Chapter 436 - 43: Burnley Vs United - Turf Moor Punishment II
Demien accelerated into the half-space, shaped his body like the pass was going to Rashford on the overlap, and drove it low across the goalkeeper instead.
「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「Thierry Henry — Va-Va-Voom」
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Finishing: 99」
The keeper’s weight had already shifted the wrong way by the time the ball left his boot, and it rolled into the far corner clean.
BURNLEY 0 — 1 MANCHESTER UNITED Demien Walter 13’
No SIUUU this time. He’d already given the world that in Munich. He slowed near the corner flag, pointed once toward Bruno and then toward Casemiro, and turned back toward the center circle, because Burnley were already furious and the match wasn’t close to finished.
"They tried to get tight to him," the commentator said. "The problem is, if the first touch doesn’t kill him, the second one kills you."
Burnley got more aggressive after going behind. Their fullbacks pushed higher, crosses started coming in early and often, and United had to defend a stretch of genuine second-ball chaos. Burnley created one real chance from it — a low cross from the right, a striker arriving between Varane and Martínez, and Onana forced to block it with his leg rather than his hands.
United survived it, and Demien noticed something in the recovery: Burnley’s back line kept stepping higher every time United cleared their lines. He started positioning himself between their midfield and defense, waiting for the ball to drop into that exact gap.
29’ —
Casemiro won a header off a long ball and flicked it toward Bruno, who clipped it first time into Demien’s feet near the edge of the box. A Burnley center-back sat tight on his back, expecting a simple lay-off.
Demien let the ball run across his body instead.
「TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED」 「Roberto Baggio — Divine Ponytail」
「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「Jay-Jay Okocha — So Good Twice」
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Reactions: 99」
He flicked it with the outside of his right boot around the defender’s left side, then spun the other way around the same man’s right shoulder, and the defender turned a full beat too late to recover. The goalkeeper had already stepped forward, expecting a rushed shot under pressure.
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Composure: 99」
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Finishing: 99」
Demien took one short touch to settle it, then lifted the finish over the keeper with no urgency in it at all, the ball dropping into the net like it had never been in doubt.
BURNLEY 0 — 2 MANCHESTER UNITED Demien Walter 29’
Turf Moor went quiet for a second, because the goal was too clean to boo. United’s bench stood up off the seats. Bruno put both hands on his head. Rashford laughed once, like he already knew exactly how embarrassed that defender felt.
"That is filthy," the commentator said. "Absolutely filthy. The defender thinks he has him pinned, and Walter’s turned the whole challenge into a highlight reel."
Burnley’s patience went with the second goal. Tackles got harder. A shoulder came into Demien’s back off the ball, another player tried to block his run without going for the ball at all, and the referee finally showed yellow when he was dragged down near the halfway line a few minutes later.
Ten Hag didn’t celebrate any of it. He leaned toward his assistant on the touchline and pointed at Burnley’s left side, because their fullback had gone from pushing high to visibly scared to step forward. United were in control. He still wanted the structure kept tight.
45+1’ —
Burnley pushed hard for one goal before the break, sending a long ball forward that Casemiro rose and won in the air, the loose header dropping to Bruno.
Burnley’s midfield closed toward Bruno immediately, expecting him to carry it forward himself. Instead he looked up and saw Demien already moving into the space behind their fullback.
Bruno didn’t play it simple. He clipped a diagonal ball over Demien’s shoulder, high and dropping, difficult to control while running across the defensive line with a Burnley man leaning into him from the side.
Demien checked his shoulder once. The ball came down fast. He didn’t try to bring it under control.
He opened his body and hit it first time.
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Positioning: 97」
「ATTRIBUTE ACTIVE」 「Reactions: 99」
「TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED」 「First-Touch Set — RARE」
「TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED」 「Dipping Power Shot — EPIC」
「ATTRIBUTE CHECK」 「Volleys: 71」
His Volleys weren’t elite, and the contact showed it — the ball skidded slightly off the top of his boot rather than striking clean, the strike rougher than it should have looked for a goal this good.
「ATTRIBUTE SUPPORT」 「Composure: 99」
「ATTRIBUTE SUPPORT」 「Shot Power: 89」
But the dip came late and violent, and the keeper’s fingertips brushed nothing but air as it dropped under the bar.
BURNLEY 0 — 3 MANCHESTER UNITED Demien Walter 45+1’
「MATCH MILESTONE ACHIEVED」 「First-Half Hat Trick」
「GOAL CONTRIBUTION: DEMIEN WALTER — 3 GOALS」
The away end exploded like an earthquake had gone through it. Bruno reached him first because he’d made the pass, both arms wrapping around him before Demien had even finished turning toward the corner. Højlund grabbed him from behind. Rashford was shouting something about the volley that got lost completely in the noise. Casemiro pointed at him and laughed outright, because even he hadn’t expected Demien to hit that one first time.
Burnley’s players stood stunned rather than furious now. Their captain clapped once, sharp, and shouted at his teammates to just get to halftime in one piece. Their manager stood on the touchline with his arms folded, completely still — the plan hadn’t been stupid. Demien had simply broken it three separate ways in one half.
Burnley got one more kickoff before the whistle and barely strung two passes together. United pressed with total confidence now, but Demien didn’t chase a fourth. He held his position, let the clock run down, and walked toward the tunnel as the whistle finally went.
Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt!
HALFTIME: BURNLEY 0 — 3 MANCHESTER UNITED
Demien walked past the tunnel entrance without the match ball in his hands yet, because the game wasn’t finished. The home crowd muttered around him, and somewhere behind the barrier the away end was still chanting his name in ragged, delighted bursts.
He glanced once back toward the pitch, not smiling too much, because a first-half hat trick changed the way an entire league would look at him from tomorrow morning onward.
"Munich made Europe look at him," the commentator said as the cameras followed him down the tunnel. "Turf Moor just told England they were already late."