Starting With Real Madrid

September 21st, afternoon, Stadio Friuli.

Gao Shen stood in front of the visiting team's coaching booth, his brow furrowed, silently watching the game.

The scoreboard still read 0-0.

Napoli had failed to break Udinese's defense in an away match that was proving far more challenging than expected.

Seventy minutes had passed, and the deadlock remained.

Gao Shen made two substitutions in quick succession. Pastore came on for Callejon, while Rakitic replaced Hamsik.

Callejon, who had performed well as a substitute in the midweek match against Real Madrid, struggled to replicate that form after being included in the starting lineup this time. It was likely due to the physical toll of the recent back-and-forth schedule.

Hamsik's performance had been acceptable, but it failed to bring the desired impact.

Udinese, under head coach Pasquale Marino, employed a 3-5-2 formation. Although it was nominally a 3-5-2, the two wing-backs frequently dropped deep, turning it into a more defensive 5-3-2.

This setup had been very effective for Mazzarri's Sampdoria the previous season, and now Marino was looking to replicate its success with Udinese.

As a result, this match was a grind.

Playing at home, Udinese sought to engage Napoli in a high-paced battle of attrition from the very first whistle. It was clear they intended to exhaust their opponents.

Napoli, of course, were not willing to back down, and the game quickly turned into a fierce contest.

While Napoli held a slight edge in possession and control, Udinese posed a constant threat on the counterattack.

By this stage of the match, the shot tally was 14-10 in Napoli's favor, but the difference was marginal.

Gao Shen's substitutions reflected his tactical adjustments. Bringing on Pastore and Rakitic was a clear move to strengthen midfield control, improve passing, and utilize Pastore's ability to dribble and carry the ball forward.

The idea was to break through Udinese's relentless midfield press and solid defensive structure.

…

Rakitic's first contribution after coming on was a defensive tackle, which sent Udinese midfielder Gökhan Inler tumbling to the ground.

Inler, a Swiss international who previously played for FC Zurich, had faced Rakitic often during their time in the Swiss Super League. Inler played for Zurich, while Rakitic represented their rivals, Basel. The two knew each other well.

After being taken down, Inler extended a hand, and Rakitic helped him back to his feet.

But the referee still brandished a yellow card at the Croatian midfielder.

Gao Shen shook his head in frustration.

"Not even a minute on the pitch, and he's already booked," he muttered.

"Inler's a clever player," Zidane remarked from the bench. "He knew exactly what he was doing, baiting Rakitic into that foul."

Even if Gao Shen and Zidane could see through Inler's antics, the referee's decision couldn't be reversed. The yellow card stood.

…

Despite the setback, the substitutions began to pay dividends.

Pastore was especially dangerous with the ball at his feet, repeatedly unsettling Udinese's defense with his dribbles and incisive movement.

In the 77th minute, Napoli's persistence finally bore fruit.

After receiving a pass from Vidal on the left, Pastore cut inside with the ball, driving diagonally toward the edge of the penalty area. As he approached the byline, he spotted an opportunity and delivered a precise cutback toward the penalty spot.

Pelle, Napoli's towering Italian striker, controlled the ball with his back to goal, pivoted, and calmly laid it off to the advancing Rakitic.

The Croatian midfielder, undeterred by his earlier booking, charged forward and struck the ball with precision and power, sending it flying past the stunned Udinese goalkeeper Berardi.

The ball hit the back of the net.

Napoli had taken the lead!

Udinese's defenders stood frozen, unable to react to the rapid sequence of passes and movement.

The home side immediately made substitutions, looking to regain control and mount a comeback. Napoli, meanwhile, shifted to a more defensive posture, focused on protecting their slim advantage.

Despite Udinese's best efforts, the scoreline remained unchanged.

Napoli secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory, with Rakitic's goal proving decisive.

…

Elsewhere in Serie A, the league's top teams continued to rack up victories in this round.

Roma dispatched Reggina with a 3-0 win, while Juventus scraped a narrow 1-0 victory away at Cagliari.

Inter Milan triumphed 3-1 over Torino in an away fixture, and AC Milan cruised past Lazio 4-1 at home.

After three rounds, the Serie A table began to take shape.

Inter Milan remained at the top, tied with Napoli at nine points apiece. Napoli, however, trailed on goal difference.

Juventus followed in third place with seven points, while Lazio, Palermo, and others rounded out the top spots.

