In Porto’s surprising “victory” over Juventus Turin, a Portuguese European champion turned back time. But we’re not talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.
World class performance at 38: European champion Pepe.
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“A central defender has to play ugly,” Pepe said just a few weeks ago in an interview with the Portuguese “Tribuna Expresso”. On Tuesday evening he prevented a possible knockout hit by Matthijs de Ligt in the 124th minute with an overhead kick.
Clarified 18 times
With a mixture of defensive class and almost endless experience, the Champions League winner of 2014, 2016 and 2017 had already started the second leg of the round of 16: While Juve’s 23-year-old central defender Merih Demiral did not necessarily foul his opponent Mehdi Taremi, but still clumsily caused a penalty, the 15 years older Pepe brought Alvaro Morata a little later in the opposite penalty area not exactly off the mark – but without playing a foul.
The start of a remarkable performance that can also be expressed in numbers. Pepe won 100 percent of his aerial duels, cleared 18 times (!), Won the ball eight times, set two tackles and also blocked two shots. In practice, it looked like that, thanks to his attention, dynamism and precision in one-on-one combat, he thwarted Federico Chiesa, who appeared in front of the empty goal.
Ferdinand goes into raptures
It was a game-winning appearance up to the 124th minute, with which Pepe also impressed a former world-class defender with Rio Ferdinand: “If I were a coach, I would let every young central defender in my club watch this performance. You should pay attention to his dedication how he positions himself, how he communicates, how he perceives things. And how he uses his body in his own penalty area. ”
When it comes to defending the penalty area, Pepe delivered an almost perfect performance.
In particular, a downright freak out against Getafe in April 2009 once branded the native Brazilian wearing Real Madrid’s jersey as a football bully. A reputation that Pepe lived up to time and again, but which often pushed his footballing class into the background. The old hand, as on Tuesday evening, especially against the ball.
In 210 minutes against buddy Pepe CL record scorer Cristiano Ronaldo (r.) Remained without a hit.
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What Pepe has ahead of modern central defenders
“Nowadays young center-backs are good at playing with the ball,” Ferdinand said, “but what about defending your penalty area? We see too many experienced defenders messing up their own feet, positioning their bodies incorrectly. When it comes to that to defend the penalty area, Pepe delivered an almost perfect performance. ”
With Gary Lineker – another expert who had played at the highest level himself – even a man fell in raptures who gave the controversial Pepe a few words on his career zenith in the summer of 2016 via Twitter, which must not be reproduced here without censoring asterisks are. Lineker finally settled on a thesis that all camps can agree with: “You hate playing against him – but you would love to have him by your side.”
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