Chapter 755: The Red Duel
After Manchester United's winning streak was snapped, the team faced Ajax at Old Trafford in the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.
Despite having already secured qualification and first place in the group, Mourinho had no intention of fielding a weakened side. Having just drawn in the league, he was determined to avoid a winless streak.
At home, United got off to a dream start:
7th minute: Rashford delivered a cross from the left, and Bruno struck a first-time volley into the net. Onana was unprepared for the shot and could only watch as the ball flew past him.
20th minute: Bruno played a long pass from midfield, and Rashford volleyed it just wide. However, the linesman flagged for offside.
Although United dominated the first half, they failed to extend their lead and went into halftime with a slender 1-0 advantage.
In the second half, United continued their offensive push and doubled their lead:
55th minute: Bruno played a diagonal pass into the box. Kane, facing the goalkeeper, unselfishly passed back to Gündoğan, who slotted into the empty net.
Ajax pulled one back:
68th minute: From a throw-in, Dest passed to Tadić on the right of the box. Tadić delivered a low cross to the middle, where Ziyech slotted the ball into the far corner.
The match ended 2-1 in United's favor, extending their Champions League winning streak to 21 matches and their unbeaten streak to 31 matches.
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December 1: Premier League Match – Manchester United vs. Aston Villa
United hosted Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Round 14 of the Premier League.
Historically, United had dominated Villa, winning 11 and drawing 3 of their last 14 encounters. In their 39 most recent meetings, United had lost only once, winning 32 and drawing 6. In 48 Premier League matchups, United had a record of 34 wins, 11 draws, and 3 losses. This was their 187th meeting, with United leading with 98 wins, 39 draws, and 49 losses overall.
Based on both history and current form, a United win seemed inevitable. However, the match started on an ominous note for the Red Devils.
11th minute: El Ghazi delivered a cross from the right, and Grealish curled a shot from the left side of the box into the top-right corner. Aston Villa 1–0 Manchester United.
United equalized late in the first half:
42nd minute: Bruno's corner found Rashford, whose header hit the left post and bounced into the net. Aston Villa 1–1 Manchester United.
The second half was uneventful, with Mbappé and Fred attempting long-range shots that lacked any real threat. Rashford went down in the box under pressure from Guilbert, but the referee waved play on.
Villa nearly retook the lead:
63rd minute: Trezeguet's cross from the right found Grealish, who narrowly missed with a sliding effort from close range.
United capitalized on their escape and took the lead:
64th minute: Fred's corner was poorly cleared by Wesley, who inadvertently directed the ball to Lindelöf. The Swedish defender headed home from close range to make it 2-1.
However, Villa equalized two minutes later:
66th minute: A failed clearance from a corner allowed Targett to play a diagonal ball into the box. Mings, in an onside position, volleyed into the net. While initially flagged for offside, VAR overturned the decision, awarding Villa the goal.
The match ended 2-2, with United dropping points in consecutive league games.
As a result, Liverpool overtook United in the standings. Liverpool's 13 wins and 1 loss gave them 39 points, compared to United's 38 points from 12 wins and 2 draws. This marked the first time since the season opener that United were not atop the table.
The next day, however, Bruno Fernandes won the 2019 Ballon d'Or, his third career victory in the award. With this win, Bruno also completed a double, defending both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA's Best Player awards.
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Premier League Round 15: Manchester United vs. Tottenham
Following back-to-back league draws, United faced Tottenham at Old Trafford on December 4.
Tottenham, who had been in poor form earlier in the season, had found their footing under Pochettino. After the international break, they achieved a three-match winning streak, including a 4-2 victory over Olympiacos to secure a spot in the Champions League knockout stage. In the Premier League, they earned back-to-back 3-2 wins over West Ham and Bournemouth, climbing to sixth place in the standings.
In contrast, Arsenal sacked Unai Emery before December began, replacing him with club legend Mikel Arteta as their second manager since Arsène Wenger's departure.
All eyes were on United to see if they could avoid a third consecutive league match without a win under Mourinho's reign.
In Mourinho's first season managing Manchester United, the team faced a rough patch near the end of the league campaign, going three matches without a win. They lost 0–2 to Arsenal, followed by a 1–2 defeat to Tottenham, and then were held to a 0–0 draw by Southampton. This slump nearly cost them their first league title in the post-Ferguson era.
