八字万年历

Chapter 230: Blue and Black VS Blue and White I

{Inter Milan will be going up against Porto for a ticket to the next round of the 2019/20 Europa League}

{The Blue and Black against the Blue and White!}

{Who will come out on top here at the Merkur Spiel-Arena!}

{The players have arrived, warmed up, and kitted up and now they’re marching out with a picture of determination stuck on their faces}

{They sing their anthems with such zeal that you can already feel your hair standing on ends in anticipation for the match}

{This is a match where its final results are impossible to predict as both teams have been showing their pedigree and grace all throughout the competition}

{On the home side, we have the runners-up for the Serie A title, and on the away side, we have the champions of Portugal and both of them are fighting for a chance to be champions of Europe… sort of}

{My name is Guiseppe Mezza and I’ll be in charge of the commentary for today’s match. Also sitting in the commentary box with me is Alan Mackenzie who will be joining me} Guiseppe Mezza who was the commentator for the match introduced himself after giving out a satisfactory commentary intro.

{Pleased to be here Guiseppe} Alan Mackenzie responded to being introduced as the pre-match proceedings continued on the field.

{Pleased to have you here Alan. I have to ask, what do you think about the upcoming match?} Guiseppe asked Alan, their conversation being broadcasted around the stadium and across the world on TV.

{I think it’s going to be a great match. It’s an interesting encounter for the two teams and would definitely be filled with sparks in all the right places}

{My only bone of contention is that at the end of the game, one team would inevitably have to begin packing their bags} Alan answered smartly to Guiseppe’s question, adding a bit of fanfare for the viewers.

{I agree with you and I’m sure the fans of both teams are wishing that their teams are not the unfortunate ones, but at the end of the 90 minutes, I suppose we’ll see} Guiseppe said.

{Or maybe after extra time, or even penalties… I wouldn’t put it past either of these two teams to take it that far} Alan added.

{You’re right Alan, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched, haha} Guiseppe added with a laugh.

{Here are the line-ups for the two teams} Guiseppe moved on to begin calling the match line-ups.

{Inter Milan is playing in the 3-5-2 formation which is a shape we’ve seen from them almost all throughout this season}

{They have Samir Handanovic in goal and the three center backs guarding the defense line are Diego Godin, Stefan de Vrij, and Milan Skriniar}

{Playing wide on the right and left, but occasionally coming back to help the defense will be Ashley Young as the left wing-back and Alexis Sanchez as the right-wing back}

{In the center of the midfield are Christian Eriksen, Borja Valero, and Marcelo Brozovic}

{And finally, upfront, we have Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, who is also the highest goal scorer in the Europa League thus far with five goals}

{What do you make of this formation and line-up, Alan?} Guiseppe threw a question to Alan who was waiting patiently.

{Well, I don’t know what to say other than that they look solid everywhere and if they play with as much dynamism as they have shown throughout the season, Porto would have a hard time keeping them out and an even harder time cracking them open} Alan answered intelligently, showing off his knowledge even though what he had said was something any serious football fan could say if they were asked the same question.

{We’ll see about that then. Now for the Porto team line-up…}

{They are playing in the classic 4-4-2 formation which was a favorite of Arsene Wenger when he first arrived at Arsenal}

{For the Porto side, they have Augustin Marchesin in goal}

{Pepe and Chancel Mbemba will be defending the center while Alex Telles and Mattheus Uribe will be on the left and right respectively}

{In the center of the park are Sergio Oliveira and Danilo Perreira while partnering with them on the wings are Luis Diaz on the left and Otavio on the right}

{Up front for Porto, we have two strikers in persons of Tiquinho Soares and Moussa Marega}

{A very solid formation as well, it seems, what do you think, Alan?} Guiseppe finished listing out Porto’s line-up and threw another question at Alan.

{Like you said, it looks very solid. I think the Porto manager is looking to counter the Italian’s higher physicality and rougher style of play with the players he’s chosen, I’m just a bit surprised that the young winger, Jason isn’t starting the match} Alan responded with a slightly questioning tone.

{I’m sure the Porto fans are wondering the same thing, especially since his performance has been very good and he is always someone to look forward to, not to mention that he was the man of the match last time out} Guiseppe replied.

{I think the manager is trying to start with a cautious style of play and doesn’t want to take too many risks early in this match, but then that’s just my speculation. We’ll see the manager’s plan once the game starts, won’t we?} Alan continued after Guiseppe stopped.

{That we shall, the match is about to start anyway} Guiseppe remarked as the two commentators’ eyes looked down at the field where the players of both teams in their easily identifiable jerseys.

*Fweeeeeee*

The whistle-blowing for kickoff burst through the ears of the players at the stadium and the fans watched the match from wherever they were.

{There it is, kick off!}

{The battle for a chance in the semi-finals has begun!} Guiseppe shouted as the Inter Milan team kicked off the game with Romelu Lukaku sending the ball to Lautaro Martinez.