Starting With Real Madrid

On the afternoon of November 30th, the Meazza Stadium in Milan was electric.

In the 14th round of Serie A, Napoli traveled to face Inter Milan in an away match.

As the players from both teams were led onto the field by referee Roberto Rosetti, the stadium erupted into a frenzy.

Although Inter Milan's matches against AC Milan are their city derbies, and the clashes with Juventus are part of the storied Italian derby, over the past two seasons, their biggest challenge has come from Gao Shen and his Napoli side.

Especially after the pre-season Super Cup, where Inter Milan suffered a defeat to Napoli at the Meazza Stadium, the tension had only grown.

Before this match, Mourinho boldly declared his intent to overturn Napoli at home and take the top spot in Serie A.

This game wasn't just another league match. It was a battle for supremacy in the league, a continuation of the fierce rivalry between the two teams over the past three years, and a contest that symbolized the clash between northern and southern Italian football.

The Meazza Stadium was packed with high-profile guests.

In addition to the top management of both clubs, the stands were filled with Milan's political and business elites, professionals from Italian football, and even national team coach Marcello Lippi, all eager to witness the showdown.

In contrast to Mourinho's bold pre-match statements, Gao Shen had kept a much lower profile.

This raised questions among observers. Was Gao Shen not confident about his team's chances in this critical game?

At the pre-match press conference the previous afternoon, before Napoli departed for Milan, Gao Shen revealed the match-day squad. When speaking to the media, however, he offered little more than generic statements, giving away no real insights.

The only notable comment came when Gao Shen reiterated Napoli's commitment to their identity.

"We don't change our tactics based on our opponents. That's not who we are."

And, true to his word, there were no surprises in how the two teams lined up.

…

"You're thinking exactly like me."

That's what Mourinho said with a smirk as he approached Gao Shen before the match.

He was referring to Napoli's starting lineup.

Tonight, Napoli started in a 4-3-3 formation, a setup Gao Shen had used frequently in the Champions League.

Napoli Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Handanović

Defense: Vargas, David Luiz, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner

Midfield: Biglia, Thiago Motta, Rakitic

Attack: Di María, Cavani, Sánchez

Gao Shen had primarily used the 4-3-3 in Europe, whereas in Serie A, Napoli often played a 4-2-3-1.

The preference for 4-2-3-1 in the league was largely driven by squad limitations. Napoli only had one true holding midfielder of Thiago Motta's caliber, and none of the others could meet Gao Shen's tactical requirements for that role.

Gao Shen took Mourinho's comment with a grain of salt.

He doubted Mourinho could fully predict his decisions. It was more likely that Mourinho had prepared for two or three potential formations, with tonight's 4-3-3 being one of them.

Gao Shen himself had considered deploying the 4-2-3-1 but decided against it after reviewing his players' performances in training. When Inter's strikers dropped deep, Thiago Motta could step up and work alongside the central defenders to neutralize the situation more effectively.

Thiago Motta's strength and physicality made him almost as capable as a center-back in such situations.

After careful consideration, Gao Shen ultimately settled on the 4-3-3 formation.

Inter Milan's lineup, on the other hand, held no surprises.

Inter Milan Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Júlio César

Defense: Maxwell, Samuel, Lúcio, Maicon

Midfield: Muntari, Cambiasso, Zanetti (sitting deep), Stanković (pushing forward)

Attack: Ibrahimović, Adriano

This was the exact lineup Mourinho had used in the match against Juventus, unchanged in any way.

However, his bench options revealed his intentions: Crespo, Cruz, Figo, Mancini Jr., and Moutinho, alongside only one defender, Córdoba.

"Are you risking it all?" Gao Shen asked with a grin.

Mourinho gave him a subtle nod, as if to say, Yes, you could look at it that way.

"You know, José," Gao Shen continued, "I've always thought of you as someone who's either extremely conservative or all-in when you gamble. People like you usually don't have a happy ending."

"You're talking rubbish!" Mourinho laughed, clearly unfazed.

Gao Shen's comment was a callback to a joke he'd made when the two had played cards together in the past.

"I'm never wrong, though," Gao Shen added casually. "Just wait—your bench might not even see the pitch tonight."

Mourinho smirked, his expression suggesting he'd heard it all before.

In truth, Gao Shen knew Mourinho's tactics well enough. If Inter Milan fell behind, Mourinho would simply pile on more center-forwards. If one wasn't enough, he'd throw on two or even three.

It was a classic Mourinho move.

This tendency, however, was why Gao Shen had always felt Mourinho struggled with attacking football.

Mourinho's tactical philosophy stemmed from his risk-averse nature. Such an approach often led to an over-reliance on structured, defensive play, leaving creative players marginalized. After all, creativity inherently comes with risk, something Mourinho rarely embraced.

…

The game began in typical Napoli fashion.

What did that mean?

