Starting With Real Madrid

On October 18th, in the seventh round of Serie A, Napoli faced Juventus at home.

In the 24th minute, Pelle, positioned at the edge of the penalty area, held off Juventus defender Knezevic with his back to goal. He passed the ball back to Hamsik before turning sharply and sprinting forward.

Hamsik read the play perfectly, threading a quick pass behind Juventus' defensive line.

Knezevic and Salihamidzic, both rushing to block Pelle's run, simultaneously slid in to intercept the ball. However, they disastrously collided with one another, leaving the ball in an open area.

Callejon pounced on the opportunity, effortlessly sliding the ball past Juventus' substitute goalkeeper, Manninger.

1-0!

The San Paolo Stadium erupted with cheers as the Napoli fans celebrated wildly.

On the other hand, Juventus' players were visibly frustrated, and their head coach, Claudio Ranieri, looked livid on the sidelines, shouting in disappointment at his players.

But this was only the beginning.

With the deadlock broken, Napoli pushed forward with relentless attacking waves.

Maggio sent in a low cross from the right, which Hamsik met with a powerful strike, but he misjudged the shot, sending it high over the bar.

Soon after, Valencia burst down the right flank, cutting through Juventus' defense and delivering a low ball across the face of the goal. Pelle lunged to connect but missed by mere inches, the ball skimming past the post.

Shortly afterward, Pelle rose to meet a cross from the left with a header from close range, but his effort lacked precision and went straight into Manninger's hands.

Napoli's continuous assaults on Juventus created chaos in the visitors' defense.

In the 36th minute, Valencia delivered another cross from the right. Hamsik struck a volley as the ball bounced up, but it smashed against the crossbar and flew out of play.

However, Napoli wouldn't be denied for long.

Just three minutes later, Maggio delivered another accurate cross from the right. Pelle's header was brilliantly parried by Manninger, but the ball rebounded to Hamsik. The Slovak midfielder seized the opportunity, volleying the ball into the net after several frantic attempts.

2-0!

Hamsik sprinted across the pitch, soaking in the deafening cheers of the Napoli faithful.

Despite the two-week international break, Napoli returned to action looking as unstoppable as ever.

---

Gao Shen stood calmly by the home team's technical area, his posture relaxed. Directing the game felt effortless for him.

His confidence wasn't unfounded, his team had not only taken control of the game but had also secured a comfortable lead.

In contrast, Ranieri, pacing in front of Juventus' technical area, looked as if he was on the verge of tearing his hair out.

But what could he do?

You make your choices, and then you live with the consequences, even if it means suffering.

Ranieri was paying the price for a decision he made back in 2007.

Yes, this was about fitness coach Giampiero Capanna—the same Capanna whose qualifications were constantly questioned.

By now, almost everyone apart from Ranieri doubted Capanna's competence. Juventus' current injury crisis was proof enough.

Apart from Mohamed Sissoko, who was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, Juventus' injury list was staggering: Buffon, Trezeguet, Iaquinta, Zanetti, Camoranesi, Thiago, Legrottaglie, Zebina, and Mellberg.

Nearly half of Juventus' starting lineup was sidelined.

The players who could take the field weren't in peak condition either.

Last season's top scorer, Del Piero, who netted 21 goals in Serie A, had only managed one goal in seven rounds this season. Starting in six games and coming off the bench in one, his performances had been lackluster.

"After tonight, Ranieri will surely hear the alarm bells of his impending dismissal," Zidane remarked as Gao Shen came back to take a sip of water.

Coaching, Gao Shen thought to himself, was indeed a high-stakes profession.

Glancing at Ranieri, who looked utterly defeated on the sidelines, Gao Shen felt a tinge of sympathy.

While Ranieri certainly bore responsibility for Juventus' struggles, the situation wasn't entirely his fault.

The injury crisis, for instance, raised serious questions about the team's training methods. Whether Capanna was a theorist who lacked practical competence or just out of his depth, the results spoke for themselves.

But why had Ranieri insisted on keeping him last year? And why allow him to work without proper licensing?

Even if Ranieri had a fully fit squad, could he have overcome this Napoli side?

Gao Shen doubted it. His confidence wasn't arrogance but rooted in what he was witnessing on the pitch.

Juventus' center-back pairing for this match was Chiellini and Knezevic. Knezevic, brought in on loan from Livorno, had been a backup option from the start. With Legrottaglie injured, Ranieri was left with no choice but to start him alongside Chiellini.

Juventus' defensive issues were glaring. Their so-called "Eight King Kongs" defensive overhaul, which included Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Grygera, Molinaro, Zebina, Mellberg, De Ceglie, and Knezevic, was riddled with holes. Injuries had reduced their central defense to a shadow of its potential.

Offensively, Juventus weren't much better. They lacked a creative playmaker who could orchestrate attacks. Neither Van der Vaart nor Diego, two transfer targets, had materialized.

Without the ability to build plays or counterattack effectively, Juventus' offense was reduced to simple long balls to their strikers, a strategy easily neutralized by Napoli's defense.

Benatia dominated Amauri, while Cannavaro Jr. kept Del Piero quiet. With no meaningful link-up play and the ball rarely reaching dangerous areas, Juventus posed little threat.

Ranieri, helpless, could only hope his side could weather the storm.

---

The first half ended 2-0 in Napoli's favor.

At the start of the second half, Juventus attempted to mount a comeback, focusing on utilizing their center-forward Amauri to gain an advantage in attack.

But Benatia continued his stellar performance, effectively neutralizing Amauri. The Moroccan defender, who joined Napoli in the summer, had been a revelation in Serie A, and Amauri couldn't find a way past him.

Juventus' only significant chance came in the 52nd minute when Marchisio delivered a long ball to Amauri, who chested it down to Del Piero. The veteran forward struck a left-footed shot from the edge of the box, but it narrowly missed the target.

Napoli responded almost immediately. Maggio unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar, forcing Juventus to retreat once again.

From there, the match returned to Napoli's familiar rhythm, with Gao Shen watching confidently from the sidelines.

In the 68th minute, Napoli delivered the final blow.

Mertens sprinted down the right, cutting into the penalty area and drawing Manninger off his line. Calmly, Mertens laid the ball back to Pelle, who, with a single touch, slotted it past the scrambling goalkeeper.

3-0!

Napoli continued to attack but failed to add to their tally.

The match ended with a decisive victory for Napoli. Goals from Callejon, Hamsik, and Pelle secured a 3-0 win, handing Juventus a crushing defeat. The visitors failed to register a single shot on target and managed only four attempts in total.

It was a complete rout.

---

Later that evening, Inter Milan, led by Mourinho, delivered their own statement. With Ibrahimovic scoring twice, Inter demolished Roma 4-0 away to regain the Serie A lead.

***

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