After leading 3-0 in the first half, it was clear to everyohat Napoli was destio win.

  In the sed half, Napoli eased off slightly. Zenit tried to press aggressively early on, but their efforts failed. Instead, Napoli added a foal in the 53rd minute.

  Sarag back, intercepted the ball and initiated a terattack with a perfectly weighted through pass. Di Maria escaped his marker on the right fnk, broke into the penalty area, and fired a left-footed shot past the goalkeeper.

  4-0!

  After g the foal, Zenit retreated into a defensive shell, and Napoli slowed the tempo further.

  By the end of the mato additional goals had been scored.

  It seemed Napoli had spared Zenit any further humiliation.

  ---

  A 7-0 demolition of Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, a 2-0 victory over Bayern at home, a 1-1 draw away at Zenit, and now a 4-0 win at home against Zenit...

  After four rounds of the Champions League group stage, the football world was stunned. Napoli, the dark horse in this brutal group, had emerged as its best-perf team, pying an attag style that left spectators and pundits alike in awe.

  In his post-match press ference, Gao Shen expressed satisfa with his team's performance.

  "Yes, when the draw was made, my pyers and I—just like everyone else—were worried. We were drawn against some incredible teams, teams with histories of success."

  He went on to aowledge the quality of Real Madrid, Bayern, a, but emphasized Napoli's unique mentality.

  "This team thrives under pressure. In fact, the tougher the challehe more motivated we bee!"

  Since Gao Shen had taken the reins at Napoli, the club had undergone a remarkable transformation. The once rugged and workmaeam from southern Italy now pyed a style of football that was dazzling, teical, and fluid, all while retaining the fierce determination and tenacity that defis identity.

  Gao Shen's impact had been so profound that he had effectively rewritteeam's DNA.

  Napoli's fearlessness was evident even during Gao Shen's early days in Serie B. Back then, he boldly decred his ambitions to win Serie A and took down heavyweights like Roma ialian Cup.

  Time and again, whether in domestipetition or on the European stage, Napoli had proven themselves capable of rising to the occasion against stronger oppos.

  Gao Shen's assertiorue: strong teams brought out the best in Napoli.

  With three wins and one draw in their first four matches, Napoli had scored 14 goals and ceded just one, a testament to their bance of attag firepower and defensive solidity. Without question, they were the standout performers of the Champions League group stage so far.

  ---

  While Napoli celebrated their 4-0 victory over Zenit, elsewhere Bayern came from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabéu.

  The results left the group standings as follows: Napoli in first pce with 10 points (three wins, one draw), Bayern in sed with nine points (three wins, one loss), Real Madrid in third with three points (one win, three losses), a st with one point (one draw, three losses).

  While Zenit's performance had been valiant, their standing reflected the sheer difficulty of peting in such a loaded group.

  Under different circumstances, Zenit might have fought for qualification, but the level of petition here was simply too high.

  Meanwhile, Real Madrid's campaign was in shambles. With just three points from four matches, their hopes of advang were mathematically impossible.

  Even if Real Madrid won their final two matches and Bayern lost both, the teams would be level on nine points. However, Bayern had won both head-to-head enters, seg the tiebreaker.

  The realization that Real Madrid was eliminated with two games to spare sent shockwaves through Spain.

  The Spanish media erupted in collective e.

  How had Real Madrid, one of the most prestigious clubs in football history, failed to make it out of the group stage?

  Bme quickly fell on head coach Michel, though many saw him as merely a stopgap. The real criticism was directed at President Ramón Calderón and sp director Predrag Mijatovi?, whom the media accused of destabilizing the club with poor decisions.

  To appease the enraged fanbase, Real Madrid announced Michel's dismissal immediately after their defeat to Bayern. His rept? Juande Ramos, the Spanish coach retly fired by Tottenham Hotspur.

  Ramos became Real Madrid's third mahis season, eerily remi of their chaotic 2006 campaign.

  On his radiram, De La Morena of a SER said, "In 2006, Real Madrid sacked two coaches, then brought in Gao Shen, who went on to achieve something miraculous. Now, they've sacked two coaches again. Do they really think Ramos replicate Gao Shen's legend?"

  His to little doubt—De La Morena was deeply pessimistic.

  Gao Shen's story was one-of-a-kind, a legend that could never be repeated.

  ---

  Thousands of miles away in Cyprus, José Mourinho stood in Larnaternational Airport, staring out at the Mediterranean as he processed the news from Naples.

  Napoli had defeated Zenit 4-0.

  Mourinho's Inter Min had also pyed their Champions League match, a frustrating 3-3 draw against Anorthosis. Though still uen, the performance left him uled.

  After four rounds, Inter led their group with two wins, two draws, a points. While their position was safe, their remaining oppos too weak to pose a threat—Mourinho couldn't shake the frustration.

  Particurly when he pared his team's progress to Napoli's.

  "One of our scouts attehe game in Naples," said André Vils-Boas, Mourinho's assistant. "He said Napoli's performance was extraordinary. They're at a very high level."

  Mourinho nodded grimly. "I'm not surprised."

  After over two years under Gao Shen's guidanapoli was no longer a work in progress. The team was plete, fully realizing its potential.

  "Building a team takes time," Mourinho tinued. "It's not something you rush. And with Inter, we're not there yet."

  Inter's squad was still a work in progress. Key pyers like Luoutinho, and Pandev had joined retively te, leaving Mourinho with limited time to ie them fully.

  "Not everyone walk into a eam and hit the ground running," Mourinho added, g Rafael van der Vaart as an example. "Even Zidane needed six months to settle at Real Madrid."

  Refleg on Napoli's success, Mourinho sighed. "I khey were aiming to make a statement in the Champions League this season. When I saw their group, I thought they'd struggle... I didn't expect this."

  He shook his head, a mix of frustration and admiration in his voice.

  "Gao Shen is ruthless. Ruthless to himself, to his pyers, and especially to his oppos."

  Mourinho had hoped Napoli's European campaign would distract them, causing their Serie A form to falter. But instead, they excelled on both fronts, challenging Inter's dominan the league while quering the group of death in Europe.

  "There's no denying it," Vils-Boas said. "If Napoli tops their group, they could go far, maybe even to the semifinals."

  Mourinho hesitated, then shook his head. "It's hard to say."

  He eborated, "The group stage is ohing, but the knockout rounds are a pletely different challenge. In the knockouts, even a minor weakness be exploited. And Napoli, for all their brilliance, is still a young team. They ck experience, and their style is risky."

  He paused before tinuing. "In the group stage, teams like Real Madrid and Bayern didn't py servatively. But in the knockouts, Napoli will face more disciplieams—Liverpool, Chelsea, Maer United. It'll be a different game."

  Even within Serie A, Napoli wasn't invincible.

  Mourinho's gaze returo the horizon. "There are still 25 days until we faapoli in the league."

  With most of Inter's injured pyers returning, he saportunity tthen his squad further.

  "Let Gao Shen focus on the Champions League," Mourinho said. "We'll be waiting for them at the San Siro."

  His voice dropped, filled with determination.

  "I just hope he doesn't slip up before we get the ce to face him."