บท 309: Chapter 309: Possessed by the Spirit of Torres
"The enemy will arrive on the battlefield in five seconds. Prepare yourselves."
"Five...four...three...two...one..."
"All troops attack!"
As Lazio's striker Tare kicked the ball to his teammate Pandev, the Napoli players suddenly launched a fierce, synchronized assault on Lazio, charging toward their defensive line and pressing close to the goal.
Tonight, at the San Paolo Stadium, Lazio had lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation.
Right from kickoff, no one expected Napoli to be so eager to attack, especially with such decisive, all-out high pressing tactics. This relentless pressure immediately threw Lazio's defense into a state of disarray.
With no other option, Lazio was forced to launch a long ball to relieve pressure.
But the ball was quickly intercepted by Paolo Cannavaro, who passed it forward to Rakitic.
The Croatian midfielder began orchestrating Napoli's attack.
From the very start, the pace of the game was intense.
Lazio's players on the field were taken by surprise and found it hard to adapt to this sudden onslaught.
…
"Aren't they supposed to be in poor form?"
Lazio's head coach, Dario Rossi, stood in front of the visitors' dugout, watching Napoli's players press high up the field like a storm, feeling both puzzled and frustrated.
After all, just three days ago, when Napoli faced AC Milan, their weakness was apparent for all to see.
In that match, Gao Shen adopted a pragmatic approach, focusing on defense and counterattacks, eventually managing to force a draw away from home.
But tonight, Gao Shen had taken the initiative from the very beginning.
Fortunately, Rossi had prepared for this possibility.
He guessed that this was probably part of a well-thought-out strategy, Napoli would leverage their initial stamina to press aggressively, hoping to grab an early goal and level the aggregate score. With Napoli holding an away goal advantage, a single goal would put Lazio in a difficult position.
But Rossi had deployed a three-defensive-midfielder tactic for this match, anticipating such a high-energy start.
Although Lazio's players were under heavy pressure from Napoli's fierce and fast-paced pressing and were passive at the start, they managed to steadily retreat and soon found their footing.
In fact, after roughly half a season, Serie A teams had gradually started to adapt to Napoli's fast-paced, whirlwind pressing style. They weren't as easily flustered as before.
Of course, they still hadn't found an effective way to counter it entirely.
However, Napoli's condition wasn't ideal right now. Their physical fitness was subpar, and they couldn't execute their best movement off the ball.
"Let them have their fun for now. Once this initial wave passes, we'll deal with them!" Rossi thought to himself.
Last season, despite the disruption caused by the Calciopoli scandal, he had still managed to lead Lazio to third place in Serie A, earning him significant recognition. If he could eliminate the powerful Napoli from the Coppa Italia this season, his reputation would soar even higher.
After all, Gao Shen was the most popular coach in Serie A at the moment.
But gradually, Rossi's smile began to fade, and his expression turned increasingly serious.
…
When he was young and brash, Gao Shen had once thought he was invincible, that he was the smartest and most capable person in the world. But as time went on, he gradually realized that he was just an ordinary person.
People say that the process of being "beaten" by society is a process of coming to know oneself.
Once you know yourself, you become more aware of your mediocrity, your insignificance, and you come to understand that everything in this world has a price.
If you want to achieve something, you have to be prepared to pay that price.
Just like now.
If he were younger, he would have thought of himself as the protagonist, and expected Dario Rossi to be thrown into chaos by his high pressing, making mistakes that would lead to Napoli scoring. Then, he could sit back and defend, and ultimately eliminate Lazio.
It's a classic story structure, after all—a perfect underdog script.
But that's the stuff of fiction.
The reality is that after winning the first leg 2-1 at home, and with a full understanding of Napoli's aggressive high-press tactics, Lazio had every reason to come prepared for an opening surge.
Whether Rossi planned to defend or counter-attack, he would have multiple strategies ready.
This is what real pre-match preparation looks like.
So, what's the solution for Gao Shen?
The answer is actually very simple: there's no room for shortcuts or half-measures. Attack relentlessly!
Press Lazio, pressure them, force them into mistakes!
If three minutes isn't enough, push for five. If five minutes doesn't yield a goal, push for ten. And if ten minutes still doesn't work, keep pressing, keep attacking!
Attack until you break them, until you score!
Of course, during this time, there's the risk that Lazio might launch a dangerous counterattack and create threats for Napoli's defense.
At that point, it comes down to how badly you want that goal.
If the goal isn't worth the risk, then fall back.
But if you see that goal as the key to advancing and winning, then persevere and press forward.
Gao Shen's choice was to persevere!
He knew that if Napoli couldn't secure that goal, they were destined to lose.
This was a gamble, a high-stakes gamble.
Not just a personal risk for himself, but a collective bet on his team, and on his players.
Before the match, Gao Shen had spoken individually with each of his players. He had repeatedly told them that this would be a match of willpower and determination. Whether it was the opening surge or the follow-up attacks, it would be a battle of resilience.
