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

Wembley Massacre: Mario's two goals and two assists contribute to five goals as Manchester City thrashes Arsenal 5-1 to lift the League Cup.

"God is taking a stroll in a sky-blue jersey! Mario single-handedly dismantles the Arsenal's entire defense."

Guardiola's post-match scathing critique: Mario elevated the team three levels, making him one of the most unique players in football.

From the Social Shield to the League Cup, Mario: My goal is to bring all the trophies to Manchester.

"It's such a pity they were just a little short of money! Wenger missed out on Ronaldo and then Mario: Arsenal's decade-long pain."

Despite the media's constant praise, the Ballon d'Or winner's charm extends beyond his athletic ability. After the League Cup final at Wembley, Mario invited a young fan whose chicken nuggets had been taken away by his father to dinner.

With these actions, Mario not only became even more loyal to his fans, but also gained two new admirers.

In addition to giving away a signed jersey, the thoughtful club also reimbursed all expenses and even gave the family of three tickets to the second leg of the Champions League.

With his elderly mother in charge this time, the story of the last piece of fried chicken shouldn't happen again.

A few days later, the Citizens faced the second leg of their Champions League match.

On March 7, 2018, Manchester was shrouded in a fine veil of rain. The floodlights at the Etihad Stadium cast cool white halos in the rain.

Despite the cold, rainy night, every fan who came to the stadium wore a confident smile.

The 5-0 score in the first leg has completely killed any suspense in the two-legged tie.

According to the fans of Manchester City, the entire Basel team's trip to Manchester was not to stage a comeback miracle, but at most to try to make a dignified farewell.

Because they have Mario, the greatest footballer in history!

The Portuguese superstar has never had a case of being caught off guard and losing his way!

Guardiola appeared quite relaxed at the pre-match press conference.

He was wearing a dark blue turtleneck sweater, and the Richard Miller watch on his wrist occasionally flashed under the spotlight.

"The result of the first round gives us some leeway."

"But that doesn't mean we can disrespect the game."

"I will make some rotations, but the players who come on will approach the game with the same attitude as in the League Cup final."

"Mario will still start."

"This is José's idea. He told me that many fans may have saved up for a long time to come to the Al-Ittihad Stadium, and he would try his best to play as long as he could."

Taking into account the team's schedule and Mario's physical condition, Guardiola agreed with the team's core player's opinion.

Of course, he doesn't intend to let the Ballon d'Or winner play the full match; he'll let him play half or fifty minutes to reward his supporters and maintain his form.

The course of the match was almost exactly as Guardiola had predicted.

Although he only played for 45 minutes, Super Mario's performance was still amazing.

In the 8th minute, Mario dropped back to the midfield area to receive the ball.

With his back to Xhaka, he leaned forward and flicked the ball to the right wing with the outside of his right foot.

Sane started his run, using his speed to outpace Petreta before delivering a cross. The ball, laden with raindrops, spun towards the goal, where Mario had already surged into the penalty area from his retreating position.

The Ballon d'Or winner leaped between Suchi and Balanta to head the ball into the net!

Vaclik made a desperate save, his fingertips touching the ball, but the ball was too fast and still slipped into the net from the near post!

1 is better than 0!

Manchester City are in the lead!

The final score is 6-0!

In the 18th minute, Mario moved to the left wing, played a one-two with Sane, and then broke into the left side of the penalty area.

He used his right foot to cut inside, causing Lang, who was chasing back, to fall to the ground. Then he took a shot with his left foot, but unfortunately, this time he couldn't keep it out and it went slightly wide of the goal area.

In the 27th minute, Manchester City scored their second goal.

This time, it's Mario's masterpiece as the core of the organization.

After receiving the ball in midfield, he looked up and saw Walker making a full-speed run down the right flank.

Mr. Golden Ball delivered a direct, diagonal pass over the top.

The ball arced through the rain, landing precisely in Walker's running path.

Walker strode into the penalty area and passed the ball back near the byline, where Super Mario, making a high-speed run, caught up.

A powerful shot from near the edge of the penalty area changed the score again!

In the 39th minute, Basel earned a rare corner kick opportunity.

Xhaka took the corner kick, Laporte headed the ball away but it didn't go far, and Bouah followed up with a long shot from outside the box, which was saved by Ederson and went out of bounds.

This was Basel's first threatening shot of the entire match.

At halftime, Manchester City led 2-0, with an aggregate score of 7-0.

The second half began just two minutes into the second half.

Mario received the ball with his back to goal just outside the penalty area, and Xhaka and Cere Die double-teamed him, trying to take the ball away from his feet.