In the two years since then, United had not experienced another three-match winless streak in the league.
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At Old Trafford, United played on the front foot and broke the deadlock early.
6th minute: United's first shot resulted in a goal. Lingard won the ball on the left, and Rashford drove into the box, unleashing a powerful shot from 13 meters out. The ball bounced in front of Gazzaniga, who got a fingertip to it but couldn't prevent it from finding the near corner. Manchester United 1–0 Tottenham.
25th minute: Rashford nearly doubled the lead. Lingard sent a cross from the left, and Rashford's thunderous 25-meter strike cannoned off the crossbar.
39th minute: Tottenham equalized. Vertonghen delivered a cross from the left. Fred's header clearance fell to the far post, where Aurier's tight-angle shot was blocked by De Gea's foot. Alli controlled the rebound, swiveled past Fred, and chipped the ball into the far corner from 5 meters out.
United players protested for handball, but VAR confirmed the goal was legal.
The second half began with drama:
47th minute: Rashford surged past Aurier on the left, reaching the byline before Sissoko stepped on his foot, bringing him down. The referee immediately awarded a penalty.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and calmly sent Gazzaniga the wrong way, slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner. Manchester United 2–1 Tottenham.
Both sides created chances in the remaining minutes, but the scoreline remained unchanged. United held on for a hard-fought 2–1 victory at home.
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December Derby: Manchester City vs. Manchester United
Three days later, United traveled to the Etihad Stadium for the first Manchester Derby of the season.
2nd minute: Bruno set up Mbappé, who unleashed a fierce shot from 16 meters. Ederson made a fine save, signaling United's intent.
9th minute: Rashford's through ball found Bruno, who's low-angle shot was again denied by Ederson's foot.
16th minute: Mbappé's cross from the right was laid off by Kane, who struck a thunderous shot from the edge of the box. Ederson dived to tip the ball away.
United's relentless attack bore fruit in the 23rd minute:
Rashford was brought down in the box by Bernardo Silva. After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Bruno calmly converted, sending Ederson the wrong way to score his ninth penalty of the season. Manchester United 1–0 Manchester City.
25th minute: United doubled their lead with a clinical counterattack. Bruno played a diagonal pass to Rashford on the left. Rashford drove into the box and drilled a low shot into the far corner. Manchester United 2–0 Manchester City.
27th minute: Mbappé's cutback from the right found Kane, who lofted a curling shot from the edge of the box. The ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net. Manchester United 3–0 Manchester City.
The Etihad Stadium was silenced as City found themselves trailing by three goals within half an hour.
29th minute: Kane and Mbappé combined brilliantly in a one-two, breaking through City's four-man defense. Kane finished with a low left-footed strike into the near corner. Manchester United 4–0 Manchester City.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Walker's low cross struck Fred's arm as he attempted to block it. VAR intervened but did not award a penalty. United entered halftime with a commanding 4–0 lead.
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In the second half, City launched wave after wave of attacks, but United's defense held firm. The Red Devils resisted the pressure until the 85th minute, when Otamendi headed home from a corner, earning City a consolation goal.
The match ended 4–1 in United's favor, a stunning victory in an intense derby.
Despite City dominating possession (71.9%) and taking 22 shots to United's 11, Mourinho's counterattacking strategy proved devastatingly effective. United outshot City on target (7 to 5) and converted their chances clinically.
Even so, United remained in second place on the league table. Liverpool maintained their one-point lead with a 3–0 victory over Bournemouth, extending their winning streak to seven matches after their loss to United in October.
Pep Guardiola, in his fourth season at City, was facing significant criticism. With just 10 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses in 16 matches, City were fourth in the table, trailing Liverpool by 13 points, United by 12, and Leicester City by 6. City were effectively out of the title race.
Fortunately for Guardiola, City had performed well in the Champions League, securing 3 wins and 2 draws in the group stage. They were tied with Juventus on points but second due to goal difference. With their final group-stage match at home against Lokomotiv Moscow and Juventus facing Bayer Leverkusen away, City still had a chance to claim the top spot in their group.
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