"What I want to tell you is that in modern football tactics, when it es to attad defense, having one more defehaag pyers is not always enough to eability. Usually, two extra defenders are o make sure the defense holds strong."

  "But that's for other teams. For our attag pyers in Naples, I don't think two extra defenders are enough. I believe you all have the ability to break through even tougher defenses..."

  After the recovery training in the m, Gao Shen held a summary and analysis meeting for the pyers.

  He veyed everything he had discussed with the coag staff, expining the analysis and tactical insights. At the same time, Gao Shen emphasized his belief in the pyers. He believed Napoli's offense was extremely powerful, and the individual talent oeam was impressive.

  If other teams could hahree-vs-four attack, then Napoli could mahree-vs-five, or even three-vs-six.

  With pyers like Gervinho, Di Maria, i, Sánchez, and Pelle, Gao She fident about any bination of his attag trio. Each of these pyers had strong individual abilities and plementary traits that worked together perfectly.

  The Napoli pyers admired Gao Shen. At this point, no matter n or tactics Gao Shen implemehey followed him without question. Especially after their 1-2 loss to Roma in the first leg, it felt like all of Italy was celebrating and rooting for their downfall.

  It was as if the whole try wao see Napoli lose!

  However, this only fueled the young pyers' determination.

  Why does everyohink we have to lose?

  Why 't a Serie B team beat Roma?

  If we destroy Juventus 5-0, why 't we do the same to Roma?

  …

  Gao Shen's aim was to fully ighe pyers' fighting spirit and belief. He wahem to have absolute fidehat they could defeat Roma at the Stadio San Paolo. Not only that, but he wahem to believe they could score three goals against the Roman side.

  And, as it turned out, both the coag staff and the pyers bought into Gao Shen's pn.

  Why? Because the Italian Football Association had issued a notification early that m: Perrotta was suspended due to yellow card accumution.

  This was a key part of Gao Shen's strategy from the first leg.

  In the ing days, Napoli would tio practice their tactics for the sed leg against Roma. Whether it was the attag patterns up front or the deferucture in the back, every element of the game would be practiced and fiuned.

  The defense, in particur, would focus on two critical areas: taining Totti and stopping Mani.

  Gao Shen had already decided that Vidal would start, ensuring that when Totti dropped deep, someone would immediately mark him. This way, the tral defenders wouldn't be pulled too far forward, which could open up gaps at the back. The team would drill this repeatedly in training to perfect the execution.

  The other focus was on stopping Mani on Roma's left wing.

  While Totti was the core of Roma's attack, Mani's individual skill on the fnk posed a serious threat.

  How should this be handled?

  Gao Shen couldn't help but miss Arbeloa.

  He firmly believed that if Arbeloa were pying, Mani wouldn't stand a ce. Arbeloa would have ralized him the entire game.

  Why?

  Because Mani could only py with his right foot.

  In other words, when pying on the left wing, his right foot was always inside.

  Back when Gao Shen was managing Real Madrid, all he o do was instruct Arbeloa to foani's right foot, and the problem would have been solved. After a little practi training, Mani's threat would have been pletely ralized.

  But things were different in Napoli.

  Garics had struggled against Mani in the first leg, repeatedly gettien in one-ouations.

  Gao Shen had no choice but tanize special training sessions farics, asking right-footed pyers like Sáo mimii's movements and attack Garics during practice. The goal was to train Gari how to handle a pyer like Mani. At the same time, Rakitid Vidal were instructed to provide additional support to carics during the game.

  The right fnk had clearly bee the weak link in Napoli's defense.

  The gap in individual pyer quality was te.

  …

  The weekend after the first leg against Roma, Napoli hosted Genoa ih round of Serie B.

  This was the first Serie B match after the winter break, and Genoa was ranked fifth in the league a strong oppo.

  Napoli were still the dominant for Serie B, but Gao Shen's focus was irely on the sed leg against Roma. He didn't have the bandwidth to properly prepare fenoa.

  Training sessions were entirely tered around preparing for Roma, and as a result, Napoli's performance against Genoa was underwhelming.

  Before the end of the first half, Genoa took the lead with a goal.

  It wasn't until the 87th minute of the sed half that Hamsik assisted Pellet to score the equalizer, salvaging a 1-1 draw.

  …

  After their incredible first-half performan the league, Napoli seemed to be hitting a rough patch. This was their sed poor performan a row, leading to even more specution ae among the media and fans.

  Many entators argued that despite Napoli rotating their squad and not fielding their best lineup against Genoa, the drop in performance was evident. This suggested that Gao Shen's team might be hitting a bottleneck.

