As the game ehe sed half, an iing se unfolded.

  Whenever Roma pressed forward, Napoli would immediately follow, pressing them with precision like a needle to thread. There was no sign of cession. But as soon as Roma retreated, Napoli also stepped back, as if saying, "Take your time, we're in no rush."

  This made both Roma and their coach, Spalletti, frustrated.

  Seriously, at this point in the game, you o either attack or defend. 't we just settle this in a det way?

  Is this really the best use of our time?

  Weren't you supposed to py offensive football?

  But Gao Shen wasn't moved at all, tinuing to mahe game steadily, without haste. The truth was, Spalletti didn't have many options, especially sidering Roma's bench wasn't brimming with substitutes.

  To put it bluntly, Roma wasn't the powerhouse it used to be at the start of the tury, when they could assemble a massive squad. They don't have that kind of talent now. This season, they've barely mao put together a det starting lihat's performed well in Serie A. However, their bench depth is nowhere hat of Inter Min, the current stroeam in Italy, and well ahead of other teams.

  There's no one on the bench. Even if Spalletti wao make a substitution, he had no viable options.

  Who could he bring on?

  The young Okaka? Newer William Song? Or someone else?

  None of them were better than the pyers already och.

  In this situation, making any substitutions would only weakeeam's bat effectiveness. So, what could Spalletti do?

  This is not just Roma's problem, but a tragedy for all small and medium-sized teams.

  Their financial resources are only enough to assemble a solid starting lineup. But ohe need arises to make adjustments, especially after injuries or fatigue, performance quickly plummets just like Roma in the sed half of this season, or Osasuna in La Liga st year.

  In short, it's all about resources.

  The reason they have no oo call on is simply because they have no money!

  It's a harsh reality.

  In the 62nd minute, Napoli once again pleted a steal.

  After Vidal stripped Vu?ini? of the ball, he quickly passed it to Rakitic, who the it to i up front.

  This immediately sparked a terattack. i moved the ball forward and quickly id it off to Gervinho on the left.

  Gervinho was forced toward the sideline by Panucd had to stop he byline. He pulled the ball bad passed it tas, who was making a run from behind.

  The young Peruvian stopped the ball, then passed it back to i. Seeing Vargas dash into the left side of the penalty box, i delivered a clever pass behind him. Vargas trapped the ball, and as Roma's goalkeeper Doni came rushing out, Vargas calmly struck with his left foot.

  The ball slipped right through Doni's legs and rolled into Roma's .

  5-0!!!

  "Another swift terattack by Napoli!"

  "This time, it was a more coorditaapoli's relentless offense left Roma with no effective way to defend, especially during transitions from offeo defense, exposing too many weaknesses under Napoli's swift terattacks."

  "But it's also clear that Spalletti didn't want to py defensively. He's trying to push for another away goal."

  "And it's uandable. After beating Napoli 2-1 at home, Roma believed they had a ce to advance. But now, they've ceded five goals in a row at the San Paolo. This is unbearable for Roma."

  "But we also hat Roma's bench cks suitable repts."

  "Napoli's defense has been incredibly aonight, especially targeting Totti and Mani Jr., who was Roma's best pyer in the first leg. But it's obvious Gao Shen prepared a pn for him tonight."

  "Napoli's right-back Garrick has also signifitly improved pared to his performan the first leg."

  Though Spalletti didn't pn to make substitutions, Gao Shen was the first to make adjustments.

  After Vargas scored the fifth goal, Gao Shen substituted Gervinho with Di Maria.

  The Ivorian winger had performed quite well strong, fast, with good teique but his stamina wasn't great.

  In Gao Shen's mind, Gervinho was still useful, but he favored developing Di Maria more.

  Why?

  Di Maria showed more promise, especially with his aggressive pressing iag third.

  Gervinho, due to his weaker stamina and, frankly, the more rexed attitude typical of some Afri pyers, had a bit of ziness in his nature.

  At this stage, Gao Shen could ma, but over the long term, it would bee an issue.

  That's why Di Maria was being groomed intensively.

  When the Argentine winger came on, he immediately brought high energy to the field.

  Roma still aimed foal, repeatedly pushing forward when opportunities arose.

  By the 69th minute, just minutes after Di Maria had e on, he received a pass from Vargas on the left. Using his speed, Di Maria bleanucci, driving the ball down to the left side of Roma's penalty area. From there, he lobbed the ball to the front of the six-yard box.

