Starting With Real Madrid

Advocaat finally understood what it felt like to face a relentless storm.

Before the European Super Cup match against Manchester United, he had been deeply worried.

In that game, he hadn't even dared to use his preferred 4-3-3 formation, instead opting for a 4-4-2 setup, planning to rely on defensive counterattacks. Arshavin, who had just shone in the European Championship, started the match on the bench.

After all, Manchester United thrived on intense, high-paced attacks.

But the Red Devils had entered the match without two of their most crucial players.

Cristiano Ronaldo, their top scorer and offensive spearhead, was absent, as was Carrick, the midfield organizer responsible for dictating the tempo and orchestrating attacks.

Without those two key players, Manchester United relied heavily on long shots. Although they appeared aggressive, their attack lacked genuine threat. On the other hand, Zenit capitalized on a corner kick to take the lead and later doubled their advantage on the counter.

In the end, Zenit triumphed 2-1.

However, that victory didn't feel like a definitive showcase of Zenit's superiority. Advocaat remained skeptical. Was this really the standard of a Champions League-winning team?

He didn't let his emotions cloud his judgment.

In the Champions League group stage, Zenit found themselves in the infamous "group of death." After three rounds, they had only managed to earn one point, leaving them bottom of the table.

Despite this poor standing, Zenit's performances had not been bad.

They suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Bayern away, a 1-2 loss to Real Madrid at home, and managed a 1-1 draw with Napoli. In each of these matches, they created opportunities to win but failed to capitalize.

Now, the team was facing a dire situation.

To have any hope of advancing, they needed to win all three of their remaining games.

This task seemed nearly impossible, but Advocaat had no alternative.

Unless he was ready to concede defeat, there was no other option.

---

From the snowy, freezing conditions of St. Petersburg to the warm climate of Naples, Zenit finally understood what Napoli had endured in Russia.

Despite their preparation and prior experience in similar away matches, Zenit still struggled to adapt.

What made it even worse was that Napoli had anticipated Zenit's approach. From the very first minute, Napoli launched an unrelenting assault.

Less than two minutes into the match, Rakitic struck a brilliant long-range goal to give Napoli the lead.

Shortly after, Cavani followed up with a second goal to double the advantage.

Despite trailing by two goals, Zenit fought valiantly.

This was a team forged in the icy north of Russia—a squad that had repeatedly overcome formidable opponents in the Europa League. They launched counterattacks and engaged in an intense battle with Napoli.

But in the 28th minute, after Napoli created several chances without converting, they struck again.

Di Maria broke through on the right side of the penalty area and delivered a precise low cross. Cavani charged forward to meet the ball but saw his shot saved by the Zenit goalkeeper. The rebound fell to Sanchez on the left side of the goal. With composure, Sanchez controlled the ball, dribbled past the defender, and fired a shot into the net with his right foot.

Three-nil!

Even with a three-goal lead, Napoli didn't let up.

In first-half stoppage time, Napoli continued to create chances. Vargas delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, and Cavani unleashed a powerful strike from just outside the penalty area. The shot smashed against the crossbar and ricocheted back into play.

Di Maria, arriving quickly for the rebound, struck again, but the Zenit goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to parry it out for a corner.

Napoli's attack was relentless, like a storm that Zenit simply couldn't weather.

Standing on the sidelines, Advocaat watched in silence as Napoli prepared to take the corner kick. A deep sense of helplessness washed over him.

He knew it.

Zenit's dream was over.

---

The Russian Premier League's schedule differs from that of Europe's top five leagues, with their season already concluded. Zenit had failed to replicate their earlier successes, finishing fifth—far from the heights they had reached the previous year.

Advocaat understood that his team had reached its limit.

Once a team hits its peak, decline is inevitable. No one can escape this truth.

If Zenit had started the group stage with stronger performances, they might have maintained their momentum. After all, hope can drive a team forward. But with just one point from their first three matches, their confidence had crumbled.

When morale is low, leading a team becomes an impossible task.

---

While Advocaat stood by the visitors' bench, lost in despair, Sarri sat in the stands behind him, gripping the railings with excitement, his entire demeanor animated as if he'd been electrified.

This was the football of his dreams!

The way Napoli played in the first half was everything Sarri had ever aspired to achieve as a coach.

