Chapter 831: Last-Minute Winner Against Manchester City
Though he had only been on the field for about thirty minutes, by the closing stages Bruno could feel exhaustion gnawing at him; yet he refused to slow down.
Human potential is limitless so long as willpower remains strong—and Bruno knew well that he was nowhere near his true limit.
On the left wing, Oleksandr Zinchenko received a pass. Bruno immediately sprinted over, pressing the Ukrainian fullback and forcing him to hurry his clearance.
The ball traveled through Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Paul Pogba as City recycled possession. But just as Pogba tried to thread the ball into the box, Virgil van Dijk stretched out a leg and blocked the pass.
It didn't fly far. Harry Maguire followed up, clearing weakly—but the ball landed in a perfect empty pocket on the right.
Most United players were only focused on clearing their lines and easing the pressure.
But as the ball dropped, Bruno instantly realized—this was a chance.
It was falling between Zinchenko and Rodri, and if he reacted fast enough, he could reach it before both, break through, and launch a counterattack.
Even if it didn't lead to a goal, it would at least run precious seconds off the clock.
...
Bruno decided in a flash. Like an arrow leaving the bowstring, he accelerated towards the ball.
Zinchenko and Rodri both turned and gave chase, but hesitation cost them—they looked at each other, expecting the other to commit, and both slowed half a step.
Rodri actually had the better angle, but Bruno's conviction was absolute. Clenching his jaw, he surged forward, getting between the two and poking the ball ahead before bursting through their gap.
The two City players were stunned and turned to chase, but Bruno already had a step's lead.
He pushed forward with long strides, carrying the ball with explosive pace. De Bruyne rushed in to intercept, but Bruno blew past him effortlessly.
City's center-backs, Rúben Dias and John Stones, kept retreating under the pressure. Bruno was flying down the right, while Mason Greenwood joined from the left. The two United attackers forced City's defense to backpedal deep toward their own box.
Finding himself out of space, Stones braced for a tackle.
Bruno, at full speed, feinted inside as if to combine with Greenwood—but in reality, he nudged the ball sharply to his right with his boot.
...
At the very first confrontation, Stones bit on the fake. By the time he realized it, Bruno had already sprinted clear and collected the ball again, driving straight into the area.
This was just outside the right-hand edge of the penalty arc—one more step and it would be a one-on-one.
If not a solo strike, then a cross to Greenwood was a sure chance.
Stones made a split-second choice and fouled. From behind, he shoved Bruno hard in the back.
Even while sprinting, Bruno had been scanning everything. The moment Stones moved, he knew what was coming. Ready for the contact, he staggered but refused to fall, regaining his balance and sprinting on.
Stones was shocked—the initial push hadn't toppled him, and now the midfielder was breaking free. Catching up was out of the question, stopping the shot was impossible.
He had one desperate option left—foul again.
Clenching his teeth, he reached out and grabbed Bruno's shirt, refusing to let him enter the box.
But Bruno's full-speed momentum carried them forward. Even as Stones snatched his jersey, Bruno dragged him two more steps before the fabric tore apart. Finally, he lost balance and tumbled inside the penalty area.
...
The referee's whistle pierced through the stadium.
A thousand United fans erupted from the stands, chanting for a penalty in rhythmic unison.
City players surrounded the official, protesting furiously—it happened outside the box, they insisted. Not a penalty.
Bruno wasn't injured. Gasping for breath, he rose to his feet, holding up the torn remains of his jersey to show the referee.
Cameras zoomed in on him; the entire football world was watching.
The referee calmed Bruno, then warned the arguing City players to back off or face bookings. That gesture alone silenced the protests.
"From the replay, there's no doubt—it's a foul. Bruno was already inside the area, so the decision must be a penalty. However, Stones wasn't the last defender."
"You can say City overcommitted forward, leaving themselves exposed. But more importantly, Bruno's counterattack was extraordinary—such balance and control even at top speed."
"Once again, Bruno has turned the tide since coming on."
"The referee has made his call."
"Penalty! It's a penalty for Manchester United!"
...
"We're in the 89th minute, with three minutes of added time. This penalty could decide the outcome—all United need is to score for three points!"
"This Manchester United side is truly remarkable. After a brief early-season slump and a shock loss to Crystal Palace in Round 2, they've quietly gone on a nine-match winning streak. If they beat City tonight, that'll be ten in a row!"
"With other major teams dropping points this weekend, a United win would give them an eight-point lead at the top!"
"And let's be honest—this penalty is practically guaranteed. Since Bruno started taking penalties, he hasn't missed a single one: 53 consecutive conversions! It's a record that's stunned the world."
"Historically, players who have taken 50 or more penalties rarely exceed an 85% success rate. Fewer still exceed 90%—only Bruno and Robert Lewandowski are in that category."
"Even Cristiano Ronaldo, the penalty master himself, scored 135 of 160 career penalties—an 84% rate!"
...
After the referee pointed to the spot, Bruno jogged toward the sideline.
His shirt was torn, and by regulation, he had to change before resuming play.
"Well done!" Mourinho cheered, pulling him briefly into an embrace.
This was the defining moment—if he converted, United were surely victorious.
"I just did my best," Bruno replied, smiling.
Mourinho said nothing, but the pride and admiration in his eyes said it all.
"Doing your best" sounded simple—but how many truly did so every single time?
Michael Carrick grinned from ear to ear, handing Bruno a fresh jersey.
As a United veteran of ten years, Carrick always wanted to see his club triumph in the derby. Bruno's earned penalty gave them that chance—and knowing his captain's eerie accuracy from the spot, Carrick already felt the win was secure.
As Bruno changed shirts on the sideline, his teammates waited silently in the box. No one contested the right to take it.
Bruno's authority was undisputed.
He stepped back onto the pitch, placed the ball on the white dot, pressed the turf around it flat, and slowly took two steps back.
...
Closing his eyes, Bruno blocked out the sight of Ederson pacing on the goal line.
He steadied his breathing, clearing his mind while attuning himself to every sound around the stadium.
Penalty misses often happened because of pressure—and mental fragility had never been part of his nature.
When he opened his eyes again, Bruno locked gazes with the Brazilian goalkeeper. For a brief second, he smiled faintly.
The referee confirmed everyone was ready and blew the whistle.
Bruno took a deep breath, moved forward, inserted a sharp pause that threw everybody off—and struck the ball cleanly with his right foot.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!"
"Bruno scores again! A calm chip right down the middle—sheer audacity!"
"The replay shows how deceptively he paused before the strike—Ederson was completely fooled and dived early. Bruno, unfazed, rolled it straight down the middle. Brilliant nerves!"
"What a daring penalty, showcasing immense composure."
"Bruno extends his record—now 54 consecutive successful penalties!"
"1–0! The deadlock is finally broken!"
"Bruno's stoppage-time penalty wins it for Manchester United!"
...
(END CHAPTER)
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