Chapter 294: Time is running out for Porto!
"Su Dong! Shoot!"
“The ball goes in!!!!”
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"In the first half stoppage time, Valencia took the lead in breaking Porto's goal!"
"The Danish referee Nielsen blew the whistle to signal that the goal was valid. At the crucial moment, Su Dong scored the first goal for Valencia!"
"This is his 16th goal in the Champions League this season, surpassing the Brazilian striker Altafini who played for AC Milan in Italy in the 1962-1963 season and scored 14 goals in the Champions League that year."
"Now, Su Dong has unbelievably raised this record to sixteen goals!"
"Su Dong is playing like crazy this season!"
"In La Liga, he broke Ronaldo's record and became the player with the most goals in his debut season in La Liga history; in the Champions League, he scored most of Valencia's goals and broke José Altafini's record, becoming the player with the most goals in a single season in the history of the Champions League!"
"This is simply unbelievable!"
"Su Dong! A genius who wrote his name into legend at the age of nineteen!"
"We can't even imagine what he will achieve in the future."
"If Valencia really wins the Champions League this season, Su Dong must be the number one contributor to the Bats!"
…
After Su Dong shot the ball, the moment he landed on the ground, he knew the ball was in! It was a very magical feeling!
As he took more and more shots and scored more and more goals, the feeling became stronger and more familiar.
After landing, he turned around and ran.
Since UEFA has officially issued regulations prohibiting players from taking off their clothes when celebrating after scoring a goal, otherwise they will be given a yellow card. So no matter how excited Su Dong was, he did not dare to take off his clothes. He rushed straight to the bottom of the stands where the Valencia fans were, raised his arms high, and roared at the Valencia fans in the stands.
The fans of Valencia were shouting Su Dong's name crazily, echoing throughout the Schalke Stadium! ...
"It was really bad for Porto to concede a goal to Valencia just before the end of the first half."
"Mourinho needs to think seriously about how the team should deal with Valencia in the second half."
"From the performance in the first half, their defense was completely unable to freeze Su Dong."
"Not only did Su Dong rely on his strong personal ability to break through four Porto defenders and score with a fierce shot, but he also created two excellent scoring opportunities. If the Valencia players had been better at seizing opportunities, the score would have been 3-0 now."
"We definitely can't let Su Dong continue to play like this in the second half, but does Mourinho have a way to contain Su Dong?"
"This is not only a problem for Porto, but also a problem that all fans are concerned about."
"For Valencia, it is undoubtedly crucial to continue to maintain Sudon's outstanding performance, let him continue to threaten Porto's defense, and then drive the entire offensive system."
"But what Benítez needs to improve more is the scoring efficiency of other players on the team. It is a pity that Su Dong failed to score in the two offensive opportunities he created."
"As many people outside have said, without Su Dong, Valencia is still the Valencia that couldn't score goals last season. Judging from the first half, this is absolutely true."
"Aimar and Rufete both had great chances but missed them. This is something they need to reflect on."
"But no matter what, Valencia has the advantage with a one-goal lead."
…
Not long after Su Dong celebrated his goal, Porto restarted the game and Nelson blew the whistle to end the first half.
The Porto players all looked devastated, but the Valencia players, on the other hand, were all in high spirits.
Obviously, they all seemed to see the championship waving in front of them! This is the first Champions League in Valencia's 100-year history! But after returning to the locker room, Benítez angrily criticized the team's poor attack in the first half.
"Except for Su Dong, none of you has shown satisfactory condition and performance!"
The players immediately pulled themselves out of the excitement and joy of being in the lead and began to sit up straight again.
It was obvious that Benítez was unhappy with the repeated missed scoring opportunities in the first half.
Valencia could have ended the battle in the first half, but now it is still full of suspense.
It’s no wonder that Benítez is so dissatisfied. No one would be satisfied.
Both of those chances were pretty good, but the first one was the most outrageous, as neither Aimar nor Rufete could catch up.
The center and the right wing are both absent at the same time. Isn't this too outrageous?
The second time was equally unbelievable. After Su Dong passed the ball, Aimar shot towards Porto goalkeeper Baia. Wasn't it obvious that he wanted to send the ball back to the opponent? Of course, everyone knows that everything on the court is instinctive.
All I can say is that Aimar still needs to practice his shooting.
After a burst of anger, Benítez quickly calmed down and began to explain what to pay attention to in the second half.
