Once again, Inter pushed forward, trying to find Ibrahimovic with the ball.

  Benatia anticipated the py, stepped in front, and cleared the ball with a decisive header, defusi atack from Inter Min.

  This drew loud boos from the Inter fans iands.

  It wasn't the first time.

  ---

  "The ter-back is perf exceptionally well," remarked Moratti, seated in the VIP se. Despite g to not know much about football, he could clearly see Benatia's brilliaonight. Even Ibrahimoviter's star striker, had started to avoid direct frontations with him.

  The situation wasn't much better for Balotelli on the right fnk.

  The young forward, initially stationed on the right to exploit his physicality, found himself repeatedly ralized by Vargas. After several failed attempts to attack, Balotelli began shying away from direct challenges, leaving Inter Min reliant on long balls directed toward Ibrahimovic.

  Otherwise, Balotelli—given his height and strength could have been a useful target.

  As for Ibrahimovic, his performaonight was far from ideal.

  It seemed like every time he pyed in high-stakes matches, he struggled to make an impact.

  Oher hand, Benatia, tasked with marking him, utting on a mastercss, something even Moratti couldn't ignore.

  ---

  Bnd Oriali, key figures in Inter's ma, sat nearby, visibly unfortable. Inter Min had been fag a crisis iral defense for some time, but they had failed t in a pyer like Benatia. Watg his stelr performaonight only highlighted their ht.

  "This is the pyer the media kept talking about, isn't it?" Moratti asked, his tone skeptical. "A nobody with a knee injury who hadn't pyed in over a year?"

  Bnca, uo avoid the question, nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't a broken leg. It was a severe knee ligament tear, very serious. That's why Marseille terminated his tract. He came to Napoli on a free transfer."

  Moratti chuckled. "If Marseille is watg this game, they'll be kig themselves. Letting him go like that is throwing away millions of euros."

  Bnd Oriali forced smiles, agreeing silently.

  Just based on tonight's performance, Benatia was already proving to be an incredible find.

  As the others marveled at Benatia's impact, Angelo Moratti, seated beside his father, spoke up coldly. "If we had signed Gao Shen this summer, this pyer would've been pying for us instead."

  His statement silehe group.

  Everyone froze, their expressions awkward. No one knew how to respond.

  Benatia had been scouted and signed by Gao Shen. He came on a free transfer, yet his performaonight was worth millions. It roof of Gao Shen's eye for talent.

  This match would undoubtedly boost Benatia's reputation in Serie A and further enhance Gao Shen's standing in European football.

  Angelo's remark stung because it was true: had Gao Shen been coag Inter Miia would've been their solution to the defensive crisis. Not only would Inter have gained a top-css defender, but they could've also saved millions.

  But Gao Shen wasn't at Inter.

  Instead, he was still coag Napoli, and worse, he was their oppoonight.

  For Bnd Oriali, the reminder of their missteps in squad building and their ck of enthusiasm for pursuing Gao Shen in the summer was embarrassing.

  After Gao Sheed Inter's offer and instead stayed with Napoli, the club had quickly turheir attention to Mourinho.

  From a rational perspective, even if Mourinho wasn't in the picture, there was no guarantee Gao Shen would've accepted Inter's job. But that lingering sense of "what could've been" always made regret harder to ignore.

  ---

  Moratti was well aware of his son Angelo's admiration fao Shen.

  In fact, Angelo had advocated fao Shen as early as st season, particurly after Napoli's 5–0 demolition of Inter. He had urged his father to act decisively and bring Gao Shen to the club.

  However, Moratti, wanting to honor his itment to Mani, hesitated and ultimately missed the opportunity.

  That decision had cost Inter dearly: Mani failed to deliver two championships, while Gao Shen led Napoli to a league and cup double.

  The father and son had cshed over this issue more than once.

  This summer, Angelo had pushed hard fao Shen again, but to no avail. Gao Shen politely deed, leaving Io appoint Mourinho instead.

  Even now, the thought of what might have been filled Angelo with regret.

  But Moratti had no iion of dwelling on past mistakes tonight. Coughing lightly to ge the subject, he smiled at Bnd Oriali.

