Chapter 125: Kanté's Challenge

Chapter 125: Kanté's Challenge

The players from both teams took their positions and waited for the kickoff. The once noisy Stadio Olimpico in Rome fell silent as everyone awaited the sound of the whistle. Referee Daniele Orsato glanced at the players, checked the time, then looked at the fourth official on the sidelines before blowing the whistle to start the game.

Napoli kicked off. Higuaín passed the ball to Hamšík and ran forward. At the same time, Di Natale, waiting at the center circle, immediately pressed towards Hamšík. Hamšík didn't give Di Natale a chance to intercept; he passed the ball to Inler and ran past Di Natale. Di Natale continued to press Inler, who then passed the ball to Jorginho.

At that moment, on Napoli's left wing, Insigne was sprinting forward. Jorginho pulled the ball horizontally, dodging the approaching Bruno, and then made a long pass. The ball flew over the crowd towards the left wing, where Insigne controlled it beautifully before being knocked down by the oncoming Allan.

Beep! Referee Daniele Orsato's whistle sounded, indicating a foul by Allan. Napoli was awarded a free kick on the left wing. Udinese's first foul of the game occurred less than a minute into the match.

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Napoli's free kick saw Hamšík standing ready to take it. Apart from Di Natale, who stayed upfront, the rest of the Udinese team retreated to defend the free kick. Kanté, tasked with marking Callejón, recalled his pre-match conversation with the coach.

"Today, your task is heavy. I want you to show your best performance and fighting spirit. The team needs your brilliance!" Kanté glanced at Callejón, then over the midfield, straight towards Napoli's goal. Napoli had pressed forward for this free kick, leaving only two defenders at the back. Their goalkeeper, Reina, also looked relaxed, standing near the edge of the penalty area.

On the sidelines, Udinese's coach Guidolin wore a serious expression. The team's biggest pressure today was midfield defense, particularly Kanté's heavy defensive responsibilities. Guidolin had specifically encouraged Kanté before the match, and it seemed to be effective. Young players like Kanté needed plenty of encouragement.

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Hamšík's free kick flew into the penalty area, where Brazilian center-back Danilo jumped and headed the ball away before Higuaín could reach it. Domić cleared the ball further, but not far enough. Callejón picked it up, drawing Kanté's attention and feinting a cross before passing to the oncoming Hamšík.

Kanté immediately pressed Hamšík, while Udinese's other defensive midfielder, Allan, covered for Kanté and marked Callejón. Kanté's quick pressure surprised Hamšík, who stumbled and lost the ball. The Udinese fans cheered and applauded for their team.

Udinese fans loved Kanté, a hardworking player with a commendable attitude. The young player, bought for just 500,000 euros from Ligue 2 last summer, had shown great improvement this season. Originally a player with modest talent stuck in the lower leagues, Kanté's diligent work had made him a key defensive midfielder for Serie A side Udinese. Such an inspiring underdog story made him a fan favorite.

After intercepting the ball, Kanté looked up towards Napoli's goal, feeling an urge to shoot. "N'Golo, here!" Allan called out. Kanté, who had just considered a long shot, passed the ball to Allan without hesitation, knowing his primary role.

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Allan received the ball and moved it forward, with Inler coming in to intercept. Allan then passed the ball over Inler to Pinzi, who controlled it and returned it to Allan. Inler, frustrated, continued to chase. Allan passed diagonally to Mahrez, who then passed to Bruno. With Callejón closing in, Bruno, facing away from goal, played the ball through Callejón's legs to Pinzi moving centrally. Jorginho finally stepped up to defend Pinzi, who passed it sideways to Allan.

Inler, breathing heavily, rushed at Allan again. Allan deftly flicked the ball to Bruno, who had dropped back to receive it.

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With a series of quick passes, Udinese advanced to about 30 meters from Napoli's goal. Throughout this sequence, Napoli's players couldn't touch the ball, a situation that deeply humiliated them. Napoli fans in the stands booed loudly, while Udinese fans were thrilled. Their team was in excellent form and full of confidence, especially after beating Napoli twice in the league.

Napoli's goalkeeper Reina watched nervously as Udinese players passed the ball around the penalty area. He yelled at his teammates to push forward and intercept the ball. Reina felt the mounting pressure, knowing that allowing the opposition to pass so freely could be dangerous.

Watching from his position, Kanté, playing just behind the attacking group, felt the urge to join the play but knew his technical and passing abilities weren't on par with his teammates like Bruno and Mahrez. Even Allan, his partner in defensive midfield, had better offensive skills. Kanté kept alert, ready to intercept and defend if Napoli countered.

Feeling slightly frustrated by his limited offensive role, Kanté watched his teammates, knowing his shooting skills were poor and would likely waste a scoring chance. Despite his defensive capabilities, Kanté felt disappointed by his offensive limitations, aware of the high expectations his coach and Bruno had for him to become a more complete player.

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Meanwhile, João Cancelo had pushed forward. Mahrez feinted a pass to Cancelo but instead lobbed the ball into the penalty area. Di Natale, holding off Napoli's center-back Albiol, executed a challenging half-turn volley. Reina, on high alert, dropped to his knees and parried the ball away with a volleyball-like motion. Bruno won the aerial duel, heading the ball to Mahrez, who passed to Allan.

"N'Golo!" Allan called, passing back to Kanté and moving forward, expecting a return pass for a wall-play. But to Allan's surprise, Kanté's ball flew over his head.

"Was that a mis-pass?" Allan thought, knowing Kanté's passing was not his strength. But then he realized the ball was curving quickly towards the goal. Allan stood still, surprised: was that a shot? (End of Chapter)