Oernoon of December 7th, at Parma's Tardini Stadium.

  Parma's coach, Stefano Pioli, paced anxiously on the sidelines.

  At this moment, the match between Parma and Napoli had been going on for more than an hour.

  Parma had abaheir servative tactics from the first leg a on the offe home.

  This was clearly a st resort for Pioli.

  After losing to Napoli in the first leg aarma the on to lose to Inter Min.

  Now, Parma was rooted in the relegation zone, which had put Pioli's job on the line.

  He had no doubts that if he lost this Coppa Italia match, he could be fired at any moment.

  Thus, he had no choice but to adopt an aggressive approach at home.

  With a 4-3-3 formatiouring Kutuzov, Budan, aic, this was the stro attag trident Pioli could field.

  He had no other options!

  Faced with this all-out, do-or-die style of py, Napoli, pying away, had to adopt a defeance from the start, abandoning their usual aggressive style for a more stable tactical approach.

  Pioli, who had pressed forward from the start, was nearly driven to vomit blood.

  What happeo the spirit of the first leg?

  Didn't we agree to go head-to-head at the Tardini Stadium? I pressed forward, but you pulled back?

  That being said, Parma's attack wasn't very strong.

  After an initial aggressive push for about ten minutes and several harmless threats, they failed to break Napoli's defense and had to retreat.

  But as soon as Parma pulled baapoli immediately came forward with their own attacks, frequently threatening Parma.

  The most dangerous moment came from Vidal, whose shot from he penalty spot was cleared off the goal line by ter-back Paci.

  It nearly scared Pioli to death.

  After Parma caught their breath and pressed fain, Napoli retreated once more.

  The two sides tinued like this: when one advahe other retreated; whereated, the other advanced.

  Pioli was so irritated on the sidelihat he pletely lost his usual posed demeanor, appearing as if he had gone mad.

  He felt that the ing Napoli was like an experienced lover, expertly pying hard to get, teasing him with seductive moves. Meanwhile, he, an i novice, was pletely at their mercy, being toyed with.

  The first half ended 0-0, and after switg sides for the sed half, Parma pressed forward once more.

  But despite their relentless attacks, they still couldn't break Napoli's defense.

  Pioli, now suffering from a splitting headache, wao ask Gao Shen: "You came from La Liga. How are you more servative than me, a Serie A coach?"

  Aren't you supposed to be great at attag football? Where's yh pressing? Where's your tiki-taka?

  No wonder Real Madrid fans criticized you for being too servative!

  You're so servative that even I, an Italian coach, 't stand it!

  Pioli couldn't help but recall what Gao Shen had fidently said to him after their match at the San Paolo Stadium over a month ago.

  "I defend for 180 minutes without g a goal!"

  Pioli had beeical back then, but now he could only bow down and admit defeat.

  After more than 60 minutes of the match, he finally uood.

  All the public impressions of Gao Shen were inaccurate. This man was two-faced.

  When it was time to attack, he attacked harder than anyone else. When it was time to defend, he was more resolute than anyone, pletely immovable.

  Reporters described Gao Shen as an idealist?

  Bah! Pioli swore it was the fu joke he'd ever heard.

  But what could he do? Napoli seemed capable of holding out until the end of the world.

  Parma could only retreat and catch their breath.

  ...

  Parma tried attag for the first 20 minutes of the sed half but still couldn't find a way to break through Napoli's defense. Yet, Pioli didn't make any substitutions.

  His stro offensive lineup was already on the field.

  But just as the game was nearing the 70th minute and Parma began to slow dowempo to catch their breath, Napoli suddenly unched an all-out press.

  The eeam, from the front to the back, surged forward. With the exception of the goalkeeper, every pyer pressed aggressively.

  The sudden acceleration of the press caught Parma, who thought they were prepared, pletely off guard.

  Napoli won the ball ba midfield. Biglia quickly passed the ball forward to Pellè, who had his back to goal. Pellè stopped the ball, turned, a a through ball behind him.

  Like a sharp dagger, Di María cut through Parma's defense, beat Paci to the ball, and slipped past the keeper. Then, instead of shooting, Di María crossed the ball to the right side of the penalty area.

  Sánchez arrived in stride and calmly slotted the ball into the !

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

  After sg, Sánchez jumped up in joy, letting out a loud cheer.

