Chapter 756: The Cradle of Golden Boy Award Winners
On the evening of December 11, European time, Manchester United faced Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia for the final round of the Champions League group stage.
With United already qualified and guaranteed first place in the group, this match held little significance for them. Given the grueling holiday fixture schedule ahead, Mourinho fielded a second-string lineup. Key players like Bruno Fernandes didn't even travel with the squad.
However, United's backups delivered a resounding victory, with 2019 Golden Boy Award frontrunner Mason Greenwood stealing the spotlight.
10th minute: Kockior sent in a cross from the right, and 21-year-old Dani Olmo scored with a brilliant volley to give Dinamo Zagreb a 1–0 lead.34th minute: Mahrez crossed from the right, and Greenwood headed home to level the score at 1–1.
This was the 18-year-old Greenwood's 20th appearance for United across all competitions, in which he had scored 10 goals. Eight of those goals came from 14 matches this season.
Although Greenwood hadn't yet cemented a starting role at United, he was a key rotational player and had consistently delivered impressive performances. Combined with United's global influence, Greenwood was a strong contender for the 2019 Golden Boy Award. His primary rivals were Atlético Madrid's Portuguese star João Félix and Borussia Dortmund's English prodigy Jadon Sancho.
Manchester United had several players shortlisted for the 100-man Golden Boy Award list, including Ángel Gomes, Chinese-Dutch forward Tahith Chong, and Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot. However, only Greenwood made it to the final 20 announced in October.
The winner of the 2019 Golden Boy Award was set to be announced on December 16.
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Second Half: Greenwood's Hat Trick
The first half ended 1–1.
47th minute: McTominay's long-range effort went over the bar.50th minute: Ashley Young passed to Greenwood on the left. After combining with McTominay, Greenwood dribbled past a defender and curled a shot into the net to complete his brace. United 2–1 Dinamo Zagreb.54th minute: Ashley Young delivered another precise cross from the left, and Greenwood volleyed it home to complete his hat trick. United 3–1 Dinamo Zagreb.
Greenwood was substituted in the 66th minute, replaced by Lingard, receiving applause for his stellar performance.
79th minute: Mahrez's free-kick found Lindelöf, whose header was saved. Lingard scored on the rebound, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside.84th minute: Mahrez passed to Mata in the box, who pulled the ball back for McTominay to finish. United 4–1 Dinamo Zagreb.86th minute: Dalot's low pass found Mata, who played Mahrez through for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot was saved by Livaković.
The match ended with Dinamo Zagreb suffering a 1–4 defeat at home. They finished bottom of the group with 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 losses.
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Weekend Premier League Clash: Manchester United vs. Everton
In Premier League Round 17, Manchester United hosted Everton at Old Trafford.
United lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Harry Kane as the lone striker, flanked by Mbappé and Rashford. Bruno played as the attacking midfielder, with Kanté and Fred as the double pivots. The backline featured Van Dijk and Maguire as center-backs, Luke Shaw and João Cancelo as full-backs, and De Gea in goal.
1st minute: Bruno opened the scoring with a quick turn and shot from the middle of the box, giving United a dream start.7th minute: Everton nearly equalized when Richarlison set up Holgate for a powerful long shot, but De Gea made a world-class save to keep United's lead intact.26th minute: Bruno doubled the lead with a superb free kick from the edge of the box. Despite Pickford's best efforts, he couldn't reach the well-placed shot. United 2–0 Everton.36th minute: From a Baines corner, a mix-up saw the ball ricochet off Van Dijk and into United's net. While Calvert-Lewin was suspected of fouling De Gea, VAR upheld the goal. United 2–1 Everton.
Neither team made changes at halftime.
62nd minute: Shaw's powerful shot was saved by Pickford, but Mbappé pounced on the rebound to restore United's two-goal cushion. United 3–1 Everton.65th minute: Mourinho brought on Greenwood for Rashford and Lingard for Mbappé.77th minute: Bruno cut inside from the left and set up Greenwood, who struck a low shot into the bottom-right corner to make it 4–1.
Greenwood's consecutive goals in the Champions League and Premier League brought his tally to 11 for the season, including 6 in the league.
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Champions League Round of 16 Draw
On December 16, the draw for the 2019–20 Champions League Round of 16 took place in Nyon, Switzerland.
Following the final round of group-stage matches, the 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage were confirmed:
Group A: Paris Saint-Germain and Real MadridGroup B: Bayern Munich and TottenhamGroup C: Manchester United and AtalantaGroup D: Juventus and Manchester CityGroup E: Napoli and BenficaGroup F: Barcelona and Borussia DortmundGroup G: Liverpool and RB LeipzigGroup H: Chelsea and Atlético Madrid
The English teams were the biggest winners of the group stage, with all five Premier League sides advancing. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea topped their groups, while Manchester City and Tottenham secured second place.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich were the only teams to finish the group stage with perfect records.
