My Ultimate Gacha System

Demien bent forward with both hands on his knees, gasping after the final defensive sequence, then straightened and let out a shout when the result fully landed.

Bruno reached him first and gripped the back of his neck.

McTominay struck his shoulder.

Onana approached more carefully, his own mistake having nearly cost the match.

Demien looked at him before speaking, the anger still sitting there, but he pulled the goalkeeper into a quick embrace anyway. "We survived that together," he said. "We can’t do it again, though."

Onana didn’t offer excuses. "I know," he said, thanking Demien for the goal-line clearance, visibly shaken despite the win.

Højlund celebrated with the supporters, his brace making him the clear Player of the Match.

Demien walked over, grabbed him from behind, and pushed him toward the broadcast area when staff called his name.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH — RASMUS HØJLUND Goals: 2 | Shots on Target: 3 | Touches in Opposition Box: 7

DEMIEN WALTER Goals: 1 | Assists: 1 | Clear Chances Created: 4 Pressure-Release Actions: 8 | Defensive Recoveries: 7 Goal-Line Clearances: 1 | Pass Completion: 92%

"Højlund provided the two decisive finishes," the commentator said, "but Demien influenced both halves of this match completely — creating United’s third goal, then becoming the central figure in a ten-man defensive stand that could easily have gone the other way."

Højlund’s interview ran first, the Champions League sponsor wall lit behind him, away supporters still singing somewhere beyond the tunnel, the award in his hand.

Asked about his two finishes, he explained the first had come from attacking Rashford’s cross before the defender could react, and the second suited his pace because Demien had released the ball early enough for him to use it.

Asked about United conceding shortly after scoring twice, he admitted it was still a problem, that the team couldn’t keep reopening matches after taking the lead.

Asked about surviving with ten men, he pointed toward Demien and the defenders, crediting their recoveries while admitting the final minutes had been deeply uncomfortable.

Demien’s interview came next, still breathing harder than normal, hair damp, mud streaked across one side of his shorts from the goal-line clearance.

Asked what he’d thought when Icardi lifted the ball over Onana, he admitted he’d believed it was going in until the ball’s second bounce, and that he’d started running before Icardi even controlled the pass because everyone else had been appealing for offside instead.

Asked about one goal and one assist in his first Champions League home match, he let himself smile. "Scoring at Old Trafford in Europe felt exactly like I imagined it would."

Asked whether the win disguised United’s mistakes, his smile faded before he answered. "We can’t keep conceding straight after scoring, or giving teams chances through our own buildup."

Asked about Onana, he refused to isolate him. "He made the mistake. Casemiro took the red trying to fix it. We all had to protect the result after that. We’ll look at it properly."

Ten Hag’s press conference room sat beneath the stadium, sponsor wall behind him, recorders crowding the table, his match notes open in front of him, the sound of Galatasaray’s supporters still carrying faintly through the corridor.

Asked whether he felt relief or satisfaction, he said both, his expression staying hard, because the match had turned dangerous through mistakes that didn’t need to happen.

Asked about Højlund’s brace, he praised his movement, power, and composure, crediting the partnership with Rashford and Demien for both goals.

Asked about Onana’s misplaced pass, he called it a poor decision directly, but refused to let the entire match rest on one player, pointing to the earlier lapses that had let Zaha and Kerem both score.

Asked about Casemiro’s suspension, he clarified it applied to United’s next UEFA fixture rather than the weekend’s Premier League match, and said the immediate focus was recovery and Brentford on Saturday, with Copenhagen planning to come later.

Asked about Demien, he praised the goal and the assist, but focused mostly on what came after the red card — covering central spaces, protecting possession, the goal-line clearance, and continuing to organize the team through fatigue.

Back in the dressing room, victory and discomfort sat side by side.

Højlund’s award rested near his place.

Casemiro’s seat stayed empty.

Onana sat quietly, removing his gloves.

Recovery drinks passed hand to hand while several players replayed the goal-line clearance on a nearby screen.

Demien sat beside Onana rather than joining the louder group first, letting the goalkeeper speak.

"I saw you," Onana admitted. "I tried to force it through Mertens anyway."

"The option was gone before it left your foot," Demien told him, direct rather than gentle, then bumped his shoulder lightly. "The save and the punch in stoppage time mattered too, though."

Højlund interrupted, dropping the Player of the Match award between them. "Nobody’s talking about my two goals because he decided to become a defender for ten minutes."

"You missed the chance to make it four-two," Demien said.

Højlund held up the award as his defense, and the players nearby laughed, Onana included, some of the tension finally breaking.

Demien checked his phone once he’d changed.

Sophia had sent several messages during the final minutes, the last one asking whether he intended to play every position on the pitch before the season ended.

He recorded a voice note rather than typing two dry words back, sounding exhilarated as he described the goal-line clearance, then admitting the Onana mistake had genuinely scared him.

「MATCH MISSION COMPLETE」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 2/2」 「Pressure-Release Actions: 8/5」 「Clear Chances Created: 4/3」 「Defensive Recoveries: 7/3」 「Bonus Objective — Win the Match: Complete」 「Reward: +80 MP」 「Bonus Reward: +10 SP」

He stared briefly at the ten Special Points, currency rare enough to hold his attention, then closed the panel when Højlund called him back into the group photo.

Wednesday morning, October 4th, Carrington’s analysis room carried the previous night with it.

Recovery bottles sat on the tables.

Casemiro sat quietly after his dismissal.

Onana sat several seats away, hands clasped.

Højlund’s mood had settled since the night before.

Demien lowered himself into his chair with soreness still lingering from the goal-line clearance.

The screen was already paused on Onana preparing the pass that led to Casemiro’s red card.

Ten Hag pressed play.

The ball traveled toward Mertens.

He rewound it before the tackle appeared, then looked across the room.

"Before Brentford, we fix this."