Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Four Goals in a Game
Chapter 251: Four Goals in a Game
After Milan's celebration ended and the match resumed, the referee soon blew the whistle for halftime. Facing a 1-3 scoreline, Bruno found it hard to accept. After all, he had scored an astonishing goal early in the game, giving Udinese a dream start. But then AC Milan scored three consecutive goals to take the lead.
Overall, Udinese's first-half performance wasn't bad. In many statistics, they were clearly superior. However, the score was a harsh reality. Football is always full of surprises; the outcome is not solely determined by the team's strength or performance on the pitch.
During the halftime break, Bruno once again rallied his teammates in the locker room. The break allowed Udinese to catch their breath and calm down after conceding the third goal.
At the start of the second half, Guidolin made adjustments, bringing on Zapata for the veteran Domizzi and switching to a 3-4-3 formation. It was clear that Guidolin was going all out—they refused to accept a home defeat!
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As the second half began, Udinese launched a furious attack on Milan's half. The Rossoneri were completely unprepared for Udinese's onslaught, and they were soon overwhelmed.
After only six minutes, Milan's defense crumbled. In the 51st minute, Bruno passed the ball to the left, where substitute Duván Zapata crossed from the left side of the penalty area. Di Natale couldn't control the ball at the near post, but Badu, following up, volleyed it into the bottom left corner from 12 meters out, reducing the deficit to 2-3.
With this goal, Udinese's spirits soared, and they continued to besiege Milan. Two minutes later, Udinese launched another attack. Cancelo crossed from the right, and Bruno's close-range shot was caught by Diego López.
Five minutes after that, Duván Zapata's long-range shot from outside the penalty area was only parried by Diego López. Bruno quickly followed up and scored on the rebound to make it 3-3!
The entire stadium erupted in wild celebration, with Udinese fans shouting Bruno's name. No one could believe that Udinese had played so brilliantly in the second half. With the score tied before the 60-minute mark, a home comeback seemed within reach!
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After scoring twice to level the match, Bruno was ecstatic. Udinese's momentum continued to build, and their attacks kept coming.
Soon after, Cancelo crossed from the right again, and Bruno, with a stunning volley from the edge of the six-yard box, scored to give Udinese a 4-3 lead. It was Bruno's second hat-trick of the season, and his first in Serie A this season.
Milan's situation on the pitch became precarious. Mihajlović made two substitutions, bringing on Poli for Honda and Adriano for Bacca.
Udinese also made substitutions, with Pasquale replacing Adnan and Marquinho coming on for Iturra.
In the 90th minute, Udinese created chaos in the penalty area. Duván Zapata's shot from the right was blocked for a corner. When the corner was taken, Fernandes, from 22 meters out, struck again to beat Milan's goalkeeper.
This was Bruno's first-ever four-goal game in his career!
The Friuli stadium went wild as 40,000 Udinese fans celebrated their team's dramatic comeback.
In the end, Udinese, after trailing 1-3, scored four consecutive goals to overturn Milan and secure their most thrilling victory of the season. The fans were mesmerized by the relentless attacking football their team played.
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After the match, Bruno, who scored four goals, was named Man of the Match. Besides his four goals, he also assisted in another, making him the key figure in Udinese's victory.
Even more astounding was Udinese's 76% possession in this match, with 30 shots compared to Milan's eight. In terms of passing, Udinese made 589 passes with an 86.5% success rate, while Milan managed fewer than 170 passes—less than Bruno and Iturra combined.
From the data alone, it was clear that Udinese dominated.
"Udinese played their best game of the season so far, showcasing a multi-dimensional attack," said one analyst. "AC Milan, despite being a traditional powerhouse, struggled and could barely keep up."
"Although Milan put in a lot of effort to win this match, leading 3-1 at halftime, the second half was all about Udinese and Bruno, who orchestrated the comeback with four goals and an assist, completely outplaying Milan and conquering the Friuli stadium."
"Guidolin must feel incredibly grateful that Bruno was not sold this summer, and Udinese fans should feel lucky to have him," said another commentator. "This was a match that belonged to Bruno."
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Udinese's stunning 5-3 comeback victory after trailing 1-3 at halftime shocked Italian football. Like last season, Udinese had a strong start, but this season, they were even better.
Last season, Udinese had four wins and one draw in their first five matches, placing third in the standings. But this season, they have five consecutive wins, leading the table and performing better each match.
Especially this round, where they came back from a 1-3 deficit to win 5-3 against AC Milan. This incredible performance was widely covered by Italian media the following day.
Bruno, who scored four goals and assisted another, was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports with a perfect score of 10. He became the focus of Italian media, sparking a wave of attention.
Many journalists believed that with his impressive performance, Bruno was on track to break Messi and Ronaldo's seven-year dominance of the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
The Udinese Daily stated that as long as Bruno maintains his current form and continues leading Udinese to victory, they will likely win the league again, and Bruno will surely surpass Messi and Ronaldo to win the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming a legendary star in Udinese and European football.
(End of Chapter)