Despite their resounding victory over Lazio, AC Milan had only three points from their first three matches, just enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.

…

The fourth round of Serie A kicked off three days later, in midweek.

In one of the first matches, Roma suffered a surprising 3-1 defeat away to Genoa. Argentine striker Diego Milito stole the show, scoring twice to propel Genoa to victory and announce himself as a star in Serie A after impressing in La Liga.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan hosted Lecce at the San Siro. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Inter struggled to break down Lecce's disciplined defensive setup.

In Italy, playing against tightly defensive teams is always a challenge. Visiting sides often prioritize defense over attack, making it difficult for stronger teams to impose themselves at home.

Lecce stuck to their defensive strategy, frustrating Mourinho's men until the 79th minute, when Cruz finally broke the deadlock with a decisive goal.

Inter Milan's narrow 1-0 win allowed them to retain their position at the top of the table.

Juventus, however, stumbled. After Amauri gave them an early lead at home against Catania, the visitors equalized in the second half, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

AC Milan continued their resurgence, defeating Reggina 2-1 away with goals from Borriello and Pato.

Napoli returned to their home ground to face a determined Palermo side.

Hamsik opened the scoring for Napoli in the 14th minute. The match remained tense and evenly balanced until the 75th minute, when Cavani doubled Napoli's lead.

However, Palermo clawed their way back into the game in the 81st minute when David Luiz conceded a penalty. Miccoli stepped up and converted it with ease.

Despite the late scare, Napoli held on for a 2-1 victory.

…

The fifth round began with Juventus traveling to Sampdoria, where they played out a goalless 0-0 draw. Mazzarri's Sampdoria proved too defensively solid for the Bianconeri to break down.

Roma, back at home, claimed a 2-0 victory over Atalanta thanks to goals from Panucci and Vucinic.

Napoli, meanwhile, faced newly promoted Bologna in an away fixture. Bologna, under head coach Daniele Arrigoni, had struggled in their first four matches, managing only one win and three losses. They were languishing in 18th place, desperately fighting against relegation.

Arrigoni opted for a defensive 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation, borrowing inspiration from Ancelotti's system, with three holding midfielders anchoring the setup.

Yet just nine minutes in, Napoli found themselves trailing.

Cannavaro conceded a penalty after fouling Amoruso, and Di Vaio converted it to give Bologna an early lead.

Gao Shen was visibly displeased on the sidelines, questioning the referee's decision.

"Two penalties in two consecutive matches? This is absurd," he muttered.

But Napoli quickly responded.

Three minutes later, Vidal scored to level the game. Another three minutes after that, Pastore latched onto an assist from Maggio and scored to turn the match around.

Before halftime, Pastore struck again, this time assisted by Pelle, making it 3-1 to Napoli.

In the second half, Nainggolan added a fourth, with Vidal providing the assist.

Napoli ultimately secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Bologna, powered by an impressive performance from their rotation players.

…

The highlight of the fifth round was the Milan Derby at the San Siro. AC Milan hosted Inter Milan in a match that captured the attention of fans across Europe.

Mourinho's Inter boasted a superior lineup and showed their intent to dominate, even on "away" turf.

Despite this, it was AC Milan who struck first.

In the 26th minute, Kaka received a long ball from Pirlo, glided past a defender on the right, and delivered a perfect cross into the box. Ronaldinho met it with a powerful header, outmuscling Cambiasso and placing the ball into the corner of the net.

The goal was a moment of brilliance that left Inter's goalkeeper, Cesar, helpless.

Mourinho responded aggressively in the second half, making multiple substitutions to strengthen Inter's attack.

Ancelotti, however, remained resolute, reinforcing AC Milan's defensive shape to preserve the lead.

Inter pushed relentlessly, dominating possession and piling on the pressure.

In stoppage time, Quaresma narrowly missed the target with a spectacular volley. Moments later, Maicon delivered a cross from the right to the back post, where Cruz slipped free of his marker and headed the ball past Abbiati.

The match ended 1-1, thanks to Cruz's last-gasp equalizer.

Meanwhile, Napoli's 4-1 victory over Bologna propelled them to the top of the Serie A standings, overtaking Inter Milan by two points.

The upset sent shockwaves across Italy.

It was clear now: Napoli were no longer just an up-and-coming team.

But the real test awaited in the midweek Champions League fixture.

***

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