Starting With Real Madrid

"Edinson."

At halftime, with Napoli leading Juventus 2-0, Gao Shen stopped Cavani at the tunnel entrance. The Uruguayan striker was eager to warm up for the second half, but Gao Shen had other plans in mind.

"Boss," Cavani said, coming over to Gao Shen, his posture respectful as always.

"I've got a task for you," Gao Shen said, looking around before speaking in a low voice.

"You said it," Cavani replied, clearly excited.

"Warm up well during halftime. Be ready for anything in the second half. When Juventus makes a substitution, you're going in."

Cavani blinked, puzzled. What did Juventus making a substitution have to do with him?

Seeing Cavani's confusion, Gao Shen clicked his tongue in mock annoyance. "This is a knockout match, Edinson."

The realization hit Cavani all at once.

In a single-elimination game, Juventus would have no choice but to launch an all-out attack in the second half if they wanted to survive. Deschamps wouldn't have any other option.

And when Juventus pushed forward, Napoli would need to adjust particularly by bringing on Cavani to shore up the counterattack.

"I got it!" Cavani said, his excitement doubling.

"Good, go on then!" Gao Shen smiled, watching Cavani rush to the field to warm up, his energy contagious.

Gao Shen sighed as Cavani dashed away. Being a coach was no easy task these days. You didn't just have to beat your opponents on the field you also had to keep your own players happy. It was exhausting.

…

Inside the home team's locker room, the atmosphere was electric. Napoli's 2-0 lead had everyone buzzing.

After all, they were leading Juventus a symbol of northern dominance in Italian football. For a southern team like Napoli, this was no small feat.

"Everyone did a fantastic job in the first half!"

Gao Shen entered the locker room, immediately praising his players.

"David, you completely froze out Bodinov in the first half. You barely made any mistakes. Great job!" Gao Shen gave David Luiz a thumbs-up.

The young Brazilian grinned from ear to ear, clearly thrilled to receive praise from his head coach.

But then, Gao Shen's tone changed. "But I do have one question. After we scored our second goal and everyone was celebrating, why did I get the feeling that you were involved in some sort of conspiracy? Care to explain what exactly you were doing during the celebration?"

The locker room erupted in laughter. All eyes turned to David Luiz, who looked as if he'd been caught red-handed.

He shook his head, feigning desperation, and mouthed, I was wrong, boss!

It was a lighthearted moment, a joke at the expense of the Brazilian defender, but it worked. Humor, especially from a coach, always hit harder and was funnier than expected. It also reinforced Gao Shen's rapport with the team.

"Now, Graziano," Gao Shen continued, turning his attention to Pelle, "you were the best player in the first half. Even though the goals were scored by Kuasi and Alexis, you were the architect. So, for me, you're the MVP of the first half."

The room filled with applause, everyone acknowledging Pelle's hard work.

"Alright, listen up," Gao Shen said, bringing the room's focus back to the second half. "We're leading Juventus 2-0, and I'm incredibly proud of your performance. But I want to remind you: this game is far from over. Juventus won't just roll over and give up. They're going to come at us hard in the second half."

At this, the atmosphere in the locker room shifted from celebratory to serious.

"I've experienced Juventus' resilience firsthand. It was last season, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Capello's team threw everything at us, pressing us relentlessly. The pressure was immense."

As Gao Shen spoke, his eyes scanned the room, making sure every player understood.

"I want you all to be ready for this. The second half will be tougher than the first. But I expect you to step up to be even more focused, even more committed, and even more efficient. Can you do that?"

"Yes!" the players responded in unison.

…

The second half started, and the game unfolded much like it had in the first half.

Juventus struggled to create any meaningful attacks, with Bodinov isolated up front and unable to break free from the defensive shackles of David Luiz and Bonucci. Meanwhile, Napoli's high pressing continued, their players showing no signs of fatigue as they relentlessly pressured Juventus' defense.

After fifteen minutes, Deschamps finally made a move.

He replaced Giannichedda with Paraguayan forward Tomas Guzman, and swapped Bojinov for Del Piero.

It was a clear signal: Juventus were going for it. They were pulling out all the stops to mount a comeback.

Bodinov had played for over an hour, managing just one long-range shot. It was clear that Juventus needed something different up front.

But it was also a testament to David Luiz and Bonucci's excellent defending. Bodinov had been completely neutralized.

Upon seeing Juventus' substitution, Gao Shen made his own adjustment, bringing Cavani on for Pelle.

As Pelle left the field, the fans at the San Paolo Stadium rose to their feet, giving him a standing ovation. Though he hadn't scored, his role in both of Napoli's goals was undeniable. His performance had left a lasting impression.

"Under Gao Shen's guidance, Pelle has improved significantly," the commentators noted.

"It's clear that Gao Shen has a gift for developing young players," they continued. "Napoli's squad is full of young talent players like David Luiz, Hamsik, Gervinho, and Sanchez and their collective performance tonight is a testament to Gao Shen's coaching prowess."

"With Napoli performing at this level, it's not hard to imagine them making it to Serie A next season. Gao Shen's goal of building a strong Serie A team within three years seems entirely achievable."

"This might just be one of the most exciting stories in Italian football in recent years."

…

While the crowd was enjoying the game, Deschamps was feeling the pressure.

He could see through Gao Shen's plan.

Gao Shen wasn't interested in a full-on offensive showdown. No, he was setting up Napoli to punish Juventus on the counter.

"Such a sly little fox," Deschamps muttered to himself.

Many had thought Gao Shen would come to Napoli as an idealist, eager to build a team in his image. And in many ways, Gao Shen had done just that. But he was no starry-eyed dreamer.

He was a practical idealist.

And practical idealists were far more dangerous.

Deschamps had seen it before. Look at Rijkaard, for example. The Barcelona coach had once been a romantic idealist, but when he embraced pragmatism, his team became formidable.

Gao Shen's move to bring on Cavani was a clear message to Deschamps: *Go ahead, attack us, and I'll hit you on the counter.*

But at this stage, Deschamps had no choice. He had to attack.

…

As the second half unfolded, Juventus pushed forward, looking for a way back into the game.

However, the moment they committed more players forward, their defense began to falter.

Napoli were ready.

Juventus' attempts to break through the right side of Napoli's defense targeting fullback Georgie Garics were quickly snuffed out. Nedved and Del Piero tried their best, but they just couldn't get past Napoli's backline.

Then, when Del Piero received a pass from Zanetti, David Luiz stepped in, stealing the ball with a perfectly timed challenge. Without missing a beat, David Luiz launched a long pass to the right wing, where Sanchez was waiting.

Sanchez sprinted forward, taking on Barzaretti. The Juventus left-back struggled to keep up with Sanchez's blistering pace.

In the middle, Cavani and Gervinho sprinted toward the goal, with Cavani charging ahead like a battering ram, forcing Chiellini into a difficult position.

Sanchez surged into the penalty area, cutting inside just as Barzaretti made a desperate sliding tackle. But Sanchez saw it coming. He nudged the ball past Barzaretti, caught up to it, and whipped a low cross toward the six-yard box.

Cavani, using his body to shield the ball from Chiellini, lunged forward, sliding in just ahead of Buffon.

His outstretched foot met the ball, sending it into the back of the net.

As Cavani and Chiellini both tumbled to the ground, the referee blew his whistle, signaling a valid goal.

"3-0!"