There wasn't much suspense ich against Roma.
With both Totti ata, two of their key pyers, missing the first round of the league, Gao Shen didn't see Roma as much of a threat.
It wasn't that Roma wasn't strong, but without Totti ata, the Red Wolves would struggle to challenge Napoli.
Everyone uood Totti's importance, he was the link that ected the team, the heart of Roma's entire front-line system. Meanwhile, Perrotta's influence was fully demonstrated during their legendary 6-0 victory ialian Cup years ago.
Fag other teams, Roma might have had a fighting ce even without those two pyers. But against Napoli, it simply wasn't their day. The Giallorossi could only curse their bad luck.
Spalletti stuck with Roma's tried-and-true 4-2-3-1 formation:
Goalkeeper: Doni.
Defenders: Riise, Juan, Mexes, and ho.
Midfielders: Pizarro and De Rossi as double pivots, with Vuic, Aquini, and Cassetti further forward.
Forward: Baptista.
Of note, ho and Baptista were both pyers Gao Shen had worked with during his time at Real Madrid.
Vuic, a versatile attacker, was long touted as Totti's successor. However, st season proved that while talented, he was no Totti.
Baptista, a new signing this season, was deployed up front, with Spalletti hoping to capitalize on the Brazilian's adaptability and physicality.
Aquini, one of the standout midfielders in Serie A st season, had fshes of brilliance. While insistent, his ability to trol the tempo of a game was undeniable—a trait that Valdano once described as "mesmerizing."
Knowing Totti ata were unavaible, Gao Shen opted for a 4-3-3 setup:
Goalkeeper: Handanovic.
Defenders: Dossena, avaro, Benatia, and Maggio.
Midfielders: Thiago Motta as the anchor, with Hamsik and Vidal in more advanced roles.
Forwards: Sanchez, i, and Valencia.
This lineup made Napoli's iions clear: even in an away game, they were gunning for a win.
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Before kickoff, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Roma's president, Franco Sensi.
Sensi had passed away half a month earlier, but sihe club had already been uhe ma of his daughter, Rosel Sensi, his death didn't disrupt Roma's operations.
However, the solemn tribute was still warranted.
Sensi's legacy was a mixed one, but ohing was undeniable, he had made signifit tributions to Roma. He was also a leading figure in rallying southern Italian clubs to challeheir northern terparts' dominance.
In fact, Italy's so-called "mini-World Cup era" could partly be traced back to the rise of southern teams like Roma and Lazio. Landmark events included Sensi's takeover of Roma and otti's entry into Lazio.
Gao Shen vividly remembered those early days of watg football—Batistuta joining Roma, Vieri heading to Lazio, and the excitement surrounding pyers like Mea. He also withe eventual dee of both Roma and Lazio.
Lazio's downfall, in particur, left an impression on him.
Whea was sold to A, Gao Shen had been bitterly disappointed. Why not sell him to Real Madrid instead?
Sensi was araordinary figure, Roma araordinary team, and the city itself remarkable.
At the ter of it all was Totti—the undisputed hero of both the club and the city.
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The game began, and without Totti, Roma found themselves on the back foot almost immediately, pinned down by Napoli's relentless pressure.
Their attacks cked sharpness, and Napoli's defense held firm.
Maggio, making his seaso for Napoli, was ei the start. He linked up seamlessly with Valencia on the right fnk, f Vuic to drop back repeatedly to help with defeies.
On the left, Dossena and Sanchez worked in tao keep Cassetti and ho under trol, stifling Roma's py on both wings.
Without Totti, Roma's attack looked disjointed.
Baptista brought physicality, but he cked the finesse and creativity to act as the team's pymaker. His inability to replicate Totti's role in eg the front line was gring.
Gao Shen's decision to deploy Thiago Motta as a deep-lying midfielder paid off. Along with ter-backs Benatia and avaro Jr., he formed a deferiahat effectively nullified Baptista's influence.
With Roma struggling to create ces, Napoli took trol of the game early on.
Ih minute, Maggio made a dynamic overpping run down the right. He whipped a cross into the box, aiming for i. As the Roma defenders focused on marking i, Hamsik surged forward unmarked and headed the ball into the from cle.
Roma goalkeeper Doni dived in vain. The ball was out of his reach.
1–0!
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After taking the lead, Napoli maintaiheir grip on the game.
