host must win

Chapter 84

At the Maine Road Stadium, Manchester United played a traditional 442 formation. Yin Jun appeared in the starting lineup as a right midfielder for the first time this season, and Beckham took turns.

For Manchester City, Keegan formed his customary 352 formation, trying to gain the initiative on the field through the superiority of the midfield force.Sun Jihai reappeared in the position of the right midfielder, taking on the heavy responsibility of offense and defense on the right.On the front line, Anelka and Gott partnered to attack Manchester United's defense.

The atmosphere of the Maine Road Stadium in this game was extremely warm, and the enthusiasm of the Manchester City fans made the home team show considerable momentum from the very beginning.Although there is a slight gap in technology, the active running and fighting of Manchester City players achieved obvious results after the opening.

In the 5th minute, the midfielder of the Manchester City team launched a counterattack. The ball moved to the backcourt of the Manchester United team. Central defender Ferdinand was about to protect the ball with his body. The front of the penalty area of ​​Manchester United distributed the ball to his partner Gort who inserted in the middle. Killed, facing Ferdinand who was filling in front of the goal line and most of the empty goal, he easily scored with his right foot in front of the small penalty area line.

However, shortly after the Manchester City fans cheered the team's lead, Manchester United immediately equalized the score.

In the 8th minute, Sun Jihai got the ball in the midfield and was tackled by Scholes from behind. Yin Jun, who followed up, got the ball and aimed at Ruud van Nistelrooy who was inserted in the left rib. After a collision with the Manchester City defender who came to block, it bounced to the left side of the Manchester City penalty area. Giggs followed up and immediately volleyed to the center. Before the attack, Solskjaer, who was outflanking in place, fell to the ground in front of the small penalty area and scored with a shovel shot.

1:1, Manchester United quickly equalized the score by using their superior ability to seize opportunities.

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The ensuing game fell into a stalemate. Despite mutual offense and defense, Manchester United gradually took the initiative on the field by virtue of their strength advantages.Scholes frequently pulled to the left side of the center to cooperate with Giggs, which put great pressure on Manchester City's defense.

In the 15th minute, Manchester United launched a quick counterattack after stealing the ball in the frontcourt. Ruud van Nistelrooy broke into the penalty area and posed a threat, but due to excessive dribbling, the ball was destroyed by Metomo, who defended in time.

In the 24th minute, Scholes made a long pass from the left of the midfield to the back of Manchester City's defense. Ruud van Nistelrooy broke into the penalty area from the right and almost single-handedly. Fortunately, Schmeichel, the former Manchester United legendary goalkeeper of Manchester City, attacked In time, he fell to the ground before Ruud van Nistelrooy shot and confiscated the ball.

Just as the Manchester City fans watched anxiously as the home team gradually fell into a passive position, in the 26th minute, the situation on the field changed suddenly, and Manchester City took advantage of the opponent's mistake to score a lucky score.

At that time, after a series of kicks in midfield, Manchester City passed from Fu Dajiao to Manchester United's penalty area near the bottom line. Since there was no one to respond, the ball was not too threatening.

But at this time Manchester United's captain Gary Neville made a fatal mistake. He was too careless when he was about to protect the ball out of the baseline, and was successfully intercepted by Manchester City striker Gott who followed up from behind.

Gott then dribbled the ball horizontally along the bottom line. Facing Butters who was attacking from a closed angle, he pushed the ball low and flat from a small angle into the far corner of the goal and broke the goal. The score on the field was rewritten to 2:1. International practice, the home team is in front .

The score fell behind again, which made Manchester United look a little anxious. The overall formation pressed forward to surround Manchester City's penalty area and attacked. Although they had more time to control the ball, they did not pose a real threat due to too many mistakes in passing and receiving.

On the contrary, Manchester City, while defending firmly, waited for an opportunity to launch a counterattack through the frontcourt Anelka and Gott, frequently forming an offensive against the opponent's gate.

In the 33rd minute, Sun Jihai, who broke through from the right, swayed from the angle of Scholes' defense and made a pass from the right. Gao Te, who followed up in the center, headed slightly wide.

In the 39th minute, Anelka received a wonderful pass from Gauter to form a single shot, but unfortunately the shot was saved by Butters and failed to score.

In this way, in the situation where Manchester United pressed and stormed and Manchester City defended and counterattacked, the two sides ended the first half of the contest with a score of 2:1.

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After only 5 minutes of see-saw after the opening of the second half, Manchester United's aggressive pressure and the carelessness of the midfielders quickly gave Manchester City the opportunity to expand the score.

In the 51st minute, Manchester City steals the ball from the frontcourt and instigates a counterattack. Jensen steals the ball from the left and then crosses the middle. Te first slid the ball across the center with his right foot, and then used his body to protect the ball to block the opposing center back Blanco. Before the goalkeeper Butters attacked, he cleverly shot the goal with his right foot and broke the net. Manchester City expanded the score on the field It is 3:1.

The two goals behind made Manchester United more impatient, and there were frequent mistakes in passing and receiving in the frontcourt attack.Except for Solskjaer's shot from a small angle near the bottom line in the 63rd minute, which posed a certain threat, the situation of flowering but not fruiting could not be changed for a period of time after that.

Seeing that the situation on the field has not changed, Ferguson made a decision to make a substitution in the 65th minute, replacing Gary Neville with Forlan, and the team's formation on the field has also changed to a more aggressive 433, continuing to strengthen the offensive strength of the frontcourt .

In addition, Ferguson also signaled Yin Jun to lean towards Manchester City's right, attacking the right of Manchester City guarded by his national teammate Sun Jihai.

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Ferguson's strategy of substitutions and storming Manchester City's right wing gradually paid off.

In the 68th minute, Ruud van Nistelrooy broke into the penalty area and fell down, causing controversy, but the referee did not award a penalty kick.This made the Manchester United players very dissatisfied, and Ferguson was also furious on the sidelines.

However, Manchester United pulled one back after 3 minutes.

In the 71st minute, Manchester United got a corner kick. Giggs drove the ball to the center, and Yin Jun, who inserted in the back, stabbed at close range.Schmeichel couldn't react in time, the ball went into the far corner, and the score became 3:2!

Manchester United's offensive, which pulled back a city, became more and more violent, basically pressing the home team at halftime.

In the 73rd minute, Giggs received a header from Solskjaer and took a right-footed shot from the small penalty area line. The football was miraculously saved from the goal line by Schmeichel.

In the 85th minute, Solskjaer received a header from Sylvester's right cross, and Schmeichel fought sideways to throw the ball on the goal line. Manchester United's offensive was once again overwhelmed by the former Trafford's old hero resolved.

In the 90th minute, Manchester United created chaos in the opponent's penalty area, but O'Shea, who had just come off the bench, missed a good chance to score with a shot 1 meter from the back post.

Despite being under great pressure from their opponents, Manchester City's generals withstood the pressure in the subsequent games. After paying the price of Berkovic and Hollock's successive dismissals due to injuries, the whole Manchester City team was united and finally won The 3:2 victory was maintained until the end.

Manchester United, who lost their third league game this season, and Arsenal, who returned to the top of the list after winning this round, widened the point difference to 3 points.And Yin Jun, who scored the fourth goal in the Premier League, also suffered his first defeat since he represented Manchester United.

(End of this chapter)