Mario used his body to shield Xhaka, stepped on the ball with his left foot, and pulled it behind him, sending the ball through Cere Dier's legs.

He immediately turned and squeezed between the two. In his haste, Cere-Die stretched out his foot and tripped Mario.

The referee pointed to the penalty spot.

"That's a clear foul!"

"Cele-Dier has no other options!"

"Mario deftly tipped the ball between Cere Dier's legs while being double-teamed by two defenders, then spun around like an armored vehicle!"

"This is a perfect combination of skill and physicality! It's terrifying!"

Mario stepped up to take the penalty. The rain was still falling at Al-Ittihad; he wiped the water from his face and looked at Vaclik.

The whistle blows.

He took two steps, then suddenly flicked his right foot, and the ball rolled toward the bottom right corner as if by magic.

Vaclik lunged to the left, completely misjudging the direction.

58th minute!

3 is better than 0!

José Mario scores a hat-trick!

"Mr. Golden Globe is frighteningly calm!"

"Mario didn't even put much power into his penalty kick; he glanced at the goalkeeper's position and then chose the most precise angle."

"This is the mindset of a top attacker; the more crucial the moment, the calmer he becomes."

Shortly after the celebration, Super Mario was substituted by the young Foden, much to Cristiano's relief as he watched the live broadcast from Madrid.

If José scores again, the top scorer will be double digits ahead of the second-place scorer!

Although his strength is indeed inferior to that of Manchester City's core players, Robben doesn't want to be suppressed so badly.

In the final stages of the match, Basel's players simply ran mechanically, having already accepted their fate and only hoping the night would end quickly.

The final whistle blows!

Manchester City 3-0 Basel.

The aggregate score over two legs is 8-0.

"Double kill!"

"A double kill that was a foregone conclusion!"

"Manchester City crushed Basel in the coldest, most dazzling, and most terrifying way, advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals!"

"This is the series that belongs to José Mario, this is Manchester City's Champions League night!"

"Basel is not a weak team; they beat Manchester United in the group stage. But against a Manchester City team with José Mário, their resistance became meaningless."

"This is the king of football, this is power!"

One week later, all the round of 16 matches were completed.

Tottenham 1-2 Juventus (3-4 on aggregate, Juventus advance)

Liverpool 0-0 Porto (5-0 on aggregate, Liverpool advance)

Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 Real Madrid (2-5 on aggregate, Real Madrid advance)

Besiktas 1-3 Bayern Munich (Agency score 1-8, Bayern advances)

Barcelona 3-0 Chelsea (4-1 on aggregate, Barcelona advance)

Manchester United 1-2 Sevilla (1-2 on aggregate, Sevilla advance)

Roma 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (Agency score 2-2, Roma advances on away goals)

The eight powerhouses, now carrying the fruits of their victory, will face off in the next round of head-to-head battles.

The day after the match, at UEFA headquarters in Nyon.

The draw for the 17-18 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals is underway.

Around 11 a.m., the air in the hall had become quite hot, even more so than springtime in Switzerland.

The media area was already set up with cameras and lenses, all aimed at the arched stage in front of them against a dark blue backdrop.

The words "UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE" and the logos of the eight finalist teams are arranged in a solemn arc, like eight silent stars.

The names of the eight teams are sealed inside small white balls, which lie quietly in two transparent glass bowls.

This time, there was no avoidance with the same country or the same group; it was purely a twist of fate.

When Giorgio Marchetti walked onto the stage, his tie was perfectly tied.

He adjusted the microphone height and, as usual, delivered a welcoming speech in English.

Then, the lights were slightly brightened.

A tall and familiar figure emerged from the side curtain.

Andrei Shevchenko.

The Ukrainian wore a well-tailored dark gray suit with a snow-white shirt collar. His hair was much shorter than it had been during his playing days, and his temples were already graying, but his back was still straight, and his gait still carried the rhythm he used to have when he dominated the San Siro.

A round of polite applause broke out from the audience. He smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then stood down next to Marchetti.

"André, welcome to Nyon."

"Thank you, George. It's an honor."

Without any further pleasantries, the lottery process began quickly.

The first ball was removed.

He unscrewed the screw, unfolded the note, and faced the camera.

"Barcelona!"

Barcelona were drawn first, which means the Blaugrana will play the first leg at home and the second leg away.

Shevchenko reached out again.

The second ball.

"Rome"

A low cheer came from the Spanish press box; this was quite a lucky draw.

