Chapter 91: Manchester United (Iconic Moment Born)
"Glory belongs to Manchester United!"
"Red Devils, go forward courageously!"
The fans wearing red Manchester United jerseys sang "Glory Glory Man United" as they advanced toward the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The exciting and uplifting melody made everyone who heard it feel their spirits surge.
"Red Devils, go forward courageously!"
"Magic flows from the feet of Rooney and C. Ronaldo!"
"In the Premier League, we advance with no rivals!"
"We are the world champions!"
"We are a great club!"
Manchester United fans raised their heads and sang loudly. In the transfer market of summer 2007, they made big moves by bringing in stars like Owen Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, and Carlos Tevez.
Hargreaves solved Manchester United's long-troubling "strong waist" issue, while the introduction of young talents Anderson and Nani not only rejuvenated the Red Devils' midfield with fresh blood but also gave veteran players Giggs and Scholes a chance to rotate and rest. Along with Fletcher and Park Ji-sung, they perfected the depth of the midfield.
Not to mention Tevez, the beast, who made their forward line sharper.
And, of course, their coach!
Lord Ferguson!
He tightly united the whole team. His tactics are unpredictable, and his vision is far-reaching.
The season is nearing its end, and the players and fans of Manchester United already have a "mild" goal.
We want to become Premier League champions, we want to become Champions League champions!
We want to reach the pinnacle of Europe for the third time.
Manchester United fans, England fans, are full of fighting spirit. For them, a great club like Manchester United having only won the Champions League twice is far too few.
Real Madrid has won it 9 times, Milan 7 times, Liverpool 5 times. Manchester United's mere 2 times, compared to their fame in football, is truly too little.
Ferguson will bring them the second Champions League trophy, Real Madrid will not be an obstacle on their path.
We have the world's strongest player, Cristiano Ronaldo!
In today's football world, the debate for the world's strongest player is among C. Ronaldo, Messi, and Kaka. Although some say Messi's breakthroughs are sharper, Kaka's vision is more powerful, these are just individual comparisons broken down.
But the strength of C. Ronaldo lies in his versatility!
And, in the competition for the 2008 Ballon d'Or, Messi and Kaka have already fallen behind. Messi is troubled by injuries, and his club's performance has been quite unstable, while Kaka's club was eliminated early in the Champions League due to various factors.
No matter how the future unfolds, now C. Ronaldo is the man closest to the strongest throne, as long as Manchester United can win the Champions League, as long as his individual performance is outstanding...
The actions of Manchester United fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium naturally sparked the Merengues' counterattack.
With the help of the stadium's broadcast, "Hala Madrid" resonated throughout the stadium, and countless Merengue fans sang aloud, flushing away the excitement brought by "Glory Glory Man United".
This is the Bernabeu!
We are the holders of 9 Champions League titles.
Real Madrid!
The fans used their songs and actions to tell the outsiders who the true owners of this place are.
"This is a live broadcast of the first leg of the 07-08 season Champions League quarter-finals!"
"Real Madrid versus Manchester United."
"From the interviews with the fans outside the stadium, we can see that both teams' fans regard this match very highly."
"The current atmosphere is also very fervent."
"The last time the two teams met was in the 2002-2003 season, I believe."
"That match at Old Trafford, where they beat Real Madrid 4:3, was also one of the classic battles of the Champions League."
"Afterwards, that match was even considered an important battle that changed the 'landscape of European football'."
"Haha, indeed!"
"Back then, the first leg for both teams was also at the Bernabeu!"
"In that match, Real Madrid won the first leg at the Bernabeu 3:1."
"This pushed Manchester United to the brink. At that time, there was a conflict between Beckham and Ferguson."
In the 2002-2003 season, in the Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid and Manchester United met, and in this match, the two teams offered the fans an exciting match.
Although Manchester United launched a desperate attack in the second leg at Old Trafford, scoring 4 goals, Real Madrid's Ronaldo's hat-trick ensured the match ended 4-3, with Real Madrid advancing with a total score of 6-5 across the two legs.
Back then, a conflict had already arisen between Beckham and Ferguson, even leading to the "Flying Boot" incident, which people still talk about today.
At the end of the season, Beckham also left Manchester United and joined Real Madrid.
"We can see the camera has captured Ferguson."
"The old lord stands on the sidelines shaking hands with Schuster."
"Then, chewing gum, he waits for the match to begin."
"Now the camera has moved to inside the player tunnel."
"The players in white jerseys are Real Madrid players, and those in red jerseys are Manchester United players."
"The starting lineups for this match are out."
"Real Madrid is in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Raul as the lone forward, followed by Robinho, Guti, and Robben in a line. Chen Zhong and Sneijder serve as the double defensive midfielders, while Marcelo, Pepe, Cannavaro, and Ramos form the defense, with Casillas as the goalkeeper, on the bench..."
"Manchester United is in a 4-5-1 formation, with Rooney as the lone forward. The midfield is made up of Park Ji-sung, Anderson, Scholes, Carrick, and C. Ronaldo. In defense, it's Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, and Brown in a line, with Van der Sar as the goalkeeper, on the bench..."
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