They are getting organized on the attack." Robert said.
"That's because we are giving them too much space, allowing them to play quick passes. We are not as aggressive defensively as we were earlier." Harry replied.
"The worst thing to do now would be to be passive against that team. We need to be proactive again." Noriko said.
"I know. It's the only way." Robert replied.
Echoing Noriko's take on the situation, Andrew Butler stood up on the touchline to remind his team about the gameplan. He ordered his team to be more aggressive again when defending and to attack Bayern Munich like they did earlier. It took a few minutes for United to re-adjust themselves while denying Bayern Munich further scoring chances, but the Red Devils would eventually remind their opponents that a threat can come at any moment.
In the 33th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Coman with the ball, has to deal with Kristiansen...
Advancing across the halfway line with the ball, Kingsley Coman attempted to lead the attack. However, Nikolaj ran on Coman's coattails before Jeremy arrived in the opposite direction to tackle the ball away from Coman.
Clive Tyldesley: Good challenge by Williams. Now Saeki... 
Yusuke retrieved the loose ball before he arrived right in the middle of the center circle. Then the Japanese midfielder in red launched a long ball forward and behind the defenders. Marius ran after the ball, but he was also followed by Kimmich.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen's outnumbered. He's got there ahead of Kimmich though...
Although Kimmich followed Marius, the Dutch striker managed to recover the ball on the left lateral edge of the Bayern Munich penalty area. Spinning his run around by 180 degrees, Marius managed to get himself away from Kimmich. Seeing that Toru was marking no one, Marius passed the ball into an open space that faced the goal, just inside the penalty area. Anthony was arriving to shoot.
Clive Tyldesley: Guiding in to LAURENT!!!
Anthony struck the ball with the inside of his right foot. The shot appeared to easily go beyond the Bayern Munich defenders and goalkeepers alike. However, the ball glided just wide to the far post. The crowd inside Old Trafford shouted a collective "OHHH!!!" when they saw the ball going wide.
Clive Tyldesley: A whisker away for Anthony Laurent! Terrific set-up play by Marius van Leeuwen. So unselfish there.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench, players and coaches like held their hands on their heads in disbelief.
"Man! So close again!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"Roman was clever there. He and Tony knew they had to switch positions. That was a good pass by Roman to Tony. We're not lucky with that shot." Nana replied.
"If that had touched the inside of the post, who knows?"
Then Andrew and his coaches convened about who to send warming up before halftime. Seconds later, Michael stood up and called those who had to start warming up.
"Hey! Aizawa, Mishima! Warming up." Michael ordered.
"Yes!" Kakeru replied.
"OK, Coach Schneider!" Nana added.
Then Kakeru and Nana left the dugout before they started warming up on the touchline. As soon as the crowd saw both Japanese players warming up, the vast majority inside Old Trafford cheered at both Japanese-born fan favorites.
Following the most recent scoring chance, both teams chose to play more cautiously for several minutes. Neither team was able to create an opening that would lead to a clear scoring chance as the sanctuary of halftime was approaching. However, anything could happen in a match where fine margins matter.
In the 42nd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Von Seckendorff... Asuka...
Inside the Bayern Munich half, the 2 Bayern centre-backs passed the ball between each other for a few seconds. Then Toru started running forward with the ball. With a share of skill, pace, and effect of surprise, Toru ran his way past Marius, past Nikolaj, and then beyond the halfway line. Yusuke was keeping an eye on Toru's run, but he also had to keep an eye on Thomas Müller as well.
Clive Tyldesley: Toru Asuka carried it a long way. Müller...
Müller received the short pass from Toru. Yusuke stood his ground in front of the German playmaker, but was also aware that Toru was carrying on the run forward like another striker.
"Watch the 5! Watch the 5!" Yusuke warned his teammates behind him.
Clive Tyldesley: Real intent about Bayern Munich now...
Yusuke tried to deny the passing lanes, but Müller managed to slide the ball ahead to Lewandowski. Standing on the edge of the penalty area with Manchester United behind him, the big Polish striker made a layoff pass for Toru.
Clive Tyldesley: Robert Lewandowski... Toru Asuka...
But because the ball was arriving onto his weaker left foot, Toru chose to make a back pass to Serge Gnabry instead of going for the shot.
Clive Tyldesley: Now Serge Gnabry...
Seeing that both Joel and Erik had their eyes on Gnabry, Toru skipped his way behind the 2 Manchester United defenders. The movement also allowed Gnabry to launch a through pass into the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Asuka has gone on here...
