At 2 AM on April 28th, Manchester United defeated Brentford 2-1 in a match belonging to the 34th round of the English Premier League.
Despite facing numerous difficulties, Manchester United settled the score with Brentford from the first leg, taking a crucial step in the race for a place in next season's Champions League.
Currently, the "Red Devils" are 11 points clear of sixth place. Just three more points from their remaining four matches will bring the atmosphere of Europe's most prestigious cup competition back to Old Trafford after a two-season absence.
A dream scenario could unfold for Manchester United fans: in the next round, they could beat their arch-rivals Liverpool at home to officially finish the season in the top 5.
Benjamin Sesko scored his 10th Premier League goal.
From the very first minutes, the "Red Devils" launched a fierce attack. Kobbie Mainoo nearly created a masterpiece with a superb solo run to set up Amad Diallo, but defender Sepp van den Berg made a crucial goal-line clearance. However, the relentless pressure soon paid off. In the 11th minute, from a cross by Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire headed the ball to Casemiro, who finished into the net. This was the Brazilian midfielder's ninth Premier League goal of the season.
Brentford didn't give up easily, with Igor Thiago constantly threatening United's goal, but the striker's lack of finishing ability and Luke Shaw's tenacious defending preserved the home side's advantage. Before the first half ended, Benjamin Sesko doubled the lead with a skillful shot after a perfect assist from Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno made a significant impact in MU's victory.
The second half saw a strong comeback effort from the London team. Dango Ouattara was unlucky to hit the post before Mathias Jensen rekindled hope for Brentford with a dangerous long-range shot in the 87th minute. The added time was incredibly tense, but the defense, under the command of Maguire, held firm to successfully protect the three points.
This victory extended Manchester United's winning streak to 22 consecutive Premier League matches. Meanwhile, despite their extended winless run, Brentford still have hopes of competing for a European spot, being just two points behind sixth place.