In the 88th minute of the match, Neymar's corner kick was cleared by a defender. Rice gained possession at the top of the box and unleashed a shot that struck the underside of the crossbar, rebounded, hit Busquets on the back of his head, and bounced into the goal. Busquets let out an "Ah!" and collapsed to the ground.
The referee quickly ran over to check on him.
Busquets felt as if he had been hit by a club. He lay on the ground for a moment to recover, then, feeling fine, stood up and waved to the coach, signaling that he was alright and did not need the team doctor to come on.
"Beep-beep-beep!" The referee signaled for play to continue. The goal was credited to Busquets as an own goal, changing the score to 1:1.
All of Club Brugge's players retreated into the penalty area, aiming to secure a draw and take a point from Old Trafford.
In the 95th minute, with only two minutes remaining in injury time, Busquets slowly took a goal kick. A nervous defender passed the ball back to him. Busquets cursed inwardly, "This idiot. Just kick it long to the front. If I stall a bit longer, the game will be over. Oh well, I'll do it."
Seeing the referee with the whistle already in his mouth, he knew a yellow card would be unavoidable if he stalled any longer. He quickly took two steps, preparing to kick the ball far, but right on the goal line, Busquets' legs suddenly gave out, his body swayed, and he mishit the ball! The ball changed direction and slowly rolled into the goal!
The stadium fell silent!
Three seconds later, "Beep-beep-beep!" The goal was valid. Busquets, who had been phenomenal all game, scored his second own goal, sealing his team's defeat!
The match ended with Manchester United defeating Club Brugge 2:1, picking up three unexpected points at home.
Unlike the usual cheers, Manchester United had come from behind to beat their opponent, yet the home fans were all whispering, unable to believe their eyes.
After the match, Ten Hag was at a loss for words, only able to describe Manchester United's performance as "lucky."
Media reports were also highly unusual, with all eyes focused on Club Brugge's goalkeeper, Busquets. His performance for the first 88 minutes was world-class, and the first own goal was indeed due to terrible luck, but the second own goal was extremely strange.
On TikTok's international platform, a famous foreign blogger edited together Busquets' incredible saves with his two own goals in the final moments. The huge reversal made the video go viral.
Fan comments were full of accusations of "match-fixing." Almost no one believed that a goalkeeper's performance could have such a dramatic drop-off in a single game.
Busquets was currently in the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion after the match. Doctors explained that he was likely too excited at the time and didn't feel any discomfort. As the game was ending, his mental guard dropped, and his body's reactions followed, which is why his legs suddenly gave out.
Fortunately, the inspection agency and Club Brugge officially issued a statement for Busquets, accompanied by the hospital's medical report, which finally stopped the public outcry against him.
Unlucky Busquets paid the price for his rashness. He should have accepted the team doctor's examination at the time. What was supposed to be a divine performance ended up being turned into a comedic video by himself.
Manchester United dramatically won the match, securing four consecutive wins in the Champions League group stage and already qualifying for the knockout rounds. They only needed one more point to advance as group winners and participate in the next round's draw.
Three days later, in the Premier League, Manchester United played an away game against Liverpool. Gao Nuo and Rashford were rested, sitting on the bench and conversing.
"Gao, next week is the international break. I'm planning to go to China to play. Want to come with me?"
"I'd love to, but I have to train."
"You're too dedicated. You train extra every day. Can your body handle it?"
"It's alright. Anyway, there aren't too many matches right now, and I don't feel tired. By the way, Marcus, if you have time, come practice shooting with me. I always feel like something isn't quite right."
"Sure, after I get back from vacation. Kid, you really need to consider it; don't wear yourself out."
"Okay, whoa! That pull-back by Neymar to get past the defender was so cool."
"Beautiful! Come on!"
The highly anticipated 'Red Derby' started without much intensity. Liverpool and Manchester United both had tight schedules, requiring not only player rotation but also a slower pace. The crucial moments to decide the winner would come in the middle of the match.
In the 37th minute, Manchester United broke the opponent's goal first.
Wout Weghorst, starting, still hadn't found his rhythm in the Premier League. This season, he had played 8 times for Manchester United, with 2 starts and 6 substitutions, scoring zero goals. Fortunately, he was genuinely committed on the field and contributed tactically to Manchester United, otherwise, even with another pay cut, it would be difficult for him to stay here.
The struggling Wout Weghorst actively pressed in the final third. Liverpool's passing and control abilities remained excellent, and Manchester United's high press had little effect.
It had to be Rice. He seized the moment when Elliott received the ball and turned, using his body to shield the opponent and dispossess him.
Rice, while fending off Elliott's attempt to win the ball back, observed his teammates' positions. Neymar was on the left today but was tightly marked; Antony's position on the right was decent, he'd look again; Bruno Fernandes was calling for the ball, and the captain's request had to be honored!
In just a few seconds, Rice, shielding the ball, looked up and observed three times, a flurry of thoughts flashing through his mind. This was the mark of a top-tier midfielder.
After making his decision, Rice accurately passed the ball to the center.
Bruno received the ball smoothly, also observed his teammates' positions, and then passed the ball to Antony on the right.
Antony didn't try any fancy tricks. Facing his defender, Tsimikas, he skillfully rotated his left foot over the ball twice. Seeing that the opponent wasn't falling for the feint, he forced an inside cut, trying to use speed to gain position and see if he could squeeze through.
Tsimikas's performance was becoming increasingly stable, already showing the potential to succeed Robertson. He was quick on his feet, matching Antony's pace in one step, and the two collided.
After falling, Antony immediately raised his hand to the referee, appealing for a free-kick. Tsimikas seized the opportunity to poke the ball towards center-back Gomez.
Gomez was looking at the referee, who was shouting that it was a good play with no foul. He wasn't watching his feet, and the ball rolled past him.
Alisson quickly shouted, "Ball! Turn! Watch the ball!"
Gomez started in surprise, quickly turned, and Van Dijk on his left was also startled by Gomez, quickly changing direction and running towards the ball.
Wout Weghorst's hustle earned him an opportunity. When Tsimikas poked the ball, he was already moving forward to continue pressing. He hadn't expected Gomez to let the ball roll past him, turning his press into a steal.
Wout Weghorst pounced on the loose ball on the goal line, going one-on-one with Alisson. The Dutch striker's finishing ability was not weak; purely in terms of shooting, he was considerably better than Gao Nuo, who had already scored 11 goals in the League. His problem lay in the match rhythm, making it difficult to form a good understanding with his teammates.
Presented with such a prime scoring opportunity, Wout Weghorst dared not waste it, calmly slotting the ball into the far corner.
Manchester United led Liverpool 1:0.