  At that moment, both of Roma's tral defenders were focused on marking i and Sánchez, pletely ing the oning Biglia. Seizing the ce, Biglia pounced, sending Di Maria's cross into the bottom left er of Roma's goal.

  Biglia!

  "Lucas Biglia!"

  "This must be his first goal for Napoli! His first goal in Italian football!"

  "My God, Napoli are on fire tonight!"

  "Unbelievable, 6-0!!"

  "Roma is utterly crushed!"

  "After tonight, how will Italian football react to this match?"

  "Before the game, everyone believed that Spalletti's Roma would beat Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo, but nooli has sughtered the Red Wolves 6-0!"

  If Gao Shen was thrilled about the earlier goals, by now, he had bee calm.

  His first thought wasn't about sg more but about defending their own goal.

  In Maer United's game under Ferguson, their one fw had been g a goal. Gao Shen couldn't give Roma that kind of opportunity.

  Sedly, he thought about how he had orchestrated Roma's midfield colpse in advance. If Roma were to face Maer United in the Champions League knockout stage, could Ferguson replicate a simir massacre?

  Gao Shen doubted it.

  In that moment, he felt a bit sorry for the old man.

  Finally, Gao Shen reflected on modern football tactics.

  Football has beore about cohesion. The petition on the field increasingly favors a team's overall strength. A local weakness, under enough pressure from the oppo, be magnified, eventually being a fatal fw and leading to a disaster.

  Just like what happeonight with Roma.

  Was Roma a weak team?

  Not at all.

  In Serie A, they were tied for first in goals scored and one of the best in defense, keeping pace with Inter Min.

  But the fatal fw they showed tonight had been exposed by Gao Shen.

  When Napoli poured all their strength inteting Roma's midfield, the Red Wolves pletely disected between attad defense had no ce to respond.

  Gao Shen could fidently say that if Roma dared to press forward, Napoli would ter and scain.

  But Spalletti had clearly seen the problem.

  Not only Spalletti, but even the Roma pyers had lost all fidence.

  At least, tonight, at the San Paolo Stadium, they were utterly defeated.

  From this, Gao Shen also took lessons for himself.

  No matter what, they had to fix the right side this summer, or the sequences could be dire.

  Because today's Rome could easily bee tomorrow's Napoli.

  Disheartened, Spalletti threw iowel and substituted three of his main pyers, signaling his surrender.

  Gao Shen also made substitutions but stayed cautious in case Spalletti ged his mind.

  In the end, Roma didn't turide.

  Napoli sughtered the Red Wolves 6-0 at home!

  As the referee blew the final whistle, the entire San Paolo stadium erupted in appuse and cheers.

  Gao Shen exhaled in relief, turning to embrad shake hands with his coag staff,

  Then, he shook hands and embraced the pyers on the bene by one. Finally, while heading towards the visiting team's dugout, he raised his hands to aowledge the fans. Many Napoli fans were ting his just 26 years old, this young head coach had bee the darling of Napoli fans, the hope and fidence of Naples' football revival.

  From the day he announced his appoi as Napoli's head coach, the fans had supported him without hesitation, pg him in the same breath as the legendary Maradona. This spoke volumes of their trust in Gao Shen.

  In half a season, Gao Shen and his Napoli had met the fans' high expectations, repeatedly defeating their oppos at the Stadio San Paoling great joy aement to the fans.

  Amidst the r cheers of the fans, Gao Shen reached the visitors' bend extended his hand to Spalletti from a distance.

  The Italian coach, looking visibly worn out, surely remembered what Gao Shen had said after the first leg:

  That he would score three goals away from home. Spalletti had thought the young man was crazy.

  But now, it wasn't Gao Shen who looked crazy it alletti and his Roma.

  Not only had Napoli scored three goals, but they doubled it and scored three more.

  Fortunately, Gao Shen didn't rub salt in the wound, graciously shaking hands with Spalletti and a few words of sotion.

  However, to Spalletti, that kind of fort felt even worse than no words at all.

  "Hey, Gao," Spalletti called out as Gao Shen was about to leave.

  Gao Shen stopped and turned around. Spalletti hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did you pn for Perrotta to get that yellow card in the first leg?"

  *****

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