The Etihad Stadium was suddenly swept by a tidal wave of red noise.
"Just 12 minutes into the match, Manchester United have broken the deadlock with a ruthless, efficient counter-attack, and they have taken the lead at the home of their neighbors!" Peter Drury announced, his voice rising above the din.
"It seems the recent Champions League defeat has had a greater impact on the City psyche than Guardiola claimed in his press conference."
"In this transition between offense and defense, Manchester City's players were clearly a step slow, whether in pressing immediately or tracking back. They looked heavy-legged and heavy-hearted."
Beside him, Jim Beglin chimed in with his analysis.
"That's right, Peter. At this crucial stage of the title race late in the season, every match is vital, and morale fluctuates wildly with the results."
"We can see that after defeating Bayern Munich, Manchester United is clearly in an excited state, with every player showing high motivation and sharp reactions."
"A winning team is a winning team—confidence is built brick by brick, victory by victory."
Nearly ten million fans following the match online were also delighted.
In the first encounter between the two teams earlier in the season, Manchester United had barely managed to defeat Manchester City, scraping a win, but today they had drawn first blood.
They seemed to see victory beckoning!
...
Twitter was instantly flooded with comments, the hashtags #ManchesterDerby and #Lukaku trending worldwide.
@RedRom9: Lukaku has finally found his form! Watching him play recently had me anxious, but that finish was pure class.
@TacticoUnited: Honestly, after slowing down his weight gain program, his impact outside the box is stronger than before. He rarely scored goals like this in the past—he's actually mobile again!
@LingFan7: Don't forget the assist! Ling's crossing is spot-on today. His left foot has clearly improved a lot since the start of the season. That curl was delicious.
@DevilInside: If Manchester United can stabilize, the later the game goes, the better for them. After all, Manchester City had one less day of rest, so their fitness surely isn't at its peak.
@LuckyCharm: You could say heaven is helping Manchester United—the schedule is completely in their favor.
@RefWatch: And the referee, Martin Atkinson, is practically a lucky charm for United. In both Manchester derbies he's officiated, United have won. It's written in the stars!
@CitySlayer: Let's go!! 100 points is still on and the title is coming to Old Trafford!
...
On the sidelines.
Jose Mourinho watched the Manchester United players celebrating wildly near the corner flag and couldn't help but raise his arms and roar in excitement.
He knew deep down that, given United's current level compared to the European giants, winning the Champions League would be extremely difficult.
So, he had pinned all his hopes on the Premier League title.
If they failed to win the league, Manchester United would end the season empty-handed.
No matter how impressive their previous record was or how many unbeaten matches they had maintained, it would all mean nothing in the history books.
Because the football world is harsh—titles represent everything.
Mourinho needed a championship to convince the investors and the Glazers to increase their funding, bring in stronger players next season, and compete for more honors to build a dynasty.
...
On the other side of the technical area.
Pep Guardiola felt utterly drained.
Over his illustrious nine-year coaching career, he had already won six league titles and had come to Manchester City last season ready to make a huge impact.
This season had indeed shown massive improvement, setting a Premier League record of 18 consecutive wins—remarkable in a grueling 38-game season.
He also had the chance to become the first Spanish manager to win the Premier League.
But who would have thought that Manchester United, despite their struggles in recent years, hadn't fallen behind City and had instead overtaken them step by step, shadow by shadow.
Although he publicly acknowledged having a good relationship with Mourinho in front of the media, it was impossible to say there was no competitive spirit or bitterness at all.
Losing to Mourinho was painful, and he really didn't want to experience it again.
Guardiola angrily strode into the technical area.
Frantically gesturing to convey instructions, he waved his arms like a conductor possessed, wishing he had a controller to personally direct the players on the pitch like a video game.
Soon, the match resumed.
Manchester City's formation began to rapidly shift according to Guardiola's frantic instructions.
The two full-backs pushed high up the pitch, almost playing as wingers.
The wingers tucked inside to overload the center, and the front line constantly rotated positions to confuse the marking.
Only Vincent Kompany remained in the defensive third, holding the line alone.
In Manchester City's passing system, numerical superiority was crucial—it meant more passing options and greater variety in attack.
With Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva moving into central positions, City's buildup play became increasingly fluid and dangerous.
The former excelled at exploiting space, while the latter specialized in creating it.
These two could be considered the most vital players in the Blue Moon Army—the brain and the heart.
35th minute of the match.
David Silva drove forward with the ball, facing tight marking from his Spanish compatriot Ander Herrera, yet showed no sign of panic.
Despite his slender frame, Silva's physical resilience and balance were remarkable.
His ability to evade pressure in tight spaces rivaled that of Lionel Messi.
A series of quick feints and turns left Herrera disoriented, twisting his ankles and inadvertently creating an opening.