The Italian reporter frowned slightly, noting that the Giallorossi would first travel to Camp Nou before returning to the Olympic Stadium.

He would prefer to be drawn against Sevilla, even though they are both La Liga teams.

The third and fourth balls were drawn in succession, and the little gift that the Italian reporter had been looking forward to was won by Nan Da Wang.

A clash between Spain and Germany.

Although the atmosphere at Andalusian home ground is always terrifying, Bayern's European experience is unfathomable.

The German journalists exchanged glances, the meaning clear: it was acceptable, but they shouldn't let their guard down.

The number of small balls in the glass bowl is decreasing.

Everyone knows the names of the remaining four teams. Real Madrid, the defending champions, the most successful club in Champions League history!

Juventus, the runner-up in the 16-17 Champions League, the strongest sword on the Italian peninsula!

Liverpool, a resurgent old English powerhouse, boasts a rich Champions League heritage and an enduring legacy like the Istanbul Blingsong Miracle.

Manchester City, the new Premier League champions, possess the most powerful weapon in football, NewMoney!

Any combination of these four teams would be enough to draw attention.

The air began to feel thick.

Shevchenko reached his hand into the bowl again.

His movements remained unhurried, but the breathing in the audience noticeably subsided. Many people instinctively held their breath.

He took out a ball and twisted it open. As he unfolded the note, the camera gave a close-up of his hand. The note read...

"Juventus!"

The journalists in Turin straightened their backs.

Juventus, first home, then away.

Their opponents will then be one of the remaining three teams: Real Madrid, Liverpool, or Manchester City.

Shevchenko reached for the glass bowl containing the opponents' draws.

Unscrew it.

Show.

"real Madrid!!"

A distinct buzzing sound erupted in the hall.

The final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium last season will be replayed, but this time it will be moved to the quarterfinals.

Buffon and Ronaldo, Allegri and Zidane: old grudges remain, and new ones are brewing.

Can Juventus avenge their defeat in the final?

Can Real Madrid continue their title defense?

Almost every football journalist's brain is instantly occupied by clickbait headlines.

The outcome of the last two balls was no longer in doubt.

Liverpool vs. Manchester City.

The CEO of the Red Army sat in the audience, subconsciously adjusting his glasses, his lips twitching slightly.

It's called an all-English Premier League battle, but strictly speaking, Liverpool has been caught by the Citizens four times in a row!

He didn't have a good feeling about meeting his opponent again in the Champions League!

Unlike the tense club staff, Shevchenko wore a polite smile as he completed the draw.

He was satisfied with the match featuring a strong opponent; as a former player and now a spectator, he enjoyed the game.

Soon, the ceremony came to an end, and the matchups for the quarterfinals were finalized.

Less than an hour after the draw ceremony, major sports media outlets were already flooding the news with updates.

Marca: "A twist of fate: Real Madrid face Juventus again."

"Last season's Cardiff final is still fresh in our minds; Ronaldo's brace and Casemiro's long-range shot still resonate."

"Now, Juventus will once again step into the shadow of the Bernabéu with the fury of revenge."

"Allegri needs to find a way to limit Ronaldo, but at present, this remains one of the most difficult challenges in world football."

The Manchester Evening News, however, focused on the Premier League civil war.

"Guardiola's team is far ahead in the league, while Klopp's Liverpool has shown great explosiveness in the Champions League."

"On paper, Manchester City has the advantage; but considering their European experience and home advantage, they should not be underestimated on the night at Anfield."

"The biggest advantage for Manchester City remains José Mario, the two-time Champions League winner!"

The Turin-based sports newspaper was extremely emotional.

"The call for revenge has sounded. Juventus has been drawn against Real Madrid; it's fate."

"A year ago in Cardiff, tears soaked the Juventus jerseys. Now, it's time to get justice on the pitch."

"Buffon's career is nearing its end, this is his last chance. Ronaldo, just wait."

Mundo Deportivo expressed optimism about Barcelona's draw against Roma: "Without a doubt, Barcelona has drawn a relatively weaker opponent in the quarterfinals. As long as they don't underperform, Barcelona should be able to secure a ticket to the semifinals."

The BBC produced a special program, inviting Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher to analyze the draw results.

On social media, the discussions among fans were equally heated.

In Manchester, José Mario is more focused on the upcoming 31st round of the league than the Champions League, which starts in three weeks.

If the Blue Moon team can secure 3 points, they can lock in the league championship in advance.

After winning 4-1 against Brighton without bloodshed, Mario heard the familiar notification sound again.

Points +1

Current score: 9

Should I use points to draw a new template?