This was a war without gunpowder.

  From the very first minute, Gao Shen realized just how tough this game was going to be.

  In the opening two minutes, Napoli managed a le shot following Hamsik's breakthrough through the middle.

  But just a mier, Juventus responded. In their attack, they aimed to find Trezeguet, only for Bonucci to step in and intercept. However, Trezeguet, frustrated, lunged in with a dangerous tackle from behind, taking Bonucd the ball to the ground.

  It was an ugly foul, the kind that deserved a straight red card.

  But at the Alp Stadium, with the home crowd r, referee Gianluca Rocchi handed only a yellow card.

  This demediately ramped up the tension och, with tempers fring and small frontations breaking out between pyers from both sides.

  Napoli, as usual, pressed aggressively and ran tirelessly, but Juventus's pyers, with their physical advantage and home support, matched them.

  A moment ih minute exemplified the growing edge in the game. Trezeguet, already on a yellow card, itted aant foul, using both his elbow and knee. Once again, Rocchi turned a blind eye, letting him off entirely.

  This infuriated Gao Shen, who couldn't hold back his frustration on the sidelines. He loudly frohe referee, questioning his leniency with such obvious fouls. Rocchi didn't hesitate to punish him, Gao Shen received a yellow card.

  The game began to spiral further into chaos. Fouls and physical altercations domihe match, with both teams appearing more focused on disrupting their oppos thaing meaningful ces.

  Juventus, under Ranieri's dire, fielded a tough and bative midfield lineup with Mohamed Sissoko, Puese midfielder Tiago, Nedvěd on the left, and Noo on the right. These pyers weren't just skilled but physically imposing as well.

  Despite dominating possession, Napoli struggled to create signifit threats. By halftime, the score remained locked at 0-0.

  ---

  In the dressing room, Gao Shen was furious.

  He didn't mince words as he scolded his pyers.

  "I don't care how young you are or how hot-tempered you feel falling for such a basic provocation is uable!" he snapped.

  He gestured to Lucas, who presehe first-half stats.

  "Look at this," Gao Shen tinued. "They've dragged us down to their level. They provoked us into pying their game instead of stig to ours. Is that what we trained for?"

  As young pyers, the Napoli squad was naturally fiery and passionate, but Gao Shen suspected that Ranieri had phis exact tactic. Juventus khey couldn't go toe-to-toe with Napoli on tactics alone, so they tried to disrupt them mentally instead.

  And it was w.

  "Juventus wants us to lose focus," Gao Shen reminded his pyers. "Don't let them. Stick to our pn, stay disciplined, and py our football."

  ---

  In the sed half, Napoli returo the pitch with a renewed sense of purpose.

  The team's attacks became more structured, with the midfield taking trol of the game. Juventus, sensing the growing threat, made two defensive substitutions ih minute.

  Ranieri repced Trezeguet with Birindelli, perhaps wary of the striker's temper and potential for a sed yellow card. Noo also made way for Molinaro.

  These ges signaled Juventus's io hunker down defensively. Ranieri's focus was now on abs pressure and trying to hit Napoli on the terattack.

  Gao Shen responded quickly. Ih minute, he substituted Hamsik for Pastore, bringing in fresh energy and creativity in midfield.

  Since joining Napoli, Pastore had developed signifitly, especially after w with Pintus on improving his physicality. The young Argentine now looked more posed on the ball aer equipped for the rigors of Serie A.

  From the momeered, Pastore began driving at the Juventus defense, increasing the pressure oired pyers. His dribbling and passing added another yer of plexity to Napoli's attack.

  Gao Shen made his sed substitution ih minute, repg Vidal with Parejo. The move further emphasized Napoli's offeentions.

  With the ges, Napoli shifted to a 4-3-3 formation.

  Biglia sat deeper in midfield, while Parejo and Pastore pushed forward, taking turns to dribble into the final third. Their relentless drives made it harder for Juventus to hold their shape, and Parejo's ability to threaten from set pieces forced the Biao defend more cautiously heir penalty area.

  Despite Napoli's dominance, Juventus's deep defensive block made breaking through difficult. Gao Shen pondered his move.

  In the 81st minute, he made his third and final substitution: Callejón off, Mertens on.

  ---

  Ranieri, watg from the sidelines, felt a sense nation.

  Napoli's substitutions were relentless, eae adding a hreat to the game.

  How does Gao Shen keep doing this? Rahought to himself. Pyers bought for peanuts Pastore for €500,000, Parejo and Callejón brought in cheaply from Real Madrid were now shining on the Serie A stage.

  And now Mertens, another bargain buy, was entering to wreak havoc.

  Napoli's fresh legs and endless creativity were suffog Juventus. The stant movement and probing attacks left the Bianeri pyers stretched and exhausted.

  Veterans like Nedvěd, Salihamid?i?, and Del Piero were visibly struggling to keep up. Del Piero, left as the loriker, was barely able to run anymore.

  Ranieri hesitated. Should he substitute Del Piero to bolster the defense?

  The idea made seactically, but the optics of such a move were troubling. At home, in front of their fans, Juventus was already on the back foot. Pulling Del Piero would look like surrender.

  He g the clock. 81 minutes. Maybe it was better to wait and see.

  ---

  Meanwhile, Mertens brought new instrus from Gao Shen to his teammates.

  "Spread them out," Gao Shen had told him. "Pull their defense wide and press through the middle. They 't keep up anymore."

  Napoli's pyers took the advice to heart.

  Bonucci, fident in his coach's pn, began pushing higher up the pitch. After a successful interception in Napoli's half, he surged forward with the ball and passed to Parejo he halfway line.

  Parejo received the ball with poise, sidestepped an onrushing Tiago, and quickly pyed it forward to Pastore.

  The Argentine midfielder's first touch was sublime. He flicked the ball past Sissoko, catg the midfielder off guard, and charged into Juventus's final third.

  As he he penalty area, Pastore drew Chiellini out of position. Instead of f a shot, he passed wide to Sánchez, who had sprinted into spa the right fnk.

  Sánchez, reizing the opportunity, sent a low cross toward the six-yard box. Pastore tinued his run, but instead of shooting, he cleverly cut the ball back to the penalty spot.

  There, Parejo arrived like a freight train. The Spanish midfielder struck the ball ly, sending it flying low into the bottom-left er of the .

  Buffoe his best efforts, couldn't reach it.

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

  "Daniel Parejo scores! Napoli takes the lead ih minute!"

  "The Spanish youngster breaks the deadlock with a stunning finish!"

  Napoli's pyers celebrated wildly, rushing to embrace Parejo, Pastore, Sánchez, and Bonucci, the key architects of the goal.

  The Alp Stadium, meanwhile, was filled with jeers from frustrated Juventus fans.

  On the sidelines, Gao Shen allowed himself a satisfied smile.

  Attag through the middle wasn't easy, but sometimes, it was the best way to catch a defense off guard. Juventus had been too focused on their wings, leaving just enough spa the ter for Napoli's quiterpy to exploit.

  Gao Shen turned his attention to Ranieri, curious to see how the Juventus manager would respond.

  Ranieri, however, looked utterly dejected, his frustration written all over his face.