It meant that Napoli came out aggressively, pressing high and attacking with intensity.

Within just over a minute, Sánchez broke into the penalty area from the right but was brought down by Samuel, earning Napoli a free kick from a fair distance. Júlio César, however, easily collected the delivery.

Napoli continued their relentless pressure.

Their high pressing in the final third caused constant trouble for Inter Milan, particularly for the full-backs Maicon and Maxwell, who struggled under the combined efforts of Di María and Sánchez.

In the fourth minute, Maicon, attempting to dribble forward, was chased down by Di María, who successfully dispossessed him near the halfway line.

Di María quickly linked up with Biglia in a one-two, carrying the ball into Inter's box. But Zanetti, ever the defensive anchor, was perfectly positioned to cut off Di María's drive and block the ball out for a corner.

Napoli's corner was whipped into the box, where Cavani's header was on target, only for Júlio César to make a stunning save, tipping the ball out for another corner.

On the second attempt, Lúcio rose highest to clear the ball away. Rakitic attempted a volley from outside the box, but his shot flew well over the bar.

The barrage continued.

In the seventh minute, Cavani received a pass from Di María with his back to goal, shrugged off Samuel, turned, and fired but the shot skimmed just wide of the post.

Two minutes later, Sánchez cut inside from the right and breezed past Maxwell, unleashing a sharp shot from a tight angle. The ball, however, sailed just past the far post.

Napoli's relentless opening assault brought gasps from the crowd, as Inter Milan's defense seemed increasingly vulnerable.

It was clear that Napoli wanted to seize control of the match from the outset.

Inter, on the other hand, appeared content to sit back, absorbing the pressure and waiting for opportunities to counter. But the cost of this strategy was apparent, Inter managed no meaningful attacks in the opening ten minutes.

…

Standing in the technical area, Gao Shen observed the game intently.

When Sánchez's latest effort went wide, Gao Shen let out a small sigh of disappointment. He turned back toward the bench, shaking his head slightly as he exchanged a wry smile with Zidane.

"He's waiting to counter," Gao Shen remarked.

Zidane nodded in agreement. "Let's see how long they can hold out."

Gao Shen smiled faintly but said nothing more. He wasn't entirely sure how long Mourinho's defensive setup could withstand the pressure.

After all, since leaving Chelsea and taking over Inter Milan, Mourinho had only grown more polished. His tactical acumen had clearly improved, particularly on the defensive side of the game.

If Mourinho fully committed to a defensive counterattacking strategy, he could theoretically hold Napoli off for the entire 90 minutes. At present, Mourinho was arguably the best in Europe at organizing a disciplined defense.

That said, his weakness remained his offensive strategy.

Facing Inter's defensive shape, Gao Shen knew the key lay in neutralizing their two strikers.

It was impossible to completely suppress both Ibrahimović and Adriano, but Napoli's defense had to keep them under control. Without their front two functioning effectively, Inter's counterattacks would falter.

This was where Napoli's targeted preparation would be tested.

In the 14th minute, Inter Milan launched their first counterattack. Ibrahimović dropped deep to receive the ball, while Adriano pushed forward.

Bonucci stayed tight on Ibrahimović, pressing him from behind. Thiago Motta quickly closed in to provide support, cutting off any chance for the Swede to turn. Forced to pass back, Ibrahimović couldn't create anything meaningful.

A few minutes later, Inter attempted another attack. This time, Ibrahimović drifted to the wing, but Lichtsteiner stepped up to challenge him immediately. Bonucci covered the inside, while Thiago Motta dropped back into the defensive line, effectively severing the link between Ibrahimović and Adriano.

Rakitic also tracked back to stay tight on Stanković, preventing him from exploiting any gaps.

This time, Ibrahimović's attempted pass back to Maxwell was intercepted by Sánchez, who poked the ball away and initiated a Napoli counterattack. However, Inter Milan's defense quickly regrouped, snuffing out the danger.

Both sides had clearly studied each other in detail. Their defensive setups left little room for either team's attacks to flourish. Napoli maintained control of the game, but truly threatening chances remained scarce.

By the 18th minute, Napoli had registered seven shots, but none had found the back of the net.

Either the opportunities were subpar, or Júlio César had risen to the occasion with brilliant saves.

The Brazilian goalkeeper was proving once again why he was regarded as one of the best in the world.

Watching from the sidelines, Gao Shen shook his head slightly, acknowledging the challenge ahead.

"This is going to be a tough battle," he muttered.

Mourinho's strategy was clear, lock down the defense and wait for his chance to strike. For Napoli, the challenge was breaking through Inter's impenetrable wall without making costly errors in their own defense.

It wouldn't be easy.

After all, with Ibrahimović and Adriano leading Inter's attack, even the slightest mistake could be devastating.

Adriano may no longer be at his peak, but he was still Adriano.

***

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