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

In the sixth round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Porto will host Sporting CP.

Although it's not a national derby against Benfica, the tension is already palpable around the Estádio do Dragão.

In 1922, in the final of the first Portuguese National Championship, Porto defeated Sporting CP 3-1 to win Portugal's first national championship trophy.

This final set the tone for the century-long rivalry between the two teams.

In today's Portuguese football scene, Porto, Sporting CP, and Benfica are known as the traditional three powerhouses.

Every match between these three teams directly impacts the league championship.

Moreover, this time there's an added gimmick.

Mario, who just made a perfect Champions League debut and was recently selected for the national team, was dismissed by Sporting Lisbon this summer. This match can be described as the Portuguese version of the prince's revenge!

The afternoon sun at three o'clock shines obliquely into the blinds of a café in Porto's city center, dividing the interior into stripes of light and dark.

The atmosphere for match day has already quietly built up.

Guests wearing blue and white scarves quietly whiled away the time, holding mugs bearing the Porto logo.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of bars, cafes are filled with families who treat game days as family entertainment days.

"Dad, I want to buy a Super Mario jersey too!"

"Siu!!!"

Seeing the slightly envious look on the little boy's face, the conspicuous boy wearing the number 22 jersey immediately showed off with his freshly made celebration gesture.

Sixteen kilometers away, the Dragon Stadium was also beginning to stir.

At 4 p.m. sharp, the fan club members in the North Stand began to assemble.

Miguel is only nineteen years old, but this is already his fifth year participating in the production of Tifo.

He and thirty companions pulled up a giant blue and white screen that covered the entire stand, displaying simple Portuguese messages: "Mario belongs to Porto!"

The area in the south stand reserved for away fans was still empty, but security personnel had already erected three layers of fencing as if facing a major crisis. They were somewhat worried that Sporting Lisbon fans, who had suffered losses of millions of euros, might act irrationally.

At 5 p.m., the first group of people dressed in green and white appeared at the train station, and the song "Lisbon Never Sleeps" gradually spread towards the Estádio do Dragão Stadium.

Sitting on his father's shoulders, Carlos is a staunch club enthusiast, and the simple poster he makes himself reveals his opinion of Mario.

"Who needs Mario?"

"ψ(｀∇´)ψ"

As the Douro River flows quietly in the distance, the two different colors of the city soon come together.

Meanwhile, inside the press conference room at the Dragon Stadium.

Sporting Lisbon's interim head coach, Godinho López, has become a master of rhetoric, and having just taken over the first team, he won't back down in the pre-match media battle.

"José Mario is indeed talented, and his performance in the Champions League has been impressive."

The Portuguese coach spoke slowly and deliberately, but his eyes held a hint of disdain.

"But football cannot be defined by a single match. The team observed him in the youth academy for two years and knew everything about him."

Reporters immediately seized on this interesting turn of events and pressed for details.

"Mario has successfully developed his new abilities. Indeed, he is very balanced with both feet and has mastered the weapon of long-range shooting."

Godinho Lopez continued, his tone becoming more confident, "But his defensive contribution was almost zero, and his stamina couldn't keep up in the second half of a high-intensity match."

"Honestly, it's not difficult to limit a player whose characteristics can be identified simply through data statistics and various indicators!"

On the other side, Porto's coach Pereira shook his head and began to refute.

"Mr. Godinho Lopez has apparently forgotten that the easily analyzed Mario he mentioned just scored a hat-trick against Paris in the Champions League."

"We don't need to make excuses for the past. Mario is now an important member of Porto, and he is improving every day."

"I would like to remind Mr. Lopez that football is not a game of theory, but a 90-minute match. We respect every opponent, but we will not change our plans because of a few comments."

"Of course I understand his position. As a coach, he needs to give his team confidence."

"But on the football field, performance trumps everything!"

"His perfect performances in the Portuguese league and the Champions League are enough to prove Mario's worth!"

"The offers from Arsenal and several other top clubs prove that everyone's eyes are sharp!!"

Mario's comments at the pre-match press conference that he was easily analyzed quickly spread.

The tense atmosphere between the two coaches made the game even more exciting.

The green field resembled a volcano about to erupt, the air thick with the smell of sulfur and gunpowder.

Even though it was already night, the spotlights baked the grass white, releasing a battle-like atmosphere mixed with grass clippings, soil, and male hormones.

