After Ibrahimović scored, he raised both hands high in celebration, looking unbearably arrogant.
But after spotting Kai, he immediately pointed at him. He truly hadn't expected Young Master Kai to pass him a through ball when there was absolutely nobody defending him and Kai himself could have easily taken a long-range shot.
So selfless.
"Oh! A hat trick of assists! Kai has completed an assist hat trick! From the Portuguese Liga to the Portuguese Super League, he doesn't seem to need any adaptation period at all!"
"Previously, many people believed Kai wasn't capable of playing in the Portuguese Super League, but now... he seems to be much more than capable. He looks like the absolute core of this team!"
Anyone who understood football could actually see it clearly.
The Sporting Lisbon fans couldn't hold back anymore, and many people started applauding.
Although their expressions still looked somewhat awkward, they had no choice but to acknowledge that Kai had played an excellent match.
Everyone had been angry because Kai supposedly forced Jardel away, and Jardel had been a player capable of bringing victories to the team.
But if Kai could prove this team was even better without Jardel, then everyone would naturally support Kai again.
After all, everyone's goal was the same. There were no truly irreconcilable conflicts.
There was no need to feel embarrassed about changing sides.
Everyone was a rational person.
Eighty-one minutes.
Ibrahimović dropped deeper again.
Viana wanted to play a quick one-two with Ibrahimović.
But he was tightly marked.
At that moment, the ball at Ibrahimović's feet was actually dangerous, because he had no obvious passing outlet.
If it had been another striker, there was a high probability the ball would've been lost there.
Even Jardel could at most shield the ball for a while before eventually getting swarmed and dispossessed.
But Ibrahimović displayed his terrifying ball-holding ability.
With his back to goal, he directly dribbled toward midfield while slapping away the defender's hands behind him.
The moment a small gap opened between them, he spun with the ball and dribbled laterally.
As everyone knows, lateral dribbling is extremely risky. Once possession is lost, it can instantly give the opponent a dangerous counterattack opportunity.
Most target strikers are forbidden by their coaches from dribbling sideways because their technique is rough, their pace is slow, and it's too easy for them to get intercepted.
At that moment, another defender stepped up.
Facing a double team, Ibrahimović suddenly dragged the ball and poked it forward, nutmegging the approaching defender directly.
Then he barged past both men with the ball before suddenly turning and driving toward the opponent's penalty area.
The moment Ibrahimović escaped, a gap appeared in the opponent's defense, forcing one of the center-backs to step out.
Ibrahimović immediately spotted the opening and passed to Quaresma.
Then he accelerated forward, sprinting into the space behind the center-back.
Ibrahimović had come on as a substitute and was still young. Even if sprinting wasn't his strongest point, he definitely wasn't slow in this situation.
The center-back knew he couldn't catch Ibrahimović, so he had no choice but to drag him down.
The referee instantly blew the whistle, calling the foul and showing a yellow card.
That yellow card was a complete reflection of Ibrahimović's personal ability.
If a 1.75-meter player did this kind of stuff, people would understand it.
But for a giant nearly 1.95 meters tall to play football like this?
That was just fucking ridiculous.
Quaresma stepped up to take the free kick. The position was perfect for a direct strike.
Ten seconds later—
The stadium exploded in cheers.
Quaresma scored directly from the free kick!
"Six-nil! Oh my god! Sporting Lisbon have climbed to the top of the Portuguese Super League table! Their goal difference advantage is absurd!"
"Triguera and Maxa have injected completely new life into this team, and a youth storm is brewing!"
"Quaresma really needs to thank Ibrahimović. Without Ibrahimović, there would've been no free kick opportunity."
Normally, after scoring this goal, Sporting Lisbon should've slowed the game down.
To avoid injuries.
But in reality, after taking a huge lead, whether you continue attacking or pull back depends on the situation.
If the opponent has completely lost their fighting spirit, then continuing to attack is actually fine.
At that point, if you suddenly slow the rhythm yourself, you may awaken the opponent's desire to resist and increase the intensity of their defending and counterattacks.
It's just like how many people don't dare fight back against fierce enemies, but always make excessive demands from kind and easygoing strong people.
Human psychology was something that needed to be considered.
Under Kai's command, Sporting Lisbon continued attacking.
Not in an especially violent way, but they kept launching wave after wave of offense, leaving Beira-Mar completely unable to respond.
Aside from praying for the final whistle to come quickly, the Beira-Mar players had no other thoughts left in their minds.
Eighty-eight minutes.
Quaresma sent in a cross from the wing.
But the football was slightly behind the target point after being touched by the defender.
Ibrahimović couldn't head it directly, so he simply used his body to pin the defender while taking the ball down with his chest.
Then, before the ball even touched the ground, he flicked it over his head.
A backheel flick and an inverted triangle pass!
Ibrahimović knew better than to flick the ball too close to goal, otherwise the goalkeeper would've claimed it easily.
He deliberately dropped the ball into the most dangerous area possible.
If someone arrived near the penalty spot, then—
Boom!
Kai burst into the penalty area with a diving header.
He reached the ball before the opposing center-back.
The diving motion massively increased the speed of the header, turning it into a loaded bullet.
Whoosh!
"Gooooooal!!!"
"The seventh goal!"
"This is insanity!"
"Seven-nil!"
"Kai scores Sporting Lisbon's seventh goal of the match!"
"One goal and three assists! He's gone completely berserk!"
"This formation has become Kai's personal showcase! Defending, organizing, assisting, scoring—he can do everything!"
"Ibrahimović came off the bench with a goal and an assist. He's absolutely worth those three million euros! No wonder Arsenal once considered buying him!"
"Oh! Kai is sprinting toward the corner flag!"
Right in front of everyone, Kai ran while pointing toward the fans in the corner section.
As if he were saying—
"Everyone, join in!"
He leaped high into the air and spun 180 degrees mid-air.
The more than 40,000 fans inside the stadium could no longer hold back.
Following Kai, they roared:
"IUUUUU!"
The Estádio José Alvalade suddenly felt like it had returned to the UEFA Youth League a year earlier.
The fans crazily shouted Caesar's name.
From that moment onward, the mark Jardel had left on this team with thirty-eight goals in one season was erased by Kai in a single match.
This generation of Sporting Lisbon youngsters stole the hearts of all Portuguese fans in just one game!
After the match, Kai was officially named Man of the Match.
The reporters rushed toward him frantically. They were far too curious about this completely new Sporting Lisbon side.
Reporter: "Kai, did you ever imagine your team would win this match by such an outrageous scoreline of seven-nil?"
Kai: "I did."
Reporter: "...Right, since you didn't imagine it, can you tell us—wait, you did imagine it?"
Kai: "Of course. We can accept winning by any score. Our squad is very strong. Not only against Beira-Mar—even against stronger teams, we have full confidence in our ability to score goals."
Reporter: "I can see that you're very confident. So what do you think is the difference between the Portuguese Super League and the Portuguese Liga?"
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