After falling behind in the first half, he guessed that Porto would press forward in the second half.
This is also an obvious problem.
The Champions League final is only 90 minutes long. Porto was one goal behind in the first half. If they didn't equalize quickly, the longer the time went on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them, so they would definitely press forward.
The question now is, what tactics does Valencia want to adopt? Benítez's strategy is to keep a steady start.
"At the beginning of the second half, we must first ensure that our defense is sound and not let Porto equalize the score. Otherwise, this game will be more difficult. Therefore, except for Su Dong, everyone else must actively participate in defense."
Benítez also doesn't want to just defend. He hopes that the team will launch sharp counterattacks when they have the chance and create as many threats as possible.
"This is very important! We must threaten and hurt the opponent, so that we have a better chance of maintaining our lead!"
Afterwards, Yestdan came out again to cheer on the players.
The assistant coach told the players that Su Dong's goal gave the team a crucial lead.
"The Saint Bled Cup has two ears. We have already caught one of them. Now we just need to pull it hard and we can get the championship trophy!"
"I know that the final is very difficult and Porto is very tough. Each of you is under heavy pressure, but at this moment, you are no longer fighting for others, not for the club, not for the coaching staff, and not for the fans, but for yourself to win this war!"
"I hope that each of you can leave the Schalke Stadium with a smile!"
…………
…………
If the Valencia locker room was filled with excitement and excitement, then the atmosphere in Porto's locker room was solemn.
Falling behind near the end of the first half is a nightmare for any team participating in the Champions League final.
The key is, how can they get out of the nightmare? Mourinho also gave his own choice.
He decided to make a substitution at halftime, replacing Mendes with Russian player Alenichev.
In this way, Porto's formation is similar to a small diamond formation of 4-4-2, with Deco rushing forward, Alenichev and Maniche on the two wings, and Costinha falling behind.
This is also the tactical style that Mourinho often uses in Porto, and the players are not unfamiliar with it at all.
More importantly, the 442 small diamond formation can maximize Deco's role.
"The defensive midfielder combination of Albelda and Baraja is second to none even in European football, so I need you, Deco, you have to get rid of them. You are our number ten player, you need more offensive freedom, try to attack the opponent from both sides."
"Dmitri." Mourinho looked at Alenichev who had just been substituted in. "You should play more as a number 10. The task of connecting the forwards and the midfield will be given to you. Deco will be freed up and he will be more involved in attacking and passing the ball."
This is why Mourinho replaced Alenichev, a former winger.
"At the beginning of the second half, we must attack and try to equalize the score in the shortest possible time. Only by equalizing the score can we have a chance of winning. Otherwise, what will be left for us at Schalke Stadium will be endless regret!"
The Porto players were also rekindled by Mourinho's words.
It is not easy for every player to get to where they are today, and no one can guarantee that they will have the chance to return to the Champions League final in the future, so they all cherish the opportunity in front of them.
If they win, they will have their names engraved on the Champions League trophy and achieve immortality!
If they lose, they will deeply regret this night for many, many years to come! …………
…………
After the start of the second half, Porto took the lead in launching a counterattack.
Alenichev came on to replace Mendes and Porto made changes in the midfield, giving Deco more space to move around.
The Brazilian player, who has already become a naturalized Portuguese player, began to concentrate on the attack, running non-stop, looking for opportunities, and trying to pass the ball to more threatening areas.
Valencia started very steadily, especially in the midfield and backcourt.
Vicente and Rufete both actively retreated to defend and protect the two wings of the midfield, which made it difficult for Porto to create opportunities.
The most threatening moment came in the 51st minute, when Valente assisted and made a long diagonal pass to the penalty area, trying to find Delle and Alberto, but Delle missed it. Alberto wanted to shoot directly, but due to the interference of Marchena, he missed the target and kicked the ball out of the baseline.
Four minutes later, the attack was launched from the left again. This time, Alenichev made a diagonal pass to the penalty area from the left rib. Dellei headed the ball under the interference of Ayala, but it was slightly off target.
Both attacks failed to create any threat, which made Mourinho on the sidelines begin to show an anxious look.
Time is running out for Porto! The Portuguese madman hesitated for a while, but after thinking about it, he finally gritted his teeth.
Porto's second substitution!
McCarthy replaces Alberto!
(End of this chapter)
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