Starting With Real Madrid

"Ah... huhhh..."

The entire Bernabeu first erupted in gasps, followed by collective groans of disappointment.

When Van Nistelrooy connected with a header that seemed destined for the back of the net, Napoli's goalkeeper Handanovic threw himself through the air, using one hand to tip the ball just wide of the goal. Though the save resulted in a corner for Real Madrid, Handanovic had preserved the clean sheet for Napoli, leaving Real Madrid fans sighing in frustration.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen shook his head slightly, then took a few steps forward to shout instructions to his players.

"Di Maria! Keep an eye on Ramos' positioning! Stay with him!"

"And you, Biglia! What are you doing? Where's your position?"

"Vargas, watch the space on the flanks! We worked on this in training!"

Gao Shen's shouting and gestures made him appear visibly anxious, something the live broadcast cameras picked up on. They cut to a close-up of him, deliberately emphasizing his apparent nervousness.

Meanwhile, the broadcast also showed Real Madrid's coach, Schuster, sitting back in his seat, exuding an air of calm confidence.

"Real Madrid has made a fantastic start, creating frequent chances to get ahead."

"It looks like a goal is just around the corner."

"Napoli seems nervous, which doesn't bode well for them."

Schuster looked increasingly self-assured. The match was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated. Watching Gao Shen pacing on the sidelines, nervously trying to organize his defense, Schuster's confidence grew even stronger.

"Keep pressing! Push them back into their shell!" he thought smugly to himself.

If Gao Shen's defense caved under the pressure, Schuster could claim an undeniable tactical victory.

---

"Napoli's inexperience is showing," Valdano remarked in the VIP box of the Bernabeu.

From his seat alongside Florentino, he observed the game and shook his head in mild exasperation.

"They lack Champions League experience. Playing as visitors at the Bernabeu, it's naturally difficult for them to adapt to this level of intensity. And let's not forget, Real Madrid's attack is incredibly strong."

Real Madrid's lineup wasn't lacking in talent. These were all seasoned, high-profile players, and under sustained pressure, Napoli naturally looked disorganized.

"Do you think we'll win?" Florentino asked.

Valdano paused for a moment before replying. "It's hard to say for sure, but Real Madrid does look very likely to score first."

In fact, had it not been for Handanovic's heroic save, Van Nistelrooy's header earlier would have already put Real Madrid ahead. The Dutchman's reputation as the "King of the Six-Yard Box" was well-deserved.

"That said," Valdano continued, "Gao Shen is known for his meticulous preparation and adaptability. I'm certain he anticipated this kind of scenario and has a plan in place. It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts."

As mere spectators, Valdano and Florentino could only speculate about the coaches' strategies and intentions. The finer tactical details were something only the managers on the touchline truly understood.

"But there's one thing that stands out," Valdano added.

"What is it?" Florentino asked.

"From the start, our midfield and forward players have been pressing aggressively. Van der Vaart, Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Raul, all of them are actively applying pressure high up the pitch. That's put Napoli under a lot of strain, forcing their players into hurried decisions. Even our full-backs, Marcelo and Ramos, have been pushing forward to support the attack. That's created a lot of offensive momentum."

"But," Valdano paused, "how long can this intensity last? That's the real question."

---

Under Real Madrid's relentless opening barrage, Gao Shen chose to weather the storm.

Napoli shifted their focus to solidifying their defense, prioritizing stability and rhythm over counterattacking. Gao Shen's strategy was clear: avoid panic and regain control of the game's tempo.

Real Madrid, however, continued to funnel their attack through Robben's side.

The Dutch winger caused repeated problems for Napoli early on. At one point, Robben collected the ball on the left wing, sprinted past Vargas with ease, and cut inside before threading a pass into the right side of the penalty area. Raul charged forward to meet the ball, but David Luiz intercepted at the last second, booting it clear.

Not long after, Robben attacked again, this time driving straight into the penalty area from the right flank. He attempted a low cross into the box, but Bonucci stepped in and blocked the ball out for yet another corner.

It became evident that Real Madrid was focusing their efforts on exploiting Robben's creativity on the right, creating frequent threats in the process.

Naturally, Gao Shen wasn't going to let Robben wreak havoc unchecked. He adjusted Napoli's tactics accordingly.

Before long, Robben began to notice that every time he received the ball, two Napoli players immediately closed in on him, boxing him out on the wing. Whether he tried to dribble past them, cut inside, or even pass the ball, he was blocked at every turn by Thiago Motta and David Luiz. His connections with teammates were severed.

