On March 14th, Cambridge United hosted Norwich, who were at the bottom of the League.
Against an old opponent with one foot already back in League One, Cambridge United, despite fielding a fully rotated squad, gave them no chance.
Hill, who hadn't started in a long time, was in explosive form today, scoring a hat-trick with both headers and shots, directly sending Norwich back to League One!
Poor Norwich, after 39 rounds of the League, had only accumulated 17 points, 25 points behind 21st placed Southampton, unfortunately becoming the first team to be relegated from the EFL Championship this season.
While Cambridge United defeated their opponent 3-0, Wolves also won 2-0 away against Cardiff City. The two teams still maintained a 5-point difference.
Often at this time, the chasers are full of momentum, while the defenders face increased pressure.
With Paul Smith and Mahrez returning from injury, Cambridge United's squad was complete, and the entire team was full of confidence.
After more than ten days of rest, Cambridge United arrived at Bramall Lane to challenge Sheffield United, who were ranked 12th.
Currently, Sheff Utd's former Head Coach, Potter, has already moved to Blackburn, and they, in turn, emulated Blackburn by poaching Bolton's Head Coach, Blackwell.
Under Blackwell's leadership, Sheff Utd performed adequately, consistently ranking in the middle of the League table. Compared to the previous two seasons, this result was clearly very ordinary.
Wolves, in this round, were at home, hosting Doncaster.
At 3 PM, the two teams' matches in this round kicked off simultaneously!
Sheff Utd, despite playing at home, remained very cautious.
Cambridge United's attacking power is currently ranked first in the League, which Blackwell was well aware of, so his team was not overly aggressive.
Huang Hao, playing away, knew that the Sheff Utd players' strength was not bad, and he did not let his team attack rashly.
For a time, the two teams were evenly matched on the field, but the ball mostly flew back and forth in their respective halves, with few real opportunities to threaten the goal.
At the end of the first half, the score remained 0-0.
At Molineux Stadium at this moment, it was a completely different scene!
Doncaster, with no pressure in the middle of the League table, played completely wild away from home!
Just 8 minutes into the first half, Shields capitalized on a Wolves defender's miscontrol, directly stealing the ball at the edge of the box and scoring with a long-range shot, opening the scoring for Doncaster.
In the 21st minute of the first half, it was Shields again! He received a cross from a teammate in the box and scored with a header, extending Doncaster's lead to two goals!
Just 3 minutes later, Doncaster utilized a free-kick in the attacking half, and Hayter once again scored with an aerial attack in the box, giving Doncaster a three-goal lead!
And the dazed Wolves, until the end of the first half, failed to break through Doncaster's goal, falling behind by a large margin at home!
Huang Hao, who learned of Wolves' score at halftime, gave his players a strict order: in this match, even if they had to bleed, they must conquer Bramall Lane and defeat Sheff Utd!!!
There were also some neutral fans watching at the Liberty Stadium today, and for them, who originally wanted to watch a goal-fest to pass the boring time, the first half was too dull!
So, during halftime, some people chose to leave directly. Such a match made it clear how it would end, and staying would only waste another 45 minutes.
As they left Bramall Lane, they did not know how foolish their decision was.
The goal-fest they had been dreaming of officially began 15 minutes later!
Baston and Beattie stood at the center circle, ready to kick off.
Casually, Baston glanced at the Cambridge United players opposite. This glance startled Baston!
The eyes of the Cambridge United players opposite seemed as if they wanted to devour him!
Baston did not know the strict order Huang Hao had given at halftime; he just felt it was better not to provoke this group of madmen.
In the 49th minute of the second half, as Mahrez had just carried the ball past midfield, Beattie made a clean tackle from the side, directly kicking the ball to defensive midfielder Speed.
Speed flicked the ball forward, Baston outjumped Warren to head the ball down, passing it to Flynn beside him.
Flynn immediately spread the play wide, and after Beattie and Vida created space, Beattie dribbled straight towards the byline!
Although Beattie changed pace several times during his dribble, he never completely escaped Vida.
