Before the match, Gao Shen had mentally prepared himself.

  He had resolved to stay posed, even if Napoli mao scao Shen treasured his bond with Real Madrid's fans and didn't want to provoke them.

  But when Sanchez volleyed the ball into the empty , Gao Shen couldn't help it. Excitement surged through him, and he nearly sprinted out of the teical area.

  Fortunately, he held himself back.

  Even so, he couldn't stop himself from appuding his pyers for their brilliant execution.

  The fact that his in-game adjustments had worked perfectly ao a goal filled him with pride and joy.

  For a head coach, the greatest sense of aplishment es from seeing your pyers follow your instrus, execute your strategies, and achieve success och. It's a feeling beyond words.

  "Beautiful!"

  When Gao Shen turned around, Carlo had already rushed out and hugged him tightly.

  "That was absolutely amazing!" Zidane joined in, celebrating alongside Gao Shen.

  Both assistants uood Gao Sheer than anyone else. They khe precision and pnning that had goo this match. From the outset, Gao Shen's focus had been on stabilizing the defense above all else.

  But while ensuring a solid defensive base, Gao Shen had also beehodically adjusting Napoli's tactics, step by step, tet Real Madrid's weaknesses.

  The terattack that led to the first goal perfectly showcased Napoli's strengths while ruthlessly exploiting Real Madrid's vulnerabilities.

  Everyone khat Real Madrid's defense was fragile when they were in attack mode. Heihough versatile, cked the strength to be a dominaer-back. avaro, while a legend, was no longer in his prime.

  More importantly, Real Madrid's pressing and defensive coordination were fwed.

  Gao Shen's adjustments allowed Napoli to bait Real Madrid into pressing too high, particurly on the fnks.

  If Ramos had stayed bastead of pushing forward in the buildup to the first goal, he and avaro might have been able to tain Di Maria. Ramos, with his speed and ability to recover, could have stopped the Arge worst, he could have fouled to prevent the attack.

  But with Ramos itted forward, avaro was left exposed and uo stop Di Maria's run.

  Gao Shen embraced each of his assistants, celebrating the goal. Theepped bad shouted instrus to his pyers och, urging them to stay calm and anized.

  "Hold your positions! Stay posed! Don't rush!" he called out.

  He reminded Biglia and Rakitic to focus on trolling the ball and pulling the midfield strings rather than charging forward recklessly. Thiago Motta also received specifistrus, nodding in aowledgment.

  Once he had issued his ands, Gao Shen turned back to his assistants with a satisfied smile and shook his head.

  "Now that we're ahead, Real Madrid should ease off a little," he said.

  Carlo and Zidah nodded in agreement.

  Real Madrid had pressed ferociously in the opening minutes, pushing hard for an early lead. But after g and failing to capitalize on their ces, it made sense for them troup and stabilize.

  Napoli could thehat moment to establish their footing and gradually dictate the game's temping it into the rhythm they thrived in.

  And onapoli was in trol, Gao Shen wasn't afraid of Real Madrid.

  But Gao Shen miscalcuted.

  …

  Whether it was out of frustration or desperation, Schuster didn't slow things down after the goal. Instead, he urged his pyers to push even harder.

  From the sidelines, Schuster shouted at his team to press forward, throwing caution to the wind.

  Gao Shen, Zidane, and Carlo exged baffled looks.

  "Is this guy out of his mind?"

  Real Madrid's squad was not made of maes.

  Raul was 31 years old, Van Nistelrooy 32, avaro 34, Heinze 30. Four of their starters were past their physical peak. Robben and Van der Vaart weren't known for their stamina, while Marcelo and Gago were still young and inexperienced.

  Gao Shen couldn't prehend Schuster's logic. If Real Madrid couldn't capitalize on Napoli's early nerves and score while the game was level, how did Schuster think they would succeed after falling behind?

  Sure enough, less than five mier, Real Madrid's bae was exposed again.

  This time, Biglia unched a precise long ball to the right fnk. Sanchez spri full speed, collected the ball, and attempted to cut inside past Heihe Argentine defender, uo keep up, tripped Sanchez just outside the penalty area.

  Napoli earned a free ki a dangerous position on the right side of the box.

  The crowd at the Bernabeu collectively tehis reoment.

