Chapter 15 Champions League, the Red Devils are back!

With Champions League qualifying fixtures, Manchester United will have two more games in August than any other Premier League side.

The Premier League starts on 8 August and runs until 30 August, with Manchester United playing two Champions League qualifiers in addition to four Premier League games, one of which is an away game in Brugge, Belgium. Playing six games in 22 days, even at the beginning of the season, Carlo Ancelotti had to make a rotation.

Fortunately, facing Club Brugge at home in the first round, Manchester United currently have a full squad with no injury problems, and there are still quite a few options for Ancelotti to line up.

In the home game against Club Brugge, Carlo Ancelotti made a certain amount of rotation, but because of the importance of this game, he still appropriately retained some of the main players on the field.

Manchester United, playing at home, lined up with a 4231 formation.

At the back, right wing-back Valencia, centre-back Hummels and Phil Jones, left wing-back Sandro and goalkeeper De Gea, of course. At the back, Carlo Ancelotti still largely retained the main lineup.

The midfield combination is veteran Carrick and Herrera, and in the front line, on the left and right are Ashley Young and Nani, two wingers with considerable crossing. And in the central midfield position, captain Wayne Rooney occupies that position.

Forward Li Qingshan.

There are no changes to this lineup at the back, and the main adjustment has come in the midfield, which is almost a big change.

Ancelotti dares to make such a rotation in the front court, and he is naturally confident. Li Qingshan is the core of Manchester United's attack, so as long as Li Qingshan is on the field, Ancelotti is very relieved.

What's more, on the bench, Di Maria and Mata can be put on the field at any time, and the adjustment personnel who can be used on the offensive end also include Hernandez Jr.

Therefore, at the beginning of the season, Carlo Ancelotti did not think that Manchester United's squad could be so bad. While many have criticised the majority of United's players as single-role players, it is only under the hands of the old man in Alex Ferguson that these role players can be combined to make a difference, and with David Moyes or Louis van Gaal, the duo is not so good.

But Ancelotti doesn't think so, the single function is not a bad thing, especially now that there are Li Qingshan, Di Maria, and Mata, putting players such as Ashley Young, Nani, and Hernandez on the bench is to some extent no worse than collecting a bunch of stars on the bench.

When United need to strengthen their crosses, it is just right to bring on Ashley Young as an orthodox England winger, and if it is necessary to strengthen the breakthrough, Nani is undoubtedly a good choice, and if it is necessary to score at the end of the game, substitute Pea Hernandez is ready to come on.

Easy to use and inexpensive. The most important thing is to be loyal to the team, how can such a player be sold easily.

………

The Champions League is the dream of every team in Europe, especially for some small teams, and while increasing their exposure, participating in the Champions League is also a trip to make money.

So, Club Brugge worked hard, they ran like crazy and tried to keep the United attack as much as possible at the Theatre of Dreams, and if possible, they wanted to hit a successful counter-attack or something.

But their efforts came to an end in the thirty-first minute of the game.

Ashley Young's cross from the left was headed past the goalkeeper and just as the ball was about to cross the goal line, the Club Brugge centre-back reached out in a panic to keep his team out – at this moment he probably thought he was the goalkeeper.

Deliberate handball blocking must score!

Red card + penalty.

Bruges is punished with death!

Captain Wayne Rooney came to take the penalty and, after the referee's whistle, he ran and fired a powerful shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

1 to 0!

Club Brugge was a goal down and was sent off at centre-back. The game seemed to be over by the thirty-first minute.

Sure enough, before the end of the first half, Li Qingshan hit the goal with a header again, this time no one could stop him from scoring, Nani broke through on the right side and poked the ball into the penalty area, Li Qingshan shook his head and smashed the ball into the goal!

Two to zero!!

When the game got to this point, Brugge had basically surrendered early.

It was only two legs in the game, and Manchester United did not show mercy because Brugge surrendered.

At the beginning of the second half, Nani's breakthrough on the right created a free kick, Ashley Young's free kick was passed into the penalty area, and most of Brugge's defensive attention was on Li Qingshan, but instead gave Hummels behind Li Qingshan a chance, Li Qingshan jumped high and deliberately leaked the ball to Hummels who ran into the empty space, and Hummels also seized the opportunity and scored his first goal for Manchester United! The score was 3-0.

Soon after, Carlo Ancelotti began to make substitutions.

Hernandez came on to replace Nani and the Reds changed their formation to something similar to 4411, with Wayne Rooney playing on the wing. Hernandez kicked into the middle and moved around Li Qingshan.

With one more player played, Carlo Ancelotti is also starting to experiment with more formations.

Hernandez quickly gained something when he came on the field, through clever running, after receiving Li Qingshan's pass in the open position, he did not stop the ball and swept the ball directly and sent the ball into the goal.

With Li Qingshan containing most of the defensive firepower, Hernandez played like a fish in water.

But this is not the final score of this game, at the end of the game, Li Qingshan came to the penalty area line to turn and volley, and the football hung in the corner of the goal!

Five to 0, which was also the final score of this game.

Although it was only the first leg of the Champions League qualification, Manchester United killed the game early on their home turf with a five-goal victory.

When the game ended, Old Trafford erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Champions League!

It's a fixture that the Reds have never missed since the Premier League era, and for more than two decades, watching a Champions League game at Old Trafford in midweek has been as normal for United fans as eating and breathing. But that changed until Alex Ferguson retired and David Moyes took over. In that season, Manchester United only finished seventh in the Premier League, setting a record for the bottom of the Premier League, which also meant that Manchester United would miss the Champions League.

Immediately after David Moyes stepped down, Louis van Gaal took over and took Manchester United to fourth place in the Premier League. But theoretically, Manchester United did not get the qualification for the Champions League.

Until this game!

Five to Zero!!

With such a score, Manchester United is determined to return to the Champions League!

When the game was over, the local media in Manchester used a photo of Li Qingshan yelling at the stands after scoring a goal, and put a red devil carrying a fork on his face, accompanied by a few big letters.

Champions League, the Red Devils are back!