Chapter 527 133 — The Cost of Rotation IV

United tried to get back into it through Bruno. Demien watched Bournemouth's shape rather than the ball. Every time it went to a United fullback, two Bournemouth players moved at once. Mainoo broke through the first line a couple of times with good turns, but the forwards weren't always in position to receive the next pass.

McTominay got forward once, but Bournemouth won it back before Bruno could find him.

Garnacho cut in and forced a save from Neto. Bruno curled in a cross that was headed clear. Højlund kept dropping between the center-backs and getting squeezed out before he could turn.

Bournemouth stayed dangerous on the break. Solanke ran the channel between center-back and fullback and forced Onana to come out quickly to smother it.

HALFTIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0 — 1 BOURNEMOUTH

Ten Hag didn't abandon the plan. Demien could see him through the dressing room door, talking to Mainoo and McTominay with his hands held apart — distance, distance. The same eleven went back out.

The opening ten minutes of the second half weren't much better. Mainoo kept making himself available. Bruno kept trying to force it forward. Bournemouth kept getting back into shape before United could find Højlund anywhere dangerous.

Just before the hour, one of the assistants turned toward the bench.

"Demien. Warm up properly. You're going on."

Ten Hag spoke to him on the touchline while the fourth official checked his studs.

"Get behind their first press," he said. "Connect Kobbie to Bruno. And don't let us get caught on the counter while we chase the goal. That's it."

"Understood."

The board went up. McTominay's number came off. McTominay jogged over, slapped his palm and said, "They're sitting on Kobbie. Watch it."

"Got it," Demien said, and ran on.

Mainoo moved a few yards deeper to make room for him. Bruno stayed ahead. Højlund stayed on.

「SUBSTITUTE IMPACT MISSION ACTIVATED」 「Complete 3 successful pressure escapes」 「Create 2 shooting opportunities」 「Record 2 midfield recoveries」 「Maintain 90%+ pass accuracy」 「Reward: +15 MP」 「Bonus Objective: Manchester United Win」 「Bonus Reward: +10 MP」

His first touch came behind Bournemouth's first line.

He checked the nearest midfielder, waited half a beat for him to commit, then turned away before the second player could close.

「TRAIT ACTIVATED」 「Press Resistant」

He switched it straight to the opposite flank. Bournemouth had to turn and run toward their own goal for the first time in several minutes.

Garnacho crossed, and it was headed out. Demien was already outside the box. He collected it and gave it straight back to Bruno before Bournemouth's back line could step out.

On the next attack, he drew two players toward him and found Mainoo at a different angle. Mainoo released Bruno, who slid Højlund toward the box. The shot was blocked, but the crowd had started making noise again.

「Pressure Escapes: 2/3」 「Shooting Opportunities Created: 1/2」

Bournemouth adjusted. They dropped a few yards deeper and started protecting the middle instead of pressing it. The gaps behind their first line closed.

So Demien stopped trying to pass through them. He carried the ball into the ground they were giving him.

The equalizer came from exactly that.

He received outside the final third with Bruno drawing one midfielder toward him and Højlund starting a run between the center-back and fullback. Demien moved forward. Five yards. Ten. The nearest defender had no choice but to step out and confront him.

The space behind the defender was now empty.

「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「Mesut Özil — Eye-of-Needle」

He slid it straight into that space.

Højlund got there before his marker, took one touch to set himself, and finished across Neto.

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 — 1 BOURNEMOUTH Rasmus Højlund (Assist: Demien Walter)

Old Trafford came back to life all at once.

Højlund ran straight to Demien, grabbed him by the shirt, and shouted, "Again! We go again!"

"Get the ball!" Bruno was already yelling, sprinting into the net to fetch it.

Bournemouth didn't collapse. They'd defended well all afternoon, and they still had Solanke and Cook waiting for a counter.

United pushed for the winner.

Demien found Bruno on the edge of the box, and Bruno's shot was low and hard. Neto got down and saved it.

「Shooting Opportunities Created: 2/2 — COMPLETE」

Bournemouth broke through Solanke. Demien had to turn and sprint back toward his own half instead of staying up by Bournemouth's box. He won the loose ball in the center circle and, a minute later, stepped across another counter and delayed it long enough for Mainoo and the defenders to get back.

「Midfield Recoveries: 2/2 — COMPLETE」 「Pressure Escapes: 3/3 — COMPLETE」

The last real chance came in stoppage time. Demien switched it out to Garnacho, who attacked and slid it inside for Bruno. A Bournemouth defender got across and blocked it at the last moment.

The referee blew the final whistle.

FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 — 1 BOURNEMOUTH

Nobody celebrated. Nobody sulked either.

Demien had changed the game, but he hadn't won it. United were still unbeaten in the league. They'd also dropped two points at home to a team they'd been expected to beat.

Mainoo walked past him with his hands on his hips. "Should've had it."

"We should've," Demien said.

「SUBSTITUTE IMPACT MISSION COMPLETE」 「Pressure Escapes: 3/3 — COMPLETE」 「Shooting Opportunities Created: 2/2 — COMPLETE」 「Midfield Recoveries: 2/2 — COMPLETE」 「Pass Accuracy: 93% — COMPLETE」 「Reward: +15 MP」 「Bonus Objective: Manchester United Win — INCOMPLETE」

MATCH RATING: 7.8

No bonus. United hadn't won, so the system didn't pay it. That was fair.

Sunday, December 10th, the squad went back to Carrington for recovery.

The Bournemouth review took ten minutes. Ten Hag showed the early goal, the turnover that led to it, and a few clips of United struggling to get the ball forward before the hour. He didn't dwell on it. There wasn't time.

"We gave them a goal and then spent an hour trying to get it back," he said. "That's the lesson. Tuesday is Bayern."

Demien's screening came back clean. No tightness, nothing flagged. No mission opened for the session. There had been enough missions for one week.

Before the players left, the staff handed out Monday's schedule. Training. Tactical analysis. Set pieces.

At the top, in bold:

MANCHESTER UNITED vs BAYERN MUNICH — TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12

United were already through. That had been settled in Istanbul. Tuesday would decide whether they finished above Bayern or behind them.

Sunday evening, Demien sat on his sofa and opened the preparation material the club had sent to his tablet.

The first clip was Harry Kane.

Kane wasn't standing between the center-backs waiting for crosses. He was dropping — twenty yards, thirty — deep into midfield to collect the ball, pulling a defender with him. And the second he did, Bayern's attacking runners were already sprinting into the space he'd just left behind.

Demien watched it once, then again.

This wasn't Bournemouth. This wasn't a pressing trap near the touchline. This was a striker who played like a midfielder, with three players waiting to punish whoever followed him.

The information screen at the side of the clip showed the group.

GROUP A Bayern Munich — 11 Manchester United — 10

He closed the Bournemouth file and opened the full Bayern schedule for Monday.