Chapter 701: The Death Schedule
With the conclusion of the international break, the league resumed, marking the beginning of Manchester United's most grueling stretch of the season.
From March 30 to April 28, spanning 29 days, United faced a brutal schedule of 9 matches:
March 30, 3 PM: Premier League Matchday 32 – Manchester United vs. Watford (Home).April 2, 7:45 PM: Premier League Matchday 33 – Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester United (Away).April 7, 4 PM: FA Cup Semifinals – Manchester United vs. Watford (Wembley).April 10, 8 PM: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals (1st Leg) – Barcelona vs. Manchester United (Camp Nou).April 13, 5:30 PM: Premier League Matchday 34 – Manchester United vs. West Ham (Home).April 16, 8 PM: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals (2nd Leg) – Manchester United vs. Barcelona (Home).April 21, 1:30 PM: Premier League Matchday 35 – Everton vs. Manchester United (Goodison Park).April 24, 8 PM: Premier League Matchday 31 (Rescheduled) – Manchester United vs. Manchester City (Home).April 28, 4:30 PM: Premier League Matchday 36 – Manchester United vs. Chelsea (Home).
29 days, 9 matches, averaging two games per week. None of the opponents were pushovers. Among the "relatively weaker" teams, West Ham, Watford, and Everton ranked 9th, 8th, and 11th in the Premier League, respectively—solid mid-table sides that could pose a serious challenge.
These nine matches represented nine arduous trials on United's path to success this season. Winning them all could result in glory, but one slip-up could cost them a title—or worse, leave them empty-handed.
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If United managed to overcome Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, they would face the winner of Juventus vs. Ajax in the semifinals on April 30.
Both potential opponents were storied European giants.
Juventus, reigning Serie A champions, had become even more formidable with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo. With 75 points from 28 matches, they were averaging more points per game than Manchester United.Ajax, though diminished in European prominence since the Bosman ruling, had made a stunning resurgence under Erik ten Hag. The young Dutch side competed fiercely in the Eredivisie and impressed in the Champions League, attracting interest from top European clubs.
But for now, clearing the Barcelona hurdle was United's primary concern.
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First Challenge: Manchester United vs. Watford
Watford, known as the Premier League's "Hornets," had struggled in recent seasons against United. Since Bruno Fernandes' arrival at Old Trafford, United had won five consecutive matches against them, each by a margin of at least two goals. Last season, United had thrashed Watford 5–0 in both league fixtures.
This season's second encounter with Watford unfolded predictably.
28th minute: Luke Shaw intercepted Troy Deeney's pass near United's box, launched a rapid counter, and delivered a perfect through ball to Marcus Rashford, who calmly chipped the ball over the advancing keeper.
Rashford's strike was his 10th Premier League goal of the season, making him the fourth United player to reach double figures after Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappé.
In the second half, Watford mounted an aggressive response but failed to capitalize on their chances. Their increasing frustration led to a more attacking formation, leaving gaps for United to exploit on the counterattack.
72nd minute: Bruno orchestrated a swift counterattack, delivering a precise pass to Mbappé on the right. Mbappé's cross found Harry Kane, who missed his backheel attempt, but the rebound fell to Bruno, who slotted it home from close range.
After extending their lead to 2–0, United made substitutions: Bruno, Mbappé, and Rashford were replaced by Juan Mata, Riyad Mahrez, and Jesse Lingard.
The match ended in a comfortable 2–0 victory, marking a successful start to United's grueling stretch.
Elsewhere, both Liverpool and Manchester City secured wins, keeping up the pressure on United at the top of the league.
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April's First Match: Wolves vs. Manchester United
Three days later, United traveled to Molineux to face Wolves, the season's standout surprise package.
Mourinho made several rotations to cope with the congested schedule. Scott McTominay, Riyad Mahrez, Ander Herrera, Fred, and Victor Lindelöf were brought into the starting XI, replacing Harry Kane, Mbappé, İlkay Gündoğan, N'Golo Kanté, and Harry Maguire.
United started strongly, dominating possession and creating early chances.
5th minute: Mahrez delivered a cross from the right, and McTominay rose above two defenders for a powerful header, only to be denied by Rui Patrício's reflex save.13th minute: McTominay found the back of the net with a stunning long-range effort after receiving a pass from Bruno. The shot was both precise and powerful, leaving Patrício with no chance. United led 1–0.17th minute: McTominay turned provider with a lofted pass to Bruno, who timed his run perfectly to head the ball past his Portugal teammate Patrício. United doubled their lead, 2–0.
Wolves, living up to their reputation, didn't crumble. Instead, they intensified their attacks.
24th minute: A costly error by Fred gifted Wolves a chance. His heavy touch was intercepted, leading to a quick counterattack. Diogo Jota capitalized, slotting the ball past David de Gea to make it 2–1.
United restored their two-goal advantage just before halftime.
