Starting With Real Madrid

At the start of the second half, Real Madrid launched an aggressive assault on Napoli.

What surprised Gao Shen, however, was that Schuster made no changes to the starting lineup. He stuck with the same setup and tactics from the first half but increased the intensity of Real Madrid's pressing in midfield and the attacking third.

Ramos and Marcelo, on the flanks, pushed forward with urgency, giving the impression that Real Madrid wanted to overwhelm Napoli in one big wave of attacks. It seemed they were chasing the early success they had in the opening minutes of the first half.

Napoli, unwilling to back down, increased their own pressure and tightened their grip in midfield. The two sides clashed fiercely near the halfway line, with possession changing hands frequently. Even Cavani dropped deep to help in midfield battles.

Every time Napoli gained possession, they tried to slow things down and take control. But Real Madrid, pressing frantically, immediately disrupted their rhythm, forcing the game to speed up.

When Real Madrid regained the ball, their attacking strategy remained straightforward.

Van der Vaart struggled to break through Lichtsteiner's defense, so Real Madrid focused their attack on the right side, constantly seeking Robben.

However, every time Robben got the ball, he was surrounded by Napoli defenders, making it almost impossible for him to create a dangerous opportunity.

By the tenth minute of the second half, Real Madrid began to lose steam and had to slow their tempo. Sensing the shift, Napoli pushed forward and took control.

Yet, just as Napoli advanced, Real Madrid intercepted the ball near the edge of their penalty area.

Cannavaro intercepted a pass intended for Di Maria and quickly passed it to Diarra. Diarra found Raul, who had dropped back to help in defense. Real Madrid's captain wasted no time, sending a well-placed ball over Napoli's backline and into their penalty area.

Van der Vaart broke free, beating Bonucci to the ball and charging into the penalty box. Robben, sprinting down the right, was ready to support him.

At the critical moment, Handanovic rushed out of his goal, diving at the edge of the penalty area and securing the ball just before Van der Vaart could reach it.

Van der Vaart couldn't stop in time and tumbled over Handanovic.

The Napoli goalkeeper quickly shrugged off the collision, got back to his feet, and launched a counterattack.

"Counterattack!" Handanovic shouted as he threw the ball to Bonucci.

Bonucci turned and passed to Thiago Motta, who controlled the ball and then fed it forward to Rakitic.

The Croatian midfielder took one touch, glanced ahead, and sent a perfectly timed ball over the top of Real Madrid's defense.

Napoli's counterattack mirrored Real Madrid's just moments earlier, but there was one crucial difference: Di Maria's speed. Rakitic's pass gave him the space to accelerate, and the Argentine winger surged forward like a bolt of lightning.

Casillas quickly rushed out of his penalty area to intercept, but Di Maria was faster. He reached the ball first, just outside the penalty area, and struck a clean volley before Casillas could close the gap.

The ball soared past Casillas and into Real Madrid's empty net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"In the 56th minute, Di Maria scores!"

"4-0!!!!!!"

"My goodness, Real Madrid's defense has been utterly disorganized tonight."

"Napoli's counterattack was lightning-fast and ruthless. From Handanovic to Bonucci, Thiago Motta, Rakitic, and finally Di Maria, it was all one-touch, precise passing."

"Real Madrid's defense simply couldn't keep up."

The commentators continued dissecting the goal.

"At halftime, we said Real Madrid needed to tighten their defense and avoid going toe-to-toe with Napoli. Otherwise, they risked conceding even more goals. But Schuster didn't listen, and this is the result, just ten minutes into the second half, Real Madrid concedes again."

"Four to zero!"

"Another issue Real Madrid has to face is fitness."

"While having so many international players is an asset, it's also a liability. Except for Raul and Marcelo, the rest of Real Madrid's lineup consists of international players, many of whom recently played in South America's World Cup qualifiers. The travel and intense matches have clearly taken a toll on their stamina."

"Real Madrid's players are visibly fatigued, and now they're in a high-paced, physically demanding battle with Napoli. It's wearing them down."

"Fitness is a major advantage for Napoli and a significant weakness for Real Madrid."

"Schuster needs to address this before it gets even worse."

---

By the time the first half had ended with Napoli leading 3-0, it was clear that the game was already over.

Napoli had won.

The only question remaining was how many more goals they would score and whether Real Madrid could salvage even a single goal.

Schuster was desperate for his team to score. He wanted more than just a goal; he wanted redemption.

But the reality was that neither Schuster nor Real Madrid were as strong as they believed.

The silence at the Bernabeu reflected this harsh truth. The fans, once so optimistic, were now resigned.

For the remainder of the second half, the stadium was eerily quiet, save for the occasional gasp or groan from the crowd. The excitement was gone.

Even the reporters in the press box looked dejected.

They had come expecting a thrilling, evenly matched contest. Instead, they were witnessing a one-sided demolition.

"Real Madrid is worse than I thought," muttered Pocellino, a journalist from Italy's Turin Sports Daily.

A staunch Juventus supporter, Pocellino had been hoping to see Napoli struggle. But instead, he was watching Napoli dismantle Real Madrid with ease.

It frustrated him. He couldn't help but imagine how satisfying it would be if it were Juventus delivering this beating instead.

His remark sparked conversation among the other journalists.

For over two years, there had been whispers that Real Madrid's domestic dominance owed more to Barcelona's decline than their own strength. In La Liga, apart from Barcelona, no other team seemed capable of challenging them.

But this match was exposing Real Madrid's flaws for the world to see.

"Let's be honest," said Tony, a well-known reporter from Reuters. "This Real Madrid isn't even close to the peak Galacticos era. Heck, they're not even as good as the team Gao Shen coached."

"When Gao Shen won the double, Real Madrid didn't rely on this disjointed, individualistic playstyle."

Tony's words resonated with many in the press box.

Everyone remembered that under Gao Shen, Real Madrid played as a cohesive unit. The team pressed high, moved as one, and had clear tactical discipline.

"But look at them now," Tony continued. "With this performance, I wouldn't be surprised if they conceded even more. Winning La Liga this season? Dream on!"

His blunt assessment drew nods of agreement.

Before the match, few would have believed Real Madrid would perform this poorly.

---

Real Madrid tried once again to mount an attack.

This time, Raul dropped deep to receive the ball, only for Thiago Motta to intercept him with a perfectly timed tackle.

Motta quickly passed to Biglia, who initiated yet another counterattack.

Biglia advanced and passed to Cavani, who had retreated into a pocket of space.

Cavani controlled the ball, turned, and carried it down the left channel, drawing Diarra's attention. Then, with a quick pass, he sent the ball wide to Di Maria.

Di Maria sprinted forward, cutting into the penalty area. Ramos, well-positioned, blocked his inside lane, preventing a cross.

The Argentine winger stopped abruptly, feinted, and passed back to Cavani.

Cavani, finding no immediate opening, shifted the ball to Biglia, who passed to Rakitic.

Rakitic advanced, feigned a shot to draw Gago in, and then rolled the ball to Sanchez on the right flank.

Sanchez was unmarked.

Marcelo, caught off guard, scrambled to close him down, but Sanchez had already surged into the box.

From the right side of the penalty area, Sanchez sent a low, precise cross toward the front of the six-yard box, the most dangerous area for any goalkeeper.

Casillas hesitated. If he came out, he risked missing the ball. If he stayed, he risked a tap-in.

Cannavaro and Heinze scrambled to mark Cavani, but the Uruguayan forward was unstoppable.

Charging into the box like a battering ram, Cavani shrugged off both defenders and stabbed the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"5-0!!!!!!"

The Bernabeu fell silent. Not a sound could be heard.