Surprising the Manchester United defense, Toru found himself all alone against the goalkeeper. Toru first tried to shoot between Jan's leg, but Jan made a reflex kick save. Then the rebound went off Lewandowski, who unwittingly made a pass back to Toru. Bayern's Japanese defender had a second chance.
Clive Tyldesley: AND AGAIN...
Toru attempted to fire the ball into the top corner across the goalkeeper, but Jan managed to catch and smother the ball in its flight. Then the Old Trafford crowd got on their feet to applaud the Slovakian goalkeeper for his efforts.
Clive Tyldesley: Jan Farkas somehow kept it out! There was no flag! It was a chance for Toru Asuka to equalize on the night.
Toru looked at the result in disgust, but then realized that he had to run all the way back to his position. At the same moment, Jan threw the ball forward for Yusuke.
'Asuka-san is overcommitted. Let's play it long.' Yusuke thought.
The man who was supposedly covering for Toru at the back was Thiago, but the Spaniard was far from being the quickest. Knowing that, Yusuke launched a long pass ahead for Marius.
Clive Tyldesley: Long ball forward. Van Leeuwen's on the run. Bayern Munich are stretched here...
Fighting for position against Karl, Marius finally received the pass around the 3/4 of the length of the pitch, deep inside the Bayern Munich half. While the Bayern Munich players were hustling back, Marius waited for support to arrive.
"Roman!" Santiago called for a pass onto Marius' right.
In response, Marius made a short pass into the path of Santiago. The Chilean-Colombian forward was running with pace, having left his pursuers biting the dust. The Old Trafford crowd roared in expectation of a goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Araya...
Santiago ran towards the byline with speed, but he also knew that a teammate was arriving at the far post (to Neuer's right). Without any hesitation, Santiago glided the ball across the 6-yard box, beyond Neuer and all nearby Bayern Munich defenders. The rookie Jeremy Williams was arriving fast in a position to make what would be an easy tap-in. But then Jeremy stuck the boot under the ball, skying it above the crossbar and out of play. Old Trafford was left in utter disbelief as early cheers turned instantly into a massive "OHHHH!!"
Clive Tyldesley: WHOAAA!!! How on Earth did he miss that? It was Jeremy Williams. What was he doing there?
While the crowd was still buzzing about the turn of events, Jeremy was the most disappointed of all.
"F***!!!" Jeremy cursed out loud.
The other Manchester United players put their hands on their heads in disbelief. Nevertheless, Marius came to comfort his young teammate.
"Just hang in there, Jerry. Stay focused on the game. We go at them next time." Marius said.
Clive Tyldesley: It should have been 2-0 to Manchester United. How crucial of a moment will it be by the end of the night?
Meanwhile on the touchlines:
"You've gotta to be kidding me!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"Too anxious. Jerry just lost his composure for a split second." Nana replied.
"It would have been a perfect reply to the scoring chance at the other end."
"Yeah, Asuka-san showed some of his old instincts from Yoin Academy. We should all have known better."
"If Bayern doesn't take their chances, we have to take ours. It's that simple. We can't afford a game of missed opportunities like that." Kakeru said.
"I know. I just hope we get the nod before trouble is brewing on the scoreboard." Nana finished.
In all, that bit of action saw the last 2 meaningful scoring chances of the first half. The remaining time to the halftime whistle winded down without any further fuss. Both managers already had the main talking points ready for halftime.
Clive Tyldesley: Advantage on the night for Manchester United thanks to Erik Johansson's early goal on the first corner kick of the match. They were competitive in the first 45 minutes. It's a lead that Manchester United deserves, but Bayern Munich still hold the one-goal advantage on aggregate. The German side earned a few chances of their own as well. Plenty of football to be played, and this tie is very far from over. But for now, it's Manchester United 1-0 Bayern Munich.
In the Manchester United dressing room:
"Keep the pressure. We have to be relentless." Matthias rallied his teammates.
Then Andrew entered the dressing room to give his halftime speech.
"OK, everyone. We're halfway there by all meanings of it. We scored the early goal, but we need to take our chances more than ever now. We are only one good kick away from making it through, and you have 45 minutes to do it. We can expect them to defend and wait for an opportunity to counterattack, so take that in mind. Still, we all know that we can put a lot of pressure on them. Keep your eyes open, have a run at them, and find your moments. Let's go!" Andrew said.
The players replied with a round of applause and a few cheers before they went back to their respective routines ahead of the second half. Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke took a few moments to have a little chat.
