Who doesn't enjoy a good spectacle? The sparks that will fly between those two on the field will likely be visible soon enough.
As Manchester United's head coach, Ten Hag's bold move was born out of desperation. He had tried every other approach and was now betting everything on this gamble.
It seemed neither of them was genuinely in conflict; it wasn't a major issue. They simply refused to back down, each eager to prove their superiority.
To bring out their absolute best, putting them on the same field was the only way. It was their last resort.
Don't even think about coordination. In reality, if these two top strikers could unleash their full strength and form, they would be more than enough, even overkill, for a team like Nottingham Forest.
The match began swiftly. It was evident that apart from a few players in the defense line, the rest of Manchester United seemed to be facing their sworn enemies.
The two forwards up front were either crowding the center or one was on the left and the other on the right, leaving the middle open. True to expectation, there was no order or coordination.
Cao Baming had been observing for quite some time. Finally, in the twenty-first minute of the game, Nottingham Forest scored the first goal!
This came as no surprise at all. Cao Baming took a deep breath.
Manchester United's midfielders had almost completely overlapped their positions. A well-placed, penetrating pass from the opposition sailed through, bypassing five or six players cleanly.
The pass itself wasn't particularly potent, but the Manchester United midfielders were simply too eager to coordinate, leading directly to the conceded goal.
Although this long-range shot had a degree of luck involved in its success, it wasn't like Cao Baming, who possessed such formidable shooting skills and power. Nevertheless, it genuinely reflected Manchester United's abysmal form.
The two teams seemed to be on entirely different levels, with Nottingham Forest appearing to be the stronger side!
The fans gradually began to realize this as well.
Despite this, Manchester United, as a veteran powerhouse, still managed to create some opportunities through individual player skill. In this situation, the number of chances they created could be considered quite substantial.
In the twenty-ninth minute, Bruno and McTominay combined to win possession from Nottingham Forest's forward pass, initiating a counter-attack.
After a skillful change of direction that evaded two defenders, Bruno sent out a pass.
A rapid counter-attack unfolded, and what people were focused on was whom Bruno would pass to: Cristiano Ronaldo, an old acquaintance with whom he had a slight disagreement, or Maxwell, a newcomer he had only recently met and barely spoken to.
Quickly, the answer became apparent. The ball was clearly headed towards Cristiano Ronaldo's head, and he had already started making his run, sensing the pass was intended for him.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaped high and headed the ball with force, sending it rapidly towards the goal with a wicked trajectory!
However, the goalkeeper made a spectacular save. Although he couldn't hold onto the ball, he managed to parry the precisely angled shot away with his hands!
Maxwell, following up, easily slotted the rebound into the net. Manchester United had scored!
Maxwell's expression was calm, but his heart was filled with joy.
Cristiano Ronaldo, however, appeared less than pleased. This was effectively a crafted assist for Maxwell, his rival!
Such a situation was more agonizing than not scoring at all.
With this goal, Manchester United successfully equalized and also made Cristiano Ronaldo even more aggressive, driven by the urgency to score, leading to repeated offside calls.
Maxwell also went offside a few times. Several promising opportunities arose but were also squandered.
Even with these two prolific forwards on the field, Manchester United ultimately ended the first half in a draw, heading into halftime.
This outcome was psychologically acceptable for the Manchester United players. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, felt a sense of disappointment; they had aimed for a solid lead.
In their eyes, Manchester United was now a soft opponent, someone they needed to squeeze hard, or even step on, to make it worthwhile.
Regardless, their plan was still to dismantle Manchester United in this match, just like other teams, and to emerge victorious by the time the final whistle blew.
In the second half, the fans watched the field with bated breath, their anticipation reignited, awaiting the next goal or a significant event!
Not long after the restart, two yellow cards were issued, one for Manchester United and the other for Nottingham Forest. As time wore on, the players from both Manchester United and Nottingham Forest ran diligently, but the score remained unchanged.
Fifty minutes, sixty minutes, seventy minutes...
It wasn't until the seventy-fifth minute of the match that the fans had yet to witness anyone step up to score. Even Maxwell, who had been so formidable earlier, had gone quiet; the passes he received were noticeably fewer than before.
At this point, Maxwell dropped back, received the ball, and drove forward, attempting to dribble into the penalty area alone!
While he didn't possess Cao Baming's exceptional dribbling skills, he used his speed and strength to weave past two Nottingham Forest defenders, reaching the edge of the penalty box.
Just as he was about to take a shot, he was fouled by the nearby center-back!
A penalty!
The referee didn't hesitate, making the hand gesture pointing towards Nottingham Forest's goal.
Cao Baming's eyes lit up. Things were getting interesting, far more so than the dull proceedings of the previous minutes. If it were a penalty...
Who should take it? That was the question, a big question!
The fans were ecstatic. The cheers from the spectators along the sidelines filled the stadium, resonating loudly with changing rhythms.
Even though only a penalty had been awarded, and the ball hadn't been kicked yet, let alone a change in the score.
The players on the field could naturally sense the shift in the atmosphere. They could clearly hear the roar of the fans.
The next second, Bruno emerged from the crowd, his gaze resolute, walking towards the penalty spot.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Maxwell, however, remained silent, waiting to see Bruno's attempt.
This situation surprised the fans immensely. They hadn't designated Cristiano Ronaldo to take the penalty, nor had they given the chance to Maxwell, but instead, Bruno was stepping up to take it!