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

Two days later, in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, located in the middle reaches of the Dnieper River, the mildness of autumn had faded, and the chill of winter began to whisper through the city.

Midweek Champions League matches lacked the festive atmosphere of a family day compared to weekend matches, especially given the teams' slim chances of advancing.

Porto currently leads Group A with 9 points from three wins, followed closely by Paris Saint-Germain with 6 points.

Dynamo Kyiv and Zagreb have 3 and 0 points respectively, forming a perfect arithmetic sequence with the four teams.

Compared to the Swiss rounds where the competition will go down to the final match, the current group stage schedule is actually more favorable for the players.

Based on Porto's current form, they have essentially secured a spot in the round of 16 and can allocate their squad reasonably according to the different situations on the three fronts.

In this match, Pereira placed Moutinho and Fernando on the bench and fielded Defore and Gonzalez.

Meanwhile, Dynamo Kyiv, who were eager to score points, faced a somewhat awkward situation. Oleg, who had just celebrated his 60th birthday two days prior, was unable to be on-site to coach due to health reasons, leaving the team to be overseen by the assistant coach.

The match between Dynamo Kyiv and Porto officially kicked off at 20:00 local time.

Mario's finger scar is almost healed, and Gusev has returned to the starting lineup.

The pre-competition ceremony was a high-level event, showcasing the highest level of recognition.

The UEFA General Secretary and senior officials from the Ukrainian Emergency Services were both present.

A middle-aged man in a crisp uniform made his entrance first, carrying a dark blue velvet box.

"Mr. José Mario!"

"On October 25, 2012, in the UEFA Champions League, you demonstrated extraordinary courage, a clear mind and selfless humanitarianism in the face of a sudden, life-threatening emergency."

"Your timely and correct action prevented an irreversible tragedy. This transcends the competition of sports and demonstrates the noblest human quality: the cherishing and protection of life."

"On behalf of the National Emergency Service of Ukraine and all those who cherish life and courage, I hereby award you this medal in recognition of your heroic actions."

The Slavic art was quite impressive; inside the exquisite gift box, a medal lay quietly on a black cloth.

Its design is simple yet substantial, with a cool metallic sheen. In the center is an emblem symbolizing protection and rescue, and along the edge is a line of small Ukrainian script.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, with his head shaved, took the badge from the ceremonial officer and solemnly placed the sash around Mario's neck.

"José, you have embodied the true spirit of sports!"

Thank you for your efforts!

Applause erupted from all sides of the stands like a tsunami.

The Dynamo Kyiv fans were applauding, and although the Porto fans who were traveling to the away game were fewer in number, their applause was no less enthusiastic.

This is not a tribute to the players' brilliant performance, but a pure tribute to life itself, transcending the invisible wall of victory and defeat above the field.

Mario smiled playfully at the camera.

This time, it was Infantino who awarded the medal.

Next time, I'll try to get him to put a black robe on me and present me with the trophy.

.......

"The pre-match ceremony co-hosted by Ukraine and UEFA has concluded, and the players from both sides will return to their positions."

"A close-up shot of our superhero!"

Mario has laid down his medals of honor and is ready to face a new challenge!

"Why not fight with honor?"

FIFA explicitly stated in 2006 that players are not allowed to wear any jewelry during matches!

"Because in intense physical combat, hard jewelry can easily cause additional injuries such as scratches or snags to the wearer or the opponent."

[Thanks for the explanation; thankfully, the Lord of the Rings didn't play football in this era!]

Haha, Beckham also liked wearing accessories, but that wouldn't be appropriate nowadays!

- [What should I do if I wear it? Will I be suspended?]

There's no such thing as a suspension; the International Football Association Board's regulations only allow for a yellow card warning at most.

- [Yes, if it's minor, it can be removed on the spot.]

Although FIFA claims it's all for safety reasons, in 2014 a complaint from a certain coach allowed certain headdresses to be worn.

...

With the referee's whistle, the second match between the two teams officially began. The situation on the field was very clear from the start: Dynamo Kyiv was on the offensive while Porto was on the defensive.

Ukraine's top team fielded its strongest lineup, deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation, determined to secure points at home.

The Portuguese league champions, on the other hand, established their defense by using a double defensive midfield pairing and attempted to solve problems through counter-attacks.

"In the first 10 minutes, there were very few effective attacks from either side; most of the time it was intense physical collisions, and fouls occurred one after another on the field."

"Super Mario, who received praise before the game, will find it difficult to perform in this situation, after all, the 18-year-old boy hasn't gained much weight yet."

"It's worth noting that Porto is now on a nine-game unbeaten run in the Champions League, and Dynamo Kyiv also boasts an unbeaten home record against Portuguese teams!"

"Tonight, let's wait and see which team's record will stand!"

The somewhat monotonous hand-to-hand combat forced the commentators to bring up other topics, and the broadcast cameras began to look for some big-name guests in the stands to enhance the entertainment value.

After failing to gain an early advantage, Dynamo Kyiv pushed their lines forward again, giving Porto an immediate counter-attack opportunity.

After Mario dropped back, he passed the ball to the wing, where Varela on the left flank stabbed at Dynamo Kyiv's defense like a sharp dagger.

It's a pity that the final shot in front of the goal was saved by the young Kovar and went out of bounds.

"A corner kick opportunity!"

"The alarm bells at Dynamo Kyiv are not dead yet!"

"Rodriguez kicks off!"

Although he is not short, Mario did not stay in the penalty area to try and get a chance; instead, he lurked at the edge of the box, waiting for his opportunity.

With his long-range shooting ability already at its maximum, he naturally wants to make the most of his advantage!

The ball was perfectly curled towards the far post, but unfortunately James Rodriguez's fellow Colombian failed to get a touch on it, and Dynamo Kyiv's center-back, Hácheridi, made a valiant header to clear it.

The ball flew towards the edge of the penalty area!

"Super Mario!!"

"His judgment of the landing point is extremely accurate!!"

"The dragon knight, awarded the medal of heroism, didn't hesitate and immediately attacked the door!!!"

Kyiv's home stadium is not a professional football stadium, but even across the running track, the audience could still feel the perfection of this powerful strike.

Stand with your left leg planted, tilt your body sharply to the left, forming an acute angle of nearly 40 degrees with the ground, and then swing your right leg with your waist and abdomen!

The rotational potential energy of the body is combined with the thick muscles of the thighs!

boom!

A deep yet crisp crackling sound seemed to pierce the air.

The ball didn't spin; it turned into a white flash and instantly tore apart Dynamo Kyiv's still-unclosed defense.

The black and white lightning bolt's flight path was initially slightly low, then it rose rapidly after passing the defenders who were frantically stretching their legs to block it, and finally made a strange turn in front of the goal, with a deathly arc, and went straight into the top left corner of the goal!

Goalkeeper Kovar's all-out dive became a desperate backdrop; his fingertips were still a galaxy away from the ball.

The net trembled violently!

The commentator's voice exploded after a brief pause!

"Gooooooooal!!!!"

"An incredible goal!!!"

"Corner kick clearance?"

"No, that was just a perfect volley pass for Mario!"

"This young man didn't even aim properly!"

"A pure feeling!"

"Pure skill!"

"This reminds me of Zidane's Champions League final night in Glasgow!"

"José Mario!!"

"Will he become the next midfield maestro?"