Oernoon of November 30th, the Meazza Stadium in Min was electric.

  Ih round of Serie A, Napoli traveled to fater Min in an away match.

  As the pyers from both teams were led onto the field by referee Roberto Rosetti, the stadium erupted into a frenzy.

  Although Inter Min's matches against A are their city derbies, and the cshes with Juventus are part of the storied Italian derby, over the past two seasons, their biggest challenge has e from Gao Shen and his Napoli side.

  Especially after the pre-season Super Cup, where Inter Min suffered a defeat to Napoli at the Meazza Stadium, the tension had only grown.

  Before this match, Mourinho boldly decred his io overturn Napoli at home and take the top spot in Serie A.

  This game wasn't just another league match. It was a battle for suprema the league, a tinuation of the fierce rivalry betweewo teams over the past three years, and a test that symbolized the csh between northern and southern Italian football.

  The Meazza Stadium acked with high-profile guests.

  In addition to the top ma of both clubs, the stands were filled with Min's political and business elites, professionals from Italian football, and even national team coach Marcello Lippi, all eager to withe showdown.

  In trast to Mourinho's bold pre-match statements, Gao Shen had kept a much lower profile.

  This raised questions among observers. Was Gao Shen not fident about his team's ces in this critical game?

  At the pre-match press ferehe previous afternoon, before Napoli departed for Min, Gao Shen revealed the match-day squad. When speaking to the media, however, he offered little more than generic statements, giving away no real insights.

  The only notable ent came when Gao Sheerated Napoli's itment to their identity.

  "We don't ge our tactics based on our oppos. That's not who we are."

  And, true to his word, there were no surprises in how the two teams lined up.

  …

  "You're thinkily like me."

  That's what Mourinho said with a smirk as he approached Gao Shen before the match.

  He was referring to Napoli's starting lineup.

  Tonight, Napoli started in a 4-3-3 formation, a setup Gao Shen had used frequently in the Champions League.

  Napoli Starting XI:

  Goalkeeper: Handanovi?

  Defense: Vargas, David Luiz, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner

  Midfield: Biglia, Thiago Motta, Rakitic

  Attack: Di María, i, Sánchez

  Gao Shen had primarily used the 4-3-3 in Europe, whereas in Serie A, Napoli often pyed a 4-2-3-1.

  The preference for 4-2-3-1 in the league was rgely driven by squad limitations. Napoli only had orue holding midfielder of Thiago Motta's caliber, and none of the others could meet Gao Shen's tactical requirements for that role.

  Gao Shen took Mourinho's ent with a grain of salt.

  He doubted Mourinho could fully predict his decisions. It was more likely that Mourinho had prepared for two or three potential formations, with tonight's 4-3-3 being one of them.

  Gao Shen himself had sidered deploying the 4-2-3-1 but decided against it after reviewing his pyers' performances in training. When Inter's strikers dropped deep, Thiago Motta could step up and work alongside the tral defeo ralize the situation more effectively.

  Thiago Motta's strength and physicality made him almost as capable as a ter-ba such situations.

  After careful sideration, Gao Shen ultimately settled on the 4-3-3 formation.

  Inter Min's lineup, oher hand, held no surprises.

  Inter Min Starting XI:

  Goalkeeper: Júlio César

  Defense: Maxwell, Samuel, Lúai

  Midfield: Muntari, Cambiasso, Zai (sitting deep), Stankovi? (pushing forward)

  Attack: Ibrahimovi?, Adriano

  This was the exact lineup Mourinho had used ich against Juventus, unged in any way.

  However, his bench options revealed his iions: Crespo, Cruz, Figo, Mani Jr., and Moutinho, alongside only one defender, Córdoba.

  "Are you risking it all?" Gao Shen asked with a grin.

  Mourinho gave him a subtle nod, as if to say, Yes, you could look at it that way.

  "You know, José," Gao Shen tinued, "I've always thought of you as someone who's either extremely servative or all-in when you gamble. People like you usually don't have a happy ending."

  "You're talking rubbish!" Mourinho ughed, clearly unfazed.

  Gao Shen's ent was a callback to a joke he'd made wheyed cards together in the past.

  "I'm never wrong, though," Gao Shen added casually. "Just wait—your bench might not evehe pitch tonight."

  Mourinho smirked, his expression suggesting he'd heard it all before.

  In truth, Gao Shen knew Mourinho's tactics well enough. If Inter Min fell behind, Mourinho would simply pile on more ter-forwards. If one wasn't enough, he'd throw on two or even three.

  It was a cssic Mourinho move.

  This tendency, however, was why Gao Shen had always felt Mourinhled with attag football.

  Mourinho's tactical philosophy stemmed from his risk-averse nature. Su approach ofteo an over-relian structured, defensive py, leaving creative pyers marginalized. After all, creativity ily es with risk, something Mourinho rarely embraced.

  …

  The game began in typiapoli fashion.

