Chapter 277: He is Playing with His Life!

"Against Napoli, we have a psychological advantage. This victory will help us widen the gap in the league, allowing us to focus more on the Champions League, which is our most important objective this season!"

These were the words of Mancini during the pre-match press conference, just after the final training session before the game against Napoli. That same night, the Italian media and television stations broadcast Mancini's statements all over the country.

Everyone understood this as a part of Mancini's psychological warfare.

His goal was simple: to remind Napoli of last season's painful 0-3 defeat, while also boosting Inter Milan's confidence. After all, many of the players who humiliated Napoli at the San Siro last year were still on the squad.

Mancini also commented on Napoli during his interview.

He acknowledged that Napoli had started this season well, especially with their 5-0 rout of Udinese, a rare offensive storm in Serie A. However, Mancini pointed out that Napoli seemed to be facing problems recently, particularly with their attack becoming less threatening.

He implied that it was up to the coach to solve these issues.

When the media brought up Gao Shen's success as a coach of both the La Liga and Champions League champions, Mancini avoided directly responding. Instead, he remarked that Gao Shen was too young and lacked the playing experience necessary to avoid shortcomings in his coaching.

"As a 27-year-old who wasn't a professional player, I think he's done quite well. We can't expect more from him."

Mancini then admitted that whether it was last season or this one, he had never watched Napoli's games seriously. He didn't feel it was necessary.

"I don't think that's a problem. From Inter Milan's perspective, our focus should be on playing our best football, not worrying too much about the opponents."

"Before the Coppa Italia semi-final last season, I couldn't have told you what kind of football they played. But we did what we needed to do, and…"

Mancini didn't finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear.

"The same applies now. I can't comment much on Napoli, but I know that if we play to our level, we don't need to fear our opponents especially at the San Siro."

---

Mancini's comments were reflective of a manager with the confidence of a Serie A champion and league leader.

Under Mancini, Inter Milan's performance in the league had indeed improved dramatically, especially after the Calciopoli scandal. Inter had become synonymous with dominance in Serie A.

Unless they slipped up themselves, no team in Italy could hope to beat them.

However, Mancini's remarks only served to fuel Napoli's anger and determination.

Gao Shen, in response, provoked Inter Milan at his own pre-match press conference, vowing that his team wouldn't be conservative at the San Siro.

"As I said last season, my team and I are eager to return the humiliation of that 0-3 defeat to Inter. We're coming to Milan with vengeance in mind, and we'll do everything in our power to win."

Gao Shen admitted that Napoli had an advantage in scheduling since Inter Milan also had to balance their focus on the Champions League. But he also recognized that Inter had the stronger squad overall.

He was honest about this.

"We won't deny the strength of our opponents. But what I want to say is that since I've been coaching Napoli, we've always risen to defeat stronger opponents. We've never shied away from the challenge."

"It was like that before, it is like that now, and it will continue to be like that in the future!"

Gao Shen firmly declared that Napoli would stick to their style and not compromise.

"My players and I are hoping to claim a victory at the San Siro, in the way that Napoli always does!"

The message was clear, Napoli was ready to go head-to-head with Inter Milan.

---

With both coaches having exchanged heated words before the match, the media in Italy became excited, fueling the pre-match hype even further.

However, different media outlets interpreted Gao Shen's and Mancini's comments differently.

Many pundits believed that Napoli attacking Inter at the San Siro was suicidal, a reckless and emotional move. Some even suggested that Gao Shen was letting his anger cloud his judgment.

Arrigo Sacchi, in his pre-match analysis column, advised caution.

"The San Siro is the strongest fortress in Serie A. Any team hoping to challenge Inter Milan here must take significant tactical risks, especially a young team like Napoli."

Sacchi warned that if Napoli remained calm and focused on defense, they could still pose a threat to Inter Milan.

However, Sacchi also hinted that Gao Shen might choose to engage Inter Milan head-on, risking everything to restore the morale and confidence that Napoli lost after last season's defeat.

"Whatever the outcome, this match will certainly influence the course of this Serie A season!" Sacchi predicted.

---

The evening of October 6 arrived, and the San Siro in Milan was packed with eager fans for the seventh round of Serie A: Inter Milan versus Napoli.

By the second half, the score stood at 1-0.

Only six minutes into the game, Inter Milan had taken advantage of Napoli's shaky start. Stankovic delivered a perfect pass to Vieira, who volleyed the ball past Napoli's goalkeeper, giving Inter Milan the early lead.

Since then, the game had fallen into a stalemate.

From the opening whistle, Napoli had displayed an aggressive and fearless mentality, taking the fight to Inter Milan rather than holding back. There was no hesitation, they were determined to go toe-to-toe with the Serie A giants.

This was no ordinary match, it was a battle that neither side could afford to lose.

---

Mancini sat tensely in the home team's dugout, his hands clasped together near his face as he intensely watched the field.

"It's been almost 60 minutes, and they still don't look tired," Mancini muttered to himself, almost as if he were asking his assistant, Mihajlović, sitting beside him.

He was baffled.

They were all professional players, participating in the same game. Yet, the Napoli players who had been running more seemed to have endless energy.

What about Inter Milan?

The performance of their players had clearly dropped in the last 15 minutes. The team's tempo had slowed, and their activity on the pitch had diminished.

"They're in their twenties, and our players are pushing 30," Mihajlović responded, pointing out the age difference between the two squads.

But Mancini shook his head. "That's part of it, but it's more than just age. They seem to run a lot, yes, but their running is more cohesive, more structured. Their energy consumption is less than ours."

Mihajlović, once a renowned player himself, quickly understood what Mancini meant.

Inter Milan's players had more individual flair, relying on individual ability to break down Napoli's defense. However, this meant their movement was unbalanced, players like Cesar and Figo were running constantly up and down the flanks, burning through their energy reserves quickly. Other players, meanwhile, were barely moving.

Napoli, on the other hand, moved as a unit. Even though some players ran more than others, the overall effort was evenly distributed. This allowed Napoli to maintain a consistent level of energy, while Inter Milan's players were tiring from their disjointed efforts.

Realizing this, Mancini felt a growing sense of unease.

Napoli had been on the front foot for much of the match, pressing Inter relentlessly in the midfield and forcing numerous mistakes. Despite this, they hadn't managed to score yet, thanks largely to Julio Cesar's excellent saves.

But the most unsettling part for Mancini was that Napoli still seemed full of energy.

"Advanced training isn't easy," Mancini muttered to himself, clearly impressed by what he was seeing.

Mihajlović glanced at him in surprise. It wasn't often that Mancini praised his opponents so openly.

What had changed?

The once arrogant and dismissive Mancini, who had belittled Gao Shen and Napoli in the past, now seemed to acknowledge their quality.

"You don't think… you don't think he's been waiting for this, do you?" Mancini suddenly asked, his voice tense.

Mihajlović looked at him, confused. "You can't be serious. No way. Gao Shen can't have planned this far ahead."

But the more Mancini thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

Was this Gao Shen's plan all along?

Had Napoli's young coach anticipated everything, carefully calculating the pace and energy levels of both teams?

Mancini's mind raced, and as he looked over at Gao Shen, who was calmly standing by Napoli's bench, a cold feeling washed over him.

Had he underestimated this young coach? Was Napoli just waiting for the right moment to strike?

Panic started to creep in.

There were still 30 minutes left in the match.

That was plenty of time for Napoli to turn things around.

As Mancini sat there, grappling with his growing anxiety, Napoli's bench made their first move.

Substitutions.