Of course, sportsmanship is still there; Porto's ball boys and players won't throw towels at Portuguese opponents like Morocco did in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

However, Senegal is no pushover either. They are equally eccentric. Senegal Airlines once publicly announced that it was looking for enthusiastic fans who turned Salah into a giant of light during the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Porto's tactics were fairly conventional; they simply chose to create psychological pressure on their opponents by unifying their boos when the away team's players' names were announced over the loudspeaker.

For the home team players, it was a passionate and enthusiastic cheer!

In this scorching and noisy environment, Mario finally made his first start for a professional team.

With a high kick, the handsome 18-year-old instantly attracted the camera's attention.

Without a doubt, in just two games, Mario has surpassed James Rodriguez to become the most talked-about player in Porto and even in the entire Portuguese league.

Mario glanced at his system panel.

Age: 18

Height: 181.8 cm

Weight: 76 kg

The maximum score is 10 points.

• Strength: 5 points

•Speed: 7 minutes

• Physical fitness: 6 points

• Pace: 7 minutes

• Passing: 7 points

•Dribbling: 7 points

• Defense: 3 points

• Organization: 6 points

• Long-range shooting: 10 points (Passive: Half-court shooting range [Requires Strength 8, Creativity 8])

• Insert: 7 points

• Header: 5 points

• Set piece: 5 points

• Creativity: 8 points

Claiming to be easily analyzed?

I'll make it difficult for you to win!

.....

"Sky Sports, Sky Sports, welcome to the sixth round of the 2012-13 Portuguese Super League season, Porto vs. Sporting CP!"

"Both are strong teams in the Portuguese league, but Porto and Sporting Lisbon are in completely different situations."

"The home team not only continued their excellent unbeaten form in the league, but also defended the honor of the Portuguese league in European competitions."

"Playing at home against the heavily invested French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, having lost many star players, completely dominated their opponents thanks to the perfect performance of young star Mario!"

"Compared to Porto, Sporting CP's performance can only be described as atrocious."

"In last weekend's league match, the team faced newly promoted Estoril at home and fell behind 0-2 early on, showing no signs of life. Sporting CP only managed to put up an attack after Estoril had a controversial red card, and ultimately managed a narrow 2-2 draw."

"In the midweek Europa League match, Sporting Lisbon coach Sa Pinto left three key players, including Capel, in Portugal. They clearly underestimated the difficulty of playing away in European competitions."

"In Hungary, Sporting CP suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat at the hands of Videoton, with their performance throughout the match being equally abysmal. Following the game, Sá Pinto, who had been in charge of the team for less than a year, resigned in disgrace!"

"Actually, the three top teams in the Portuguese league have a similar attitude towards finances. Whether it is Porto, Sporting CP, or Benfica, they are all well aware of their status as second-tier European teams."

"Their main strategy is to sell star players for high prices, use the transfer revenue to ensure the long-term healthy development of the team, and discover new stars in South America."

"Leaving aside the distant past, in the last two years, Porto sold stars such as Falcao and Hulk for high prices, while Benfica also sold players such as Di Maria and Witsel to raise funds."

"It's a pity that the €100 million investment that Sporting Lisbon's president claimed to have made last year failed to improve their performance and even led to a financial crisis!"

"The biggest challenge for interim coach Godinho López in this match is how to get Sporting Lisbon, who have lost confidence, out of their slump as quickly as possible!"

"Although he made a lot of harsh remarks before the match and heavily criticized Porto's rising star Mario, Sporting CP is the weaker side in terms of both recent performance and historical record!"

With the referee's whistle, the match between the two teams officially began.

On Porto's side, Pereira deployed his carefully prepared 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Elton

Defenders: Danilo, Otamendi, Maicon, Sandro

Midfielders: Fernando, Mario, Moutinho

Forwards: Varela, Martinez, Rodriguez

Sporting CP also uses a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Patricio

Defenders: Cedric, Boulahrouz, Rojo, Insua

Midfielders: Elias, Linaudo, Ismailov

Forwards: Carrillo, Van Wolfswinkel, Capel

Without any probing, the old rivals, who had clashed more than eighty times, launched a fierce, brutal attack right from the start.

The players on the field were not unfamiliar with Pereira's slightly adjusted tactics, and the home team showed an aggressive momentum right from the start of the game.

Moutinho carried the ball forward from the backfield and then passed it to the wing, where James Rodriguez skillfully feinted past the defender on the left.

Although the Colombian international wears the number 10 jersey this season, his position on the field remains the same as before: winger.

With his skillful technique and graceful rhythm, James Rodriguez's movements were as elegant as dancing the tango. One feint caused Sporting Lisbon's right-back, Cedric, to lose his position.

