Bayern Munich Massacred

Manchester, United Kingdom, Old Trafford, the evening of March 30.

In the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Manchester United hosted Bayern Munich.

Before the match began, Manchester United's starting lineup surprised quite a few people, including Bayern manager Heynckes.

First, at right-back, they dropped veteran Gary Neville in favor of youngster Rafael.

This sent a very clear signal: Manchester United intended to attack down the right flank at home.

As a Brazilian player, Rafael was certainly excellent going forward, but defense was his weakness. Ferguson had him replace Gary Neville and tasked him with marking Ribéry, though whether that would work remained questionable.

The other change was starting Gibson instead of Scholes or Giggs.

This was another unexpected adjustment—perhaps the most surprising one of all.

Gibson was a very interesting player. He had been controversial since breaking into the team. His other abilities had yet to truly emerge, but his Long Shot had left an especially deep impression.

Ferguson had once assessed the player, saying that he resembled Lampard. He hoped Gibson would continue to develop and, like Lampard, acquire an outstanding ability to make late runs into the box and score.

If Giggs and Scholes represented passing, then Gibson represented late runs and goals.

Two changes to the starting lineup, both aimed at attack. Did that mean Manchester United really intended to go all-out offensively?

Not necessarily!

Ferguson was an old fox who loved creating false impressions. Mind games, psychological warfare, and smokescreens were all standard for him.

He was also exceptionally good at piecing together specialized players to create unexpected results when arranging his lineup.

Who knew what he had planned for this match?

Heynckes had always prioritized stability, and Bayern were playing away from home. All he could do was tell his players to be