From the man behind the football king to the football king.

Chapter 753 Half of the Country
Bruno scored twice and Manchester United reversed Liverpool 2:1!
This news quickly spread in the British and even European football circles, attracting the attention and heated discussions of fans all over the world. Everyone was shocked by Manchester United's tenacity in the game, especially when Liverpool scored a goal first, the Red Devils were able to withstand the pressure and score two goals in a row to reverse the opponent.

However, this piece of news was soon overshadowed by another piece of news: the 2019 European Golden Ball Award shortlist was announced!
On the afternoon of October 10st, Central European Time, France Football, a football magazine under L'Equipe, announced the 21-man candidate list for the 2019 European Golden Ball Award. Manchester United became the club with the most candidates, including Bruno, Harry Kane, Mbappe, Rashford, Gundogan, Kante, Luke Shaw, Maguire, Van Dijk and De Gea. 30 players were selected, accounting for one-third of the list, and almost the entire Manchester United team's main lineup was selected.

The Premier League, which has won all four teams in last season's European Cup finals, is the biggest winner in this list. In addition to Manchester United's 10 players, there are seven Premier League players selected, including Salah, Mane, Arnold, Alisson, Firmino from Liverpool, De Bruyne from Manchester City, and Son Heung-min from Tottenham.

In fact, another Real Madrid player selected for the squad, Hazard, was also selected based on his outstanding performance at Chelsea last season.

In this way, there are as many as 18 Premier League players selected, accounting for 60% of the entire list!

The strength of the Premier League in the past year has once again been best demonstrated!

………………

In the middle of the week, the European war started again, Manchester United played at home against Atalanta, a Serie A team currently at the bottom of the group.

Last season's Serie A dark horse suffered two consecutive defeats in the first two rounds of the group stage. After a 0-4 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in the first round, they lost 1-2 to Ajax at home in the second round.

During the game, Bruno met an old friend, his teammate Muriel at Udinese. After leaving Udinese, the Colombian striker moved to Sampdoria, Sevilla, Fiorentina and other teams, and then joined Atalanta this summer.

Muriel is not the main striker in Atlanta, but he has performed well recently, so he got the chance to start in today's game.

At the Millennium Stadium, Atalanta suffered another crushing defeat. Mbappe scored a hat-trick and Harry Kane scored twice, as Manchester United defeated the Nerazzurri 5:1.

Although Bruno did not score a goal in the game, as Manchester United's offensive organizer, he provided four assists.

The group stage schedule has just passed the halfway point, and Manchester United has already formed a leading position in the group, leading the group standings with a 5-point advantage. Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb both achieved a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. Dinamo Zagreb ranks second with a goal difference advantage, and Ajax ranks third.

………………

This weekend, the Premier League ushered in the 10th round of the game, Manchester United visited Carrow Road Stadium to face the newly promoted Norwich.

曼联近6次对阵诺维奇仅1次落败，其余5场全胜。双方英超历史交锋16场，曼联取得12胜1平3负，其中近4次做客卡罗路取胜3场。这是双方历史上第68次交锋，此前曼联37胜13平17负占据上风。

诺维奇目前的处境非常糟糕，前9轮仅仅取得2胜1平6负，排名积分榜第19，是20支英超球队中输球最多的球队。

At Carrow Road, Manchester United relied on their strong strength to take the initiative after the start of the game and suppressed the home team.

Manchester United took the lead in the 21st minute. Cantwell failed to clear the ball when defending a corner kick, and Harry Kane shot from behind him from 14 yards into the bottom right corner.

Manchester United extended the lead in the 29th minute when Godfrey fouled Mbappe in the penalty area and Bruno scored a penalty kick. This was Bruno's 13th league goal this season and his fifth penalty kick this season.

Manchester United extended the lead in the 33rd minute. Mbappe made a diagonal pass from the right in the counterattack, and Rashford, who successfully got out of offside, pushed the ball into the net from 14 yards, changing the score to 3:0.

Manchester United scored another goal in the 44th minute. Fred's shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by Cantwell's hand. Bruno scored his second goal from the penalty kick, his sixth penalty of the season.

Manchester United entered the halftime break with a huge 4:0 advantage, which is also the biggest score for Manchester United after the first half of the game this season.

Manchester United sealed the victory in the 73rd minute. Harry Kane passed the ball forward, Rashford made a wonderful heel pass, and Harry Kane lobbed the ball into the net from a small angle on the left side of the small penalty area, 5:0.