Just as Beattie was attempting a cross at the byline, Vida seized the opportunity, directly intercepted the ball, and kicked it to Vardy in midfield!
Vardy was surrounded by Sheff Utd defenders in front of him. Helplessly, Vardy shielded the ball with his back against the opponent's pressure, passing it back to Kante.
Kante, from behind, could clearly see his teammates' positions. After receiving the ball, he quickly kicked it to Tadić on the left side of midfield!
Tadić had a clear path on the left, accelerating to near Sheff Utd's byline!
Speed had just breathlessly caught up to Tadić when the ball had already curved past him and flew into the box!
Sheff Utd's defenders, distracted by Lewandowski, did not notice Vardy rapidly charging forward!
Vardy, sandwiched between two Swansea defenders, headed the ball directly into Sheff Utd's goal!
1-0! Cambridge United took the lead away from home!
After the goal, Cambridge United's morale soared! In the 52nd minute, Mahrez received a pass from Kante at the edge of the box, moving through the Sheff Utd box as if unopposed!
Mahrez, after continuous feints left and right, suddenly unleashed a shot towards the goal!
This time, the goalkeeper Kenny reacted extremely quickly. He lunged to his left, punching the ball out for a corner!
Sheff Utd had no intention of giving up so easily.
In the 67th minute, Sheff Utd won a corner kick on the right side of the box. Vico delivered the ball directly to the near post!
Sheff Utd center-back Kilgallon, despite being marked by both Lovren and Vida at the near post, still managed to win the first header, easily heading the ball into Cambridge United's net!
1-1! Sheff Utd successfully equalized!
Sheff Utd fans at Bramall Lane had not even finished celebrating when Cambridge United had already restarted the ball and continued to organize their attack.
Sheff Utd players were clearly not fully prepared. Speed, seeing O'Connor about to break through his defense, in desperation, directly pulled down his opponent, giving Cambridge United a free-kick just outside the left side of the Sheff Utd box.
When O'Connor stood over the ball, Sheff Utd's players couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
O'Connor's skill with set-pieces had now spread among the EFL Championship teams.
Sheff Utd had nine defenders arranged inside the box, with only Baston lurking in midfield.
Cambridge United, on the other hand, only had five players positioned in Sheff Utd's box, clearly indicating that O'Connor would shoot directly.
O'Connor's run-up was not long. After the referee's whistle, he kicked the ball towards the left side of the goal with extreme Speed!
The ball easily cleared the wall, plummeting rapidly towards the bottom left corner of Sheff Utd's goal!
Kenny cried out in alarm! He quickly moved from the right side of the goal to the left, falling to the ground!
Just as Kenny dove to the ground, the ball had already reached the goal line!
In a panic, Kenny instinctively blocked it with his right hand, keeping the ball out of the goal!
However, before Kenny could get up, he saw a player in a yellow jersey rapidly sprinting towards the blocked ball!
Kenny quickly scrambled to his feet. Just as he stood up, he felt a cold gust of wind blow past him!
When he turned back to look at the goal in despair, the ball was already resting quietly inside the net!
The player who rushed to the goal and scored on the rebound was none other than Cambridge United's right winger, Tadić!
Just 2 minutes after Sheff Utd's goal, Cambridge United had once again taken the lead!
The successive goals ignited the passion at Bramall Lane.
The 23,000 Sheff Utd home fans did not direct their boos at their players; instead, they chanted rhythmically, cheering on the Sheff Utd players!
Sheff Utd players were also determined, unwilling to easily give up on their home ground!
Baston kicked off from midfield, directly passing to Beattie behind him.
Beattie launched a long pass, directly sending the ball to Vico, who was making a run down the left flank!
Vico dribbled for two steps, then immediately crossed the ball!
Vida directly headed the ball out for a corner!
Sheff Utd won another corner kick on the left side of the attacking half, and Vico was still the one to take it.
This time, Lovren and Tadić directly sandwiched Miljan at the near post. Clearly, this spot was a crucial scoring point for Sheff Utd's corner kicks.
Miljan intentionally moved closer to the near post, almost hugging the goal line.