  "To be fair, Mourinho's defensive anization isn't bad," Moratti said. "We've been on the baost of the game, but Napoli's attacks haven't been particurly threatening."

  "To get Cambiasso and Burdisso funing as a tral defensive partnership and hold off a team like Napoli, it's impressive."

  His words helped ease some of the tension. Bnd Oriali quickly nodded in agreement.

  "Yes, Mourinho has always been excellent at anizing defenses. Even though we're a goal dowill have ces," Bnca added with a smile.

  "Exactly. Defense is Mourinho's strength. If we eutralize Napoli's attack, we'll find opportuo ter. Even if Ibrahimovi't perf at his best, we still have Mani and Balotelli," Oriali chimed in.

  At the mention of Balotelli, Moratti's mood visibly improved.

  He had high hopes for the young academy product.

  "This kid is going to be a superstar—just like Ronaldo, Adriano, and Ztan," Moratti decred fidently.

  Everyone around him nodded in agreement.

  At just seventeen, Balotelli's potential was undeniable.

  ---

  While Inter Min's ma believed they had stabilized, Napoli suddenly struck back.

  In midfield, Vidal intercepted a pass and immediately sent the ball wide to the right, where Valencia was waiting.

  Valencia trolled the ball he sideline and faced Maxwell one-on-one. With a clever feint, the Ecuadorian witempted to cut inside along the baseli was blocked, and the ball deflected upward.

  Valencia chased after it, heading the ball into Inter's penalty area and rushing in from the right. Before Montari could close him down, Valencia delivered a low cross toward i.

  However, Cambiasso reacted first, clearing the ball just outside the penalty area. Stankovider pressure, booted it forward hastily, sending it toward the right toue.

  Napoli quickly took the throw-iia, receiving the ball, evaded Ibrahimovic with posure and unched a precise long pass back to Valencia up front.

  Valencia, now under pressure from Maxwell, mishandled his first touch, and as Maxwell closed in, he iently khe ball out of bounds, giving Inter Min a throw-in.

  The home crowd erupted in cheers, their voices reverberating throughout the stadium.

  ---

  On the sidelines, Maxwell wiped the ball dry with his jersey before sing for passing options. Seeing Mani make a forward run, he hurled the ball toward him.

  However, Mani mistimed his movement. Mid-sprint, he attempted to brake, but his momentum carried him too far forward.

  Lichtsteiner, quick to react, used the opportunity to block Mani's path. The ball hit the ground, and before Mani could recover, the Swiss defender intercepted and passed it back to his defensive line.

  Benatia, receiving the ball, found himself immediately closed down by Ibrahimovic.

  Inter Min had clearly shifted to pressing higher up the pitch.

  Benatia, calm under pressure, made a feint as if to carry the ball forward, drawing Ibrahimovic closer. Then, with a siep toward his goal, he offloaded the ball to avaro.

  ---

  At that moment, Balotelli, who had drifted trally, made a sudden dash toward avaro.

  This tactical adjustment art of Mourinho's pre-matstrus. Inter's flexible formation allowed Balotelli to switch between winger and striker roles depending ouation.

  avaro, caught off guard by Balotelli's sudden approach, remained posed.

  Having spent two years at Napoli, he had developed his posure and ball-pying ability. Situations like this no longer rattled him.

  Spotting Thiago Motta in space, avaro pyed a measured pass to the midfielder.

  Motta trolled the ball and quickly surveyed the field. Inter's defensive shape had tilted toward Napoli's right fnk to cover i and Valencia, leaving Mai slightly out of position and creating a gap in their defensive line.

  Sanchez had moved into that gap.

  Reizing the opportunity, Motta delivered a precise long pass over Inter's defense, pg it perfectly at the edge of the penalty area.

  Saimed his ruifully, beating the offside trap.

  her the referee nor the linesman raised any objes.

  ---

  Sanchez trolled the ball expertly with his right foot, charging into the penalty area as Julio Cesar advao close him down.

  With a quick fake, Sanchez sent Cesar the wrong way and calmly slotted the ball into the empty .

  2–0!