"Good first half so far for you, Yusuke." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, decent so far." Yusuke replied.
"Your effort allowed Viking to score the first goal." Kakeru said.
"I saw that Thiago was the one marking me, so I took a chance. Good thing I'm taller and better in the air than he is."
"You sure are. At the same time, you did well to keep Müller quiet so far." Nana said.
"It's good, but I would be happier to see both of you coming on." Yusuke replied.
"Just hang on a little longer." Kakeru said.
Then Andrew asked Kakeru and Nan over to discuss his plans for the second half.
"Aizawa, Mishima, I have instructions for both of you."
"Yes, Boss." Kakeru and Nana both replied.
"Here's the thing: Aizawa, I will send you to warm up again some time after the 50th minute. I want you to be ready around the hour mark. Understood?"
"Yes, Boss. I'll get ready."
"Mishima... Unless Bayern score between the 46th and 60th minutes, you will start warming up around the hour mark. You will come on if we need a goal. Get it?"
"Yes." Nana replied.
Seconds later, the kit man came to inform the team about something that would change the playing conditions of the match.
"It's raining a lot outside." the kit man said. "Better get your rain cleats ready."
"You heard the man. This is something we know how to deal with. Gear up." Andrew added.
Without further delay, the Manchester United players changed their boots in order to be geared up for a very wet playing surface. The rain already started in the last couple of minutes in the first half, but the pouring picked up during halftime. In those conditions, one could expect to become gradually more difficult for players to have an accurate ball control on top of the need to keep their balance on the pitch.
A few minutes later, both teams walked back on the pitch under the applause from the sellout crowd. Everyone was expecting for more action and more drama, but they were also aware that Bayern Munich would not panic at all.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, Manchester United have put themselves in a position where one kick of the ball could make a difference, but Bayern Munich have been in this position before. It is now a battle of will between United's youthful energy and Bayern Munich's experience, especially under the heavy rain at Old Trafford.
The second half started rather slowly with both teams trying to find their stride in playing conditions that are quite different from the first half's. There was also an element of neither side wanting to do anything reckless that would concede a goal. Nevertheless, United were going to be the first to have a good scoring chance in the second half as they attacked towards the Stretford End.
In the 53rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: United are keeping up the pressure inside Bayern Munich's half. Kristiansen... Laurent... back to Kristiansen...
Taking the action inside the Bayern Munich half, the Manchester United players shifted their attack on the left side. First, Nikolaj passed the ball ahead to Anthony, who then flicked the ball back to Nikolaj as Toru denied further entry. Then the Danish midfielder passed the ball into Jeremy's overlapping run on the left.
Clive Tyldesley: Now Williams... will try to swing one in here...
Upon receiving the ball, Jeremy whipped the ball inside the Bayern Munich penalty area. The ball appeared to be destined as an easy clearance for Toru. However, Bayern's Japanese centre-back misjudged the ball for a split second as he swung this right boot towards the ball. As a result, the ball was deflected behind him and just above the crossbar, giving all Bayern Munich fans a scare.
Clive Tyldesley: And Asuka! He nearly put it into his own goal! That would have been an extraordinary moment. Manchester United have a corner kick.
The Manchester United players and supporters were shocked for a split second as the ball flashed just above Manuel Neuer's goal. But then the crowd roared in expectation of the upcoming corner kick.
Meanwhile in the away (Bayern Munich) supporters' end:
'Verdammt! Wir haben Glück gehabt. Asuka macht normalerweise keinen solchen Fehler (Damn! We got lucky. Asuka usually doesn't make such a mistake).' Angelina von Seckendorff thought.
The Bayern Munich supporters did not time to sigh in relief yet as United were looking to take advantage of the upcoming corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen's corner...
PEEP!
The 5 Manchester United players started to run inside the Bayern penalty area a second before Nikolaj whipped the ball in the air. Meanwhile, Yusuke sneaked his way behind the Bayern Munich defenders as Matthias managed to hold off Toru and the Bayern Munich player who was originally marking Yusuke. The long ball appeared to fly above everybody before Yusuke got to the end of the corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, it's FREE FOR SAEKI!!
The ball arrived in front of the far post, on the edge of the 6-yard box. Yusuke had the goal within his sights, but then his left-footed struck the side netting rather than the back of the net. The entire crowd was struck with disbelief.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, what a chance! What a chance! Saeki completely escaped the Bayern Munich man-marking, but struck the side netting. He came ever so close of sending Manchester United closer to the final.
