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

With a four-goal lead, Porto slowed their pace slightly, and Pereira signaled that the team was in control of the situation.

Sporting Lisbon's tackling was even more aggressive, as they tried to salvage some pride.

The sustained high-intensity pressure began to show its effects, especially in the midfield area where physical exertion was extremely high.

In the twentieth minute of the second half, Mario's running coverage visibly decreased.

His signature forward runs have decreased, and he now focuses more on receiving passes and organizing short passes in the midfield and attacking areas.

In one instance, after receiving the ball on the wing in the backfield, Mario attempted to break free from the pressure from the opposing winger Carrillo by skillfully changing his dribbling rhythm.

Although a light fried dough ball managed to dodge the first attack, Carrillo was exceptionally tenacious and immediately tried to grab it again, using his body to resist and squeeze him.

Mario's physical condition declined, resulting in slightly poorer footwork. His change of direction was a beat too slow, and the ball was poked away by Carrillo's toe!

Although the ball was eventually cleared by Danilo who had returned to defend, this thrilling moment exposed Mario's decline in ball control and consistency as his stamina waned.

In the 68th minute, Sporting CP launched an attack in the attacking third, with Elias passing the ball to right-back Cedric who had made a run down the flank.

Varela was a little slow to get back into position, so Mario, as the midfielder closest to that side, needed to cover for him.

The 18-year-old realized the danger, but his speed in chasing back was noticeably slower than in the first half. He also lacked experience in defensive positioning and failed to effectively block Derek's runs down the flank.

Cedric easily crossed the ball!

Van Wolfswinkel, following up in the middle, outjumped the somewhat out-of-position Otamendi and delivered a powerful header!

Fortunately, Elton reacted quickly, tipping the ball over the crossbar with one hand!

"Danger!"

"Porto's right flank defense was exposed, and Mario's recovery was not timely enough, giving Cedric a chance to cross the ball with ease."

"The young player's stamina issues have caused his contributions on both offense and defense to become unbalanced, and coupled with his serious lack of defensive experience, the coming period will be a severe test for him!"

- [The defense is really terrible... This eye-tracking defense is like watching someone cross the ball like a wooden stake.]

- [Physical alert! Mario can't run anymore!]

[His teammates had previously been there to cover for him on defense, but now his weaknesses have been exposed!]

-【There's no way around it, he's only 18. He still needs to work on his stamina management and defensive experience. But his offensive contributions are already phenomenal!】

- [Shouldn't Uncle make a substitution? He's been involved in 4 goals; it's time to protect Super Mario!]

On the sidelines, Pereira frowned slightly, keenly noticing his nephew's fatigue and defensive weaknesses.

The opponent clearly discovered this weakness and began to consciously launch a strong attack on the area where Mario was located.

In the 70th minute, the fourth official raised his sign.

José Mario (No. 22) is replaced, and Lucho González (No. 8) is replaced!

"A perfect debut performance has come to an end!"

"Mario almost single-handedly crushed his former club with a perfect opening goal and two brilliant assists!"

"Although his stamina and defensive issues became apparent towards the end, this did not diminish his brilliance in the match!"

"Pereira's substitutions were timely, protecting the young new core player while also solidifying the team's midfield defense!"

"Now, all Porto needs to do is hold onto this resounding victory!"

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted instantly at the Dragon Stadium.

Mario trotted off the field, looking slightly tired, but with a satisfied smile on his face.

He raised his hands to salute the stands, sparking another wave of cheers from Super Mario.

In just three matches, he became a darling of Porto fans; the 18-year-old's professional career has had a very smooth start.

People always remember first impressions vividly!

Mario has already left the home fans with a perfect starting record of single-handedly defeating the opponent.

"Put on your coat and get some rest~"

"I have to fly to Moscow very early tomorrow morning!"

Uncle Pereira patted Mario hard on the back, his eyes full of approval and reminder.

The first time I put my nephew in the starting lineup, the tactics I had in mind were perfectly executed on the pitch. Although he didn't contribute much defensively, Mario's attitude was still very positive.

Bento, the national team coach, really needs to cherish and utilize his favorite players!

The head coach was satisfied, but Mario was still not entirely happy with his physical condition.

Although the recent three matches were played too frequently, I was only a substitute before him!

During the off-season, one should not be too proactive in showing affection. Although Pintus has provided special guidance, one still needs to be mindful of this.

After all, renowned Italian coach Antonio Conte once mentioned his comprehensive management philosophy in an interview.

"During the season, players shouldn't have prolonged displays of affection. They need to control themselves as much as possible and not overdo it."

As a rookie whose physical fitness is only 6 points, barely passing, Mario decided to take Kong Erlengzi's advice.

The match ended after Sporting Lisbon's relentless attacks failed to find a solution.

Despite their best efforts to stay motivated, they failed to score. Exhausted both physically and mentally, they conceded two goals to Porto and ultimately lost 0-6 away to the Super Dragon.

Sporting Lisbon, currently in the middle of the table, faces a worrying outlook for the season. Changing coaches has not alleviated the decline, but instead risks sinking deeper into the abyss.

At the post-match press conference, Lopez didn't look too good, especially when he looked at Mario on the other side.

"The 0-6 score doesn't reflect the true gap; we controlled the first fifteen minutes!"

"The data shows that we had a higher expected goal in the opening stages than our opponents, but they capitalized on their opportunities better!"

"As for Mario, I admit the team's youth academy seems to have made some mistakes, but there's no doubt that, as I said, this young man couldn't provide enough help to the team in the second half of the game!"

Lopez's post-match comeback skills are also quite good, but unfortunately the score tonight didn't provide him with enough support.

Being thrashed with six goals made every statement from Sporting Lisbon's interim manager sound like a joke.

The world of football is cruel; victory is the only measure of success.

Pereira grabbed the microphone and immediately retorted.

"My players made the game a foregone conclusion in just half a game, I don't know why that still couldn't shut the opponents up!"

"People are always debating who Portugal is the strongest?"

"Porto may not win in the war of words, but our lead in the standings and our performance in every match prove one thing!"

"The Estádio do Dragão is now the throne of Portuguese football!"

When the microphone came to Mario's hands, the handsome young man, whose hair was still a little wet, blurted out what the head coach had said.

"I think that based on our league points, Champions League performance, and our performance against the Lisbon team, we are undoubtedly the top team in Portugal."