Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 258: Udinese's Frenzy

"When Wolfsburg pulled a goal back, I was quite upset," Guidolin began. "But after thinking it over, it might not be a bad thing."

Everyone stared at him in surprise, thinking their boss might have lost his mind or was being sarcastic.

"Of course, no one likes to concede. Isn't 2-0 better?" Guidolin continued, prompting laughter in the locker room.

"Now, Wolfsburg is only one goal behind. If you were Wolfsburg players, how would you feel?" Guidolin called on a few players to respond. "Antonio, you first."

"We just need one more goal to equalize," Di Natale replied.

"Bruno?"

"I'd think the same as the captain."

"Joao?"

"We'd see hope."

"Exactly," Guidolin nodded. "You're all correct. A one-goal difference makes Wolfsburg very excited! They see hope. They see a chance to equalize and even to take the lead."

"This hope represents what? Motivation and a strong desire!"

"So, at the start of the second half, we need to focus entirely on defense and not let Wolfsburg score! We let them see hope but keep it out of reach."

"If we can withstand Wolfsburg's initial attacks in the second half, their morale will drop," Guidolin explained. "Who can tell me Wolfsburg's mindset at that point?"

"Frustration."

"Impatience."

"Disappointment."

Everyone started discussing eagerly.

...

"Exactly, you know your opponents very well," Guidolin said, pleased. "We understand their strengths and weaknesses, and we know our own. This gives us the key to victory!"

"This one-goal gap fuels Wolfsburg's hope and drives them to attack desperately. Their morale and motivation stem from this hope," Guidolin emphasized, banging on the table for effect. "In the second half, we defend well and counter-attack! We just need one opportunity, one goal to crush Wolfsburg's spirit!"

The team's atmosphere was positive as Guidolin explained the tactics and details for the second half.

"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say," Guidolin smiled. "I mentioned knowing yourself and your opponent. Now, who can tell me our greatest strength?"

The players discussed among themselves, mentioning their solid defense, strong attack, and some even said, "We have Bruno," right in front of him.

...

Cancelo was quietly talking to Bruno.

Cancelo was humbly seeking advice. Everyone knew that Bruno was the coach's trusted lieutenant.

Of course, this trust was earned through Bruno's outstanding performance on the pitch.

Cancelo was asking how to better communicate and work with the coach. Being straightforward, he wanted to thrive in his current environment and improve himself.

At that moment, Guidolin called on Cancelo: "Joao, your turn!"

"We have you, coach," Cancelo said seriously.

"Oh, you sly dog!" the players looked at Cancelo, realizing he was the best at flattering.

Guidolin burst out laughing and pointed at Cancelo, "I like your honesty."

The locker room erupted in laughter.

Bruno looked at Cancelo in surprise, thinking this guy's emotional intelligence had risen.

"I truly mean it," Cancelo explained earnestly.

Bruno nodded, patting his shoulder. "Joao, you have a bright future. That's the best way to be."

...

The second half had been underway for half an hour, and the game was in the 75th minute, with the score at 2-3.

At the start of the second half, Wolfsburg launched a ferocious attack, but Udinese was prepared and resisted strongly.

In the 56th minute, Udinese capitalized on Wolfsburg's forward pressure with a counter-attack. Bruno's speedy run and pass set up Adnan for a goal.

3-1, Udinese extended their lead.

But ten minutes later, Wolfsburg responded. Rodríguez crossed from the wing, Draxler flicked the ball on with his head, and Kruse finished with a header into the bottom left corner, making it 2-3.

After that goal, the game entered a stalemate.

In the 77th minute, Udinese won a free kick in the attacking third.

Bruno jogged back to the ball, wrapped it in his jersey, and wiped it clean before placing it on the spot. He took three steps back.

The crowd at Volkswagen Arena started with a wave of boos, which grew louder.

Standing over the ball, Bruno prepared for his free kick.

The referee blew his whistle: "Tweet!"

Bruno began his run-up.

Planting his left foot, he leaned to one side, swung his arms for balance, and struck the ball with his right foot.

Thud!

The ball flew, slicing through the air with a beautiful curve, like a rainbow. It sailed over the wall, past Benaglio's outstretched fingers, and rippled the back of the net.

Boom!

The Volkswagen Arena fell silent, followed by a huge uproar.

...

"Goal!"

"Bruno Fernandes! His right foot delivers a beautiful curve, unstoppable for Wolfsburg's wall and Benaglio."

The Volkswagen Arena was silent except for the cheers from the Udinese fans in the away section.

Then, the home fans responded with a chorus of boos.

Bruno's goal put Udinese ahead 4-2 away at Wolfsburg. For the rest of the match, Wolfsburg tried to find a goal to bridge the two-goal gap, but Udinese's resilience held them at bay.

Finally, when the referee blew the final whistle, the score remained 2-4!

Following the international norm for displaying scores, the home team Wolfsburg was listed first, followed by the away team Udinese.

Meanwhile, in the other Group B match, Manchester United drew 1-1 away to CSKA Moscow.

After three group stage matches, Udinese remained top with two wins and one loss, accumulating six points. CSKA Moscow and Manchester United were second and third, respectively, with one win, one draw, and one loss each. Wolfsburg was at the bottom with one win and two losses.

...

On October 25, Udinese faced newly promoted Frosinone in the 9th round of Serie A at Friuli Stadium.

Having just played in Germany midweek, Guidolin had to rotate the squad significantly, with several key players, including captain Di Natale, on the bench. However, Bruno started with the captain's armband.

Despite the rotations, Udinese secured a safe victory at Friuli Stadium.

In the 20th minute, Bruno's long-range shot gave Udinese the lead, which was the only goal of the match.

With nine consecutive wins, Udinese matched the best start in Serie A history!

Though not a world-class coach yet, Guidolin's achievements were notable, with no top-tier stars besides Bruno and Di Natale. This modest Udinese side became one of the most remarkable teams in Europe, the only team maintaining a perfect record besides Bayern Munich in the major European leagues.

This was the best start in Udinese's club history and tied the best start in Serie A, matching Juventus' 2005-2006 record.

Before the Calciopoli scandal, Capello's Juventus had set the record with nine consecutive wins at the start of the season.

Ten years later, Guidolin's Udinese matched Juventus' record.

La Gazzetta dello Sport commented, "Crazy Udinese: Rotating eight players for their ninth consecutive win against Frosinone not only keeps them seven points ahead of Roma but also ties Capello's Juventus record."

...

Across Europe's top five leagues, Udinese's nine consecutive wins were impressive.

Real Madrid holds La Liga's record with a nine-game winning start in the 1968-1969 season. Ligue 1's record is eight consecutive wins, set by Lille in the 1936-1937 season.

Currently, only Tottenham's 11 consecutive wins in the 1960-1961 season and Bayern Munich's 10 consecutive wins this season surpass Udinese's achievement.

Under Guardiola's leadership, Bayern Munich continued their dominance in the Bundesliga, setting a new record with ten consecutive wins the previous day.

Among Europe's top five leagues, Udinese's performance placed them among the best teams.

In the Premier League, Manchester City and Arsenal led with 22 points each from ten matches, both achieving seven wins, one draw, and two losses.

In La Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona topped the table with 21 points each from nine matches, with records of six wins, three draws, and seven wins, two losses, respectively.

In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain led the standings with nine wins and two draws from eleven matches, amassing 29 points.

(End of Chapter)

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