Norwich saved face in the 88th minute. McTominay, who came on as a substitute, lost the ball in the midfield. Hernandez dribbled into the penalty area and shot low into the net from 14 yards, changing the score to 1:5.

In the end, Manchester United beat Norwich 5:1 away and led the Premier League standings with 10 consecutive wins.

………………

In the middle of the week, Manchester United will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the fourth round of the League Cup.

Mourinho made a large number of rotations during the game, with Bruno sitting on the bench.

At Stamford Bridge, Rashford became a hero, first taking a penalty kick to break the deadlock. In the second half, Batshuayi equalized the score, and Rashford then scored a world wave from a free kick to help Manchester United take the lead again.

In the end, Manchester United successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of this season's League Cup.

In the subsequent quarter-final draw, Manchester United got a good draw, and their opponent was Colchester United, currently ranked ninth in English League Two.

It can be said that this is the most unevenly ranked match in the history of the League Cup.

The League Cup is a competition in which 92 teams from four levels of leagues, namely the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two, participate. In other words, it is a competition in which all professional teams in England participate.

Theoretically, the biggest difference between the two teams' rankings could be 91st, that is, the Premier League top team against the second-lowest team in League Two. However, this situation is basically impossible to happen. After all, the Premier League teams participating in the European war will not participate until the third round. Before that, it is difficult for the bottom team of League Two to survive the first and second rounds.

In fact, it is difficult for English League Two teams to enter the third round, let alone survive until the fifth round.

Although Colchester United performed mediocrely in English League Two this season, ranking only ninth after 16 rounds and having almost no hope of promotion, they performed very well in the League Cup. In the first round, they defeated Swindon, the top team in English League Two, and in the second and third rounds, they defeated Premier League teams Crystal Palace and Tottenham through penalty shootouts. In the fourth round, they were lucky to encounter another English League Two team, Crawley, and Colchester United won 3:1.

However, their luck ended there, as they met Manchester United in the quarter-finals. It was almost impossible to beat Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium and advance to the League Cup semi-finals.

After all, the rankings of the two teams differ by 75 places!
The other three matches are Aston Villa at home against Liverpool, Manchester City away against League One team Oxford United, and Everton at home against Leicester City.

Obviously, the two Manchester City clubs are the lucky ones in the League Cup quarter-finals, as they both encountered very weak teams.

………………In the first game of November, Manchester United will challenge Bournemouth away.

Manchester United faced a tough battle at Dean Court Stadium.

As Manchester United will travel to Italy in the middle of the week to face Atalanta in the Champions League group stage away game, Mourinho once again rotated the starting lineup of Manchester United.

In the first half of the game, although Manchester United launched a fierce attack, they were unable to break through the Cherry Army's goal. Instead, at the end of the first half, Bournemouth's counterattack penetrated the Manchester United goal guarded by De Gea.

In the 45th minute, Adam Smith made a cross from the right side of the penalty area. Former Manchester United player Joshua King chested the ball and then dribbled past Dalot with his back, and finally volleyed the ball into the net from the edge of the small penalty area.

After the second half, Manchester United's performance was still sluggish, while Bournemouth showed excellent competitive form and threatened Manchester United's goal continuously. If it weren't for De Gea's heroic performance, saving Fraser, Joshua King and Harry Wilson's shots in succession, Manchester United might have suffered a miserable defeat away from home.

It is said that those who survive a disaster will be blessed in the future. Seeing the situation was not good, Mourinho made consecutive substitutions. In the 60th minute of the game, Bruno, Harry Kane and Gundogan all took to the field. Mourinho used up all three substitutions at once.

After the substitution, Manchester United began to suppress Bournemouth completely and equalized the score in the 82nd minute. Bruno's diagonal pass penetrated Bournemouth's defense, and Greenwood volleyed with his left foot from the right side of the small penalty area.

One minute later, Gundogan passed the ball and Harry Kane shot from outside the penalty area, penetrating the goal guarded by Ramsdale.

Manchester United scored two goals in two minutes and reversed Bournemouth away from home.

………………

On November 11, in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, Manchester United challenged Atalanta away.

As Manchester United is currently 5 points ahead of Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb in the standings, and Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb will have a direct confrontation in this round, as long as Manchester United can beat Atalanta away from home, they will definitely be able to advance to the knockout stage two rounds in advance.