Because Napoli's physical fitness and condition were far from ideal.
They were so depleted that even Carlo had thought the opening blitz was too risky.
But Gao Shen insisted on this approach, even against opposition from his staff.
Because he was never one to place his hopes on the opponent's mistakes.
He liked to win on his own terms, not by waiting for others to slip up.
That was his style!
…
Napoli's performance still wasn't ideal.
There were frequent mistakes.
They couldn't win the 50-50 balls, and they struggled in physical confrontations.
It was obvious to everyone that Napoli was in a slump.
But this team, these players, were still fighting hard on the pitch, just as they had fought against AC Milan.
This fighting spirit allowed them to keep Lazio pinned down.
Even though Lazio managed two dangerous counterattacks, Napoli held their ground.
Over 50,000 fans in the San Paolo Stadium roared with support, their voices echoing across the stadium.
It was a brutal battle.
Napoli would have to fight with everything they had to advance!
And it was during times like these that a team's collective strength and spirit were truly tested.
People might say that Gao Shen's usual speeches were just empty talk, motivational fluff. But the willpower and fighting spirit he had instilled in this Napoli team were very real, and it left him deeply satisfied.
By the 14th minute, Lazio was beginning to lose their composure.
During a high press in Lazio's half, Nainggolan managed to intercept a pass from Ledesma and quickly sent the ball forward to Pelle.
The Italian forward had his back to the goal, using his body to shield the ball from Lazio's central defenders. After controlling it, he took a step back and suddenly made a horizontal pass to the right edge of the penalty arc.
Rakitic sprinted up from deep, meeting the pass with a powerful strike.
The long-range shot was so sudden and forceful that Lazio's goalkeeper, Muslera, was momentarily stunned. He didn't even have time to dive before the ball was already in the net.
1-0!
Rakitic ran wildly in celebration, his face lit up with joy.
On the sidelines, Gao Shen was so elated that he almost rushed out of the technical area, but he quickly regained his composure, turning around and signaling the team to switch to a more defensive approach.
The players had expended a lot of energy in the opening attack, and if they continued to press, their stamina wouldn't last the entire match.
Was this a conservative choice?
Yes, it was.
The football field is a place where strength matters. Only those with sufficient strength have the right to take risks and push forward. Without it, you have to know when to back down.
Refusing to back down without the necessary strength often leads to only one outcome.
Being taught a harsh lesson by the opponent.
Gao Shen had already been taught one lesson by Inter Milan, and he wasn't about to let Lazio teach him another. He didn't believe that Rossi or Lazio had earned that right.
So, he chose to defend.
…
Rossi was furious on the sidelines, shouting and gesturing wildly.
No one was quite sure, was he yelling at his own players for making mistakes?
Or was he cursing Gao Shen for being so conservative?
Either way, he was spitting with rage.
But no amount of yelling could change the fact that Lazio was now trailing.
With the score tied at 2-2 on aggregate, Napoli was ahead on the away-goals rule.
However, Rossi did not immediately push for an all-out counterattack. Instead, he remained cautious, waiting patiently for an opening.
Napoli, too, stayed disciplined, defending steadily without rushing.
As halftime approached, Lazio attempted a final push but failed to make it count.
During the halftime break, Gao Shen made a substitution, bringing on fresh legs to strengthen the defense even further.
This nearly drove Rossi to the brink of despair.
Now, he finally understood why Capello had once been so infuriated by Gao Shen's conservative approach.
It wasn't just that Gao Shen played defensively, it was that he would take any advantage he could and then immediately lock down the game. It was infuriating!
A telling detail emerged in the 73rd minute when Pelle went down with cramps.
Yes, only 73 minutes in, and the Italian striker was already cramping.
Gao Shen substituted him with Mertens, leaving one last substitution in reserve.
It was clear he was prepared for the possibility that another player might cramp up as well.
After Mertens came on, Lazio began to launch a fierce wave of attacks starting from the 75th minute. Napoli seized an opportunity and launched a dangerous counterattack of their own.
However, when the Belgian received a cross from Valencia, with almost an open goal in front of him, he somehow managed to miss, sending the ball flying wide.
Gao Shen looked at Mertens, speechless, feeling an urge to knock on his head and say: "What are you doing, Torres possessed your soul?"
Missing an open goal!
In the end, Napoli continued to defend tenaciously.
In the final moments of the game, Lazio attacked almost desperately, throwing everything forward. But as is typical of Italian teams, their offense was somewhat predictable, relying on the same limited set of tactics without much creativity.
As long as Napoli stayed focused, defended patiently, and avoided mistakes, Lazio would struggle to find a breakthrough.
In the end, thanks to Rakitic's goal, Napoli secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Lazio at home.
The aggregate score was tied at 2-2, but Napoli advanced on the away goals rule, successfully eliminating Lazio and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia.
***
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