Chapter 304: Chapter 303: Viana, Take Off
Schmeichel could only watch in dismay, incapable of preventing the goal from happening.
"One to two! You can always trust Vieri!"
"Inter Milan has finally scored! Their form is coming back!"
"The entire Estádio Alvalade fell silent; the fans were completely overwhelmed by Vieri!"
"This is the globally renowned club with the most superstars, this is Inter Milan!"
The commentator was incredibly excited.
The sense of loss that the Inter fans felt from falling from the UEFA Champions League to the Europa League had finally begun to dissipate.
Subsequently, the Inter Milan players became more proactive, launching frequent attacks.
Lisbon Sporting’s defense was on the verge of collapse; Matthaus was stationed in the centre-back position, and Deschamps also fell back, essentially forming a five-defender formation.
If they continued to defend like this for another ten minutes, Lisbon Sporting was bound to concede another goal.
However...
In the fifty-fifth minute.
After a one-two with Ronaldo, Viana charged down the left flank, and after passing to Deng Kai, he flared wide.
Deng Kai played a quick give-and-go, channeling the football back to Viana’s feet.
Facing Inter Milan’s captain Zanetti, Viana was not intimidated. With a flick of his ankle, he sprinted to the byline... After half a step, he pulled back, shifting the ball inside with a lateral move.
Viana shook off Zanetti, cutting inside with finesse.
Seedorf, who should have been covering, had not yet returned to the midfield. He was too eager to attack.
In the end, Zanetti committed a foul behind him, granting Viana a brilliantly positioned free kick.
Normally, Quaresma would take the free kick.
But his form was off today, and with the ball on the left side, he couldn’t be bothered to come over.
Viana took the free kick himself.
With a powerful kick, the football traced a beautiful curve...
"GOAL! Viana! Incredible! Viana scores directly from a free kick!"
"It’s him again, it’s him! This Portuguese is absolutely on fire!"
"Really! He’s undoubtedly a combination of Figo and Rui Costa! He’s even more dazzling than Simon was before!"
Up until this moment, Inter Milan still regarded Viana with admiration.
They hadn’t even noticed that the score had reached three to one.
But soon, Inter’s players would show everyone why their fans had such confidence.
In the seventy-first minute.
Farinos crossed from the baseline, and Vieri, holding off Feng Te in the box, took the perfect shot.
This time, Schmeichel made a miraculous save, valiantly denying the goal.
But to no avail, as the Chinese boy Recoba followed up with a shot and helped his team pull one back.
Two to three!
"Recoba hasn’t let Moratti down! He was never the team’s superstar, but his loyalty to Inter Milan has earned him the world’s highest salary!"
"It is said that Moratti pays Recoba an annual salary of five million pounds! That’s even higher than Vieri’s!"
In an age when transfer fees were still a symbol of status, salaries were important, yet not that important.
At least at that time, many superstars and club executives overlooked the impact of salaries on team dynamics.
With so many superstars, Inter’s performance was mired in mediocrity. Aside from not having a high-caliber coach, issues in the dressing room caused by salary imbalances were also a significant reason.
"Oh, Trigella is making substitutions, he’s bringing on the young defensive midfielder Pepe for Deschamps, who is out of gas. Then he’s replacing Drogba with the Swedish striker Ibrahimovic."
"What? Quaresma is also being substituted! He looks displeased, but his performance today really wasn’t good. The one replacing Quaresma isn’t the forward Pinto, but another defensive midfielder, Paolo Bento."
"It seems that Sporting Lisbon wants to hold on to the 3-2 scoreline, but that’s definitely going to be difficult, especially since Vieri hasn’t scored yet! Many times when Vieri plays, it’s as if Inter Milan starts the game with a one-goal lead."
In the 77th minute, Matthaus completed a defensive interception at the back.
Seedorf’s through ball didn’t deceive him.
Matthaus passed the football to Deng Kai, who came to offer support.
Deng Kai switched play to CR7, who had dropped back on the left wing.
CR7 passed to Viana and then helped Viana by pulling away defenders.
With CR7’s maneuvering, Viana successfully faked out a defender and once again made progress through the middle.
Facing the interception, Viana passed the ball back to the retreating Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic played it wide to Deng Kai.
Deng Kai with a lofted through ball!
Viana had broken into the penalty area.
A series of passes and combinations, Sporting Lisbon’s play was frighteningly fluid.
Viana and Inter’s center-back Blanco went up for the contest, with Viana being in a more advanced position, and Blanco dared not foul him.
Ultimately, before Blanco could apply more pressure, Viana executed a chip shot.
The charging Inter goalkeeper, Frey, came out for the save, only for the football to be dinked over his head.
The score changes.
Four to two!
With two goals and one assist, Viana was dazzlingly terrifying.
At this moment, if Brazilian fans were watching, they would certainly notice how similar this guy was to that young midfielder from São Paulo!
Regrettably, that talented player suffered a fractured sixth vertebra from hitting the bottom of a swimming pool, facing the risk of lower limb paralysis. Even if he could make a comeback, he likely wouldn’t be able to play like Viana anymore.
In the 85th minute, Vieri achieved his baseline goal with a long shot, scoring a stunning worldie.
Four to three.
That was also the final score of this Europa League knockout match.
Sporting Lisbon defended their home turf’s honor, defeating the mighty Nerazzurri four to three.
But Inter Milan didn’t lose everything.
Even in a game where they weren’t at their best, they still managed to score three crucial away goals. This means that a one-nil victory in the next match would be enough for them to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
For Inter Milan, that’s definitely not an insurmountable task.
The match was hardly over when the buzz started in Italy.
Many Serie A teams mocked Inter Milan for losing to a small club like Sporting Lisbon.
However, heavyweights including AC Milan, Lazio, and Parma all contacted Sporting Lisbon’s sports department, inquiring about Viana’s situation.
Lazio offered ten million euros, hoping to secure Viana in advance.
True, Sporting Lisbon is not considered a big club, but they are known as a ’selling club’.
They have encountered situations before where a player becomes famous after just one game.
They know how to maximize a young player’s value.
Viana was already considered a star product within Sporting Lisbon; the original plan was to promote Viana after Quaresma’s transfer, but the unexpected rise of Deng Kai and CR7 made that plan obsolete.
Next up, the player the team will be looking to promote and possibly sell at the highest price is likely to be CR7.
However, if Viana’s value suddenly increases, the club can always dig out the original plan for Viana.
"Portuguese Star Sinks Inter Milan! Hugo Viana = Figo + Rui Costa!"