After observing the situation, Rodriguez delivered a precise cross, the ball accurately bypassing the defender and heading straight for the edge of the penalty area.

Mario caught up with him on horseback.

Zhang Gong and leg swing!

Sporting Lisbon's defensive midfielder was already on high alert, constantly watching out for number 22's long-range shot.

This was a targeted strategy made by the coach before the match.

not good!

The expected thud did not occur; the touch of my foot against the ball was quite soft!

A beautiful feint followed by a real pass!

A long ball, flying over the defenders and heading into the penalty area!

With just the right angle and force, Mario's control of his left foot remained precise.

The moment the ball was passed, veteran Jackson Martinez started his run instantly.

The timing was perfect; the linesman, keeping a close eye on the Colombian, held the flag firmly to his side.

No offside!

The commentator's voice instantly rose in volume.

"An imaginative lob pass!"

"Martinez beat the offside trap!"

"Single-handed!"

The Porto striker didn't hesitate; he didn't even look up to check the goalkeeper's position again.

Based on his previous observations, Jackson instantly executed a high-quality shot in the blink of an eye!

boom!

The ball flew towards Sporting CP's goal with a beautiful arc; Patricio was moving very fast.

The Portuguese goalkeeper was very focused, and he successfully changed the ball's trajectory with his fingers after immediately falling to the ground!

Looking back, it's a pity the ball didn't fly out of the goal area!

A louder impact followed, and Porto fans in the stands clutched their heads in disappointment.

The ball struck the post and bounced straight back into the six-yard box, where Rojo, reacting quickly, cleared it with a kick.

The elbow, swinging wildly, didn't hit his teammate's nose this time, but unfortunately, the point of contact with the ball was a bit off, and the ball went high but not far.

The distance above the ground changes dramatically, while the longitudinal flight distance is negligible!

After an extremely steep parabola, the black and white figure wobbled and plummeted towards the deadly area at the top of the penalty area.

Mario, with his maxed-out long-range shooting stats, successfully predicted the landing point with just a glance.

A great opportunity to shoot!

While leaning to the side, he slightly extended his left arm to maintain balance, his eyes fixed on the ball falling through the air.

Before the ball even hit the ground, in the blink of an eye as it fell, Mario twisted his waist and abdomen, channeling all his power from his thigh to the instep of his right foot!

A deep, penetrating bang rang out!

The ball seemed to break free from physical constraints, transforming into a streak of white light, tearing through the air with a slightly outward-spinning trajectory, and soaring straight into the top right corner of the goal!

This time, Patricio was too late. He only had time to make a symbolic movement before he discovered that the net behind him was already shaking violently!

"Gooooooooal!"

"A world-class goal! An absolute world-class goal!!"

"Stylish and unrestrained, a fatal blow!!!"

"Calm judgment, perfect technique, and a thunderous shot!"

"From initiating the attack with a lob pass to the final volley, Mario showcased his perfect skill!!"

- [Holy crap! Super Mario activated, and it ate a mushroom again!!]

- [Mario: Thanks to Rojo for the assist!]

- [Haha, I remembered what the Sporting Lisbon coach said before the match: "It'll be easy to analyze!"]

- [That feel, that power, that angle! Unbeatable! Absolutely unbeatable!]

- [Patricio is really exhausted. Two high-quality shots in a short period of time, who can withstand that?!]

[Impressive! Exquisite! This is the individual ability of a superstar player!]

[Opening goal, a priceless goal!]

Porto's form this week makes their midweek win against Paris no accident.

On the sidelines, the head coach, whose nerves had been repeatedly provoked, could not contain his inner elation.

Delivering a killer pass to initiate an attack is not enough; the follow-up volley is what truly sets Super Mario apart!

The tactical adjustments were a great success!

Pereira clenched his fists, roared, and charged toward the sideline. He then swung his arm violently and turned to give his assistant coach a wild hug.

Mario, my genius nephew, let's do it!

The Dragon Stadium instantly transformed into a boiling blue and white ocean, with nearly 50,000 home fans jumping up from their seats, the roar almost lifting the roof off.

In the die-hard fans' stands, flags waved wildly, and the singing immediately turned into a unified shout.

Super Mario!

Super Mario!

Mario, who dominated the field with a powerful volley, ran towards the corner flag amidst cheers from the fans!

Spin, land!

Swing both hands downwards forcefully!

Siu!!

I'm sorry, former employer!

This wave of dismissals from the Portuguese sports organization will be mentioned repeatedly over the next twenty years!