What do you do when you kly what lineup and tactics your oppo will use?

  Gao Shen's answer was simple: ter them head-on.

  This fideemmed from Napoli's strength.

  The starting lineup:

  Goalkeeper: Handanovic

  Defense: Vargas, David Luiz, Bonucci, and Maggio

  Midfield: Biglia, Thiago Motta, and Rakitic

  Forwards: Di Maria, i, and Sanchez

  Gao Shen stuck with the 4-3-3 formation used in the away game against Real Madrid, but he made a few adjustments to the starting lineup.

  He repced the Swiss right-back Lichtsteiner with Maggio—not because of injury, as no Napoli pyer had sustained ohis season. The training and ma by Bueura and Pintus had been exceptional, keeping the pyers in peak dition.

  The ge was a tactical decision. Bayern's left fnk was anchored by Ribery, known for his exceptional dribbling, speed, and agility. Ribery's ability to trol the ball and seamlessly transition to his move made him a nightmare for defenders.

  Lichtsteiner had sistently outperformed Maggio i petitions, but when it came to explosive speed and flexibility, essential qualities for dealing with Ribery, Maggio had the edge. Gao Shen wao use Maggio's pace to ralize Ribery's rhythm and suppress Bayern's left fnk.

  Beyond that, Gao Shen deployed Biglia, Rakitid Thiago Motta in midfield to dominate possession and stifle Bayern's midfield trio: Ze Roberto, Van Bommel, and Schweinsteiger.

  A key adjustment was Vargas's advanced positioning, pushing high to press Schweinsteiger. Thiago Motta pyed deeper, ready to slot into the defensive line and form a back three whenever Klose and Toni pressed forward.

  Bayern's two ter-forwards were traditional target men, reliant on service from midfield. Gao Shen's game pn was clear: cut off Bayern's supply line from midfield and isote their strikers.

  As for Napoli's attack, their trident up front had the speed and flexibility to exploit Bayern's defensive weaknesses. If Bayern dared to press high, Gao Shen weled the challenge.

  The focus was on attag the fnks.

  …

  Five minutes into the matapoli intercepted a pass he halfway line and unched a quick terattack. Although it faltered, they retained possession and reanized.

  Thiago Motta stepped forward and passed the ball to Maggio on the right fnk, signaling him to push forward.

  Maggio drove up the right side ahe ball ahead to Sanchez, positioned just outside Bayern's penalty area, between Lahm and Breno.

  Sanchez trolled the ball, turned sharply, and began cutting inside. With a burst of pace, he surged past Breno a a perfectly weighted through ball behind Demichelis.

  i, like a charging tank, muscled past Demichelis, reached Sanchez's pass, and fired a powerful shot from cle.

  The ball hit the back of the .

  1-0!

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!"

  "Just five minutes into the game, Napoli has broken through Bayern Munich's defense!"

  The Stadio San Paolo erupted.

  The Napoli fans roared in celebration, their cheers reverberating throughout the stadium.

  Gao Shen leaped off the bench, pumping his fist in the air as he celebrated with his pyers. Sg within five minutes against a European giant like Bayern Munich was the perfect start.

  …

  After taking the lead, Napoli didn't ease up. Instead, they kept up the iy.

  Four mier, they attacked down the right fnk again, with Maggio and Sanchez once more leading the charge.

  Maggio sent the ball to Sanchez, who dribbled into the right el. Uo break into the box, Sanchez suddenly ged dire, cut inside, a a looping cross toward the penalty spot.

  i pulled back to create space, while Di Maria darted into the box to meet Sanchez's delivery. The Argentine winger's shot was blocked by Demichelis, who slid in desperately, sending the ball out for a er. It was inches away from an own goal.

  Two secutive attacks from the right rattled Bayern. Klinsmann, pag anxiously on the sideline, shouted instrus to his pyers, urging them to stabilize the defense and stay disciplined.

  In response, Van Bommel and Ze Roberto dropped deeper to protect the bae.

  But in football, solving one problem oftees another.

  As Bayern trated on sh up their left fnk, vulnerabilities emerged on their right.

  Ih minute, Di Maria found himself one-oh Oddo.

  The Argeoyed with the Italian defender, exeg a series of feints before poking the ball past him. Accelerating, Di Maria raced to the byline and whipped a precise cross into the six-yard box.

  i tangled with Demichelis and Breno, creating just enough chaos for Sao sneak in behind Lahm and fire the ball into the .

  2-0!

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

  "Seventeen minutes in, and Napoli has doubled their lead!"

  "This is turning into a rout!"

  "After dismantling Real Madrid 7-0 in the first matapoli is showing the same relentless attag momentum at home."

  "So far, Bayern Munich hasn't managed a single shot on goal."

  "At this point, you have to wonder: is this really the group of death? Or is it only the group of death for everyone except Napoli?"

  …

  After g twi rapid succession, Klinsmann had no choice but to adjust.

  He ordered his team to sit deeper, tightening their deferucture to avoid suffering the same humiliation Real Madrid had endured.

  But this came at a cost. With both Klose and Toni g pace, Bayern's terattacks lost their bite. Napoli's agile and mobile defense easily taiheir efforts.

  Without the ability to transition quickly, Bayern's attacks devolved into static positional py. Their midfield, overwhelmed by Napoli's press, couldn't create meaningful ces.

  On the flip side, Napoli slowed their tempo in the sed half, choosing to trol possession and patiently probe Bayern's defense for openings.

  Despite Klinsmann's adjustments, Bayern couldn't find a way bato the game.

  The final whistle blew with Napoli seg a anding 2-0 victory.

  …

  At Bayern Munich's headquarters on S?berasse in Munich, the club's Big Three—Bebauer, Rummenigge, and Hoeness—watched the game unfold on a live broadcast.

  From start to finish, Bayern had been thhly outcssed.

  Napoli dominated in every facet of the match, leaving the Bavarian giants powerless.

  Bebauer shook his head in amazement. "That 7-0 win over Real Madrid has given Napoli incredible fidehis young coach is extraordinary."

  In parison, Klinsmann had been pletely outmaneuvered.

  From pre-match preparations to in-game adjustments, Gao Shen had prehensively outperformed his terpart.

  "Napoli didn't even go all out in the sed half," Hoeness noted. "They eased off, trolled the game, and still, Klinsmann couldn't find an answer."

  "Napoli is the most versatile and tactically astute team in Europe this season," Bebauer added. "They py any style, adapt to any oppo, and their squad is full of talent. Teams like this go far."

  Rummenigge nodded solemnly. "This match highlights the gap we o close. The evolution of European football has left us behind. It's clear we need major reforms at both the tactical and teical levels."

  Germany's youth development had borne fruit i years, produg talents like Podolski, Kroos, and Badstuber. But Bayern's outdated system hihem from maximizing this potential.

  "Klinsmann has the vision, but he's not capable of exeg it," Hoeness said bluntly. "Without L?w, he's lost."

  "Real Madrid mao beat Zenit tonight, so they've bounced back," Bebauer pointed out. "It's still an open race for the top two spots in the group. The third round will be critical."

  Napoli would travel to St. Petersburg for their match, fag harsh November weather and freezing temperatures—a signifit challenge.

  Even with Napoli riding high, one slip could derail their campaign.

  "Regardless of Napoli's results," Hoeness said firmly, "we must beat Real Madrid in the wo matches. That's noiable if we want to qualify."