Manchester United got off to a dream start at the Galveston Stadium. In the 6th minute, Harry Kane assisted Rashford with a right-foot shot from the center of the penalty area, and the ball flew into the lower right corner of the opponent's goal. Atalanta 0:1 Manchester United.

Manchester United, who took the lead, took the initiative away from home and continuously threatened Atalanta's goal.

In the 29th minute, after receiving a pass from Bruno, Rashford shot with his right foot in the center of the penalty area, but the opponent's defender blocked the ball.

In the 30th minute, Manchester United took a corner kick. After receiving a pass from Mahrez, Gundogan shot with his right foot from the right side of the penalty area, but the ball was slightly higher than the crossbar.

In the 34th minute, after receiving a pass from Harry Kane, Mahrez shot with his left foot in the center of the penalty area, but the opponent's goalkeeper saved the ball in the lower right corner of the goal.

In the 40th minute, Bruno shot with his right foot outside the penalty area, but the opponent's defender blocked the ball.

Under Manchester United's strong offensive, Atalanta's defense finally made a mistake. In the 42nd minute, Ilicic handballed in the penalty area and Manchester United was given a yellow card and a penalty. Bruno took the penalty and scored easily.

2:0, Manchester United extended their lead.

………………

Perhaps it was the two-goal advantage that made Manchester United relax a little at the start of the second half, which gave the home team an opportunity.

In the 48th minute, Gomez made an assist with a cross from the wing, and Pasalic headed the ball in the middle of the penalty area and the ball flew into the lower right corner of the opponent's goal. Atalanta 1:2 Manchester United.

This was the last goal of the game. In the subsequent games, neither side made any progress and the score of 1:2 remained until the end of the game. Manchester United defeated Atalanta away and won four consecutive victories in the Champions League group stage.

Due to another match in the group that was taking place at the same time, Dinamo Zagreb drew 3:3 with Ajax at home. After four rounds of group matches, Manchester United was 4 points ahead of Dinamo Zagreb and Ajax. Not only did they advance to the round of 7 two rounds in advance, they also secured first place in the group.

More importantly, Manchester United extended their unbeaten record in the Champions League to 30 games!
Starting with a 2017-2018 home win over Qarabag in the first round of the 6-0 Champions League group stage, Manchester United remained unbeaten in the following 30 Champions League games, which brought them two Champions League titles and a place in the Champions League knockout stage.

However, apart from Manchester United, which is leading the group, the other three teams still have hope of qualifying. Even Atalanta, which has lost four games in a row, has not completely cut off its hope of qualifying. After all, they will directly face Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb in the last two rounds. As long as they win two games in a row and Manchester United does not let up in the next two rounds of the group stage, Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb will suffer two consecutive losses. In that case, Atalanta will come from behind and rank second in the group with 6 points, thus obtaining another qualification for the knockout round.

………………

After returning to the UK from Italy, Manchester United will face Brighton at home in the 12th round of the Premier League at the weekend.

This is also the last game before the third international match day of the season.

Despite a fierce battle on the Apennine Peninsula on Tuesday night, Mourinho still fielded all his main players in this game.

Brighton is currently ranked ninth in the Premier League and is doing well. They once beat Tottenham 3-0 at home and also beat Everton 3-2. Mourinho cannot afford to be careless.

Manchester United took the lead in the 17th minute. Bruno drove straight into the middle with the ball. After crossing half court, he passed the ball to the left. Rashford passed the ball back from the left side of the penalty area. Bruno shot from 14 yards and hit Stephens, deflecting the ball into the net.

Manchester United extended the lead in the 19th minute. Fred made a cross from the free kick on the right, Maguire headed the ball, Harry Kane shot from close range, and Propper hurried back in front of the goal line and blocked the ball into his own goal, and the score was rewritten to 2:0.

Brighton equalized in the 64th minute. Gross took a corner kick and Dunk headed in from the edge of the small penalty area, 1:2.

Manchester United widened the gap again in the 66th minute. Fred made a straight pass, Mbappe broke through the left side of the penalty area and was blocked before passing back, Rashford shot into the upper corner from 12 yards, locking the score at 3:1.

In another focus match that took place at the same time, Liverpool defeated Manchester City 3:1 at home and continued to closely follow Manchester United with a 3-point difference.

(End of this chapter)