Greatest Of All Legends - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Blue and Black VS Blue and White III
{Inter Milan are looking confident on the ball here, making pass after pass just outside the opponent’s box}

{Porto don’t like this and they have been chasing hard to try and regain possession but somehow the ball remains elusive… Oh, it’s Eriksen with the ball now, he’s looking dangerous!}

{Erikseeeeennnnnn!}

{GOALLL!!! He’s given Inter their lead with the first goal in this all-so-important game!}

{What a stunner!}

{Marchesin got a hand to it, but it just wasn’t enough to keep it out!}

{Porto are stunned!} Guiseppe’s excellent commentary made it clear how he was able to be chosen as the main commentator for a game in the Europa League.

As his commentary reverberated around the stadium, the Inter Milan team celebrated their goal with Eriksen being surrounded by his teammates who jumped on him as they shouted in excitement.

On the sidelines, Sergio Conceicao had a complicated look on his face as he watched the Inter team celebrate their goal.

This was exactly what he was trying to avoid by choosing a defense-oriented line-up. It was all to ensure that the first half would go by without them conceding a single goal, but half of the first half hadn’t even passed by when his plan began falling apart.

He wanted to shout at his players as he had expected someone to get in the way of the shot, after all, they had treated this in training.

Inter Milan had midfielders who were good from long range and thus, the defenders and midfielders had to put as much emphasis on defending against the midfielders as when they were defending against the strikers, but his players had somehow let Eriksen, the most dangerous from long range, get a shot away.

It wasn’t a surprise that Eriksen could score as this was one of the things he was known for… it was literally on his CV as a footballer, yet his players had been caught lacking and had ignored this threat.

Sergio wanted to pull out his hair in annoyance and replace the whole team while he was at it, but he maintained his composure and barked out orders sharply at his players.

“Don’t let them shoot from long range!”

“Keep them away from the center and push them wide!” Sergio Conceicao shouted, aware that he was broadcasting his game plan to his opponents, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that and he continued shouting.

“Luis! Otavio! Move more, don’t just stand there, take the ball forward, we need an equalizer!” Sergio Conceicao immediately began giving damage control instructions.

This wasn’t the time to be defensive, rather, this was the time to give it all they had until they could either get an equalizer or at least keep Inter Milan from scoring further.

Sergio Conceicao knew from previous research that all their attacks were almost as good as blocked as soon as the Inter Milan team decided to sit back and he had to find a way back before then, especially now that they were behind.

As Sergio Conceicao gave instructions, Antonio Conte watched him from a few meters away before calling one of his players over as they headed back to their half of the field and he whispered a few words in the player’s ear.

The player nodded affirmatively, a smile still on his face and once the manager was done, he nodded again at the manager before running back to the field and saying something to every one of his teammates that he came across.

The game resumed shortly after.

#34th minute…

After the Inter Milan team had gotten their first goal, they had emboldened their play and began sending attacking waves at the Porto team more frequently, hoping to further their lead, but the Porto team somehow managed to hold out.

Not only did they hold out, but they also occasionally sent out attacks of their own, trying to get an equalizer, but so far they hadn’t succeeded.

It was quite obvious the Porto team was on the back foot and were being oppressed by the Inter Milan team, but they had bravely held on and this was giving their fans hope that they could somehow hold out and even manage an equalizer

However, for the time being, it was the Inter Milan team that was leading the game in score, stats, and attempts at goal.

Even now, they had a corner after Augustin Marchesin had just barely managed to keep another long-range effort from the Inter Milan team away from their goal.

This time it was Marcelo Brozovic who had taken the shot and he was almost as good as Eriksen when it came to long-range efforts and he would have almost gotten away with it if not for the heroics of the Porto goalkeeper who saved his team at the last moment with a magnificent dive.

Christian Eriksen stood over the corner on the right side of the Porto goal with his hand raised up to hint at his teammates the tactics that they would be employing.

Seeing Eriksen’s raised hand, the Inter Milan players began shifting around in different directions and the Porto players immediately responded, but before they could determine the kind of tactic that the Inter Milan team was employing, the referee’s whistle blew loudly.

*Fweeeee*

Eriksen ran at the ball and with just enough power and precision, he sent the ball flying into the air and at Porto’s penalty area.

As the ball was sent into the box, Stefan de Vrij who was standing at the edge of Porto’s 18-yard box suddenly dashed forward past Oliveira who was marking him and with surprising agility snaked past the other players before leaping powerfully into the air to meet the incoming ball.

Timing his jump perfectly, the Inter Milan defender was able to catch the ball off his head and send it at the top right corner of Porto’s goal.

Augustin Marchesin moved instinctively as soon as he saw Stefan de Vrij catch the ball of his head, but even that was not enough and the ball smashed past him into the back of the net.