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

Chapter 72 The Dragon Strikes, Porto Rejects a Miracle

The first results of the second leg of the Champions League tie were quickly released.

After Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League quarterfinals, Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at home to advance to the next round.

Paris Saint-Germain's 1-1 draw against Malaga away from home completed an upset, allowing them to finish second in their group, just like Real Madrid.

Juventus kept a clean sheet in Turin, easily defeating Celtic 5-0 on aggregate to advance!

Four of the eight teams have already secured their spots, and the remaining four will be decided in a week.

Porto returned to the league with a heavily rotated squad, but fortunately, their opponents were of average strength, and they easily defeated Estoril 2-0 at home.

Good news! Benfica, who were making a strong showing in the Europa League, also rotated their squad significantly, and they once again drew with their opponents.

With 8 rounds remaining in the league, Porto leads by 13 points!

For Benfica, they have largely resigned themselves to their fate.

With a significant points gap from the leader while firmly securing the top two spots, their focus is naturally on domestic cup competitions and the Europa League in terms of profitability.

After a brief three-day break, the Champions League resumed.

On March 12, 2013, in Porto, the orange buses of the Bats FC had already arrived in Portugal's second-largest city.

Valverde, who lost 0-4 in the first leg at Mestalla Stadium, has a clear objective.

A miracle can only be achieved if the score difference is five goals or more. This match requires a relentless attack from the very first minute!

Pereira's demands on the team are very pragmatic: focus on defense, seek counter-attacks, and ensure an easy advancement to the quarterfinals.

The atmosphere in the press room of the Estádio do Dragão Stadium is already electric.

"I know what people are saying; many people think we've already been eliminated."

"But football isn't mathematics, and probability doesn't tell the whole story. In the first leg, we lost our way at Mestalla Stadium; that wasn't the Valencia I knew!"

"Tomorrow, we want to show the fans a team that's willing to shed its last drop of blood for the bat on their jersey."

After speaking, Valverde tapped the table; as the team's head coach, he couldn't possibly be the one to back down.

Pereira also chose to give his disciple a warning.

"It's too early to say whether they'll advance after two legs. Opening champagne at halftime is a major taboo in football. Porto will still field their strongest lineup to face their opponents."

Orange accents have begun to appear near the Dragon Stadium.

Several Valencia fans held up a banner that read "CREEMOS We Believe" and waited quietly at the entrance.

As the bus with the bat logo drove by, they erupted in a huge shout to cheer on the team.

Whether in the peak or the trough, the fans are always there.

The die-hard fans who went on the expedition were hoping for a miracle!

Soon, the stadium lights came on in the twilight, like the beacon towers of a medieval castle.

The blue and white army surrounded the expeditionary bat legion. On the way to the final battle at Wembley, the dragons would not let their guard down and would not give their opponents any chance!

The team anthem has begun, and the battle between fans has already started!

"Welcome, viewers, to the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Porto hosting Valencia."

"In the first leg at Mestalla, Porto dwarfed Valencia with a 4-0 victory!"

"Tonight, will it be a chance to reclaim dignity, or to witness a miracle?"

"The camera focuses on Soldado; how should I put it? At this moment, this Spanish striker is staring intently at his prey like a bulldog!"

"Valencia needs this spirit today, but time is their greatest enemy!"

"If the Bat Army can't gain an early advantage, they'll face a slow death!!"

"Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides. For the away team, Valverde has fielded his strongest lineup, with Soldado, Feghouli, Jonas, and Banega all starting!"

"For the home team, Pereira still used a 4-3-3 formation, but he put Mario, who performed brilliantly in the last round, on the bench and replaced him with Gonzalez, who has stronger defensive capabilities."

Goalkeeper: Elton; Defenders: Danilo, Otamendi, Mangala, Alex Sandro; Midfielders: Fernando, Moutinho, Lucho González; Forwards: Varela, Martinez, James Rodriguez. With the referee's whistle, the match officially kicked off.

Valencia kicked off without any probing or passing the ball around.

Ricardo Costa made a long pass directly to Jonas on the left wing.