Over the past two years, Gao Shen's rise—alongside Guardiola's success at Barcelona—had made high-pressing, possession-based football the hottest trend in the sport.

But how exactly does one execute high pressing effectively?

Sarri agreed wholeheartedly with something Gao Shen had once said at Coverciano: pressing should never be about stealing the ball for the sake of it. Pressing without purpose, aimed only at regaining possession, is fundamentally flawed.

In Italy, some teams had tried to adopt high-pressing systems, like Spalletti's Roma, but they had fallen short.

Roma's so-called high pressing was largely superficial—players marked their opponents man-to-man but failed to cut off passing lanes effectively. Their lack of organization and declining fitness this season made their pressing efforts ineffective. Opponents with sufficient skill to bypass their midfield could easily exploit them with long balls over the top.

Other teams had the stamina to press but lacked structure. Their players seemed to run aimlessly, with no unified tactical objective.

How long could such disorganized pressing last? Thirty minutes? Maybe sixty?

Eventually, fatigue would set in, and the opponent would simply wait for the team to tire before taking control.

But Napoli was different.

Cavani, standing at 1.84 meters and weighing 72 kilograms, tirelessly ran from the moment the match began, pressing Zenit's central defenders relentlessly. If they attempted to play through Tymoshchuk in midfield, Cavani would track back to shut him down as well.

By halftime, Cavani had already run nearly eight kilometers, an astonishing feat. For some strikers, that distance represents their total effort across an entire match.

Meanwhile, Sanchez and Di Maria actively dropped back to cover and pressed the flanks, cutting off passing options between Zenit's defenders, full-backs, and goalkeeper.

This was real pressing.

And then there was Rakitic.

Sarri didn't have access to precise data, but he could tell that Rakitic and Biglia were the hardest-working players on the pitch. Especially Rakitic, whose constant back-and-forth sprints mirrored Cavani's efforts.

This relentless running ensured that Rakitic could contribute offensively by pressing high and attacking spaces, while also providing defensive support when retreating, helping to solidify Napoli's midfield.

Many fans imagine football as a series of highlight-reel moments—like Napoli's opening goal tonight, where they pressed high, stole possession, and scored within seconds.

But the reality is much more complex. Football is often a battle of attrition, with players gradually wearing down their opponents through constant running, pressing, passing, and covering.

When every player on the team contributes to this pressure, it accumulates over time. Eventually, the opposition cracks, leading to errors or even a total collapse.

And Napoli? They didn't just run—they were tactically cohesive.

The midfield trio of Thiago Motta, Biglia, and Rakitic provided a perfect balance of offense, defense, and ball distribution.

On the back line, Bonucci and David Luiz both excelled in long passing, with Luiz's dribbling ability allowing him to step into midfield and link play.

For Sarri, this Napoli team was a dream come to life.

Every player seemed tailor-made for the system, and the entire team operated as a single, seamless unit.

Sarri couldn't help but wonder: did this team even have weaknesses? What kind of opponent could possibly defeat them?

He was thrilled.

Watching Napoli on video or hearing about their tactics in lectures was one thing. But witnessing their brilliance firsthand at the San Paolo Stadium was something else entirely.

Even after just one half, Sarri couldn't stop himself from applauding.

This was his dream team.

---

Just as Sarri was lost in his excitement, the halftime whistle blew.

Napoli led Zenit 3-0 at the break.

And based on how the match had gone, no one doubted Napoli's ability to score more.

The team was playing like a force of nature, just as they had at the Bernabeu when they humiliated Real Madrid.

As usual, Gao Shen greeted his players with a smile as they walked off the field, sending them into the tunnel before turning to leave himself.

"Hey, Maurizio!"

Standing at the entrance to the tunnel, Gao Shen raised his head and called out to Sarri.

Still immersed in his excitement, Sarri didn't hear him at first. It wasn't until Gao Shen called out again that he snapped back to reality.

"Let's go!" Gao Shen waved and walked into the player tunnel.

Realizing what was happening, Sarri hurriedly left his seat in the stands.

Around him, several Napoli fans looked puzzled.

Who was this middle-aged man with the round face and glasses, and how had he ended up as part of Napoli's coaching team?

***

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