David Silva seized the moment to break through.
Without even needing to look up, he decisively played the ball into the right channel.
"A tacit understanding in the passing and running cooperation from the midfield!" Beglin praised.
"They created passing lanes through Manchester United's compact defense and delivered the ball safely to De Bruyne's feet!"
"He is Manchester City's unsung hero, yet also their most indispensable component!"
"What will he do next?"
Temporarily unmarked, De Bruyne watched the ball racing toward him as if a tactical diagram had materialized in his mind.
Every player's positioning became vividly clear to him.
Childhood setbacks, personality flaws, the mockery of others—De Bruyne's football journey had been harsh, causing him to grow increasingly reserved over the years.
But then he met his closest friend, Marlan.
And then tragedy struck again. Marlan died in a car accident while on his way to pick him up for training.
Perhaps from that moment on, he was never truly playing alone—it felt as if someone was always guiding him, watching over his passes.
What is the essence of football?
Is it flashy dribbling, lightning-fast moves, or spectacular goals?
No.
It is an ever-shifting geometric pattern formed by 22 points moving in space.
Strip away the chaotic surface, and you'll find the core principle: passing.
The last player to master spatial utilization to such perfection was Andrea Pirlo. Now, it was Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne leaned his body slightly over the ball.
In his vision, a clear, unobstructed path seemed to appear, glowing on the pitch.
Tap!
With a crisp touch, the ball lifted off the ground, spinning along the intended trajectory with wicked curl.
Like a sharp dagger, it sliced through Manchester United's defensive line.
Chris Smalling backtracked several steps, leaped high with a roar to clear it.
But the spinning ball grazed just centimeters over his head—those few centimeters proved fatal.
David De Gea rushed off his line, attempting to punch the ball clear from danger.
"Sané!" Drury screamed.
"His clever run deceived Valencia!"
"A sliding volley! Beautiful! It's in!"
"De Bruyne seemed to activate a bird's eye view, finding an almost impossible passing lane!"
"As David Silva ages, Kevin De Bruyne is gradually taking the helm of the Blue Moon Army, steering the offensive direction of this luxury vessel!"
The Etihad Stadium erupted.
Manchester City players in blue jerseys roared triumphantly, pumping their fists.
Just as hope seemed to fade, this goal served as a powerful stimulant, reigniting their fighting spirit.
So what if they lost the Champions League match?
Manchester City had experienced ups and downs over the years and would never easily retreat or admit defeat.
Leroy Sané excitedly spread his arms and ran like a gliding plane to vent his excitement, and the rest of the Manchester City players followed suit, piling onto him.
As for De Bruyne.
He jogged a couple of steps, then lightly jumped—undoubtedly a neighborhood-level celebration, calm amidst the storm.
Nearby, the Manchester United players exchanged glances.
To be honest, none of them had expected the opponent's goal to come so quickly and in such a manner.
It was a bit of a surprise.
Smalling spat on the turf in frustration; his judgment of the ball's landing spot hadn't been accurate enough, or he could have intercepted it earlier.
But he wasn't too disheartened.
Having come this far, no one would choose to give up easily.
Not Manchester City, and not Manchester United either.
Everyone had reasons not to lose: De Bruyne for his deceased friend, Antonio Valencia for the Manchester United badge he had served for ten years, Phil Jones for Ferguson's recognition...
Ling's chest heaved violently—he too carried the expectations of many.
His parents, the fans... and most importantly, himself.
Without any words of encouragement, everyone silently returned to their positions, waiting for the match to resume.
...
On the sidelines, the roles were reversed.
Guardiola celebrated excitedly, punching the air, while Mourinho shook his hands in resignation.
Just as they had said before, the two were like twins, their fates long intertwined.
It had started at Barcelona and Real Madrid and would eventually end, but at least today, neither wanted to lose to the other, and the reason was their mutual recognition and strong self-confidence.
With their morale boosted, Manchester City became unstoppable, aggressively pressing to regain possession and allocating more tactical resources to De Bruyne.
Those deadly passes left Manchester United's defense on the verge of collapse.
Paul Pogba had no choice but to increase his defensive efforts, sticking close to De Bruyne at all times to disrupt his rhythm.
Fortunately, De Bruyne wasn't particularly strong in dribbling skills. If he had David Silva's footwork combined with his passing, he would truly become an all-around midfielder, the kind who could contend for the Ballon d'Or in the future.
The situation became deadlocked, and time flew by.
Near the end of the first half, Raheem Sterling dropped back to receive the ball, dribbled past Matic, and took a shot that sailed straight into the stands behind the goal, endangering the fans in row Z.
Beep!
Referee Atkinson blew the whistle accordingly.
The tense hearts of the players from both teams eased, and they quickly headed toward the tunnel.
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