Chapter 85: Giant Slayer

Chapter 85: Giant Slayer

Unbeknownst to many, Udinese's grueling schedule was almost halfway through, and the team's performance was commendable. Aside from strategically opting out of the Europa League match against Freiburg, Udinese managed to secure victories in their Serie A matches against tough opponents like Fiorentina and Juventus. Rather than collapsing under pressure, Udinese has climbed to second place on the leaderboard.

However, these victories came at a cost. The continuous battles took their toll on captain Di Natale, who, feeling unwell during a midweek training session, was diagnosed with muscle fatigue. To prevent further issues, coach Guidolin immediately sent him home to rest.

Another forward, Muriel, was injured in the match against Fiorentina and, according to the medical team, won't be able to return until after the winter break. This leaves Udinese with only one healthy striker, young Uruguayan forward Nico Lopez, who joined from Roma in the summer. Additionally, youth players Videmont and Zelinski, who were assigned first-team jerseys in the summer, have been temporarily moved up from the youth team to fill in.

On a positive note, veteran Naldo has recovered from his injury and is back in action. With a depleted front line, Guidolin led his team to Naples to face Napoli at the Maradona Stadium on Saturday evening.

Napoli's situation was similar to Udinese's, with center-back Britos suspended and key players like Hamsik, Zuniga, and Mesto out injured. Furthermore, with a crucial match coming up in the Champions League, Napoli found themselves in a difficult spot.

This season, Napoli was drawn into the "group of death" in the Champions League, grouped with Arsenal, Dortmund, and Marseille in Group F. After five rounds, the group was still very much undecided. Arsenal topped the group with four wins and one loss, while Napoli and Dortmund both had three wins and two losses, with Dortmund holding the second spot due to a better goal difference, and Napoli was third, just ahead of an already eliminated Marseille.

In an extreme scenario, this group could see three teams tied at 12 points, potentially leading to a team being eliminated despite such a high tally. According to Bruno's memory, Napoli was the unfortunate team to set a Champions League record: the first to earn 12 points in the group stage and still get knocked down to the Europa League.

Benitez, remembered for his "Miracle of Istanbul," found himself, eight years later, at the helm of a team setting another, more awkward record in the Champions League.

At the Maradona Stadium, Udinese and Napoli engaged in a fierce offensive battle. Early in the game, Bruno pressured Napoli's defender Federico Fernandez, causing the Argentinian to mistakenly pass back to his goalkeeper. The young Rafael, perhaps too nervous, fumbled the ball nearly scoring an own goal.

After surviving Udinese's initial onslaught, Napoli slowly took control of the game. In the 38th minute, Insigne delivered a corner kick that Fernandez headed on, and Pandev tapped it in from close range to open the scoring. Two minutes later, Higuain's cutback from the right found Pandev, who doubled his tally with a shot to the far corner, making it 2-0.

Udinese was stunned by the quick succession of goals, but Bruno rallied his teammates and soon earned a corner. At the stroke of halftime, Bruno's powerful long shot was pushed out by Rafael, but the resulting corner found Ertug at the near post, whose header was accidentally deflected into the net by Fernandez.

The half ended 2-1, with Udinese pulling one back.

In the second half, Udinese took control at the Maradona Stadium and pressed Napoli. Despite the adjustments and continued pressure, it took until the 68th minute for Udinese to find the equalizer through a quick counter-attack led by Bruno. His audacious lob from midfield caught Rafael off guard, the ball sailing over him into the net to make it 2-2.

However, Napoli quickly regained the lead with a precise through ball from Pandev to Higuain, whose shot was initially saved by Udinese's goalkeeper, but the follow-up by Zemali found the back of the net.

Udinese didn't falter; they continued to attack and, in the 77th minute, another corner kick by Bruno found Basta, who volleyed beautifully to tie the game at 3-3. The vibrant Maradona Stadium fell silent.

As the match neared its conclusion, both teams made several substitutions to try to clinch a winner. The game's pace intensified, with both sides skipping the midfield in their attacks due to fatigue.

In the 87th minute, Udinese's swift counter led to a dramatic goal by Bruno, who had followed up on an initial cross to fire home, making it 4-3 in a stunning comeback victory.

This win against Napoli capped off Udinese's encounters with top-six teams in the first half of the season, boasting a record of four wins and one loss—the only defeat coming against Inter Milan. Udinese, often criticized for being soft against tough opponents, had proven themselves as the true giant slayers of Serie A. (End of Chapter)

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