After taking a 2-0 lead, Manchester United's play became more relaxed. As a promoted team, Burnley's lack of strength left them with few options. Even with their manager Kompany shouting in frustration from the sidelines, the players couldn't control possession and were pinned back in their own half by Manchester United.
In the 42nd minute, Burnley got a good counter-attacking opportunity.
Antony's dribbling had improved significantly from last season, but it was still inconsistent. After a series of feints on the right wing, his overly relaxed pass was intercepted by the full-back.
Burnley launched a counter-attack. Having been constantly pressured by Manchester United, the lads, who had been struggling to make an impact, now looked like they were on fire, charging frantically towards the opposition's half.
The full-back who won the ball opted for a direct long ball, kicking it far towards the left byline.
Varane, who was tracking back, saw that the full-back's return was too late and decisively charged towards the wing, preventing Burnley from easily threatening the penalty area.
The Burnley winger, who had finally caught up to the ball, faced the defense. Lacking confidence to dribble past Varane and unwilling to waste the opportunity, he immediately sent a high cross towards the far post.
Lisandro Martínez, who was starting alongside Varane, struggled with aerial defense due to his height disadvantage, only able to tightly mark the striker in front of him.
The Burnley striker managed to get to the ball, but was jostled off balance by Lima in front of him. After heading the ball, both he and Lima fell to the ground. The header lacked power and was blocked by De Gea.
The agile Lima quickly got up from the ground, chased down the rebound, and initiated a counter-attack, instantly reversing the roles of hunter and hunted on the field.
Gao Nuo had just run back to the center circle when he saw a powerful long pass flying towards him. While admiring Lima's footwork, he pushed the defending player behind him, calmly controlled the ball with his chest, and then used his heel to forcefully flick the ball through the defender's legs, finding the onrushing Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno received the ball and accelerated forward with it. Unlike the previous advantage in numbers, he had to pick up speed to attract defensive attention. Burnley's defenders wouldn't just watch Bruno penetrate the penalty area. As they converged towards the center, Rashford and Antony on the wings both got chances to attack the goal.
Bruno observed the situations on both sides. Antony seemed to be in an offside position, so he chose to pass the ball to Rashford on the left.
Rashford's movements were fluid: a touch, a shot, and it was a goal! Receiving the pass comfortably and easily slotting it home, Rashford felt as if he had just completed a shooting drill while running, with no difficulty at all.
Manchester United led Burnley 3-0 at halftime.
On the live broadcast, the two combined plays between Bruno and Gao Nuo were repeatedly replayed. Zhan Jun remarked, "Manchester United is very cohesive now. The runs and passes between players are simple and effective, and the game looks pleasing to the eye."
Zhang smiled and nodded, "That's right. Besides Casemiro, the chemistry between Bruno and Gao Nuo is also getting better and better."
Speaking of Gao Nuo, Zhan Jun also smiled, "Yes, and Bruno is different from Casemiro. Not only can he pass to Gao Nuo, but Bruno can also receive some brilliant passes from Gao Nuo. The two of them have more combinations in the midfield."
Zhang continued his commentary, "Ah! That's right. Although the second goal was an assist from Bruno, Gao Nuo's backheel pass before that was full of flair! Manchester United's entire first half felt like a training match; everyone was playing freely, and some of the passes were even more spectacular than the goals."
Zhan Jun received a cue from the director, "Alright, thank you for your analysis, Zhang. The second half is about to begin. Let's turn our attention back to the match."
Gao Nuo, whose performance in the first half was highly praised, was substituted in the 50th minute of the second half. Rashford also came off, with Wout Weghorst and Garnacho coming on as substitutes.
In the 55th minute, Bruno Fernandes took a corner, and Casemiro's powerful header flew towards the goal. The goalkeeper managed to deflect it with one hand, but the ball was too fast and still flew into the net.
Manchester United led 4-0, and the game had lost all suspense. Burnley manager Kompany could only shake his head helplessly on the bench, then brought on young players. It was clear that Burnley had given up.
Manchester United substituted Casemiro and Rice, and the pace of the game slowed down. With a large lead, avoiding injuries was the most important task.
Bruno Fernandes, who had already provided three assists, still orchestrated a vibrant attack with the team's rotated lineup.
In the 80th minute, Garnacho's breakthrough was intercepted, but he didn't give the opponent a chance to counter. Renato Sanches quickly pressed, forming a pincer movement with the recovering Garnacho, successfully winning back possession.
After this back-and-forth, Garnacho successfully broke through to the byline and sent a cut-back pass towards the center.
The tireless Bruno received the pass and, facing two defenders blocking him, calmly slotted a diagonal pass towards the right side of the penalty area.
The onrushing Antony carried the ball into the box. From a tight angle near the byline, he curled a left-footed shot. The ball arced, accurately hit the post, and spun into the goal.
Burnley's goalkeeper was helpless. He had already firmly covered the near post. Even Buffon would have been powerless against a goal that went in off the post like that.
Manchester United led 5-0. Kompany on the sidelines looked furious, glancing at Erik ten Hag beside him with some displeasure. Although we gave up on the game ourselves, can't you control your players? Do you have to completely slaughter us to be satisfied? I just brought Burnley up to the Premier League, and now we're facing relegation again. You can take the points, but can't you at least give me some face?
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Erik ten Hag saw Kompany's resentful gaze and, understanding the hint, sat back on the bench, thinking: I've already taken off the main players, so this isn't my fault. It's just tough for Coach Kompany next to me. I'll have to say some good things for him in the post-match interview. These lads were just having too much fun, especially Bruno. What kind of medicine did he take today? Those passes were so sharp, completely dismantling them, right? Oh, right, I'll let him take the blame in the interview later. Coach Kompany, if you hold a grudge, blame it on Bruno.
Bruno had no idea that the two bald men on the sidelines were being a bit mischievous, with one even planning to throw him under the bus. After securing his fourth assist of the match, he then successfully fell into Erik ten Hag's "trap" with a world-class shot.
Manchester United, with a huge lead, wasn't playing with extreme seriousness, just following their tactics, passing and shooting.
In the 87th minute, Manchester United's corner was cleared by a defender, and the ball rolled directly to Bruno Fernandes in midfield. Too lazy to organize another attack, Bruno took a running start and struck the ball directly, the entire motion resembling a direct free-kick.
The ball flew for 30 meters, with a noticeable dip, and perfectly nestled into the top corner of the goal.
Gao Nuo, on the bench, was the first to react, waving his water bottle and jumping around with his teammates to cheer on the captain. Erik ten Hag first covered his bald head, amazed by the brilliance of the world-class goal, and then helplessly covered his face, thinking that Kompany would surely hold a grudge now.
Bruno, who scored, didn't celebrate excessively. His somewhat casual shot had turned out so spectacularly, there was definitely an element of luck involved.
The full-time whistle blew, and Manchester United utterly thrashed Burnley 6-0.
In the post-match interview, Erik ten Hag, as planned, praised Kompany's coaching ability and attributed Manchester United's victory entirely to the captain's one goal and four assists.
Kompany, when interviewed, only said one sentence: "Bruno Fernandes single-handedly destroyed us." He then turned and left, his gritted teeth clearly indicating that he had made a mental note about the Manchester United captain.
