Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 305: A Dramatic Ending

On the afternoon of April 30th, at Friuli Stadium in Udine, Italy, the referee's whistle signaled the end of the match, plunging the massive stadium into silence.

Udinese had lost.

In this match, Udinese faced Torino, ranked twelfth in the standings. This should have been a relatively easy game, as the "Red Bulls" were a mid-table team with neither hope of qualifying for European competitions nor the threat of relegation—they had nothing to play for. However, no one expected that such a team would deliver Udinese their biggest defeat of the season.

1-5!

It was a scoreline that left everyone stunned!

In the most crucial part of the season, the "Red Bulls" handed their city rivals a massive favor. After leading the league for nearly the entire season, Udinese stumbled right before the finish line.

This defeat drastically altered Udinese's prospects of winning the title. If Juventus defeated Carpi the next day, Udinese would have to relinquish the top spot they had held for seven and a half months.

After 36 rounds, Udinese had a record of 29 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses, accumulating 88 points with a goal difference of 36. Juventus, on the other hand, had 28 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, also totaling 88 points but with a goal difference of 48. In this scenario, Juventus would surpass Udinese for the first time this season due to their superior goal difference, and this could very well be the final outcome.

...

In the remaining two rounds, Juventus's opponents were Verona and Sampdoria, teams unlikely to pose a threat. Verona, at the bottom of the table with only 24 points, was already relegated, making them an easy target for Juventus. Sampdoria, with 37 points and ranked sixteenth, was safe from relegation and had nothing to fight for.

Udinese's remaining opponents were Atalanta and Carpi. While Carpi faced some relegation pressure, fourteenth-placed Atalanta had nothing to play for. However, given that mid-table Torino had just dealt Udinese a heavy blow, there was no guarantee that Udinese wouldn't stumble against Atalanta or Carpi.

Especially Carpi, who had given Udinese a hard time in their first encounter, only narrowly losing due to Bruno's goal and assist. Currently, Carpi was just three points above the relegation zone. If they lost to Lazio in the next round and Palermo picked up points against Fiorentina, Carpi would have to fight tooth and nail against Udinese in the final round.

In such a scenario, the title race seemed to be slipping away from Udinese. Despite Bruno setting a new Serie A single-season assist record with 26 assists after another assist in this match, there was little joy in the achievement. If Udinese ended the season without any trophies, personal accolades would mean little to Bruno.

...

In the 37th round, Udinese played before Juventus. This time, Udinese traveled to Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium to face Atalanta. As the final whistle blew under the setting sun, fans stood up, and Udinese players and staff rushed onto the field, celebrating their victory.

2-1!

The scoreboard displayed the final score, but it was far from an easy match. Both teams had prepared well, especially Atalanta, who had planned meticulously to counter Udinese. The first half ended 0-0, with Udinese dominating possession but failing to break through Atalanta's defense.

Atalanta tried to counter-attack but also failed to create significant threats. Both sides played intensely, neither willing to concede an inch. However, three minutes into the second half, Udinese launched a swift attack. Badu's through ball found Bruno, who, full of pent-up frustration from the previous week's loss, coolly slotted the ball past Atalanta's goalkeeper Sportiello.

This was Bruno's 37th goal of the season, continuing to extend his new Serie A single-season goal record. But the joy was short-lived as Udinese's defense faltered three minutes later, giving Atalanta a corner. Borriello outjumped Udinese's defenders to head the ball, which was parried by Karnezis. In the ensuing scramble, Bellini scored the equalizer for Atalanta.

The match was back on equal footing, with both teams battling fiercely. Multiple substitutions did little to change the game until the 90th minute, when Bruno's lofted pass into the box found Di Natale, who had swapped positions and made a diagonal run, volleying the ball into the net to secure the win for Udinese.

With Bruno and Di Natale's goals, Udinese narrowly won 2-1 against Atalanta, temporarily taking a three-point lead in the standings and putting pressure back on Juventus.

...

Udinese's victory against Atalanta indeed piled the pressure on Juventus. The previous week's win had put them at the top of the table for the first time this season, causing the players to relax slightly. In their match at the Bentegodi Stadium, Juventus appeared lethargic against a determined Verona, who, despite being relegated, played with pride in front of their home fans.

In the 41st minute, Sandro fouled Pisano in the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. In the 42nd minute, Toni converted the penalty with a Panenka, putting Verona ahead 1-0. In the 54th minute, Verona caught Juventus on the break, with Ionita crossing for Viviani to score and double the lead.

Two goals down, Juventus finally woke up, increasing their tempo and attacking intensity. However, they couldn't find the net until injury time. Zaza hit the post, and another goal was disallowed for offside. Growing increasingly desperate, Juventus's players lost their composure, with Sandro receiving a second yellow card and being sent off in the 91st minute. Juventus managed a consolation goal through a Dybala penalty in the dying moments, but it was too late. Verona stunned Juventus 2-1.

With only one round remaining, Udinese unexpectedly regained a three-point lead, taking control of the title race.

...

A week later, on the evening of May 14th, the Serie A finale began with Juventus hosting Sampdoria at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Knowing they were likely out of the title race, Juventus vented their frustration on Sampdoria with a resounding victory.

In the 5th minute, Dybala's free-kick found Evra, who headed in to make it 1-0, marking Juventus's fastest goal of the season. In the 14th minute, Dybala's pass found Mandzukic, who was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty and a red card for Skriniar. Dybala converted the penalty to make it 2-0.

In the 37th minute, Hernanes's pass set up Dybala, who fired in from outside the box for his second goal and Juventus's third. Dybala had now been involved in 28 league goals, scoring 19 and assisting 9. In the 76th minute, a defensive error allowed Chiellini to score from distance, making it 4-0. Bonucci added a fifth from a Morata header in the 85th minute.

Despite the 5-0 thrashing and reaching 91 points for the season, Juventus knew their title hopes were slim. If Udinese avoided defeat the next day, they would retain the Serie A title. If Udinese won, Juventus would set an unfortunate record: the highest points total for a runner-up in Serie A history and the first team to surpass 90 points without winning the title.

However, this paled compared to Real Madrid's plight six years earlier. Achieving 96 points only to be denied the title was a scenario only seen in the peak of the La Liga dominance by Barcelona and Real Madrid. In the 2009-2010 season, Guardiola's Barça amassed 99 points, leaving Pellegrini's Real Madrid, despite their 96 points, trophy-less and leading to Pellegrini's dismissal.

(End of Chapter)

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