Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 268: Making the Ballon d'Or Unquestionable

Less than ten minutes after Udinese took the lead, Inter Milan won a corner during an attack. However, during the corner kick, Udinese's goalkeeper Karnezis made an error by missing the ball. Not only did he fail to catch it, but he also disrupted his defenders, causing the ball to fall to the far post. Inter Milan's midfielder Jovetić headed the ball into the net, equalizing the score.

After the equalizer, the match continued with both sides attacking back and forth. Mancini intensified his focus on marking Bruno, with Inter Milan's midfield taking on more defensive duties, which somewhat stifled their attack. The Nerazzurri were clearly wary of Bruno's offensive prowess.

In the 25th minute, Karnezis made another mistake. Again, while coming out to catch the ball, he was late, allowing Icardi to get a pass off to Perišić, who aimed for an empty goal. However, veteran defender Domizzi arrived just in time to clear the ball off the line, preventing a disaster.

Karnezis' consecutive mistakes frustrated Guidolin, who immediately made adjustments to stabilize the team's defense. Subsequently, Udinese took control of the match.

...

When Udinese plays steadily, it's never easy for any team to breach their defense. Especially when opponents press forward, they always have to be wary of gaps behind them. Maybe it was the solid performance of their defense this season that made Inter Milan overconfident, or perhaps they felt safe as the first half was ending and took a gamble.

But in Serie A, no defense can claim to completely shut down Udinese's attack. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Udinese intercepted the ball in their own half and launched a quick counterattack. Iturra's diagonal pass found Adnan on the left, who cut inside and passed to the oncoming Badu.

Badu, sprinting forward, made a direct through pass. Miranda, who had been the defensive core for Atlético Madrid over the past four seasons and crucial in their La Liga title win and Champions League final run in 2013-2014, had joined Inter Milan this summer at age 31. Under Mancini, Miranda remained a key defensive figure, crucial to Inter's defensive transformation this season.

...

Miranda knew this was a rare opportunity. Performing well in such a crucial match against Udinese was vital for his status in the Nerazzurri. Hence, he kept a close eye on Bruno from the start of the game.

When Badu made that through pass, Miranda reacted the fastest, fully aware of Bruno's threat. He immediately chose to track back and block Bruno at the penalty spot. Miranda was extremely cautious, reminding himself constantly that Bruno was as formidable as Messi and Ronaldo, one of the most dangerous attackers in the world.

The Brazilian center-back was 200% focused, with all his attention on Bruno. He noticed that as Bruno caught up with the ball, he made a sudden stop, so Miranda stopped as well but stayed vigilant, suspecting it might be a feint.

Indeed, it was. Bruno quickly restarted and feigned a shot, causing Miranda to react and attempt to block the shot. Unexpectedly, Bruno swiftly dragged the ball back with his left foot, stopping again, and with a right-foot push, cut inside with two consecutive feints.

...

Miranda was powerless, watching Bruno create a small space and unleash a shot with his right foot. The ball rocketed past Miranda and into the bottom right corner of the goal. Inter Milan goalkeeper Handanović reacted, but the shot was too fast to stop.

2-1! Udinese took the lead again!

Trying to change his body's center of gravity, Miranda fell, disbelief on his face. This was his first direct encounter with Bruno. Despite all the hearsay, it was only on the pitch that he truly realized how terrifying Bruno was.

Miranda felt the same way he had when facing Messi and Ronaldo in La Liga, perhaps even more so. Bruno's series of quick feints and changes of direction left Miranda defenseless, creating a small gap to exploit.

Now he understood why Bruno was the top scorer and assist provider in 2015. Bruno was nearly perfect, with no apparent weaknesses.

...

Bruno's stoppage-time goal had a significant impact on Inter Milan. After halftime, Udinese played even more aggressively, pressing high from the start. Their double pivot quickly took control of the game, putting immense pressure on Inter Milan.

Bruno, playing as an attacking midfielder, was very active. In the 55th minute, Bruno's low cross from the left led to Di Natale's shot from the edge of the box, which deflected off Inter Milan's midfielder Melo and bounced back to midfield. Iturra passed diagonally to the right, where Widmer evaded Telles and crossed to Thauvin, who headed in from close range.

3-1!

With a two-goal lead, Udinese played more steadily and patiently. Just seven minutes later, Udinese intercepted the ball in midfield and launched another counterattack. Badu dribbled past midfield and sent a precise long pass into Inter Milan's penalty area, where Bruno made a diagonal run from the left.

As the ball dropped outside the six-yard box, Bruno arrived just in time and volleyed it with his left foot into the far corner of the goal. Handanović dived but couldn't stop it.

4-1! Hat trick!

Bruno's recent form was unstoppable, and Udinese was cruising!

...

Inter Milan's coach Mancini made adjustments, strengthening the midfield. After securing the win, Udinese substituted Bruno out. Next Monday, the entire Udinese team would fly to the Eastern Hemisphere for their fifth trophy of 2015.

As Bruno walked off, the Friuli Stadium erupted in applause, fans acknowledging his superb performance. His hat trick had secured Udinese's victory. This was Bruno's third hat trick of the season.

So far, Udinese had played 17 league matches, with Bruno scoring in 12 of them, including three hat tricks and one four-goal game, totaling 19 goals. His outstanding form was astonishing, earning admiration from all present at Friuli Stadium.

After Bruno left, Udinese's control faltered, allowing Inter Milan to score two goals. In the 83rd minute, Lodi, who replaced Bruno, made a back pass error, allowing Icardi to score from 12 meters, making it 4-2.

Three minutes later, Guarín's long pass from the back found Brozović, who cut inside from the left and scored with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, making it 4-3.

Inter Milan, having scored twice in quick succession, gained momentum, but with little time left, Udinese defended resolutely to maintain the 4-3 scoreline until the final whistle.

...

On December 14th, as the new week began, Bruno once again dominated global media headlines. Despite playing just over an hour, his hat trick brought his 2015 goal tally to 57.

In the new season, Bruno had scored 19 goals in Serie A, and the season wasn't even halfway over. His performances in the Champions League were equally impressive, with nine goals in five matches, helping Udinese top their group and advance to the round of 16.

Italian media praised Bruno, suggesting that if the Ballon d'Or wasn't awarded to him in January, it would lose its credibility. Worldwide media joined the chorus of praise, except for some outlets in Madrid and Catalonia, which remained skeptical. Catalan media, in particular, argued that at just 21, Bruno wasn't mature enough to win the Ballon d'Or and questioned the significance of his three hat tricks.

(End of chapter)

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