  Genoa's coach, Gasperini, echoed these thoughts after the match. He said that Napoli's success in the first half of the season was due to teams being unfamiliar with their tactid style of py.

  "In fact, this is something many dark horse teams experience," Gasperini noted.

  "Once you gh one cycle, and teams get a better uanding of your tactid style, it bees much harder to execute yame pn."

  Gasperini believed this effect would be especially pronounced in Italian football, where every match is a tactical chess game, and teams prepare specifically to ter each oppo.

  In short, he was implying that the rest of Italy had figured out how to ter Gao Shen.

  The media took Gasperini's remarks even further, suggesting that Gao Shen's tactical "magic" had run out.

  However, Gao Shen didn't respond to these outside opinions.

  At the post-match press ference, he simply expressed his satisfa with the team's performand didn't engage in aes. He khat arguing with the media ointless.

  Napoli's president, De Laurentiis, wasn't as restrained.

  Uo hold back, De Laurentiis publicly defended Gao Shen, stating that the reason Napoli hadn't been at their best against Genoa was because they were focused on preparing for the sed leg of the Coppa Italia.

  "Everyone see that our focus is on the uping match against Roma. So why 't you see that?" De Laurentiis s reporters.

  He reiterated his unwavering support fao Shen.

  "I know why so many people are rooting against us. They don't want to see Napoli rise again. They don't want to see Napoli return to its flory. They're afraid, afraid that one day, they'll tremble at Napoli's feet just like before."

  "But I'll tell you this: No one stop the rise of Napoli!"

  De Laurentiis' passionate defense sparked another round of media frenzy.

  Gao Shen's statement that Napoli would score three goals against Roma was already a bold cim. Now, De Laurentiis had revealed that during the Christmas dinner, Gao Shen had privately told him that he wao win the Serie B title and reach the Coppa Italia final, possibly even winning the eour.

  "I believe in him, and I know he'll tio surprise us," De Laurentiis decred.

  These words caused an uproar.

  It was shog enough that Gao Shen had cimed Napoli would score three goals against Roma. Now, he was talking about winning the Coppa Italia?

  Did he think A and Inter Min were just going to roll over?

  After all, both Min clubs were still alive in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals.

  Gao Shen had been talking about what he wao achieve, setting ambitious goals for his team. But in the eyes of the Italian media and fans, even daring to voice such ambitions was too much.

  As a Serie B team, Napoli was expected to stay in their ne.

  Perhaps this was what De Laurentiis had meaers from the north and from Rome didn't like seeing Napoli's rise.

  …

  Unlike Napoli, who had struggled to a 1-1 draw with Genoa, Roma had cruised to a fortable 2-0 away win against Messina ih round of Serie A. With the victory, Roma solidified their sed-pce position in the league, just behind Inter Min.

  Roma's pear the top of the Serie A table was well-earned.

  After 19 rounds, Inter Min led with 51 points, a full nine points ahead of Roma. It was already starting to look like Inter had the Scudetto in the bag.

  The real suspense y iher Inter could win the Coppa Italia and make a deep run in the Champions League, potentially achieving the treble.

  As for A, even without their eight-poiy, they were only fifth in the league.

  Having sold Shevko, Ai had finally abahe two-striker formation auro his favored Christmas tree formation, the 4-3-2-1. The system provided defeability, but Min's attack had bee toothless.

  After 19 rounds, Min's goals scored ranked in the lower half of Serie A, but their defense had only ceded one moal than Inter Min and Roma. It was clear that their attag struggles were a serious issue.

  Everyone could see that A's focus this season wasn't on the league but on the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. They were aiming for success in the cup petitions.

  Inter Min also had their sights set on more than just the league. The Nerazzurri had essentially secured the Serie A title and were now eyeing a potential double or even the elusive treble.

  Roma, oher hand, wao maintain their sed-pce finish in Serie A while also making a strong push in the Coppa Italia, their most realistic shot at silverware this season.

  After defeating Messina, Spalletti gave an interview to the media, expressing his fidence about the sed leg against Napoli.

  "We won't give Napoli any ce. We're going to the Stadio San Paolo to win and plete the double over them to secure our p the semifinals!"

  In these high-stakes knockout games, her side is willing to admit defeat before the final whistle.

  Who will have the st ugh? That will be decided och.

  …

  While the media frenzy raged on, Gao Shen chose to ighe noise, fog entirely on preparing Napoli for the uping csh with Roma.

  But just one day before the sed leg, Gao Shen received an ued phone call.