The perfect midfield: It starts with never passing the ball to Ronaldo.

Before they could even regret the missed opportunity, Paris Saint-Germain's backline was under threat again.

The fans in the stands were pounding their hearts as the ball traveled along its trajectory.

Just a few seconds later, the ball, with a strong spin, flew precisely into the almost vacuum-like open space in the Paris half of the field, exposed by all the players pressing forward!

"Super Mario!!"

"His decision to start was perfectly timed!!!"

"Porto's number 22 seemed to anticipate that the ball would be cleared by his teammate, and he turned and sprinted the moment Otamendi touched the ball."

"To be honest, his starting speed isn't top-tier, but his anticipation and control of space are quite impressive, a great one-on-one opportunity!"

The Portuguese commentator spoke hoarsely, his voice trembling with intense emotion.

As the ball drew closer to the ground, Sakho, the last center-back for Paris Saint-Germain, became the team's only lifeline.

The French international could only grit his teeth and watch Mario surge forward. He had no choice but to chase back at full speed, hoping to intercept the ball outside the penalty area.

Mario caught a glimpse of Sakho closing in from behind, but the eighteen-year-old remained calm. He adjusted his footwork, calculating the distance between the ball and himself, and how to proceed.

Unfortunately, this time, even a strong heart couldn't make up for the lack of physical strength.

After several consecutive accelerations, Mario felt his lungs burning, and with the ball flying rapidly from behind, controlling it was not as easy as before.

A tiny mistake instantly gave the opponent hope.

As Sako calculated the distance, he discovered that the impossible had become possible!

In a flash, without hesitation, the Frenchman chose the simplest and most direct method.

He gave up the possibility of a clean interception, and instead, like a speeding, out-of-control truck, he turned sideways and used his thick arm to put it on Mario's relatively thin body.

"Beep!!!"

The piercing whistle cut sharply through the noise!

Mario seemed to have hit an invisible wall, instantly losing his balance and tumbling down onto the grass.

A slight difference can lead to a huge error. A perfect one-on-one chance was ruined by a tactical foul from the opponent, and Mario, lying on the grass, shook his head helplessly.

If his technique were more perfect, Sakho wouldn't have had a chance to foul at all!

Or, by maximizing one's own strength and speed, and generating even greater impact, the French obstruction would be futile, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

Strictly speaking, my easy brace after coming on as a substitute tonight wasn't entirely due to my own ability; it was also because the opponents didn't understand my technical characteristics.

They're still a long way from truly dominating the game!

This book was first published on 2020s.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

Training hard to improve skills and earn points to unlock new templates remains the top priority!

Compared to Mario's self-reflection, Porto fans were much more direct; rather than wasting their own time, they preferred to torment others.

The 18-year-old who scored twice in consecutive matches has already surpassed Messi and Ronaldo in his Champions League debut. What could he have done wrong? It's all Sakho's fault!

"Red card!!!"

"Shameless!!!"

A torrent of angry shouts surged into the arena.

Without hesitation, the referee rushed over and raised a yellow card high at Sakho, who was still lying on the ground panting.

The intent was clear, and the foul was an uncontroversial tactical foul.

"In the 89th minute of the match, Porto has a free kick in the attacking third."

"About 28 meters from the goal, that's practically the golden position for a shot!"

"Let's see how Moutinho handles this..."

As Porto's captain and key player, the Portuguese international is undoubtedly the primary set-piece taker.

This time, however, Moutinho did not go to the kicking spot; instead, he put the ball into Mario's arms without hesitation.

He patted his younger brother's shoulder hard, his eyes full of trust and encouragement.

"José, it's up to you!" Moutinho's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly conveyed a sense of conviction.

With the opponent trailing 0-2 and a direct free kick in the final moments of the match, Moutinho chose to let the young player have his perfect debut.

Mario was a little confused when he got the ball.

Free kick?

What am I going to do with my current ability of only five points?

This improvement in long-range shooting ability doesn't translate into improvement in free kicks. Ah, that's the downside of cheating.

According to normal developmental logic, the technical foundation of long-range shooting includes shooting power, footwork, and accuracy.

This is precisely the basic technique required for free kicks, which is why many players with outstanding long-range shots also have a decent free kick.

This is difficult!

The ball in his hands still carried the warmth of his teammates' bodies, and Moutinho's trusting gaze was right in front of him.

Mario took a deep breath, the salty rain and grassy smell mingling with the almost boiling noise of the Dragon Stadium filling his nostrils.

The brain is thinking about more and more things.

Eighteen years old?

Champions League debut?

hat trick?

These words flashed through my mind, bringing not pressure, but an excitement that ignited my nerve endings.

"João, then you and I will team up..." Mario whispered in Moutinho's ear.

To give up the opportunity to make history is absolutely impossible!!

The camera zooms out, showing the two players, after finishing their discussion, placing the ball steadily on the spot where the foul occurred, and measuring the distance to the goal.

28 meters, prime location.

The wall of players was already in place. Thiago Silva and Sakho looked serious, while Sirigu nervously moved left and right on the goal line, directing his teammates to fill the gaps.

In the stands, the Porto fans, who had just been roaring angrily because of Sakho's foul, suddenly held their breath.

The Paris fans erupted in boos, attempting to disrupt the opponent's free kick that could have sealed the victory.

Moutinho stepped back a few paces, his gaze calmly sweeping over the wall of players and the goal.

He didn't look at Mario; his eyes were fixed on the top left corner of the goal.

"Moutinho is still in front of the ball; it seems the Porto captain's attempt to pass the torch has failed!"

"Perhaps due to a lack of confidence in his free-kick skills, the 18-year-old declined the captain's offer."

- [Oh dear, utterly useless, he even missed the chance to score a hat trick in his debut!]

- [You have the guts to say you have no obligation to pass the ball to Ronaldo, but no guts to take a free kick??]

- [What a pretty boy, he's such a sissy!!]

- [It's one thing to be afraid to play when it's 0-0, but now that we're two goals ahead, the captain is giving you a chance to create a miracle and you're not even appreciating it. This guy's potential is limited!!!]

The barrage of comments was filled with mockery of Mario, until Moutinho began his run-up.

The first step is to be calm and composed.

The second step involves a sharp increase in speed.

Third step, firmly plant your left foot on the slippery grass, and tense your body like a fully drawn bow!

Everyone thought he would shoot with his signature curved shot, and the Parisian wall reacted instantly the moment Moutinho touched the ball.

The player responsible for blocking the near post, in particular, subconsciously shifted his center of gravity following the figure of the Porto captain.