Warren stood on the six-yard line, occasionally looking back at Miljan, truly puzzled. It was unrealistic for Miljan to shoot from that position; that should be where a defender stands!
Just as Warren was still muttering, Vico's corner kick had already been delivered!
It was indeed the near post!
Warren looked up at the ball, trying to win the first header!
Just then, Baston quickly moved from the center of the box to the near post!
Lovren loudly warned Warren:
"Behind you!"
Before Warren could turn around, Baston had already jumped high, flicking the ball with his head!!!
Baston's header did not have much power, but its arc was very high!
Pantilimon kept his eyes on the ball, quickly retreating with small steps!
Seeing the ball descend, Pantilimon quickly jumped up, reaching out to block the ball!
Although Pantilimon jumped very high, the ball still grazed his fingertips, continuing to fly towards the goal!
Pantilimon, slowly leaning back and falling to the ground, clearly watched as the ball nestled into the net, just touching the intersection of the crossbar and the right post!!!
2-2!!! Sheff Utd relentlessly pursued!
Huang Hao looked at the jubilant Sheff Utd players, feeling a slight headache.
For Cambridge United, who had perfected set-piece tactics, conceding two goals from two corner kicks was truly inexcusable.
A somewhat restless Huang Hao stood up and rushed to the sidelines, clapping his hands vigorously to attract the attention of the Cambridge United players.
"Don't lose heart! If they can score, so can we! Score one more for me!!! Until they're beaten into submission!!!"
Cambridge United players were accustomed to Huang Hao's words. However, Sheff Utd players, upon hearing them, were somewhat surprised.
This Chinese man is so arrogant???
On our home ground, after we've equalized, he's still so arrogant? And he wants to score another one?
You say score, and we score? Based on what?!
Sheff Utd players were equally determined, and in response to Huang Hao's words, they defended Cambridge United tightly!
However, even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw. Just as Baston received a throw-in from a teammate, trying to steady the rhythm and wait for support, Vida quietly snuck up behind him and poked the ball with his toe! Directly intercepting it!
Vida passed the ball to Vardy, who immediately passed it to Mahrez beside him. Mahrez then quickly spread the play wide, and the ball was transferred to Tadić's feet on the left flank in just a few seconds!
Tadić quickly dribbled to near Sheff Utd's byline, with two Sheff Utd players simultaneously marking him!
Ultimately, Tadić's cross was blocked out for a corner by Dzemaili's body. Cambridge United earned a corner kick on the left side of the attacking half.
O'Connor raised his left hand, extending his index finger.
Seeing this, Vardy immediately retreated slowly, until he was outside Sheff Utd's penalty area.
Sheff Utd players did not know the meaning of O'Connor's hand gesture. They still concentrated their forces inside the box, not assigning anyone to mark Vardy on the outside.
Three players at the near post, four at the far post, two in the penalty area. Kenny looked at his teammates' positions, convinced there were no omissions.
O'Connor indeed kicked the ball to Vardy on the outside!
Dzemaili immediately rushed from the box towards O'Connor, who was approaching from the corner flag!
Tadić, meanwhile, quickly moved from the center with Dzemaili to the near post!
Vardy passed the ball back to O'Connor. Seeing that Dzemaili had already rushed over, O'Connor immediately passed the ball to Tadić at the near post!
Tadić controlled the ball, instantly attracting three Sheff Utd defenders to follow him!
Tadić, seeing this, gave a ghostly smile, faking a shot and making a true pass, directly knocking the ball back to the center!
Ayu, unmarked, unleashed a powerful shot from the penalty spot! The ball whizzed past him and directly drilled into the right side of the goal! 2-3!!! Barnet, also using a corner kick tactic, once again took the lead!
This time, Sheff Utd was finally beaten into submission!
After 40 League rounds, despite Wolves pulling back a goal in the second half, they still suffered a shocking 1-3 home defeat to Doncaster.
And Cambridge United, after defeating Sheff Utd 3-2, ascended to the second place in the League!
If they maintained this position, Cambridge United would be directly promoted to the Premier League!
However, what Huang Hao didn't expect was that holding onto this position would not be an easy task.