Chapter 265: One More!!!

Pastore broke out of the defense and made a brilliant pass right behind him!

"Cavani is on the move, catching the ball..."

"He crosses it directly... to the left of the goal..."

"Oh my God, Hamsik!"

"The ball is in!!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Marek Hamsik!"

"Napoli finally scores against Cagliari!"

"The Slovakian Hamsik nets Napoli's first goal since their return to Serie A!"

"A fantastic assist from Uruguay's Cavani!"

"Napoli's attack was beautifully executed, especially the young player Pastore, who dribbled past three defenders and managed to break through."

"As we see from the replay, he even nutmegged one of the defenders, what an amazing young talent!"

"This is the same player Gao Shen signed from Argentina's second division for just half a million euros this summer, but after today's performance, I'm sure his value will skyrocket."

...

When Hamsik scored, the entire San Paolo Stadium erupted in a wave of passion.

The fans' excitement was like a volcanic eruption, engulfing every corner of the stadium.

More than 50,000 Napoli fans in the stands roared with excitement, making the whole stadium vibrate with the energy of the moment.

Countless fans shouted Hamsik's name!

The Slovakian quickly rushed to the sidelines, waving his hands at the fans, but Cavani soon caught up, hugging him tightly. The Uruguayan striker was so thrilled he even kissed Hamsik on the forehead.

One by one, the Napoli players followed, celebrating the stunning goal with their teammates.

In addition to Hamsik and Cavani's contributions, the young Pastore was also acknowledged by everyone.

Although he had a few turnovers, this successful play was more than enough to make up for it.

...

Gao Shen, Napoli's coach, was so excited that he clenched his fists and nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!" he shouted in delight.

Turning around, he opened his arms and gave a big hug to Lucas, one of his assistants.

He went on to embrace each member of his coaching team, celebrating this crucial goal.

It had been a hard-fought battle!

Gao Shen yelled with all his might, releasing all the pent-up tension, and finally took a deep breath.

Looking over at the opposing coach, Giampaolo, it was clear he was disappointed, shouting at his players in frustration. Why couldn't three defenders handle one attacker?

But deep down, Gao Shen knew Giampaolo wasn't going to get an answer.

Some players are just special.

When Gao Shen turned back, he saw his players had finished celebrating and were jogging back. As they passed the home team's bench, they exchanged high-fives and hugs with him.

"Well done, Marek!" Gao Shen said, giving Hamsik a hearty pat on the back.

"You told me to push forward decisively, coach," Hamsik replied, grinning from ear to ear.

This was Napoli's first goal in Serie A after more than six years away, a goal that would be remembered by countless fans.

"No, no, it's all about your timing. You made the perfect run," Gao Shen praised him generously.

"And you, Edinson my God! How did you even spot Hamsik there? I'm beginning to think you have eyes in the back of your head. Amazing!"

Gao Shen's words brought a huge grin to Cavani's face, and his teammates playfully started feeling around the back of his head, jokingly looking for those "extra eyes."

"And Javier, when we get back, I'm going to give you a special certificate to commemorate your nutmeg today!"

Pastore beamed with pride.

Back in Argentina, nutmegging opponents had been second nature to him. It was something he did often, even habitually, during games.

But since joining Napoli, he'd reined in his usual flair, so his performances hadn't been as flashy.

Gao Shen's praise was essentially giving him the green light to play freely again whether it was nutmegs or anything else, as long as he could create threats on the pitch, he was doing his job.

"But everyone!"

After all the praise, Gao Shen's tone suddenly shifted.

"People say I'm like Capello. And even though I'm coaching in Serie A now, I still want you all to help me shake off that comparison and show everyone that I'm nothing like him!"

"So, please, everyone, work hard, even harder, and get us one more goal!"

With that, Gao Shen smiled, stretched out his hands, and sent his players back onto the field.

The players left with a light-hearted mood, eager to follow Gao Shen's call.

...

After holding Napoli off for nearly 80 minutes, Cagliari was shaken by the goal, and it hit their players hard.

They began to lose their shape.

