Chapter 352: Battle of the Backwater
On April 6th, in the thirty-second round of Serie A, Napoli faced Catania away.
Just five minutes into the match, Hamsik opened the scoring for Napoli.
In the 16th minute, Cavani connected with Lichtsteiner's cross from the right flank to double Napoli's lead.
As the season progressed, Lichtsteiner had grown increasingly comfortable in his role on Napoli's right flank, delivering stronger performances with each passing game.
Three minutes into the second half, left-back Vargas, not to be outdone, capitalized on an assist from Biglia. Moving to the edge of the penalty area, Vargas unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike, putting Napoli ahead 3-0.
In the end, Napoli secured an emphatic 3-0 victory away at Catania.
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Inter Milan played their match later than Napoli, traveling to face Atalanta.
Veteran Vieira opened the scoring in the 21st minute of the first half to give Inter the lead.
In the 74th minute, teenager Balotelli added another goal, sealing a 2-0 win for Inter Milan.
This season, Balotelli had been increasingly impressive in Serie A, showcasing his immense talent and becoming a beacon of hope for Italy's footballing future.
Yet Gao Shen, Napoli's coach, had a more tempered view of Balotelli. Speaking privately, he expressed regret over the young player's trajectory.
"He's undoubtedly a genius," Gao Shen said. "God crafted his body according to the template of a perfect center forward, but forgot to give him a brain. It's such a pity!"
Gao Shen couldn't help but wonder why Italy seemed to produce players like Balotelli so often.
Take Cassano, for example. A player of extraordinary natural talent, Cassano had been hailed as a prodigy during his time at Roma and even earned a place at Real Madrid during the Galácticos era. Yet, his career fell apart in Spain. Returning to Serie A with Sampdoria, however, Cassano quickly reestablished himself as a key player, proving that his genius was undeniable.
But just like Cassano, Balotelli seemed destined to be another unfulfilled talent, a "joke," as Gao Shen put it.
Was it something in Italy's football culture? A product of the environment?
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A week later, the thirty-third round of Serie A featured a high-stakes clash between Juventus and AC Milan, as both teams fought for a top-four finish.
Ancelotti's AC Milan initially trailed 0-1, but a brace from the ever-reliable Filippo Inzaghi gave them a temporary lead. However, Juventus came roaring back, with Salihamidzic scoring twice to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory.
For AC Milan, the loss all but extinguished their hopes of finishing in the top four.
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Napoli hosted Atalanta at home in the same round.
Before the match, some media outlets revealed that Gao Shen had once been close to coaching Atalanta, adding an air of sentimentality to the game.
Atalanta lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, focusing heavily on defense. It was clear that head coach Del Neri was wary of Napoli's firepower.
The first half ended goalless, but Napoli ramped up their offensive efforts in the second half.
Hamsik broke the deadlock with a goal, and just three minutes later, Pellet assisted Callejon to double Napoli's lead.
Napoli ultimately defeated Atalanta 2-0.
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Inter Milan played the final match of the round, hosting Fiorentina at home.
The first half ended without a goal, but Cambiasso and a returning Balotelli found the net in the second half, giving Inter a 2-0 win and three vital points.
Balotelli's performances had been steadily improving, and with goals in consecutive matches, the young forward was earning widespread acclaim.
At the same time, Inter Milan seemed to have found some much-needed stability. With injured players gradually returning to action, the team was finally regaining its rhythm.
Though they still didn't exude the dominance one might expect from title contenders, they were doing enough to secure consistent results.
Unfortunately for them, Napoli's lead at the top of the table remained commanding.
As Gazzetta dello Sport put it:
"If Mancini's team had found this form earlier in the season, the title race wouldn't have been over so soon, and Mancini wouldn't have faced so much criticism."
But in football, there are no "what ifs."
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On April 16th, in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, Napoli hosted Fiorentina for the second leg of their tie.
Napoli had won the first leg 2-0 and entered the match with a clear advantage.
Prandelli, Fiorentina's coach, had learned from the first leg and adopted a more cautious approach, deploying a three-back system and lining up in a 4-3-1-2 formation.
The result was a tightly contested match.
Fiorentina's youthful squad featured promising players like Montolivo, Pazzini, Kuzmanovic, and Osvaldo, who had all matured significantly under Prandelli's guidance. Alongside established stars like Mutu, Vieri, and goalkeeper Frey, Fiorentina had consistently held their own in Serie A, even aiming for a top-four finish.
Despite Napoli's dominance and their ability to create chances, Fiorentina's defense held firm until the 65th minute.
Napoli's breakthrough came when Cavani pressed high and forced a turnover in the final third. He passed back to Rakitic, who unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the box, leaving Frey helpless.
Napoli led 1-0.
The goal rattled Fiorentina, and just a minute later, Napoli capitalized on their disarray. David Luiz intercepted the ball and launched a long pass to Di Maria, who sprinted down the left flank. Entering the penalty area, Di Maria chipped the ball over Frey to the far post, where Sanchez calmly slotted it into the net.
Napoli now led 2-0.
The match opened up after that, with both teams trading chances.
In the 78th minute, Cavani received a pass from Parejo at the edge of the penalty area. Turning sharply, he unleashed a rocket of a shot into the top-right corner.
It was an unstoppable strike—3-0 Napoli.
Fiorentina managed a consolation goal in the 86th minute when Mutu's low cross found Pazzini, who volleyed home from close range.
The match ended 3-1, with Napoli taking a significant advantage into the second leg.
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While Napoli triumphed over Fiorentina, Inter Milan faced Roma away in the other semi-final.
Mexes scored a header for Roma in the first half, and Vucinic assisted Perrotta for another goal in the 54th minute.
Inter Milan responded with a goal from substitute Pele, but it wasn't enough. Roma won 2-1.
However, Pele's away goal kept Inter's hopes of reaching the final alive. Mancini vowed that Inter would turn the tie around at the San Siro.
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In the thirty-fourth round of Serie A, Napoli's busy schedule caught up with them.
Facing Torino away, Napoli's makeshift defense struggled. Defensive errors from Domic and Garrick allowed Torino to score twice in the first half.
Although Mertens pulled a goal back in the second half, Napoli couldn't complete the comeback and lost 2-1.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, secured a narrow win, closing Napoli's lead to just four points.
With four rounds remaining, the title race was back on at least in theory.
But Gao Shen dismissed any notion of suspense at the post-match press conference:
"From the moment we went seven points ahead, the championship was decided."
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Napoli rebounded the following week, defeating Siena 3-0 at home in emphatic fashion.
Inter Milan also kept pace, beating Cagliari 2-1 with goals from Cruz and Materazzi.
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On May 4th, in the thirty-sixth round, Napoli traveled to Parma.
Parma, coached by former Inter Milan manager Hector Cuper, sought revenge for their defeats to Napoli in Serie B the previous season.
In the 23rd minute, Lucarelli assisted Budan to give Parma the lead.
Vidal equalized for Napoli shortly after, but the match quickly descended into chaos.
Parma's Mariga was sent off before halftime, and Nainggolan, Falcone, and Gasparoni all saw red in the second half as tempers flared.
Napoli emerged with a hard-fought 2-1 victory, thanks to goals from Vidal and Pelle.
The next day, Inter Milan faced AC Milan in a do-or-die Milan derby, knowing that their title hopes hung by a thread.
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