Yusuke put his hands on his head in disappointment.
'Man! How did I miss that?' Yusuke thought to himself.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"Bloody hell! I thought Yusuke had it!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Me too." Robert replied.
"Looks like the rain is causing problems for everyone. First, Toru Asuka almost scored against himself a routine ball. Then Yusuke virtually missed an open goal." Harry said.
"Yes, indeed. They will have to cope with the rain somehow; it won't stop until very late in the evening according to the forecast." Sayuri replied.
"We better not fade away because of the weather, but I think we need Kakeru to come on." Robert said.
"Kakeru is like Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton riding a Formula One car under wet conditions; he's a beast in those. I'm sure he will inject some good energy to our team." Noriko replied.
After that missed scoring chance, both teams fought a conservative battle in which neither side forced an opening for a few minutes. The bad news for Manchester United was that their attacking punch was becoming blunted further against the Bayern Munich defense. Meanwhile, the Bayern Munich were just waiting for one opportunity to make some damage.
In the 57th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Laurent... chased by Tolisso. Kimmich strips off the ball...
Running with the ball just inside the Liverpool half, Anthony was being chased by Tolisso. At the same time, Kimmich tackled the ball away from Laurent. The French forward in red went down, but the referee waved off despite the protests from the crowd.
Clive Tyldesley: No foul. Kimmich with the ball...
Kimmich ran forward and across the halfway line with the ball. Then the German right-back passed the ball forward to Coman, who then passed the ball to Thiago before it went ahead and towards Thomas Müller.
Clive Tyldesley: Coman... Thiago... It's Müller...
Thomas Müller moved forward with the ball, but Yusuke arrived to confront him. As a result, the German playmaker passed the ball on the left and slightly ahead. But instead of receiving the pass, Lewandowski let the ball roll for Gnabry.
Clive Tyldesley: It's played for Gnabry. Well let by Lewandowski...
Gnabry took the ball right on the flank of the Manchester United penalty area. Although Joel and Francisco were both trying to mark Gnabry, the latter managed to slide a very short pass to Lewandowski. The Polish striker then moved almost for free towards the Manchester United goal albeit from an increasingly acute angle.
Clive Tyldesley: Here goes Lewandowski...
Lewandowski burst his way beyond Erik, but pushed the ball a little too far ahead of himself. That split second allowed Jan to kick the ball away.
Clive Tyldesley: Farkas came off his line...
Despite the clearance, the ball was intercepted by Thiago at 35 yards from goal. Then the Spanish midfielder passed the ball ahead to Kimmich, who then played a 1-2 with Coman.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared, but only as far as Thiago. Kimmich and Coman combine...
Kimmich waited for the perfect split second to pass the ball into Müller's run. At that moment, a gap was open between Matthias and Jeremy. It was all that Müller needed to run inside the penalty area and enter in a shooting position.
Clive Tyldesley: Beautiful football from Bayern Munich...
Arriving in front of Jan, Müller kicked the ball across and towards the bottom corner to the goalkeeper's right. Jan slightly got the hand on the ball, but the ball was deflected on the goalpost.
Clive Tyldesley: Müller! Off the post!
Then the ball went back in front of the 6-yard box before Yusuke kicked it to safety on the side.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared away by Saeki. Thomas Müller came so close of equalizing on the night, but Manchester United have been saved by the woodwork.
"Good save, Wolf." Yusuke congratulated.
"Thanks. Good thing you were there to clear the ball away." Jan replied, giving a double high five handshake for mutual congratulations.
In the Women's Team's private box:
"We were lucky just now." Taeko said.
"Aye. Not only we have not found our stride, but Bayern are capable of hitting us at any time now." Sarah replied.
"It looks like they will need help to come on soon." Ella Toone said.
"Kakeru has been warming up for a few minutes now. I think he will come on soon." Sarah said.
"I wonder if asking him to play under this kind of rain, even after a minor injury, may be too much for him." Taeko said.
"I think he will be fine. Even if he's not 100%, he's the kind who would put everything on the line to take his team over the line for moments like this." Sarah replied.
"I can imagine. I would feel the same if I was in his shoes." Ella finished.
Meanwhile on the touchlines:
'Come on, guys. Hang on a little longer there. I'm coming on soon.' Kakeru thought.
United escaped being scored on, but Andrew knew that something had to be changed to his side in order to regain some momentum. Just as the Manchester United manager indicated at halftime, Kakeru was sent to warm up again after the 50th minute with the purpose of being sent into action around the hour mark.