On the sideline, Giampaolo hesitated, unsure whether to go all out and try to equalize or continue defending.

This indecision could be fatal.

When play resumed, Napoli regained possession right after the kick-off and pressed forward relentlessly.

Having just taken the lead, Napoli was in high spirits. Meanwhile, Cagliari was visibly shaken, their confidence clearly wavering. The lack of unified strategy only worsened things, creating chaos on the pitch.

Their 4-3-2 formation was already vulnerable to gaps, and the lack of cohesion made matters worse.

Just four minutes after the first goal, in the 81st minute, Fini and Foggia tried to counterattack and crossed the halfway line, but Bonucci intercepted the ball in time and quickly passed it to Pastore.

The Argentine's first touch was slightly off, but he recovered quickly, getting to the ball just ahead of the defender. With a quick burst of speed, he pushed it forward and kept driving past the midfield.

The crowd erupted in applause as he pulled off two consecutive brilliant moves.

At the same time, Biondini, the defensive midfielder, broke away from Hamsik and rushed toward Pastore.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen grew nervous, mentally urging Pastore to pass the ball quickly.

The earlier mistake had come from a delayed pass to Di Maria, but this time, Pastore played it smart and released the ball before Biondini could close in.

Hamsik didn't linger on the ball either; with his first touch, he redirected it to the left side of the penalty area.

Di Maria, with his blistering pace, surged past his marker and sent a low cross toward the near post.

Right in the middle, Cavani arrived at full speed and smashed the ball with his right foot, blasting it straight into Cagliari's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"2-0!!!"

"Napoli scores twice in five minutes!"

"Cavani converts Di Maria's cross to secure another goal for Napoli!"

"My word, Napoli's attack has come alive!"

"Ever since Pastore came on, he's brought energy back to Napoli's midfield. The team is attacking more aggressively, and Cagliari just can't handle it!"

The stadium erupted into cheers once again.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen leapt into the air, raising his arms in triumph.

Two to zero!

The win was practically sealed!

...

After conceding two quick goals, Giampaolo immediately recognized the issues in his team and made two quick substitutions, hoping to reinforce the defense, especially around the penalty area.

He also assigned a player specifically to mark Pastore.

With these adjustments, Cagliari managed to regain some composure and held off Napoli's attacks for the time being.

But by then, the damage had been done, and the scoreline remained 2-0.

Giampaolo had no choice but to accept reality.

If he pushed his team forward and played aggressively against Napoli, they didn't have the quality to compete, and Cagliari wasn't an offensive powerhouse to begin with.

When he realized Cagliari had opted to defend and essentially concede defeat, Gao Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

In the final minutes of the match, Napoli slowed down the pace and controlled possession to wind down the clock. Gao Shen also used his remaining two substitutions to manage time effectively.

In the end, Napoli secured a 2-0 victory at home, with goals from Hamsik and Cavani.

...

As the final whistle blew, the entire San Paolo Stadium turned into a scene of celebration.

Over 50,000 fans roared and cheered.

They had waited over six years for this day.

Though the match had been tense at times, and even left some fans on the edge of despair, Napoli ultimately triumphed over Cagliari.

"This second-half substitution by Gao Shen completely turned the tide."

"Javier Pastore, the previously unknown 18-year-old Argentine, is destined to make a name for himself after today."

"Last match, Parejo stood out; today it was Pastore's turn. It's impossible not to admire Gao Shen's eye for young talent and his ability to use them effectively."

"This Napoli side, the youngest team in Serie A and possibly in all of Europe's top leagues, has started their Serie A campaign with a precious victory. It's an excellent beginning."

"Gao Shen has publicly said he aims to take this team to the Serie A title, but from this game alone, it's clear Napoli still has a long way to go, especially with powerhouses like Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and Roma standing in their way."

"Nonetheless, we must admit that both Gao Shen and his Napoli side have left a strong impression."

"Napoli's players performed brilliantly today, giving us every reason to believe this team will deliver more surprises as the Serie A season unfolds."

"Congratulations to Napoli!"

"Congratulations to Napoli, on their triumphant return to Serie A."