Chapter 455: Europa League Final
"This is the 2016-2017 UEFA Europa League final, live from the Friends Arena in Stockholm. The two competing teams are the Premier League giants Manchester United and the Eredivisie giants Ajax. Both teams are top-tier clubs in European football, with countless fans worldwide!"
"This is Manchester United's first appearance in the Europa League final. Previously, they reached the Champions League final five times, winning three, and they won the Cup Winners' Cup once. If they can beat Ajax today, they will become the fifth club in European football history, after Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea, to complete the European treble."
"Ajax has not had notable success in European competitions in recent years due to their overall strength. This is their first European final since losing to Juventus in the 1996 Champions League final, marking a 21-year gap."
"With two top-tier clubs clashing at the pinnacle of European football, this Europa League final has garnered worldwide attention."
"UEFA should probably send Manchester United a thank-you letter. We've heard that with United making it to the final, the viewership for this Europa League final might set unprecedented records."
"The Friends Arena is packed to capacity. The players are warming up, and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is in the spotlight. As one of the most successful managers in modern football, he has earned praise and recognition with three European trophies..."
The television in the VIP box at the Friends Arena was broadcasting Sky Sports' live commentary.
Jassim was in a great mood. He glanced at the TV, then stood up to look at the field, watching the players warm up with great ambition.
In his first season after buying Manchester United, the team achieved immense success, reclaiming the Premier League title after four years and possibly becoming the first British team in history to win the full set of trophies, joining the ranks of the European treble winners.
It all felt like a dream.
...
For this match, United lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Rashford was the lone striker, with Mata, Bruno, and Gundogan behind him. Kante and Fellaini were the double pivots. In defense, Smalling and Maguire partnered in the center, with Darmian and Valencia on the flanks, and Romero in goal.
From the start, United displayed a strong attacking intent, creating a dangerous opportunity on their first attack.
Within 24 seconds, Ajax goalkeeper Onana collided with a teammate, giving Bruno an unexpected chance, but his volley from the edge of the box narrowly missed the left post.
Ajax coach Bosz watched closely, analyzing United's tactics. An aggressive start? If so, Bosz welcomed it, knowing Ajax could counterattack effectively, especially with wingers like Ziyech and Schöne.
However, Bosz soon realized he was too optimistic. After their initial attack, United quickly retreated and set up a solid defensive formation, waiting for Ajax to come forward.
Mourinho sat on the bench, quietly observing the game, a bottle of water in hand. United's strategy was clear: defend and counterattack. He was waiting for Ajax to commit men forward.
Who wanted this Europa League title more, Mourinho wondered. He felt it was Ajax.
Mourinho had already led United to the Premier League and League Cup titles and reached the FA Cup final. This season was already great for him. Winning the Europa League would be a bonus, but failing to do so wouldn't harm his reputation.
At least, Mourinho himself was relatively calm.
But Ajax seemed different. Coach Bosz had boldly declared to the Dutch media that he would lead Ajax to make history, winning a European title after 21 years.
Whether Bosz was just talking to the domestic media or genuinely believed it, Mourinho took it seriously.
Besides, what better strategy is there in a final than to defend and counterattack?
...
Mourinho soon felt reassured as Ajax played aggressively, pressing forward when they saw United retreat.
However, against United's tough defense, Ajax struggled. They found it hard to string more than three passes together.
This time, Klaassen tried to pass to Ziyech, but Kante anticipated it perfectly, intercepted the ball, and quickly found Bruno upfield.
"Counterattack! United's counterattack!"
The United fans in the stands erupted with excitement.
United demonstrated what a fast counterattack looks like. Bruno made a diagonal pass to Gundogan, who sped forward, neatly sidestepped an Ajax defender, and passed to Mata, who then swept the ball to the left. Darmian crossed it, and Rashford's header was saved by Onana. Bruno's follow-up shot was blocked on the line by an Ajax defender.
United players raised their hands, claiming handball. However, the referee signaled for a corner.
Mata took the corner, but Ajax's defense, not lacking in height, cleared the ball, and a long clearance followed, defusing the danger.
...
"Let's see what happened in the box," commentator Gary Lineker said.
The slow-motion replay showed Bruno's follow-up shot hitting Ajax defender Sánchez's arm, but his arm was close to his body.
The interpretation of handball varies across leagues. Such a block could be called handball in some games, but in a Europa League final, the referee was unlikely to award a penalty.
Mourinho, however, didn't care. To him, the referee had denied United a penalty. He protested loudly on the sidelines, earning a stern warning from the fourth official before reluctantly returning to his seat.
...
A few minutes later, United pressed forward again, but this time their pass was intercepted, allowing Ajax to counterattack.
Ziyech skillfully dribbled past Valencia and continued advancing while watching his teammates' movements. Just then, he felt a surge of pressure.
Ziyech quickly tried to pass the ball, but it was too late.
"Fellaini!"
"Interception!"
Ziyech's loss of possession put Ajax in danger. They had pushed up for a counterattack, leaving only two defenders at the back.
Fellaini, who intercepted the ball, wasted no time and passed it to the advancing Bruno.
Facing a hastily intercepting Ajax defender De Ligt, Bruno used his speed to get past him.
A startled De Ligt reached out but only grabbed air as Bruno accelerated away.
Bruno then played a one-two with Mata and feinted a pass to the overlapping Valencia before cutting inside and curling a shot towards the far post.
In the box, Rashford shielded Sánchez and flicked the ball to the far post.
...
Gundogan appeared in the frame, unmarked.
"Gundogan! A chance!"
Mourinho clenched his fists, eyes fixed on the goal.
Gundogan didn't waste the opportunity. He controlled the ball with his left foot, shielding it from the recovering Ajax defender, and struck decisively with his right, sending the ball past Onana into the net!
"GOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!"
"Gundogan! Gundogan! Gundogan! He scores after receiving Rashford's pass, 1-0! United take the lead with a swift counterattack, showcasing their lightning-fast counter!"
"This is Gundogan's sixth Europa League goal of the season, five of which came away from home. The German midfielder is United's 'cup king,' contributing 7 goals and 4 assists in the Europa League, League Cup, and FA Cup!"
The Friends Arena erupted with cheers from United fans, who saw hope in reclaiming European glory.
With a capacity of 48,000, the Friends Arena allocated 20,000 tickets to the finalists, 11,000 to government and sponsors, and 17,000 for general sale.
Interestingly, United's star striker Ibrahimović is Sweden's most popular player, meaning that many of the 27,000 non-team-specific tickets ended up with United supporters.
Judging by the jerseys in the stands, two-thirds of the fans wore United's red.
Besides the 30,000 United fans inside, at least 100,000 were outside watching. Such is United's immense fanbase.
Mourinho high-fived Faria, feeling more at ease with the 1-0 lead.
Now, United could focus on their counterattacking strategy with even more confidence.
(End of the chapter)
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