Starting With Real Madrid

By the 83rd minute of the match, Napoli had once again successfully won the ball back and launched a rapid counterattack.

At this point, Juventus was exhausted, but their defense remained well-organized as they quickly shifted into defensive mode.

On the left flank, Vargas and Di María couldn't break through Juventus' defense, so they passed the ball back to Pellè, who had dropped deeper.

With his back to the goal, Pellè was tightly marked by Chiellini, unable to turn. He was forced to pass the ball back to Rakitic, allowing Napoli to reset and reorganize.

According to the high-level tactical system Gao Shen had implemented, when Pellè dropped back, either the wingers or the attacking midfielder needed to push forward to occupy the space ahead.

As Di María and Gervinho hadn't moved up quickly enough, Hamsik advanced into the attacking third when Pellè dropped back. As soon as he saw Rakitic with the ball and looking for options, Hamsik withdrew into the open space between the Juventus defenders.

Rakitic, after taking a few steps forward, quickly passed the ball to Hamsik, who had moved into the gap between the lines.

As Pellè drifted past Hamsik, the Italian forward noticed that no Juventus defender was nearby. Rakitic also signaled to Hamsik, alerting him that he had time to turn. Meanwhile, Juventus' deep-lying midfielder Zanetti was focused on marking Rakitic, leaving Paro to track back from a more advanced position to cover Hamsik.

This created a golden opportunity: if Hamsik could turn quickly, he would be in a prime position to shoot.

Realizing this, Juventus center-back Legrottaglie rushed forward to challenge Hamsik, who was preparing to turn with the ball.

Simultaneously, Pellè recognized the opening and suddenly accelerated, breaking free from Chiellini and making a run towards the left side of the penalty box, calling out, "Here! Pass it here!"

Hamsik reacted quickly. As he turned, he saw Pellè's movement and Legrottaglie charging towards him. He immediately threaded a pass through the defense to Pellè.

Juventus' defensive line was still compact. Right-back Birindelli had started to shift over to cover Legrottaglie's position. Seeing Hamsik's pass, Birindelli slid in to intercept it but only managed to deflect the ball slightly. It still ended up at Pellè's feet on the left side of the penalty box.

Pellè, who had sprinted into the box, controlled the ball with his left foot. Seeing Buffon rushing out to close him down, Pellè didn't hesitate. He immediately struck the ball with his left foot.

The sequence from Pellè and Hamsik's movements to the eventual shot happened in the blink of an eye. Juventus' defense barely had time to react.

As the ball headed towards goal, Buffon dropped to block it, but Pellè's shot was too quick and precise. It ricocheted off Buffon's left calf, deflecting slightly but still finding its way into the back of the net.

Buffon was helpless to stop it.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Pellè! Napoli has turned the game around against Juventus!"

"Napoli takes the lead, 2-1!"

"Pellè, the Italian striker, has just scored the go-ahead goal for Napoli!"

"The 55,000 fans at the Stadio San Paolo are going wild, chanting Pellè's name!"

"One assist and one goal for Pellè tonight. He's been phenomenal."

"This young striker, who previously struggled to make an impact at Lecce, is thriving at Napoli. Under Gao Shen's guidance, he's improving with every game, especially tonight."

"Napoli may have struggled in the first half, largely due to Juventus' aggressive tactics. Deschamps took a gamble with a 4-3-3 formation, pressing high and playing proactively. But we have to admit, while Juventus started strong, their attacking threat was limited, especially on the flanks."

"In the second half, Napoli came alive, relentlessly pushing Juventus back and forcing them into a defensive posture. The result? Two quick goals that sealed Juventus' fate."

"Juventus may have been strong in Serie B so far, but against this high-intensity Napoli side, they just couldn't cope. Despite their experience and pedigree, Juventus seemed outclassed by Napoli's youthful energy and well-drilled tactics."

"It's a testament to how pivotal a coach can be in shaping a team's performance. Under Gao Shen, Napoli has become a formidable force."

...

...

"Your second-half adjustments were spot on."

After the game, Deschamps sighed in defeat as he sat in a private room at the Stadio San Paolo, sipping a glass of wine that Gao Shen had provided as a peace offering.