In the 61st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared out of bounds by Kimmich. Manchester United will make the first substitution of the match; Kakeru Aizawa is ready to come on.
After Joshua Kimmich stopped a Manchester United counterattack by clearing the ball out of bounds, the vast majority of the 74,000+ in the attendance stood up to applaud the upcoming substitution.
"OK. Let's do this, Kakeru." Kakeru said to himself.
Alan Keegan: Substitution for Manchester United: replacing number 11, Anthony Laurent... number 10, Kakeru Aizawa.
"Good game, Tony." Kakeru gave the double high five handshake to his teammate.
"Go at them, Knight." Anthony replied.
Then Kakeru ran towards his position on the left of United's 3-man attack under the warm welcome from the crowd. Meanwhile, Nana and Sean were ordered by Andrew to start warming up on the touchlines.
Clive Tyldesley: There was a scare that he would be out for a while just a week ago, but Kakeru Aizawa looks like he's willing to leave everything on the line for his team tonight.
When everything was ready, Manchester United took the throw-in before the action shifted inside the Bayern Munich half. The Red Devils were looking to take advantage of that momentary boost provided by the return of their talismanic Japanese forward.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen... Aizawa...
Kakeru received the ball and then advanced. There he came up one-on-one against Joshua Kimmich. Kakeru slowed down his advance for a few seconds before he made a skillful rainbow flick to lift the ball above and behind Kimmich a split second before Kakeru ran after the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: ...gets away from Kimmich.
Entering the Bayern penalty area from the side, Kakeru unleashed a quick ground pass across the penalty area. However, Karl deflected the ball outside of the penalty area. Nevertheless, the ball was arriving just outside the "D" in front of the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, that was dangerous. Von Seckendorff did just enough...
Arriving to shoot was Francisco though.
Clive Tyldesley: SERRANO!!!
Francisco's shot was in fact a shot-pass that was intended for Marius. Unfortunately for United, the ball went off Marius' shin pad and then wide to Neuer's goal.
Clive Tyldesley: CAME OFF VAN LEEUWEN! Gone wide!
The Old Trafford crowd made a collective moan of disbelief when they saw the ball roll wide to the Bayern Munich goal. The Bayern Munich defenders had all of their hands raised to demand an offside, but the flag never came up.
Clive Tyldesley: There was no flag.
On the TV replays, it was confirmed that Marius was not offside. However, the velocity in Francisco's shot-pass made it very difficult to make a perfect deflection that would have given the 2-0 lead they were searching.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"So close! Could have gone in." Noriko exclaimed.
"That was our best chance since the second half started. It could have sneaked in after that went off Van Leeuwen." Robert said.
"All of that was created because Kakeru got into his game rather quickly." Noriko replied.
"If anything, that's good news for Kakeru. Short of scoring a goal, that was the best one could ask for a first action so early after he came on." Harry replied.
"Spot on, Grandpa. I just hope that will put the Bayern Munich players back on their heels again." Noriko finished.
Although United missed another golden opportunity, Kakeru's arrival provided the boost they wanted from him. The Bayern Munich head coach was preparing countermeasures of his own to stop Kakeru. Regardless, Kakeru was looking to make a difference by having himself a sniff at the Bayern Munich goal.
In the 64th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Tolisso... Saeki cut the pass before it could reach Müller.
Yusuke then passed the ball ahead for Francisco, who then had to face his fellow Spaniard, Thiago. Nevertheless, the Spanish midfielder in red passed the ball to Joel on the right. Supporting the attack, the English right-back played a quick give-and-go with Santiago before he sprinted with the ball for some distance. The crowd at Old Trafford started roaring when they the possibility of a serious attack for the home side.
Clive Tyldesley: Muamba...
"Spider!" Kakeru screamed for a pass.
As Marius and Kakeru both sprinted towards the Bayern penalty area, Joel knew that Toru could not cover for both while Karl was caught a little off-position. Finding the right split second, the English right-back launched a pass that went by Tolisso and right on cue for Kakeru. The Japanese forward was entering the Bayern penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Rolling towards Aizawa...
Just as Kakeru made contact with the ball, he took a shot. Unfortunately for him, Toru blocked the shot. Nevertheless, the ball was rolling loose towards Marius. The Dutchman was ready to shoot with his favored left foot.
"No, you don't!" Karl shouted.
Clive Tyldesley: Coming to Van Leeuwen!
Marius also took a shot, but the German defender threw his body in the way. As a result, the ball was deflected and rolling sideways towards an open space with nobody there on the goalkeeper's right. Joshua Kimmich was running to get to the loose ball first.