  What did that mean?

  It meant that Napoli came out aggressively, pressing high and attag with iy.

  Within just over a minute, Sánchez broke into the penalty area from the right but was brought down by Samuel, earning Napoli a free kick from a fair distance. Júlio César, however, easily collected the delivery.

  Napoli tiheir relentless pressure.

  Their high pressing in the final third caused stant trouble for Inter Min, particurly for the full-backs Mai and Maxwell, whled uhe bined efforts of Di María and Sánchez.

  In the fourth minute, Mai, attempting to dribble forward, was chased down by Di María, who successfully dispossessed him he halfway line.

  Di María quickly linked up with Biglia in a owo, carrying the ball into Inter's box. But Zai, ever the defensive anchor, erfectly positioo cut off Di María's drive and block the ball out for a er.

  Napoli's er was whipped into the box, where i's header was on target, only for Júlio César to make a stunning save, tipping the ball out for another er.

  On the sed attempt, Lúcio rose highest to clear the ball away. Rakitic attempted a volley from outside the box, but his shot flew well over the bar.

  The barrage tinued.

  In the seventh minute, i received a pass from Di María with his back to goal, shrugged off Samuel, turned, and fired but the shot skimmed just wide of the post.

  Two mier, Sánchez cut inside from the right and breezed past Maxwell, unleashing a sharp shot from a tight ahe ball, however, sailed just past the far post.

  Napoli's relentless opening assault brought gasps from the crowd, as Inter Min's defense seemed increasingly vulnerable.

  It was clear that Napoli wao seize trol of the match from the outset.

  Inter, oher hand, appeared tent to sit back, abs the pressure and waiting for opportuo ter. But the cost of this strategy arent, Inter managed no meaningful attacks in the opening ten minutes.

  …

  Standing ieical area, Gao Shen observed the game ily.

  When Sánchez's test effort went wide, Gao She out a small sigh of disappoi. He turned back toward the bench, shaking his head slightly as he exged a wry smile with Zidane.

  "He's waiting to ter," Gao Shen remarked.

  Zidane nodded in agreement. "Let's see how long they hold out."

  Gao Shen smiled faintly but said nothing more. He wasirely sure how long Mourinho's defeup could withstand the pressure.

  After all, since leaving Chelsea and taking over Inter Min, Mourinho had only grown more polished. His tactical a had clearly improved, particurly on the defensive side of the game.

  If Mourinho fully itted to a defensive terattag strategy, he could theoretically hold Napoli off for the entire 90 minutes. At present, Mourinho was arguably the best in Europe at anizing a disciplined defense.

  That said, his weakness remained his offerategy.

  Fag Inter's defensive shape, Gao Shehe key y iralizing their two strikers.

  It was impossible to pletely suppress both Ibrahimovi? and Adriano, but Napoli's defense had to keep them under trol. Without their front two funing effectively, Inter's terattacks would falter.

  This was where Napoli's targeted preparation would be tested.

  Ih minute, Inter Min uheir first terattack. Ibrahimovi? dropped deep to receive the ball, while Adriano pushed forward.

  Bonucci stayed tight on Ibrahimovi?, pressing him from behind. Thiago Motta quickly closed in to provide support, cutting off any ce for the Swede to turn. Forced to pass back, Ibrahimovi? couldn't create anything meaningful.

  A few mier, Itempted atack. This time, Ibrahimovi? drifted to the wing, but Lichtsteiepped up to challenge him immediately. Bonucci covered the inside, while Thiago Motta dropped bato the defensive line, effectively severing the liween Ibrahimovi? and Adriano.

  Rakitic also tracked back to stay tight on Stankovi?, preventing him from exploiting any gaps.

  This time, Ibrahimovi?'s attempted pass baaxwell was intercepted by Sánchez, who poked the ball away and initiated a Napoli terattack. However, Inter Min's defense quickly regrouped, snuffing out the danger.

  Both sides had clearly studied each other iail. Their defeups left little room for either team's attacks to flourish. Napoli maintained trol of the game, but truly threatening ces remained scarce.

  By the 18th minute, Napoli had registered seven shots, but none had found the back of the .

  Either the opportunities were subpar, or Júlio César had risen to the occasion with brilliant saves.

  The Brazilian goalkeeper roving once again why he was regarded as one of the best in the world.

  Watg from the sidelines, Gao Shen shook his head slightly, aowledging the challenge ahead.

  "This is going to be a tough battle," he muttered.

  Mourinho's strategy was clear, lock down the defense and wait for his ce to strike. For Napoli, the challenge was breaking through Inter's imperable wall without making costly errors in their own defense.

  It wouldn't be easy.

  After all, with Ibrahimovi? and Adriano leading Inter's attack, even the slightest mistake could be devastating.

  Adriano may no longer be at his peak, but he was still Adriano.

  ***

  Support me on patreon to read 60+ advanced chapters: patreon./Blownleaves.