Chapter 255: Massacre

"Welcome to San Paolo, Mr. Castori!"

Before the match, at the entrance of the player tunnel, Gao Shen approached Castori with a friendly smile, extending his hand in a polite gesture. The Italian coach, known for his fiery personality, barely acknowledged him.

They shook hands briefly, and without exchanging any words, they returned to their respective benches.

Gao Shen couldn't help but feel confused. The man was in his fifties why such a bad temper?

No wonder he's been stuck in the lower leagues his whole life!

Still, it was amusing. Castori had collected championship trophies from every Italian league except for Serie A.

Did the nickname "Champion Collector" sound like a compliment or an insult to him?

"If someone called me that, I'd punch them right in the face," Gao Shen said with a determined tone.

What kind of backhanded compliment was that?

"Who do you want to hit? That old man?" Lucas asked, not catching the sarcasm. "Come on, he's in his fifties. Hitting him would make you look like the bad guy."

Gao Shen felt speechless. How could you reason with someone like this?

"I want to hit you!" Gao Shen joked, pretending to be angry.

Lucas's smile froze. "Why me?"

"Do I need a reason? Or should I let you choose a date before I start?"

They both ended up laughing heartily.

Today definitely seemed like a good day.

A perfect day to beat someone!

---

Whether it was luck or fate, Napoli's debut in the Coppa Italia this season was once again at home.

The Stadio San Paolo was packed to the brim with fans. Napoli's supporters had always been passionate, and after the team's Serie B triumph last season, their pride had only grown. Now, the fans were eagerly anticipating their team's leap into Serie A.

Despite the atmosphere, Gao Shen wasn't taking any chances with the lineup.

He started Handanovic in goal, with Vargas, David Luiz, Cannavaro, and Lichtsteiner forming the back four. In midfield, Biglia and Rakitic anchored the team, while Hamsik, Di Maria, and Sanchez formed an attacking trio behind Cavani as the lone striker.

This lineup was likely going to be Gao Shen's preferred starting eleven for the season.

The only area of uncertainty was the center-back pairing. Last season, Gao Shen had experimented with David Luiz and Bonucci, with Luiz pressing forward while Bonucci sat back. Both were excellent passers, especially with long balls, and had worked well together in several games.

However, for this match, Gao Shen opted to play it safe by starting Cannavaro.

In his mind, it was only a matter of time before Bonucci took over from Cannavaro. The long-range passing ability of both center-backs was too valuable to ignore.

Unlike Napoli, Cesena and Castori opted for an old-school formation with three at the back.

While the three-back system had been popular in Italy at the turn of the century, it was now outdated.

This was 2007!

Castori deployed a 3-6-1 formation, crowding the midfield.

It reminded Gao Shen of the tactics used by some amateur teams back in the day relying on defense and congesting the center of the pitch.

"Authentic grassroots football," Carlo muttered with a wry smile.

Who would play with three center-backs in modern football?

"Today, if we don't destroy them, I'd feel like we've let their coach off too easily," Gao Shen chuckled.

Napoli's strength lay on the wings.

Did Castori really think that losing Gervinho meant Napoli had no more firepower on the flanks?

---

That being said, Cesena's defense was solidly organized.

Despite the three center-backs, the two wide midfielders dropped deep to create a five-man backline when needed.

Napoli opened the game with their signature high pressing and fast tempo, but Cesena, well-prepared for the onslaught, stayed compact in defense. They cleared the ball quickly without trying to hold possession, focusing entirely on protecting their goal.

As a result, Napoli struggled to create any meaningful chances in the opening ten minutes.

After all, it was the season's first official match, and the team was still finding their rhythm.

After the initial burst, Napoli settled down, controlling possession and patiently probing Cesena's defense.

Fifteen minutes into the match, Gao Shen made some adjustments. He signaled Di Maria and Sanchez to push higher and pin Cesena's backline even deeper, forcing them further back.

At the same time, the full-backs Vargas and Lichtsteiner were given the green light to bomb forward and provide additional width.

Hamsik dropped slightly deeper to form a more compact midfield triangle, giving the team a 4-3-3 shape on the field.

Just five minutes after the adjustments, Napoli found their breakthrough.

Sanchez received the ball on the right from Rakitic. After failing to beat his marker, he cut inside and passed across the top of the box.

Cavani, using his body to shield the defender, controlled the ball with his right foot, shifted it slightly to the side, and unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty area.

The shot was hit with tremendous power and accuracy, giving the Cesena goalkeeper, Berti, no chance as it rocketed into the net.

1-0!!!

The entire Stadio San Paolo erupted in celebration.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen pumped his fist in the air, applauding Cavani for the brilliant strike.

"Well done, Edinson!" Gao Shen shouted.

Cavani turned around, raised his fists toward his coach, as if to say, How's that, boss? Keep the praise coming!

---

After taking the lead, Cesena looked unsettled.

Napoli seized the momentum and launched wave after wave of attacks, but Castori, to his credit, made some tactical adjustments to steady his team.

However, in the 37th minute, Napoli's left flank came alive.

Vargas overlapped Di Maria, and the two combined to break down Cesena's defense. Di Maria, unable to find space to shoot, cut the ball back to Cavani, who was once again holding up play with his back to goal.

With no room to turn, Cavani laid the ball off to the onrushing Hamsik.

The Slovakian midfielder met the pass with a first-time strike, sending the ball low into the bottom right corner of the goal.

2-0!

---

The first half ended with Napoli holding a comfortable two-goal lead.

In the locker room, Gao Shen expressed satisfaction with the team's performance but highlighted areas for improvement, particularly the connection between the wide players and the central midfield.

"Keep pushing in the second half. Let's start this season with a strong statement!"

"Come on!"

The players responded enthusiastically to Gao Shen's rallying cry.

As the second half began, the match continued in the same one-sided manner.

By this point, Castori must have realized that this Napoli team was stronger than the one he had faced last season.

Though the players were largely the same, the growth they had undergone during the summer, combined with the intense training, had elevated their game. They were quicker, sharper, and more cohesive.

Ten minutes into the second half, Napoli earned a free kick from the left wing after a driving run from Di Maria. Cannavaro rose highest to meet the delivery, heading the ball powerfully into the net.

3-0!

Just minutes later, Sanchez, cutting in from the right, was tackled aggressively by Cesena's Brazilian midfielder, Luís Sacilotto, just outside the penalty area.

The crowd at the San Paolo erupted into boos, and Gao Shen, on the sideline, looked furious.

The referee wasted no time in showing Sacilotto a straight red card.

Castori lost his temper on the sideline, hurling abuse at the referee, Napoli, and possibly even his own players.

Luckily for Napoli, Sanchez wasn't seriously hurt. He got back to his feet quickly, showing no signs of injury.

Still, Gao Shen wasn't going to let this slide.

How dare they try to injure one of his players?

Gao Shen waved his hand toward the field.

"Keep attacking! Attack harder!" he shouted.

"I want more goals! No mercy!"

On the opposing bench, Castori turned to look at Gao Shen and saw the fire in his eyes.

The veteran coach could sense that the situation was about to spiral out of control.

Feeling the mounting pressure, Castori urged his team to sit even deeper and defend with everything they had.

But less than ten minutes later, Napoli broke through again.

Sanchez, who had provided the earlier assist, received the ball from Hamsik, made a darting run into the box, and calmly slotted the ball into the near corner.

4-0!

The Chilean winger sprinted toward the corner flag in celebration, soon joined by his ecstatic teammates.

The match wasn't over yet, and the massacre continued.