Gao Shen, Bonucci, and Hamsik all winning major awards greatly boosted Napoli's morale.
Although Napoli held a brief training camp during the winter break, the team and its pyers were still adjusting their ditioheless, Napoli's strength this season was far beyond what it had been the previous year.
Three days after returning to Naples from Turin, the 20th round of Serie A kicked off.
At home, Napoli secured a narrow 1-0 victory over ia, with Hamsik sg the decisive goal.
Before the matapoli held a brief celebration at the San Paolo Stadium. Gao Shen, Bonucci, and Hamsik walked onto the pitch with their trophies, proudly dispying their achievements to the home crowd.
The Napoli fans were ecstatic.
This team had grown incredibly strong, filled with iional pyers and stars, and its influence was increasing rapidly.
Looking at Napoli now, it was hard to believe that just two years ago, the team had been in Serie B, and three years ago, it had been struggling in Serie C.
All of this transformation was thanks to Gao Shen, who had brought a revolution to both the team and the city.
The fans ted his name. One supproup even wrote a song dedicated to Gao Shen, expressing their gratitude and vowing to remember him forever, just like the statue outside the San Paolo Stadium.
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While Napoli narrowly defeated ia, Inter Min also pyed at home, where Adriano's stoppage-time goal in the first half secured them a 1-0 win over Sampdoria.
Elsewhere, Roma hosted A and drew 2-2.
After 20 rounds, the Serie A title race had effectively boiled down to two tenders: Napoli and Inter Min.
Napoli maintained a five-point lead at the top, but Inter Min had shown signifit potential, especially after Mourinho stabilized the locker room. Pyers like Cruz and Adriano were in excellent form.
The title would likely go to whichever team made fewer mistakes.
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Three days ter, Serie A's 21st round took pce.
Napoli traveled to Floreo face Fiorentina.
Despite being the home team, Fiorentina found themselves on the back foot for much of the match.
The first half ended in a 0-0 stalemate, prompting adjustments from both Gao Shen and Fiorentina's coach, Prandelli, during the break.
Gao Shen's ges bore fruit almost immediately. Two minutes into the sed half, Vargas scored for Napoli, giving them the lead.
But Fiorentina responded quickly. Just two mier, a swift terattack saw Santana equalize for the home side.
Both teams traded ces for the remainder of the match but failed to scaiing in a 1-1 draw.
After the game, Prandelli was eted, g his team had pyed brilliantly.
To outsiders, it might have sounded as though Fiorentina had beaten Napoli.
Gao Shen, oher hand, looked frustrated, as if his team had lost, and stated that Napoli should have woch.
This trast left Italian media and fans refleg on how far Napoli had e. Without anyone realizing it, Napoli had bee a genuine powerhouse.
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While Napoli was held to a draw, Inter Min secured a 2-0 away win over ia, with goals from Stankovid Ibrahimovic.
This result reduced the gap between Inter Min and Napoli to just three points, reigniting suspense ile race.
Mourinho, emboldened by the win, decred fidently, "By February, we'll overtake Napoli and cim the top spot. They 't keep it up anymore!"
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Three days ter, during the weekend's 22nd round of Serie A, Inter Min faced Torino at the Meazza Stadium.
However, the high-flying Inter Min found themselves in trouble. Rondo Bianchi scored early for Torino, giving the visitors an ued lead.
Inter equalized ih minute, with Burdisso verting a cross from substitute Figo.
Despite relentless attag thereafter, Inter couldn't find a winner. Mourinho made an aggressive triple substitution, bringing on Figo, Quaresma, and Crespo, leaving the team with five forwards: Ibrahimovic, Cruz, Crespo, Figo, and Quaresma.
Still, they were uo break through Torino's five-man defense and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
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Meanwhile, at the San Paolo Stadium, Napoli hosted Udinese.
Both teams pyed openly, but Napoli took a anding 2-0 lead in the first half, courtesy of goals from i and Hamsik.