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern Munich did just enough...
But then, coming almost out of nowhere, Nikolaj moved his body in the way between Kimmich and the ball. The German right-back tried to contain the Danish midfielder, but Nikolaj managed to spin around and give himself a passing angle.
Clive Tyldesley: ...but Kristiansen is on the ball.
Nikolaj unleashed a low and quick pass by both Karl and Tolisso. The ball was destined for Kakeru, who stood all alone in front of the 6-yard box. Unfortunately, Kakeru only grazed the ball with an outstretched leg, and thus missed his shot. But then Toru suddenly deflected the ball between Manuel Neuer's legs and into the back of the Bayern net!
Clive Tyldesley: Rolling to Aizawa AGAIN! OWN GOAL!!! TORU ASUKA!! Manchester United lead 2-0 with less than 30 minutes to go!!
Old Trafford, Victoria Warehouse, and every single other place where Manchester United fans watched the match in numbers erupted in unison into a deafening noise. The majority of the Bayern Munich players looked in disbelief while Toru was looking aimlessly in utter disgust. Meanwhile, Kakeru ran towards the nearest corner flag to celebrate the goal as if it was he scored it. He was joined by the 3 Manchester United substitutes who were warming up on the side, including Nana and Sean.
"COME ON!!!" Kakeru shouted.
"2-0 in front! Huge goal!" Nana exclaimed as she hugged Kakeru.
"Well done, Knight!" Marius congratulated Kakeru as more teammates joined the celebrations.
"LET'S GO!!" Sean shouted.
"Great job! You made him score on himself!" Santiago added.
"He scored on himself, yeah!" Kakeru replied.
"We have the goal, but we still have a job to do. Come on!" Matthias said.
"Skipper's right. Let's play it tight now!" Nikolaj added.
"Yeah, let's go!" Kakeru added to the rally cry as well.
Clive Tyldesley: It's 3-3 on aggregate! As things stand, it's United who will go through because of the away goal in Munich. Toru Asuka turned it into his own goal, but really intense pressure put on the Bayern Munich defence.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"God, I can't believe it!" Noriko exclaimed with a smile. "Toru Asuka scoring the vital goal for us of all people!"
"It looks like Kakeru got a little touch there. That probably put Asuka off." Robert said.
"Yeah, it was just enough to stop Asuka from making the right connection with the ball. That ball came at a different angle from what he expected to be." Noriko replied.
"I'm glad Kakeru did that. Otherwise, I'm sure Asuka would have cleared that away." Harry said.
"Well, it doesn't matter who scores it. We'll take it." Sayuri replied.
Since the goal was scored, the crowd inside Old Trafford and the attendance inside Victoria Warehouse didn't stop cheering. In both places, the Manchester United supporters started singing altogether a song of praise for their team.
WE LOVE UNITED, WE DOWE LOVE UNITED, WE DOWE LOVE UNITED, WE DOOH UNITED WE LOVE YOU!
Having seen their 2-goal advantage from the first leg evaporated before their eyes in a matter of 61 minutes at Old Trafford, Bayern Munich were looking to cope as quickly as possible. But on the other hand, Manchester United were looking to take advantage of Bayern's momentary feeling of shell shock as well.
In the 66th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Thomas Müller with an attempted pass to Lewandowski... Easy picking for Farkas.
Jan easily caught the ball up in the air after Müller attempted a lobbed pass towards Lewandowski. Slowing the pace of the action for a few seconds, Jan waited for the Bayern Munich players to retreat a little and further away from the Manchester United penalty area. Then Jan saw that Kakeru was pushing on the attack on the left wing.
'Right over here, Wolf!' Kakeru thought as he waved his arm in the air, calling for a pass.
Without hesitation, Jan kicked the long ball towards Kakeru. The Japanese forward was about to be closed down by Kimmich as well. But nevertheless, Kakeru managed to chest the ball down before he spun around the German right-back on the inside.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa... gets away from Kimmich...
Then Kakeru ran towards the Bayern Munich penalty area. But standing in the way was Toru Asuka again.
"I won't let you!" Toru said.
Clive Tyldesley: Now running at Asuka...
Knowing that Toru could be used as a screen, Kakeru took a quick shot instead of running past him. However, the ball was partially blocked by Toru before it bounced across the width and still inside the Bayern Munich penalty area. Since Karl retreated a lot deeper inside the penalty area, there was a lot of space for Santiago to take a shot.