Fifteen of the 16 knockout-stage teams came from Europe's top five leagues, with Benfica as the sole representative from outside those leagues. This lineup increased the likelihood of high-stakes clashes in the next round.
Champions League Round of 16 Draw
According to the draw rules, the Round of 16 pairings adhered to the "same association and same group avoidance" principle. Group winners were drawn against group runners-up, with teams from the same group or same national association not facing each other. Additionally, the group runners-up would host the first leg, followed by the second leg at the group winner's venue.
The draw produced a marquee matchup: Manchester United vs. Real Madrid, considered the strongest clash of this round.
On one side was Real Madrid, owners of 12 Champions League titles, often referred to as the "Kings of Europe." On the other was Manchester United, the world's current strongest team, boasting an unbeaten streak of 32 matches in the Champions League, including 22 consecutive wins.
For both clubs, this was a nightmare draw. Such a showdown would have been ideal for the final, but instead, it was set for the first round of the knockout stages.
The conspiracy theories were hard to ignore. When the guest drew Real Madrid as United's opponent, television broadcasts repeatedly cut between shots of Mourinho and Zidane, the respective managers. Finally, the camera lingered on UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, leaving little doubt about the implications.
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Other Round of 16 Matchups
Beyond the United-Madrid showdown, several other high-profile clashes emerged:
Bayern Munich vs. Atlético MadridParis Saint-Germain vs. Borussia DortmundJuventus vs. Tottenham Hotspur
In comparison, Manchester City, Barcelona, Liverpool, and Chelsea were drawn against more manageable opponents:
Manchester City faced Napoli, the weakest group winner, making Guardiola's team strong favorites to progress. With the Premier League title out of reach, the Champions League was City's primary objective.Barcelona drew Benfica, the only team outside Europe's top five leagues.Liverpool faced Atalanta, whom United had previously defeated in the group stage.Chelsea were paired with RB Leipzig, Liverpool's former group-stage opponent.
This season's Champions League reverted to its traditional rules for the quarterfinals and semifinals, with no restrictions on matchups. If the final ended in a draw after 90 minutes, it would proceed to 30 minutes of extra time, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary. The winner would be crowned Champions League champion and qualify for the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the group stage of the next season's Champions League.
The first legs of the Round of 16 were scheduled for mid-to-late February, with the second legs set for mid-March.
However, Bruno knew that due to the looming global pandemic, the Champions League knockout stages would not proceed as planned.
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2019 Golden Boy Award Winner
On the same day, December 16, Italy's Tuttosport announced the winner of the 2019 Golden Boy Award: Manchester United's Mason Greenwood. The English prodigy beat out Portugal's João Félix and fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho, who plays for Borussia Dortmund.
Greenwood, who had turned 18 in October, played a key role in United's treble-winning 2018–2019 season, which included the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup. His performances this season were even more remarkable. Despite United's star-studded squad, Greenwood earned significant playing time, scoring 11 goals in 15 appearances across all competitions.
A defining moment came in the group stage against Dinamo Zagreb, where Greenwood scored a hat-trick. At 18 years and 62 days old, he became the youngest player in Champions League history to achieve this feat, surpassing Rooney (18 years, 339 days) and Raúl (18 years, 113 days).
This historic achievement was a key factor in Greenwood's victory over Félix, who had established himself as a starter at Atlético Madrid, while Greenwood was still a rotational player at United.
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United's Golden Boy Legacy
With Greenwood's win, Manchester United became the club with the most Golden Boy Award winners in the past five years:
Anthony Martial (2015)Marcus Rashford (2017)Kylian Mbappé (2018)Mason Greenwood (2019)
This three-year streak made United the first club to win the Golden Boy Award three consecutive times. Greenwood also became United's sixth winner overall, joining previous recipients Wayne Rooney and Anderson.
With the Golden Boy Award in its 17th year, six of the winners had been United players, cementing the club's reputation as the "Cradle of the Golden Boy Award."
Interestingly, of the 17 Golden Boy winners, seven had played for United at some point in their careers, including current captain Bruno Fernandes.
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Bruno's Role in Greenwood's Development
After receiving the Golden Boy Award, Greenwood returned to Manchester, where Bruno Fernandes invited him for a conversation at his home.
Bruno saw immense talent in Greenwood but also felt concern. In another timeline, Greenwood's promising career had been derailed by off-field issues, leading to his departure from United.
Determined to guide his young teammate, Bruno emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline and avoiding distractions. In the current climate of pervasive media scrutiny and social pressures, Bruno urged Greenwood to protect himself and make wise decisions.
As a global football star, Bruno understood the risks of fame and wanted to ensure Greenwood wouldn't repeat the mistakes that could jeopardize his career.
Bruno's mentorship aimed to safeguard Greenwood's future and help him achieve his full potential on the field.
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