From the man behind the football king to the football king.

Chapter 1011 Blessed Land
Manchester United's 4-1 victory over Real Madrid practically secured their place in the Champions League final with a single match, demonstrating their overwhelming strength and showcasing their dominance as the Premier League champions and the new generation of European powerhouses.

However, their biggest rival, another Premier League powerhouse Liverpool, also demonstrated their formidable strength in another Champions League semi-final the following day. At Anfield, they only needed half the match to secure a 2-0 victory over Villarreal, laying a solid foundation for their advancement to the Champions League final.

Both Champions League semi-finals saw Premier League teams achieve resounding victories over La Liga teams, demonstrating the dominant power of the top league.

Liverpool, who secured a resounding victory in the Champions League, defeated Newcastle United 1-0 away in the 35th round of the Premier League on Saturday noon, continuing to closely trail Manchester United in the Premier League standings.

However, Manchester United continued their strong performance in the subsequent match. Their resounding victory over Real Madrid spurred the Red Devils to a fever pitch, leading to a near-total rout of Brentford.

In the first half, young player Elanga assisted Bruno to break the deadlock. In the second half, Harry Kane was fouled in the penalty area, and Manchester United were awarded a penalty. Bruno converted the penalty to score his second goal. Then, Maguire headed in a corner kick to help Manchester United secure the victory.

Manchester United ultimately defeated Brentford 3-0.

Manchester City, who followed closely behind, also demonstrated unparalleled strength while competing on only one front, sweeping Leeds United 4-0 away from home and maintaining pressure on league leaders Manchester United.

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After the match against Brentford, Mourinho announced the disbandment of the team. The players who participated in the match against Brentford do not need to come to training tomorrow morning. They can sleep in and rest at home, and then come to the team for training in the afternoon.

On Monday, the entire team will fly to Madrid to prepare for the second leg of the semi-final.

Some people think that the match was just a formality, but it was probably not as simple as everyone imagined.

Before the match, the Madrid media had already mobilized, calling on fans to go to the stadium to support Real Madrid for two consecutive days, and the things they said were quite outrageous.

"...Real Madrid has reached its most critical moment, it's time to show our love for the team!"

"Let's unite, put aside all prejudices, and fight for the team at the Bernabéu until the very last moment!"

"The team needs us! At this time, any wavering or retreat is tantamount to surrendering and betraying us!"

"Go to the Bernabéu! Turn it into hell!! Let our passion melt the stubborn rocks and turn them into rolling lava!"

"This is the final! This is the final! We must treat this game like a final. The players must give their all on the field, and we fans in the stands should no longer act like gentlemen!"

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Some media outlets also cited various successful comeback stories from history to encourage Real Madrid fans and the team, with the Deportivo La Coruña miracle being the most frequently mentioned.

In the 2004 Champions League Round of 16, Deportivo La Coruña faced AC Milan away in the first leg and lost 1-4. At the time, everyone thought Deportivo La Coruña was already eliminated and the second leg was a foregone conclusion. However, back at home, Deportivo La Coruña defeated a seemingly sleepwalking AC Milan 4-0, eliminating them 5-4 on aggregate.

Some media outlets even specifically sought out Uruguayan striker Pandiani from Deportivo La Coruña, who performed exceptionally well in that match, to offer advice on Real Madrid's comeback.

Pandiani stated that if Real Madrid wants to overturn Manchester United at home, their first priority is to catch Manchester United off guard and score as early as possible in the opening stages of the match.

Once a goal is scored, the rest of the game becomes much easier. The mentality of both teams will undergo subtle changes, and these changes will have a direct impact on the match.

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On May 3, the entire Manchester United team arrived in Madrid by plane.

At the airport, the team members had to face numerous reporters and their questions. Some chose to remain silent, others chose to give evasive answers, but Bruno stopped and made a proactive gesture to cooperate.

The reporters quickly surrounded him, separating him from his teammates, and bombarded Bruno with their prepared questions.

Facing the swarm of reporters and their questions, Bruno remained calm and smiled as he replied, "How do you feel about Madrid? To be honest, it's fantastic. This is my lucky place. Every time I come here, I can enjoy the joy of victory, hahaha!"

Upon hearing Bruno's words, the Madrid reporters present looked extremely displeased, but they were unable to refute him, because, as Bruno said, he had won every time he came to Real Madrid for a match.

