The usual mutterings of ‘park the bus’ were of course bandied around in the hours before Manchester United were to encounter a uneviable clash with Serie A champions Juventus in Turin at the Allianz Arena.
After a stuttering start to the new season with included a humbling loss to the Old Lady at Old Trafford irreflective of such a meagre 1-0 scoreline, few expected the Red Devils to bag any semblance of a result at a side who have not even sniffed defeat so far this season, and had just one loss in the Champions League group stages at home for 15 years, across 35 games.
When new Juventus signing Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up with a sublime strike on the 65th minute, the result seemed conclusive.
Little did the watching world know what Manchester United would go on to produce, and new footage reveals how determined Jose Mourinho was to smash and grab all three points to stun Juventus.
Juan Mata put the visitors back level with yet another exquisite free-kick, twenty minutes after CR7’s opener. Whilst wheeling off in celebration on the sidelines though, the Portuguese managerial maestro was preparing to bamboozle the Bianconeri even further.
After his scintillating set-piece, Mata immediately congratulated his goalkeeping coach Emilio Alvarez Blanco - who had most likely instructed the Spaniard on opposition goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny’s flaws - and was subsequently surrounded by his emphatic teammates in the dugout.
Coach Mourinho, however, was too determined on pulling one player aside to passionately instruct him about what next had to be done. That player was Marouane Fellaini.
A substitute for Ander Herrera a little over 10 minutes for time, Fellaini’s presence in the box from Ashley Young’s set-piece would certainly added to the confusion from a frantic Juventus defence, with the backline frazzled and completely dumbstruck as the ball bounced off the bonces of both Bonucci and Alex Sando.
As the ball entered the danger area, the big Belgian was surrounded by three defenders, leaving the ball to sail to the far post.
United had done what many had thought to be nigh-impossible, Mourinho’s soon to be iconic taunts at the end of the game were certainly well-deserved.
You can watch the footage of Mourinho passionately instructing Fellaini below, as well as the result of his instructions. It seems the mercurial Mourinho really has got his mojo back.