Hamsik and Vidal domihe midfield, pressilessly and disrupting Roma's attempts to build any rhythm.
Maggio, meanwhile, was a stant threat on the right.
In the 42nd minute, he delivered another excellent cross. i nearly scored with a powerful header, but the ball flew just over the bar.
Roma tried to rally in the sed half, but Napoli quickly reasserted trol.
In the 52nd minute, Sanchez dazzled the crowd on the left wing, dribbling past three defenders before unleashing a curling shot towards the tht er. Unfortunately, the ball struck the post and bounced out.
Just six mier, Valencia and Maggio bined on the right to earn a er kiapoli's set-piece was sent to the far post, where Benatia rose high for a header. The ball struck the crossbar and ricocheted into a chaotialty area. Vidal reacted first, smashing the ball into the .
2–0!
That goal sealed Roma's fate.
Both Gao Shen and Spalletti made substitutions after that. Gao Shen aimed to widen the lead, while Spalletti hoped to turide.
But without Totti orchestrating the attad Perrotta anch the midfield, Roma struggled to pose ahreat.
Napoli's defense remained solid, and the matded 2–0. It was a smooth, anding victory for Napoli, giving them a perfect start to the season.
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Elsewhere, Inter Min also cimed a 2–0 victory, defeating Sampdoria away from home. Ibrahimovid Muntari provided the goals, and the team's performance showed noticeable improvement pared to their Italian Super Cup outing.
The return of Materazzi from injury helped solidify Inter's defense, while new signing Pandev made an instant impact, assisting Ibrahimovic's opening goal.
With both Napoli and Inter winning, the two teams joihe league's top four.
However, the standout performers of the first rouorino and Lazio. Torino cimed a 3–0 home win against newly promoted Lecce, while Lazio thrashed Cagliari 4–1 away.
As it stood, Lazio led the standings, followed by Torino, with Inter and Napoli occupying third and fourth, respectively.
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Napoli's victory over Roma earned widespread praise, especially given it was an away match against a traditionally strong oppo.
Arrigo Sacchi, in his n, highlighted the team's sistency from the Italian Super Cup to the league opener, noting that Napoli now exuded the maturity of a title tender.
Sacchi predicted that the Serie A title race would primarily be a two-horse race between Napoli and Inter Min. Of the two, he leaoward Napoli, g Gao Shen's tactical a and the team's rapid growth.
However, Sacchi also warhat challenges y ahead, particurly with the two-week iional break followed by the demands of peting on multiple fronts.
"Last season, Napoli's momentum was repeatedly disrupted by iional match days, leading to a slump in November and December," Sacoted.
"This season, Gao Shen cims to have addressed this issue with a clear pn in pow, it's time to see if the team deliver."
After the break, Napoli would face Fiorentina at home, a formidable oppo who finished sixth in Serie A st season. Prandelli's side had ambitions of breaking into the league's top four, making it aough test.
And immediately after Fiorentina, Napoli would travel to Madrid to face Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.
This match marked Napoli's long-awaited return to the Champions League and the debut appearanany of their pyers in Europe's most prestigious petition.
It would also be Gao Shen's first return to the Bernabéu as a visiting coach since leaving Real Madrid.
How would the Madrid fans receive him?
The buildup to this match had already captured the attention of fans and media worldwide.
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As the media frenzy around Napoli grew, Serie A took a brief pause for iional matches.
With Napoli's rise in prominence, more and more of their pyers were being called up for iional duty, a testament to the team's strength but also a potential headache fao Shen.
The frequent travel and matches could yers down, disrupting their form and making it difficult to maintain peak dition.
Gao Shen also left the team during this time, delegating training and preparation duties to Carlo and the rest of his coag staff. His destination was Min, where he would attend an importa.
Since 1999, UEFA had held an annual summit for elite coaches at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzernd, during the iional break in early September. This UEFA Elite Coaches Summit was an exclusive gathering, reserved only for head coaches of teams participating in the Champions League.
Although 32 teams took part in the group stage, only about 20 head coaches received invitations. Not everyoended, some were unavaible, while others deed for various reasons but those who did represehe best minds in world football.
Fao Shen, this was his first invitation to the prestigious event, and there was no question about attending.
He had another reason to go: he wao meet his idol, Sir Alex Ferguson.
