Fortunately, Casemiro was very focused and reacted quickly, rushing to Camavinga's side and pushing him hard.
"Beep!" The whistle blew, and Real Madrid had a free-kick in their own half.
Before he could even pass the ball, he was knocked to the ground. Camavinga was the first to express dissatisfaction, making a card-giving gesture towards the Referee.
Carlo Ancelotti shouted at the fourth official; no matter the outcome, he couldn't miss any opportunity to apply pressure.
The Referee waved for Real Madrid players to retreat, pointing to his eyes, indicating that he saw the play clearly and it was just a normal foul.
"Bring the tempo down! We're only one goal down, don't make any more mistakes!"
Erik ten Hag ran to the sideline, shouting at Bruno Fernandes.
"There's no problem with this play! We need to speed up the game!"
Bruno shrugged, spread his hands, and muttered to himself.
The stadium was too large, and the noise from the fans was quite loud, so the captain's and coach's argument didn't carry too far.
Aside from Antony, who was right in front of the technical area and became more agitated, the rest of Manchester United were unaffected.
In the 22nd minute of the match, Manchester United's attack came down the right flank.
Vanderson was constrained by Vinicius and dared not push too far forward.
Real Madrid's midfield trio was young and energetic, and Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes were tightly marked.
After analyzing the situation on the field, Antony, who had the ball, decided to go for a solo effort.
"Naive kid."
Alaba, 32, had just renewed his contract with the team for two years and continued to perform consistently this season.
Antony's continuous feints didn't trouble Alaba. He spotted a gap in his opponent's fake moves and decisively poked the ball away.
Antony only felt a gust of wind pass by him, and both the ball at his feet and his opponent in front of him disappeared simultaneously. After realizing what happened, he immediately chased back.
Alaba, having won the ball, passed it to the center as Casemiro pressed. Bellingham passed it back to the left without stopping, and Alaba received the ball and advanced down the wing.
Casemiro, who had been bypassed by the wall pass, continued to chase Alaba.
Vanderson kept close to Vinicius.
Bruno Fernandes retreated quickly, disrupting Bellingham's run.
Süle and Pau Torres took up their defensive positions.
Manchester United's defense was on high alert.
Alaba couldn't find a good passing opportunity. He stopped abruptly, faking out Casemiro, and prepared to pass back to the center to switch to the weak side.
Just as he adjusted his center of gravity and before he could pass the ball, Alaba, along with the ball, fell to the ground.
Antony had collided with Alaba from behind.
"Beep beep beep—!" The Referee's urgent whistle sounded, and he issued a yellow card to Antony.
This foul was near the technical area. Carlo Ancelotti shouted at Antony in dissatisfaction, "Kid, do you want to box? This is football!"
Antony pointed to the Referee's yellow card and made a "shush" gesture, as if to say, "The Referee has already given a card, shut up!"
Such actions drew boos from the stands, and Real Madrid fans near the touchline cursed at Antony.
Erik ten Hag, not far away, was expressionless. He saw the play very clearly; Antony had deliberately gone for the man.
"This can't go on. Even the captain is getting agitated, and the team will become increasingly passive."
Watching his favorite player's somewhat irrational actions, Erik ten Hag felt an inexplicable irritation.
It wasn't an experienced veteran who helped Manchester United calm down, but Gao Nuo, eager to prove himself.
In the 28th minute of the match, Rice intercepted an opponent's pass in the backfield and sent a long pass to the left wing.
Rashford controlled the ball, turned, and bypassed Mazraoui, initiating a Manchester United counter-attack.
Gao Nuo desperately rushed towards the penalty area. He understood Militão's defensive coverage ability too well; Rashford might not get a chance to shoot.
Militão didn't wait in the center but actively moved towards Rashford.
In terms of agility alone, Militão was no less than an ordinary full-back, and his defensive coverage on the wings was his specialty.
Gao Nuo judged the situation correctly but failed to judge his teammate's intentions.
Agitated emotions spread across the field. Rashford tried to break through twice, but his path was blocked by his opponent each time.
He was tightly focused on his opponent in front of him and didn't see Gao Nuo vigorously waving for the ball in the center.
Seeing that he was almost at the byline, Rashford put power into his feet, preparing to force his way into the penalty area.
Militão's defense was very solid. He didn't rush into a tackle and kept waiting for an opportunity.
"Now!"
Seizing the moment, Militão stretched out his leg and accurately kicked the ball out of bounds.
Manchester United got a corner kick. In the penalty area, Gao Nuo was furious.
"Marcus, didn't you see me asking for the ball in the middle? What time is it now? Put away your willfulness!"
"And you guys, this is the Champions League Final! We are a team, look at your teammates around you. I always believe in you, but what are you doing?"
After scolding Rashford, he scolded the entire team. It was the first time Gao Nuo had yelled at his teammates on the field.
Seeing Gao Nuo's agitation, Bruno Fernandes, on the contrary, calmed down. As he walked towards the corner flag, he also responded loudly.
"Alright, alright, kid, focus on your own job first. We need to calm down."
Casemiro walked over to Gao Nuo, patted his backside, and whispered, "Calm down! There's still time!"
Antony also came over, "Gao, don't be impulsive!"
Rashford, having been scolded by Gao Nuo, felt a bit embarrassed and wanted to retort a few words, but Rice stopped him.
Rice forcibly pulled Rashford aside, indicating that the corner kick was about to be taken and to focus on the game first.
"Oh? We saw what Gao Nuo just said to his teammates. Judging by his expression, it shouldn't be anything good!"
"Eh, Gao Nuo was a bit rash at this moment. The team was already a bit agitated, and such a move undoubtedly adds fuel to the fire."
"Zhang, I don't think so. I actually think someone should stand up at this moment to break Manchester United's agitated mood. Looking at the reactions of the others, it seems to have worked well."
"Eh, let's hope so."
The audience in the live broadcast room also split into two factions, engaging in a fierce debate.
"Gao Nuo is still too young. Yelling at his teammates at this time, Big B hasn't even spoken yet!"
"Those who haven't played football shouldn't speak. Communication with teammates on the field is very important; if you have something to say, you should say it!"
"Say what? You might just make Manchester United collapse!"
"Gao Nuo usually has such a good temper. What's wrong with him today?"
"He wants to win too much. In fact, if you look at the people on Manchester United's field, they all want to win too much."
"Look at Rashford's expression, and Gao Nuo's too. Why are you scolding the team's boss?"
"What team boss? After causing trouble with contracts, he causes trouble in the locker room, and he's becoming more and more selfish on the field!"
"This past half hour has made me feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles, with thorns in my back, and a fishbone stuck in my throat!"
