"You shall fight like a hungry lion, like a ragi!"

  Before the game, in the locker room, Mourinho roared at Ztan Ibrahimovic with a ferocious expression, kig the tactical board in front of him for emphasis.

  The Swedish striker felt his entire body igh fire.

  However, he hadn't anticipated that, right at the start of the game, his team's defense would it such a blunder, allowing Napoli to score within the first minute. What just happened?

  But…

  As Ibrahimovic prepared to kick off again, a fident smirk curled at the er of his mouth.

  Good. The more dire the situation, the better the stage for Ztan Ibrahimovic to showcase his strength and value.

  "Do you see? They're attag us!"

  "Alright then, just give me the ball. I'll take care of the goals ahe reversal!"

  He shouted, exuding fidehis was both his personality and part of Mourinho's pre-match strategy. Inter Min needed Ibrahimovic to step up, especially in attack.

  ---

  The match resumed.

  Inter Min passed the ball back to their defenders, while Napoli maintaiheir tactical disciplihey refrained from a full-on press, fog on trolling the midfield and allowing Cambiasso and Burdisso to keep possession at the back.

  But what use ossession?

  If the ball couldn't progress forward, it was just being passed bad forth between the ter-backs, achieving nothing. And possession was never Inter Min's forte, nor was Mourinho a coach who prioritized it.

  At the front, Ibrahimovic waited for a pass, shadowed closely by Napoli's ter-back, Mehdi Benatia.

  "Looks like you're stue tonight," Ibrahimovic said with a sly grin.

  Benatia g him but remained silent, fog on the game unfolding ahead of him.

  "Hey, I heard you broke y and didn't py for a whole year. Is that true?" Ibrahimovic asked casually.

  Benatia looked at him again but still didn't answer, his eyes sing the field.

  Ibrahimovic clicked his tongue. "Seriously? Your coach must be desperate if he's using someone like you to mark me. Does he think so little of me?" He ughed mogly, iionally baitiia.

  When the Moro defender heard his head coach mentioned, he turned his head slightly. In broken Italian, he replied, "Before the game, I didn't expect you to talk this muonsense."

  Ibrahimovic was taken aback. He had expected to get into his oppo's head, but instead, he was the o speechless.

  What kind of response was that?

  Who does this guy think he is? Does he even know who I am?

  "I thought you were mute," Ibrahimovic muttered.

  Benatia threw him a sidelong g didn't respond again.

  "Alright, fiell me, which leg did you break? I'll make sure to go easy on it. I'm not heartless, you know."

  Still, Benatia ignored him, staying focused on the field and trag Ibrahimovic's movements.

  "Not talking? Fine. Don't bme me if I don't hold back ter," Ibrahimovic added.

  As the ball cycled back to Inter Min's defense, Benatia exhaled lightly. Hearing Ibrahimovic's words, he finally sneered, "Our coach has a saying."

  "What's that?"

  "Dogs that bark too loudly usually belong iirement homes. They waste all their energy barking and 't bite."

  Ibrahimovic's expression darkened instantly.

  "You know why you don't score in big games?" Benatia tinued, his tone calm but cutting. "It's because you talk too much. All it proves is that you're nervous. You pani important matches, and it shows in your feet. So tell me, after all this time, have you scored on Napoli yet?"

  Benatia's words struck a nerve. One of the Swedish striker's biggest criticisms was his underperforman high-stakes matches.

  Ibrahimoviorted and jogged back to his position without another word.

  ---

  As Ibrahimovic moved deeper into midfield, Inter Min finally found a passing option. The ball yed from the back lio him.

  Receiving the pass, Ibrahimovitrolled it and id it off to Stankovic, who had found space.

  Stankovic quickly shifted the ball left to Mani.

  Fag Lichtsteiner on the left wing, Mani performed several feints, but the Swiss full-back wasn't fooled. When Mani tried to cut inside, Lichtsteiuck close, f the Brazilian to pass.

  Mani mao release the ball, but Lichtsteiner deflected it slightly, causing it to bounce high into the air.

  The ball dropped at the edge of the penalty area.

  Benatia and Ibrahimovic moved simultaneously, vying to intercept. Ibrahimoviched himself at the ball, but Benatia reacted quicker, cushioning it skillfully with the outside of his right foot.

  Ibrahimovic swung a leg, but Benatia had already secured possession.

  With his sed touch, the Moro defender brought the ball firmly under trol.

  Mani, unwilling to give up, lunged forward to challenge, but Benatia skillfully sidestepped the Brazilian's press, taking a couple of strides forward before delivering a pinpoint pass to Vidal, who was unmarked in midfield.

  Napoli initiated a swift terattack.

  ---

  Benatia turned briefly to g Ibrahimovic before jogging bato position, his expression calm and posed.

  But Ibrahimovic looked at him differently now.

  "That was a ouch," the Swede admitted.

  Benatia smirked briefly but said nothing, resuming his focus on the game.

  By now, he was genuinely disappointed. Was this really the world's top striker? Why did he talk so much?

  Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, couldn't seem to leave Benatia alone. Every time he drifted he Moro defender, he threw out a ent, hoping to get under his skin.

  But Benatia wasn't taking the bait.

  Eventually, perhaps out of frustratioia shot back, "Your mouth is far better than your football skills."

  "You should've goo stand-up edy instead of football."

  Ibrahimovic's face turned red with anger.

  On Inter Min's attack down the left, Maxwell made an overpping run toward the penalty area, drawing Lichtsteiner's attention. Mani received the ball on the edge of the area, but as Benatia and the other defenders closed iruggled to make a decisive py.

  When Mani tried to cut inside, Benatia moved swiftly to intercept. Despite nearly slipping, the Moro mao hook the ball away with his long legs.

  The Brazilian wiried to recover, but Benatia shielded the ball with his imposing 1.9-meter frame, f Mani out of the py.

  Benatia theed a perfectly timed long pass, ung another Napoli terattack.

  ---

  "A brilliant defensive dispy!"

  "Napoli's ter-back, Mehdi Benatia."

  "It's his debut for Napoli, and his first petitive appearan over a year."

  "Incredible. His defense has been outstanding, and his posure on the ball is remarkable."

  "Once again, Gao Shen has uhed a hidden gem!"

  ---

  On the sidelines, Mourinho seethed. Watg Benatia disrupt Inter's attack yet again, he furiously shouted for Maxwell to fall bad tighten the defense, venting his frustration with a series of curses.

  Though Inter's Montari performed admirably in midfield, helping to tain Napoli's terattacks, Mourinho khey were in trouble.

  "This Moro kid is something else," Baresi, Mourinho's assistant and a former defender, muttered. "So far, he hasn't put a single fo."

  "Did you see that interception and long pass? No wao Shen started him tonight."

  As Inter Min regained possession and pushed forward, little Mani attempted a cross into the box, but Lichtsteiner deflected it. The ball dropped he penalty area, and once agaiia was there to sweep it up with ease.

  His calm, precise defendi little Mani looking helpless.

  "Nobody get past this guy," Baresi marveled.

  ---

  Mourinho paced the sideline, his earlier premonition proving true.

  This Moro ter-back wasn't a backup or a stopgap. He was here to take a starting role.

  But how had Gao Shen known?

  Was he some kind of prophet?

  After seeiia's performance, Mourinho realized this match would be anything but easy.

  Gao Shen had lived up to his reputation once again.