Clive Tyldesley: It will come here for Araya...
In that situation, Neuer rushed forward to stop Santiago. The German goalkeeper was advancing while Toru and Karl both retreated almost on the goal line. Nevertheless, Santiago lobbed the ball above Neuer and towards the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Neuer committed. Araya lifts it...
The ball appeared to be flying towards the top corner on the goalkeeper's right, but there was a lack of pace on the shot. It was all that Toru needed to clear the ball of the line with his head.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared off the line by Asuka...
However, the clearance was made out of desperation. The ball looped back towards Kakeru, who stood inside the penalty area. Toru rushed towards Kakeru, who then made a pass across instead of shooting the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Still a chance for Aizawa... Turned away by Kimmich this time!
The pass was rolling intendedly towards Marius, but then Kimmich cut the pass by kicking it towards the middle of the pitch and out of play through the sidelines.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, that was a great opportunity on 2 fronts there for Manchester United, and they took neither.
The 74,000+ in the attendance at Old Trafford were struck in disbelief that the home team could not score on that last attack. For Kakeru in particular, he was still grimacing in disgust at the miss.
"You really don't know when to give up, do you?" Kakeru said to Toru.
"Neither you do." Toru simply replied.
Then the referee looked towards the Bayern Munich bench as a double substitution was about to be made. Mina Meier and Leon Goretzka were set to replace Kingsley Coman and Thiago respectively. The move was made for the sake of reinforce the Bayern Munich midfield with height and strength; Meier is 184 cm (6'1") tall while Goretzka stands tall at 189 cm (6'2").
Alan Keegan: Double substitution for Bayern Munich: replacing number 29, Kingsley Coman, and number 6, Thiago... number 23, Mina Meier, and number 18, Leon Goretzka.
As in the first leg in Munich, Meier moved towards the playmaker's position while Thomas Müller was shifted on the right wing. And once again, she was immediately marked by Yusuke.
"I already know what to expect from you. I see nothing that can surprise me tonight." Meier said.
"Same for me. I won't let you on the loose like I did last time." Yusuke replied.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"This is going be a test of nerves now." Noriko said.
"It is. Bayern have strengthened their midfield in one move alone, even if that's at the expense of their attack on paper." Robert replied.
"In any case, the game plan must not change for us. We have to remain aggressive when we defend, and then we attack with a good punch." Harry added.
"The key battle will be played in midfield now. If we get the upper hand, we will get through. But if they get they stabilize the midfield, they will have shots against us." Robert said.
"We have to stay strong until the very end then." Sayuri replied.
"Fingers crossed now." Noriko finished.
Just as planned by the Bayern Munich head coach, Meier and Goretzka's arrival stabilized the Bayern Munich team to survive further onslaught from the Red Devils in the next few minutes. The Bavarian side knew that all they needed was to get one good chance and then score the goal to put Manchester United in a precarious position for the semi-final.
In the 71st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Tolisso... Kimmich... a pass to Goretzka...
Applying some pressure inside the Manchester United half, the Bayern Munich players passed the ball between themselves. After a string of passes, Goretzka advanced with the ball until he arrived within 15 yards from the Manchester United penalty area. Confronting Nikolaj, Goretzka chose to take a pass-shot that wend off Nikolaj's right hand.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Hand ball against Kristiansen. Free kick to Bayern Munich.
"What? That shot was too close to me. I couldn't get my hand out of the way." Nikolaj protested.
"There was more than 2 yards between you and Goretzka. Feel lucky that it was not worth a yellow card." the referee replied.
A few more Manchester United players protested, but the referee stood firm on his decision. It was an indirect free kick for Bayern Munich. In that context, both teams stood up on the long edge of the Manchester United penalty area, waiting for the referee's whistle to start moving.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich with the free kick...
Kimmich whipped the ball high above the players, but it was also curling away from the far post. The ball appeared destined to roll out of bounds, but Tolisso came in to tap a side pass back towards the front of Jan's goal. In that area, Toru, who escaped his marker for a split second, took a quick shot on goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Whipping in... It's Tolisso, and now ASUKA!! 
But in a reflex-like reaction, Jan extended his arms to block and deflect the shot out of bounds. Nevertheless, a corner kick was coming up for Bayern Munich.
Clive Tyldesley: TERRIFIC SAVE BY FARKAS AGAIN!