"Simple and straightforward!"

"Without hesitation!"

"The Bat Army is going to turn this match into a boxing match from the very first second!"

Jonas forcefully overtook Danilo on the wing and then delivered a cross, which Soldado headed slightly past Mangala before he could reach it.

Although the ball went just wide of the far post, the Valencia fans still gave it a loud round of applause.

"That's it!"

"continue!"

"We have a chance!!!"

On the sidelines, Pereira chewed gum, seemingly unconcerned.

He knows Moutinho very well; this experienced midfielder won't easily fall into the opponent's rhythm.

Porto's positional attack slowly advanced, with continuous lateral movement, as the dragon aimed to wear down the Valencia's patience.

One side is desperately trying to accelerate, while the other remains calm and unperturbed.

Although Porto appeared to be on the defensive, they became increasingly composed as time went on.

In the 18th minute, Valencia, who had been unable to break through Porto's defense, played more directly. Parejo received the ball in the middle and used the inside of his right foot to curl a shot towards the penalty area.

Soldado headed the ball back, and Jonas received it and took a long-range shot from Mangala, which was saved by Elton.

—【They acted too hastily; the Batistuta needs to play more delicately!】

Time is running out; we're now down by four away goals...

—【While Valencia's attack appears to be flowing smoothly, Porto's players are actually quite calm and collected!!】

—【Hey guys, Valencia's odds of advancing are 1:77 right now, how about we bet 200 on a short-term bet?】

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—【It would have been great if the Bats had played like this in the first round. Now it's up to the opponent to give them a chance!!】

The storm on the field continued, and Valencia, who had yet to score, went completely berserk.

With the two full-backs pushing past the halfway line, the three forwards wreaked havoc in the penalty area, with Parejo and Costa taking turns unleashing long-range shots.

In the 23rd minute of the match, Feghouli cut inside from the left and shot, but Fernando blocked it with his back.

In the 36th minute, Banega crossed from the right wing, and Soldado outjumped Otamendi to head the ball towards goal, but Elton made a diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar.

The high-ball approach did have some benefits, but unfortunately, this excellent opportunity was not converted into a goal.

In the blink of an eye, Porto seized the opportunity presented by the Valencia army's aggressive advance to launch a counterattack.

Moutinho, with his excellent vision, delivered a long, over-the-top pass that found its way behind the defense, allowing Varela to quickly accelerate down the wing and amplify the threat.

He then passed the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, where Rodriguez unleashed a long-range shot, but it was unfortunately saved by the equally outstanding Guaita.

The two teams took turns playing, and although the game was very exciting, the score remained unchanged, with the numbers in the upper left corner of the TV screen still showing.

Porto 0 (4): 0 (0) Valencia "A fierce attack in the first half failed, and Valencia's chances of advancing are becoming increasingly slim!"

"While they're pressing high up the pitch, they also need to be wary of Porto's counter-attacks. If the Dragons score first, they'll need to score six goals away from home to complete the comeback!!!"

Valencia's locker room echoed with Valverde's voice.

"You did a great job, but we were a bit unlucky!"

"Keep the pressure in the second half, don't give them a chance to breathe!"

"Soldado, can you still run?"

Soldado, panting heavily, nodded. Although his calves had been trembling a bit in the first half, he was still able to persevere.

Disarming prematurely is impossible; dying standing is the true spirit of the matador.

In the corner, Guaido, who had been thrashed in the first leg, glanced at the complex attacking routes on the tactics board.

A disheartening thought arose in his mind.

"If I concede another one in the second half, will I be able to return to Mestalla smoothly after this series?"

In the Porto locker room, Pereira stood in the middle, calmly taking out his iPad and starting to list numbers.

"This is the opponent's movement in the first half!"

"They won't last long!"

"Especially the backcourt area where they have to go back and forth!!"

"There will definitely be more attacking opportunities in the second half, lads, let's make the Espanyol feel hopeless!!!"

Pereira patted his nephew on the shoulder, signaling him to come on as a substitute.

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