Although Di Natale pulled one back for Udinese in the sed half, Di Maria restored Napoli's two-goal cushion shortly after.
The game ended 3-1 in Napoli's favor, earning them ahree points.
After the match, Gao Shen respoo Mourinho's ents from earlier in the week.
"I'm fident we hold on until the end of the season," he said.
It was reported that Mourinho, furious over Inter's missed opportunity against Toried in the locker room, even smashing a wardrobe in frustration.
Hearing about this, Gao Shen quipped with a grin, "How much? I'll pay for it!"
The implication was clear: Mourinho's outburst was due to Napoli's success.
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As Napoli and Inter Min tiheir head-to-head battle, other Serie A teams were faltering.
Juventus, managed by Ranieri, suffered back-to-back losses. After falling to Udihey lost 2-3 at home to Cagliari, putting their top-four position in jeopardy.
Roma showed some improvement but remained ih pce, gging behind even Genoa and Fiorentina.
A and Juventus had already fallen six points behind Inter Min, making them unlikely tenders for the title.
In the relegation battle, Reggina was all but relegated, while Torino and Chievo trailed by four points but still held onto hope of survival.
On the final day of the wiransfer window, clubs scrambled to sign pyers and make managerial ges.
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February arrived, and with it, the 23rd round of Serie A.
Inter Min faced Lecce away and secured a ving 3-0 win, thanks to goals from Ibrahimovic, Figo, and Stankovic. The result temporarily reduced the gap to two points.
A, meanwhile, stumbled to a 1-1 draw at home against sed-to-st Reggina. Kaka's penalty salvaged a point, but their performance was uninspired.
Rumors swirled that Ai would leave Min at the end of the season.
Juventus managed a 2-1 away win over ia, with goals from Aa and Poulsen.
Roma finally found form, defeating Genoa 3-0 at home under Spalletti.
The pressure was on Napoli, who pyed the following day.
Despite the weight of expectation, Napoli responded perfectly. Just two minutes into the game, Pelle assisted Vidal for the opening goal.
Ih minute, Pelle set up anoal, this time for Nainggon.
Before halftime, Hamsik scored the third goal, once again assisted by Pelle, pleting the striker's hat-trick of assists.
Pelle's performance was sensational. His ability to hold up py and create opportunities was fully on dispy.
After the match, media outlets universally praised Pelle, calling it his breakthrough performance as an Italian forward.
Napoli's tactics, meticulously pnned by Gao Shen, were also uded.
Several pyers revealed during interviews that the targeted strategy had been devised by their head coach, and Palermo's defense simply couldn't handle Pelle.
With Napoli's victory, their five-point lead at the top of Serie A was restored, muourinho's frustration.
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The 24th round of Serie A followed a week ter.
Napoli pyed their match first, hosting Bologna at the San Paolo Stadium.
Gao Shen tio rotate his squad, and Napoli secured a 2-0 win with two quick goals from Maggiore and i in the first five minutes.
Attention then shifted to the Min Derby the following day.
Mourinho's Inter Min stuck with their 4-3-1-2 formatiouring two strikers up front.
Ih minute, Mai crossed from the right, and Adriano scored to put Inter ahead.
Before halftime, Ibrahimovic provided an assist for Stankovic, who made it 2-0.
Although Pato pulled one back for A in the sed half, Inter held firm and won 2-1.
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As the 24th round cluded, big news came from Engnd, where Napoli's uping Champions League oppo, Chelsea, made headlines.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich fired head coach Luiz Felipe Scori, paying ￡7.5 million in pensation.
Scori had started strong, leading Chelsea to six wins and two draws in his first eight matches. But their ret performances had plummeted.
After a 0-3 loss to Maer United and a 0-2 defeat against Liverpool, Chelsea had fallen to fourth p the league.
Abramovich, unwilling to wait any longer, dismissed Scori and brought in Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, leveraging his personal es.