  Real Madrid's defensive shortings were gring. Heiood at 1.79 meters, avaro at 1.75. Ramos, at 1.84 meters, was their tallest defender, while Marcelo and Gago were both under 1.8 meters. Only Diarra, at 1.80 meters, offered some sembnce of aerial presence.

  Napoli, by trast, boasted giants. David Luiz and Bonucci both stood at 1.9 meters, i at 1.88, Thiago Motta at 1.87, and Rakitic at 1.84. In terms of both height and physicality, Napoli held a signifit advantage.

  As Napoli's tall pyers crowded into Real Madrid's box, the disparity became gringly obvious.

  Even the entators he danger.

  "This is a very dangerous position for a free kick," one observed.

  Saepped up to take the kick. With precision, he delivered a cross into the heart of the penalty area.

  David Luiz, Bonucci, and Thiago Motta all made decoy runs, drawing the defenders' attention. The real target was i, lurking in the middle of the box.

  As the ball sailed in, i surged forward, leaping high above everyone else. He met the ball with a powerful header, sending it into the top-left er of the goal.

  Casils could do nothing.

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

  "i!!"

  "Napoli doubles their lead!!"

  "Incredible! Less than five minutes after their first goal, Napoli strikes again!"

  "What a phenomenal header from i!"

  "And what a perfectly executed free kick from Sahe delivery ot-on!"

  "The repy shows hooli's setup pletely dismantled Real Madrid's defe's almost identical to the py that led to their first goal, yet Real Madrid failed to adapt!"

  …

  On the sidelines, Gao Shen celebrated passionately once more.

  2-0!

  But even as he celebrated, a part of him was stunned. He hadn't expected Schuster to persist with such reckless tactics.

  Gng toward the Real Madrid bench, Gao Shen couldn't help but wonder: would Schuster finally ge his approaow?

  If Schuster didn't adjust, Real Madrid's morale and posure would only crumble further.

  The attack wasn't breaking through, and their defense wasn't holding up.

  Gao Shen shook his head. He couldn't uand Schuster's thinking.

  Aher could Carlo or Zidane.

  …

  Two goals down, Schuster finally abandoned his delusions and began switg to more pragmatic tactics.

  But Real Madrid still refused to retreat entirely.

  Robben, in particur, tinued probing for openings on the right.

  Napoli, however, maintaiheir defensive superiority. With multiple pyers marking Robben, he found himself trapped on the left fnk, uo cut inside or deliver a meaningful cross.

  This wasirely Robben's fault. Real Madrid's tactical setup left him isoted. Ramos hesitated to push forward, Raul only occasionally drifted wide to support, and Diarra and Gago were too distant to link up effectively.

  Time and again, Robben found himself with no viable passing options.

  Like ih minute.

  Robben fought to retain possession, shielding the ball against Napoli's defenders. But with no teammates nearby to relieve the pressure, he eventually lost the ball. The referee waved py on.

  Vargas intercepted and immediately unched a terattack.

  Real Madrid scrambled to recover, but Napoli's transition was lightning-fast.

  Before Diarra could close him down, Vargas pyed a quie-two with Biglia, surging forward into space.

  When Ramos stepped up to challenge Vargas, the Napoli left-back deftly slipped the ball past him into the gap between Ramos and avaro.

  Di Maria was already there, sprinting into the box.

  Though Ramos gave chase, Di Maria was a step ahead. Reag the ball, he sent a low cross into the ter of the penalty area.

  i, like a charging tank, broke through avaro and Heinze's defenses. Rising high, he ected with a thunderous header, smashing the ball into the top-left er.

  Casils, caught off-guard, couldn't rea time.

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

  "3-0!!"

  "What is happening to Real Madrid tonight?"

  "My God, how did this happen?!"

  "Time and again, their defense colpses, leading to goal after goal!"

  "Schuster's side domihe first 20 minutes, but sihen, they've ceded three times!"

  "Gao Shen's tactical adjustments are almost magical, they're impossible to predict but incredibly effective och."

  "Tonight, the Bernabeu might witness a massacre!"

  "Schuster must find a way to stop Gao Shen and his Napoli, or this could turn into an unfettable humiliation for Real Madrid!"