Juventus had tried to shore up their defense in the second half, but they couldn't withstand the onslaught from Napoli.

Both coaches knew the truth of the game. In the first half, Gao Shen's misjudgment of Juventus' tactics had thrown Napoli off balance. They never found their rhythm and struggled to impose their usual attacking style.

But in the second half, it was a different story. Once Gao Shen identified Juventus' weaknesses, Napoli attacked relentlessly, exploiting every gap in the defense. Juventus, despite their best efforts, couldn't hold on.

Had it not been for Buffon's heroics, Juventus might have conceded another goal.

Gao Shen raised his glass of water, opting not to drink alcohol, and toasted Deschamps. "I misread the situation in the first half. I didn't expect you to go all-out. I thought you'd prioritize defense."

Deschamps chuckled wryly. "So did I."

Gao Shen raised an eyebrow, confused by Deschamps' response.

The Frenchman gave a knowing smile but didn't elaborate, instead raising his glass and motioning for Gao Shen to finish his drink as well.

Gao Shen couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. You don't even drink that much, and here I am drinking water. Yet you're still one-upping me?

Nevertheless, he downed his drink in one go.

From Deschamps' cryptic words, Gao Shen sensed the Frenchman was under significant pressure perhaps from within the Juventus organization itself.

"Honestly, I can't blame you," Gao Shen offered. "Juventus has struggled offensively since Capello's time. With the current squad, Juventus can handle most teams in Serie B, but against stronger opponents, they've got problems."

Deschamps nodded, acknowledging the truth of Gao Shen's words. "It's true. But this season is different with you guys in Serie B."

Many people didn't quite understand Juventus' situation. Despite their relegation to Serie B (after being stripped of their Serie A title), Juventus still had a formidable squad, one more luxurious than many teams in Serie A. 

With a lineup this strong, people expected Juventus to dominate Serie B easily.

And for the most part, they had. Juventus had outclassed most of their Serie B opponents, even with their nine-point deduction.

But no one had anticipated the rise of Napoli in the south.

"To be honest, I'm curious," Deschamps said, leaning forward. "How did you build this Napoli team so quickly? Take Pellè, for example. When did you decide he was the right fit for your system? I mean, it just doesn't make sense."

Deschamps was asking the same question countless others had asked before. 

Gao Shen had faced these inquiries ever since his time at Real Madrid, and now he had a well-practiced response ready.

Smiling, he hesitated for a moment before replying, "That's a secret."

Deschamps sighed and waved his hand, as if to say, fine, keep your secrets. But it was clear he was still curious.

Gao Shen smiled, feeling a bit guilty. After all, how could he explain that his success was due to being a time-traveler with access to a "Tactical Library"?

If he told anyone, who would believe him?

And even if someone did believe him, wouldn't they just take him away for "research"? In fact his golden finger was a form of research. 

No, it was better to keep the truth to himself.

"I've tried to figure out how to counter your tactics," Deschamps said, his tone one of frustration. "Last time, I focused on defense, and we lost 5-0. Tonight, I tried pressing high, and we did better, but it still wasn't enough. Your team's passing and ball control can only improve from here."

Gao Shen smiled but said nothing, letting Deschamps speak.

The truth was, Naples' current squad was still developing. While their technical skills and understanding of the tactical system were solid, there was room for improvement. Over time, as the players grew more accustomed to the system, they would become even more dominant.

It was the beauty of a "dimensional reduction" strategy. No matter what the opponent did whether they chose to sit back or press forward it was the wrong choice.

Napoli's system was designed to force opponents into making mistakes, no matter their approach.

However, that didn't mean Napoli was invincible. They were still vulnerable, especially if they made mistakes themselves. Just like tonight, when they nearly threw the game away in the first half.

Ultimately, Napoli's biggest challenge wasn't their opponents it was themselves.

Deschamps, now a few drinks in, began talking more freely, sharing his thoughts on various tactical challenges. But it was clear he was trying to pry into Gao Shen's secrets, hoping to understand how he had managed to bring together such a strong group of players.

But Gao Shen remained tight-lipped as always.

In the end, the Frenchman left in a hurry.

Before leaving, he even took half of the wine they'd been drinking with him.

"Remember, the Coppa Italia is what really matters," he said as he walked out.