Greatest of All Legends

Chapter 308: Champions League 2020/21; Group Stage Matchday 3

**3rd November 2020**

*7:55 pm*

{The stadium is quiet but all this sounds like the prelude to the excitement that would follow as Porto hosts Olympique Marseille here at Estadio do Dragao for their third group stage match}

{It’s Porto vs Marseille}

{It’s a game that promises excitement with two sides that look to be equal on paper}

{Let’s get straight into the line-ups for the two teams}

{Porto will be arranging themselves across the field in the 4-4-2 formation and will be looking to control possession for the majority of the game while hitting their opponents with swift counterattacks, especially from the flanks}

{In Porto’s goal, we have Augustin Marchesin and the two wing-backs are Zaidu Sanusi and Wilson Manafa on the right and left sides respectively}

{In the center of the defense are Porto and Ivan Marcano}

{In the center of the midfield we have Otavio and Mattheus Uribe taking charge of the center while Jason and Fabio Viera would be on the right and left sides of the midfield and up front we have a strike partnership between Moussa Marega and Sergio Oliveira}

{This is a more familiar-looking line-up than what we saw from them in their season campaign match just four days ago where they lost}

{They will be looking to get back to winning ways today, but it’ll be easier said than done for them against opponents like Marseille}

The commentator went on to finish all his pre-match commentary while the players waited for the pre-match formalities to be done before they began arranging themselves on the field.

***

*Fweeeeeee*

The pre-match formalities were over and the match kicked off as soon as the clock hit eight, bringing a start to Porto and Marseille’s third group-stage match of the Champions League that season.

Both teams had plans to win as they both had the same number of points.

Porto was currently leading due to goal difference, but goal difference wouldn’t matter if Marseille managed to win the match and take all the points home.

They would take the second position of the group irrespective of their goal difference and that was exactly what they planned to do, however, Porto wasn’t going to just allow them to do that, especially since they were coming in furious with their loss in their last game.

It didn’t take long for the match to heat up.

# 4th minute…

The match had barely started, but both teams were already tearing at each other and already a couple of shots had been sent flying, but none had gone in and the two teams were still moving with high intensity with their energy tanks still at full.

Porto was currently in possession and the ball was moving around quickly among their players as they slowly pushed up the field while making sure not to lose possession.

From Otavio to Uribe to Viera, and then to Oliveira before going back to Viera.

The ball moved quickly and then Otavio who received the ball finally sent the ball to the right where Jason received it but didn’t pass immediately.

The moment Jason stopped the ball, his teammates already knew that he was about to make a run and they started looking around for open spaces to run through while those who were being marked started freeing themselves.

Just as they had thought, Jason was indeed looking to make a run and he waited for his marker to approach while seemingly leaving himself open as he faced his approaching marker.

The Marseille defender slowed as he approached, crouching slightly and getting into a defensive posture, but despite all his preparation, Jason remained open as he squared off against him, seemingly looking for a way past him.

The defender continued to draw closer yet it seemed like Jason hadn’t been able to find space, but just when the defender was about to lunge forward, Jason flicked the ball forward at high speed and burst past the Marseille defender, stunning him and leaving him unable to react in time.

Jason made full use of his high acceleration and zoomed past the defender before heading down the right flank and sending in a curling cross into the penalty box where his teammates were waiting.

{A cross!? Header from Marega!}

{GOAL!!!} the commentator shouted in excitement as he saw Marega outmuscle his marker and rise to the air to get on the end of Jason’s cross and direct it into the back of the net.

{Porto open up the game early!}

{I’m sure the manager must have mentioned this in the locker room. Scoring early gives you the chance to dictate the game from early on and Porto have taken that chance}

The commentator continued commenting while the Porto players kept celebrating, the absence of fans at the stadium not dampening their excitement.

They were sure the fans were celebrating with them in their respective homes anyway, and their thoughts weren’t wrong.

# 10th minute…

With Porto taking the lead early in the game, they began trying to dictate the game and playing at their tempo, but the Marseille team wasn’t planning on giving up control of the game that easily and had been doing their best to resist Porto’s rising momentum.

Porto had the ball and had been passing it around in the middle of the field, but Mattheus Uribe had tried to dribble past a Marseille player when he had the ball instead of squaring it off and he ended up losing the ball after a rough tackle from the Marseille player who immediately took control of the ball and sent a splitting through pass behind Porto’s defense.

Pepe and Ivan Marcano were the only players in the back so they weren’t ready when Payet burst past them to get on the end of the pass before taking the ball forward and curling it past Augustin Marchesin.

{Goal!}

{It hasn’t taken them long, they have their equalizer}

{Porto wasn’t ready for th-}

*Fweeeeeeee*

The commentator’s excited commentary was speedily interrupted by a shrill blast of the referee’s whistle.

{The flag’s not up for offside, it seems there’s been a foul before the goal} the commentator explained as he saw the referee pointing to Mattheus Uribe who was still lying down on the ground.

The Marseille players immediately gathered around the referee, trying to downplay the tackle, but Uribe was still down and it seemed like he wouldn’t be getting up soon.

The medics soon ran onto the field to check on Uribe who seemed to be injured, while the referee ran off the field to check with VAR.

Less than a minute later, the referee headed back onto the field, giving his final verdict.

The goal was to be disallowed as Uribe had been fouled as the ball was snatched from him.

Another few seconds later, the medical team had a stretcher brought over as Uribe seemed to have sustained a knee injury and he couldn’t continue the game.

On the sidelines, Sergio Oliveira got a call-up from the manager and he quickly began warming up, preparing to come on for the injured player.

# 31st minute…

*Fweeeeee*

{Oh, the referee’s blown his whistle and is pointing at the spot! Penalty to Porto!}

{Jason had been cutting in from his wing and trying to weasel his way around his marker, but the defender wasn’t having it and brought him down in the penalty box} The commentator described the situation with extensive commentary while the referee ran over to the location of the foul and pulled out a yellow card.

{Oh, as if a penalty wasn’t enough, the player has received a booking as well and will have to start watching himself from now on}

Jason adjusted his socks and stood up with the help of Viera pulling him up.

The Porto players gathered around and soon the penalty taker was decided to be the current vice-captain of the team, Sergio Oliveira.

Jason would have rather taken the penalty shot by himself, but he had to acquiesce to the hierarchy and give up the penalty kick.

Sergio Oliveira took the ball to the penalty spot and set it down before taking a few steps back to wait for the referee’s whistle while the players of the two teams arranged themselves outside the penalty box with the referee monitoring their movements.

Once everything was in place, the referee put his whistle to his mouth and blew hard.

*Fweeeeeee*

On hearing the referee’s whistle, Oliveira ran at the ball and hit it deftly to the bottom right side of the post while the unlucky Marseille goalkeeper had preemptively dived towards the left.

{Well taken penalty!}

{That makes it two!}

{Porto are pulling clear here!]

{The goalkeeper followed his instincts, but with instincts like that, I hope he doesn’t gamble} The commentator sneaked in an unruly choice of words, but only the Marseille players and fans cared after hearing the referee’s sneaky diss.

The Porto fans on the other hand were laughing while celebrating their team’s second goal of the game.

Their team looked strong on the ball and if they continued with this level of performance, then the game was surely in the bag, unlike their previous game.

For this, the Porto fans couldn’t be any happier.

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