This happened once. Then twice. By the third time, Robben became so frustrated that he overhit the ball and sent it straight out of play.

At this point, ten minutes had passed.

Napoli's defense started to stabilize, while Real Madrid's right-back, Ramos, grew increasingly involved in the attack.

Ramos' overlapping runs on the right flank were a double-edged sword. While his offensive contribution was significant, it left Real Madrid vulnerable at the back. This had been a recurring criticism of Ramos throughout the season, his forward runs often left gaps in defense that opposing teams could exploit.

But with Robben struggling on the right, Schuster had little choice but to encourage Ramos to keep pressing forward.

Gao Shen, meanwhile, made further adjustments.

Robben's movements were now tightly marked by Vargas and David Luiz. Vargas stayed close to Robben at all times, especially when the winger tried to drift inside. Meanwhile, David Luiz tracked Robben's attempts to cut past Vargas.

If David Luiz moved wide to cover Robben, Thiago Motta would drop into the backline to fill the gap, while Biglia and Rakitic remained positioned to shield the defense. This fluid arrangement gave Napoli's midfield greater flexibility and mobility.

After ten minutes of this disciplined defensive effort, Gao Shen made another adjustment: he instructed Cavani to drop deeper.

The Uruguayan forward, known for his tireless work rate and physical strength, began to press Real Madrid's midfielders Diarra and Gago, disrupting their ability to push forward and support the attack.

This created a dilemma for Real Madrid's center-backs, Heinze and Cannavaro. Should they step up to track Cavani, or hold their defensive line?

Cavani's deeper positioning also opened up opportunities for Napoli's wingers, who now had more space to exploit.

By the 15th minute, these tactical changes started to pay off.

Real Madrid's attacking momentum began to wane, and Napoli's defense looked more composed. With Robben neutralized, it became easier to deal with Van der Vaart, who lacked Robben's explosive ability.

And Gao Shen began to wait patiently for his chance.

---

On the surface, Real Madrid still seemed to have the upper hand. They dominated possession and created most of the chances, while Napoli appeared to be on the back foot, defending doggedly with only a few sporadic counterattacks.

To the casual observer, Napoli looked every bit the inexperienced Champions League debutant.

Real Madrid, emboldened by this perception, started committing even more players forward. Marcelo and Ramos became increasingly aggressive in their overlapping runs, adding width and intensity to the attack.

But Gao Shen was quietly laying a trap.

After 15 minutes, Napoli's tactics shifted once more. Instead of immediately retreating after regaining possession, they began circulating the ball in their own half, luring Real Madrid into pressing high up the pitch.

This subtle change forced Real Madrid to commit more players to their press, leaving spaces behind their midfield and defense.

It didn't take long for Napoli to capitalize.

In the 23rd minute, after a series of passes in their defensive third, David Luiz played the ball to Rakitic, who was immediately closed down by Van der Vaart. Rakitic calmly passed back to Bonucci, who found himself unmarked at the back.

Spotting an opening, Bonucci launched a perfectly weighted long pass over the top of Real Madrid's defense.

The ball sailed over the midfield, bypassing Marcelo and Cannavaro, and dropped just outside the left edge of Real Madrid's penalty area.

Di Maria, like a streak of lightning, burst through Real Madrid's defensive line, leaving Cannavaro trailing in his wake.

Casillas, realizing the danger, rushed out of his box to intercept, but the ball was outside the penalty area, and he couldn't use his hands. He leapt forward, trying to head it away, but Di Maria got there first.

With a delicate header, Di Maria directed the ball toward the center of the box. Casillas, Heinze, and Cannavaro all scrambled to recover, but it was too late.

Sanchez, racing into the penalty area, arrived ahead of Heinze and volleyed the ball into the empty net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"In the 23rd minute, Napoli opens the scoring!"

"A brilliant goal from Sanchez!"

"What a spectacular counterattack, perfectly orchestrated!"

"Real Madrid's defense was caught off guard. Bonucci's long pass was timed to perfection, Di Maria's off-the-ball movement was sensational, and his header to set up the play was sublime. Sanchez finished it all off with composure!"

"Napoli has scored the first goal of the game with a sharp and clinical counterattack!"

As Sanchez celebrated wildly, his teammates rushed toward him, sharing in the euphoria of the moment.

Napoli was now leading 1-0 at the Bernabeu.

***

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