布鲁诺第一次到马德里比赛是2014年11月4日，在欧冠小组赛第4轮的比赛中，布鲁诺带领乌迪内斯在客场3:1大胜皇家马德里，奠定了小组第一的位置。

三年后的2017年12月5日的欧冠小组赛第6轮，布鲁诺再次来马德里参加比赛，不过这次他们的对手变成了另外一支豪门马德里竞技。布鲁诺一射一传帮助曼联2:1取胜，锁定小组第一。

The third instance was two years ago, on February 26, 2020, in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 2, when Manchester United visited Real Madrid. Again, Bruno's goal and assist helped Manchester United secure a 2-1 away victory against the Galacticos. ………………

"So what are your thoughts on the upcoming match? There are voices saying that this match is just a formality for Manchester United..." a reporter from the UK asked.

Bruno interrupted him, shaking his head. "No, no, no. How could it be just a formality? Scoring three goals in a match isn't difficult for Real Madrid. If we think this match is just a formality, I'm afraid we'll end up getting kicked out of the Champions League."

A reporter asked, "Some media outlets in Madrid are using the Deportivo La Coruña vs. AC Milan match from years ago as an example, suggesting that Real Madrid still has a chance to turn the tide..."

"Of course, even if it's only a fraction of a percent, it's still a possibility. So we won't let our guard down. We're not AC Milan... Also, I think the media is too unfriendly to AC Milan. Whenever they talk about miracle comebacks or anything like that, they always bring up AC Milan as an example, like the Istanbul Miracle or the Deportivo La Coruña Miracle... Honestly, even I, a non-AC Milan fan, can't stand it!" Bruno joked.

"Marca calls on Real Madrid fans to turn the Bernabéu into hell..."

"That's great, isn't it? We spend half the season playing in hellish home stadiums, so we're all too familiar with that feeling. If the Bernabéu really does become hell, I think it will actually help us perform better."

On the one hand, he said he wouldn't underestimate his opponent, and on the other hand, Bruno appeared very confident.

Bruno doesn't participate much in pre-match verbal battles, but every time he does, he effortlessly gains the upper hand.

A journalist once remarked that if Bruno were more inclined to engage in verbal battles, few in the football world could rival him. Unfortunately, Bruno doesn't readily unleash his formidable verbal sparring skills; otherwise, media professionals would be living like it's New Year's every day.

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Ahead of Real Madrid's home game against Manchester United, a large number of Real Madrid fans had already gathered outside the Bernabéu Stadium.

Just as Marca called for, many Real Madrid fans came to the stadium to watch the game, wanting to turn the Bernabéu into "hell".

In the locker room, Mourinho was constantly instructing his players: "Real Madrid will definitely fight with all their might in this match. When a team like that unleashes its full power, it's terrifying, so you need to be mentally prepared. Especially at the very beginning of the game, you must withstand their attacks. It doesn't matter if you look a little disheveled on the field, but you absolutely cannot let them score right after the game starts. That would give them a huge confidence boost and increase their morale, putting you in a very passive situation."

After a pause, Mourinho said with a serious expression, "Remember, if we don't concede a goal at the start, we've already won half the game!"

Mourinho then reiterated the tactics for this match: counter-attacking!

Having established a decisive advantage in the first leg, Mourinho naturally hopes to secure a place in the Champions League final with minimal cost.

Counter-attacking is not only Mourinho's most proficient tactic, but also the most suitable tactic in the current situation.

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As the players from both sides entered the stadium to the Champions League theme song, they looked up to see a giant TIFO made up of countless pieces of paper, covering the entire stadium.

Judging from their entrance alone, they certainly had a lot of presence, which is enough to show Real Madrid's determination in this match.

Especially when the Manchester United players came out of the tunnel, they could even hear the Real Madrid fans roaring and shouting at them.

Welcome to Bernabéu Hell!

"Get ready to pack your bags and go home!"

"Now is the time to witness a miracle!"

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Although they were shouting in Spanish, which most Manchester United players couldn't understand, their ferocious expressions, intense tone, and raised middle fingers clearly conveyed their emotions to the Manchester United players.

In addition, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez stood at the entrance of the players' tunnel when the players came out, giving each player a high-five and saying "Go for it!"

Keep in mind that this is the only time this season.

This clearly demonstrates how much Real Madrid values ​​this match.

(End of this chapter)