42nd minute: After an intricate one-two with McTominay, Bruno unleashed a long-range shot that deflected off a defender, falling perfectly for McTominay to tap in. The first half ended with United leading 3–1.
Wolves vs. Manchester United
In the second half, spurred on by the raucous support of their home crowd, Wolves launched a relentless offensive against Manchester United's goal. United's defense was under heavy pressure, with João Cancelo, Fred, and Luke Shaw each receiving yellow cards.
United's quick counterattacks, however, posed significant threats to Wolves.
54th minute: Scott McTominay met a long pass from Bruno Fernandes with a diving header inside the box, but Rui Patrício produced a brilliant save to deny him.
Sensing danger, José Mourinho made tactical adjustments.
64th minute: He substituted Fred, who was already on a yellow card, with N'Golo Kanté, pairing him with Ander Herrera in a defensive midfield partnership.
Kanté's introduction stabilized United's defense. While Wolves continued to attack vigorously, they posed less danger to United's goal.
Wolves' best chance came in stoppage time.
95th minute: Forward Ivan Cavaleiro unleashed a powerful shot during a counterattack, only to see it cannon off the crossbar.
The match ended with United securing a 3–1 victory at Molineux.
FA Cup Semifinals: Manchester United vs. Watford
On April 7, United faced Watford in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley.
The day before, Manchester City had defeated Brighton 1–0 to secure their spot in the FA Cup final. If United won, the FA Cup final would feature a Manchester derby.
For Watford, sitting ninth in the Premier League and 16 points behind sixth-placed Arsenal, their hopes of securing European competition rested entirely on winning the FA Cup.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, Watford put on a spirited performance.
Mourinho, mindful of United's Champions League clash against Barcelona in just three days, fielded a heavily rotated lineup with even Bruno Fernandes starting on the bench.
The makeshift United XI performed admirably:
36th minute: Jesse Lingard opened the scoring.62nd minute: Scott McTominay doubled United's lead.
However, Watford launched a stunning comeback:
79th minute: Gerard Deulofeu pulled one back.94th minute: Troy Deeney equalized in stoppage time, forcing the match into extra time.
With the score tied at 2–2, Mourinho was forced to deploy his star players, bringing on Bruno Fernandes and Harry Kane to secure victory.
94th minute (Extra Time): Bruno delivered a sublime diagonal pass that split Watford's defense. Marcus Rashford curled a beautiful shot into the net, restoring United's lead at 3–2.105th minute: Watford equalized yet again. Deeney headed the ball down to Andre Gray, who combined with Deulofeu before slipping through United's defense and scoring.
The decisive moment came in the 118th minute.
Harry Kane was fouled in the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. Bruno stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home, clinching a 4–3 victory for United.
A Fourth Consecutive FA Cup Final
With this hard-fought win, Manchester United advanced to their fourth consecutive FA Cup final. In previous finals, they had defeated Crystal Palace, Arsenal, and Chelsea, making them the most successful team in the competition's history, surpassing Arsenal.
This year, they would face archrivals Manchester City for the title.
While the FA Cup final was scheduled for May 18, United's immediate focus was the upcoming Champions League clash with Barcelona.
The Duel of Icons: Bruno vs. Yozi
In the world of football, legendary players are like brilliant stars, leaving an indelible mark on the sport's history. When one thinks of iconic clubs, names like Gerrard for Liverpool, Henry for Arsenal, Terry and Lampard for Chelsea, or Sir Bobby Charlton, Cantona, and Ryan Giggs for Manchester United immediately come to mind.
For Barcelona, the current flag bearer is Yozi, a player who has achieved greatness and will undoubtedly be remembered as one of football's all-time greats.
As a lifelong United fan, Bruno Fernandes didn't particularly like Yozi, but he deeply respected his achievements. Bruno expressed this sentiment during a pre-match interview, praising Yozi as a "great player" and stating it was an honor to compete against him.
Yozi responded graciously, saying:
"Bruno may be young, but he's already a great professional. I just hope he doesn't play too well because we aim to win at home!"
Yozi acknowledged United's dominance over the past three years, noting their nearly complete trophy haul. He added that while Barcelona would play at home, defeating United wouldn't be an easy task.
"I see this as just another match. If we play our game, we'll achieve the result we deserve. But to satisfy the fans, we'll need to do even more."
While Bruno and Yozi's interactions were friendly, the tension between managers José Mourinho and Ernesto Valverde was palpable.
Mourinho boldly declared:
"Bruno is the best player in the world, even at just 24."
Valverde retorted:
"I don't know much about Bruno. To me, Yozi is better than anyone."
In typical Mourinho fashion, he quickly shifted the narrative:
"Yozi? Sure, he's strong. But I'm more concerned about Vidal and Suárez. Those two are Barcelona's real threats."
Valverde maintained that Barcelona wouldn't alter their tactics for any player, not even Bruno:
"We are Barcelona. We play our football. We won't change our strategy for anyone."
The stage was set for a colossal clash between two of Europe's biggest giants.
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