  Napoli's pyers rushed over to celebrate with the Chilean winger.

  In this game, Napoli had been on the back foot throughout. Despite creating several dangerous ces, they had been rgely on the defensive.

  Now, Sánchez's goal had released all of Napoli's pent-up frustration.

  Gao Shen was so excited that he leapt into the air on the sidelines.

  At this moment, he could fidently decre: "We've got this!"

  As Gao Shen calmed down, he heard Pioli screaming in frustration from the home team's teical area.

  "What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to press immediately?"

  "Why did you let Pellè turn?"

  "Behind you! I've emphasized tless times to protect the space behind!"

  By the end of his rant, Pioli had pletely lost his temper.

  He desperately wao win.

  This was his first time coag a Serie A team. He wao establish himself, to prove his ability, so that he'd have more opportuo coa Serie A iure.

  But och, Parma's pyers were all over the pce.

  Of course, he couldn't deny that Napoli's pyers were incredibly strong!

  That bastard Gao Shen had taken a group of youngsters and pyed such a tight game!

  The goal they ceded wasn't even really a proal. But Parma had pletely lost hope and fiden any eback.

  After his outburst, Pioli mao calm himself down.

  He knew he had lost his temper.

  But he had been driven to it by that damned Gao Shen!

  After taking several deep breaths t his blood pressure bader trol, Pioli stepped to the sidelines, signaling his pyers to remain calm, stay in position, and focus on defense.

  But just as he did this, he noticed Gao Shen standing in the away team's teical area, also giving instrus to his pyers.

  The Napoli pyers had finished celebrating and were returning to the field. As the Parma pyers prepared to kick off, they passed by the away teical area and heard Gao Shen shouting at them.

  "Press up! Take this d kill them off pletely!"

  When Pioli heard this, he nearly colpsed onto the pitch.

  What the hell!

  Where did I ever offend you? Why are y to finish me off?

  This is my home stadium. I'm already hanging by a thread. Do you really want to push me over the edge?

  Pioli's first rea was to quickly signal his pyers to focus on defense and stabilize their rhythm after the kickoff.

  But Napoli, under Gao Shen's and, had been honed into a well-oiled mae after five months of training and their experien Serie B and the Coppa Italia. Gao Shen's instrus were executed with precision, like a perfectly trolled meism.

  When Gao Shen ordered his team to press, the pyers didn't hesitate. As soon as Parma kicked off, Napoli surged forward.

  High pressing was one of Napoli's trademark tactics.

  Parma, having just ceded a goal, was demoralized. After being yelled at by their coach, they were now frustrated.

  Seeing Napoli press up so aggressively, Parma's pyers lost their posure and began to push forward recklessly.

  The two teams began a fierce test for the ball in Parma's half. The ball ged hands repeatedly, and the pyers fought with iy.

  Both Pioli on the sidelines and the fans iands watched in terror.

  It was all happening too close to Parma's goal.

  When Parma won possession, they'd have to unch a long-ball terattack. But when Napoli won the ball, they were already in rao create danger with just one pass. How could a be worried?

  Pioli khis too. He wao calm his team down and have them push Napoli's press back out of their half.

  But in Parma's chaotid flicted state, Napoli quickly won possession in the final third.

  Pellè pressed Parma ter-back Marco Rossi, f him to py a back pass.

  The Italian striker rushed toalkeeper De Lucia. The goalkeeper couldn't use his hands because it was a back pass, but Pellè pressed him too tightly. As De Lucia tried to clear the ball, it deflected off Pellè, ging dire.

  Then, a blue Napoli jersey streaked into the frame on the left side of the penalty area. The pyer took a shot before anyone could react, sending the ball into the unguarded .

  2-0!

  Game over!

  It's finished!

  The aggregate score was now 4-0, and everyone khere everyone khat Parma had no ce of reversing the situation.

  Pioli was shaky from the disappoi, his heart filled with despair, and he almost colpsed to the ground.

  He uood that after being eliminated from the Coppa Italia, he was now even closer to being fired.

  In fact, he would probably bee the first unlucky coach to be dismissed in Serie A this season.

  The eardini Stadium fell into silence.

  Parma's fans clearly couldn't accept such a result, and many of them left the stadium early.

  A Serie A team peting in the UEFA Cup was eliminated by a Serie B team over two legs. What more is there to say?