Some of the Manchester United players came quickly to congratulate their goalkeeper, who then brushed them away to remind them of the upcoming task at hand. Regardless, there was a growing anxiety for the vast majority inside Old Trafford. Furthermore, Bayern Munich took a more aggressive approach on the following corner kick by sending 7 of their 10 field players inside the penalty area before the kick was even taken.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich's corner...
Kimmich whipped the ball inside the penalty area. Meanwhile, Meier was tussling against Francisco at the near post. It was the distraction that was needed for Toru to head the ball towards the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Asuka...
Then Karl, who escaped Matthias' marking for a tiny split second, piped his head up at the end of the shot to head the ball into the back of the net with a second deflection from point blank.
Clive Tyldesley: VON SECKENDORFF!!! It's Karl von Sckendorff! Bayern Munich have erased the away goal they have conceded in Munich. They trail 1-2 on the night, but it's 4-3 for them on aggregate now.
On the pitch, it was exhilaration for the players wearing mint green shirts. Old Trafford was stunned into dead silence except for the 6,000 delirious Bayern Munich supporters in the upper East Stand. Anyone associated with Bayern Munich felt that the Champions League final was within touching distance.
"JAAA!! Das ist das! (YEEEAH!!! There it is!!)" Toru celebrated with Karl.
"AUF GEHTS! (LET'S GO!)" Karl shouted out loud as he saluted the Bayern Munich supporters.
After a few celebrations, Karl took one last glance at the Bayern Munich supporters, knowing that his sister was among them.
'Wir gehen ins Finale nach Paris, Angie (We're going to the final in Paris, Angie).' Karl thought.
For the first time on the night, the Manchester United players were mulling the prospect of elimination in the semi-final despite all the best intentions in the world.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United now have to score once again without conceding if they want to force extra time at least.
Meanwhile on the touchlines, Nana was warming up alongside Liam. Andrew Butler sent both midfielders to get warmed up depending of the situation: Nana goes on if United need a goal; Liam goes on if United needed to protect the scoreline.
"Looks like we will need you out there." Liam said.
"I wish we didn't concede, but I have to do this for the team now." Nana replied.
"Give them hell, Witch."
"I will leave everything out there, even if I have to die on the pitch."
Eager to come on and face Meier one-on-one on the big stage, Nana finished the last part of her warm-up routine. Manchester United were still flattened by Karl's goal for a couple of minutes; no attack could punch a hole through the reinvigorated Bayern side. But soon enough though, the long-awaited moment finally came.
In the 74th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United will make another substitution here.
Nana made her way towards the touchline between the 2 technical areas, right next to the fourth official. While she waited the OK from the officials for the substitution to take place, she looked up at the dark and rainy sky in Manchester with a little prayer in her mind.
'Mom... If you're there somewhere, I just want you to know that I'll carry you with me on that pitch. Please give me strength one more time.' Nana thought.
When the ball went out of bounds, the referee in the middle of the park notified the substitution that was about to proceed. Meanwhile, the fourth official put the numbers 21 in red and 19 in green.
Clive Tyldesley: This must be an emotional moment for Nana Mishima. You have to wonder what is going through her mind at this very moment. For all the difficult moments she had to endure recently, she wanted to be here tonight for those who had an influence on her football career, including one big fan in particular.
Public address announcer Alan Keegan made the official announcement under loud cheers from the 68,000+ Manchester United supporters, who applauded her determination in the face of an ongoing personal drama.
Alan Keegan: Substitution for Manchester United: replacing number 21, Francisco Serrano... number 19, Nana Mishima.
"Good luck, Bruja (Witch). Get them." Francisco said.
"Thanks, Frankie."
Nana gave Francisco the double high-five handshake before she ran towards her assigned position on the pitch. Then she emptied her mind of all distractions at that time.
Clive Tyldesley: At long last, the long-awaited confrontation between Nana Mishima and Mina Meier will happen with less than a quarter of an hour left.
When Nana and Meier's gazes met beyond the raindrops, time appeared to slow down for a moment. In the distance separating both players, Meier saluted Nana. In response, the Little Witch saluted Meier to acknowledge the respect they share for each other in spite of the existing rivalry.
'You show great determination to be here today, Mishima. Because of that, I won't hold back on you. Bayern will go through tonight.' Meier thought.
'I have wished this moment to happen for a long time, Meier. We will fight until the very end for a place in the final. Bring it on.' Nana thought.
With no words being said out loud, the challenge has been issued and accepted by the two proud female competitors in a context of electric tension at Old Trafford. Nana only had one thing in mind: to help her team in scoring the next goal before the final whistle in order to prevent the heartbreak of elimination.
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