On match day, Old Trafford became the brightest bea in Maer's night sky.
Thousands of Maer United fans flooded in from every er of the city, moving toward the stadium like a red tide.
Highways leading to Maer were packed with vehicles, as supporters from across the Greater Maer area and beyond arrived for the game.
The 76,000-seat stadium filled up quickly.
As more faered, the energy intensified, like a pot of boiling water, eadividual fan a drop that instantly reached its boiling point upoering.
Even the most reserved gentleman couldn't help but be swept up in the frenzy.
The feeling was addictive.
---
By the time Maer United's pyers emerged for warm-ups, the stands were already packed.
The aisles remained crowded, with fans still streaming in, eager to fill every st seat.
As soon as the United pyers stepped onto the pitch, the atmosphere exploded.
It was as if dry wood had met fire, the faed, ting the club's name and screaming out the names of their favorite stars.
The TV cameras captured the faces in the crowd, flushed with excitement and adrenaline.
This was Maer United's third secutive Champions League semifinal.
After winning the Champions League the previous season, the club was determio bee the first team to defend the title sihe tour's format was ged.
Following the 1-1 draw in Naples, United's fidence was sky-high.
They had the best superstars, the best manager, and the best fans in the world.
And tonight, every supporter iadium seemed to be eling their energy into the pyers, pushing them toward victory.
---
"Good evening, everyone! We are live from Maer United's Old Trafford!"
"As you see, the stadium is already buzzing with anticipation."
"The United squad is warming up, getting a feel for the pitch, while Napoli's pyers have just stepped out, greeted immediately by a chorus of boos from the Red Devils' supporters."
"After the first leg ended in a 1-1 draoli now faces a must-win situation."
"They have to score at least one goal while avoidi, a nearly impossible challe Old Trafford."
"Sihe 2000-2001 season, Maer United has pyed 53 Champions League matches at home. Tonight is their 54th."
"In those 53 games, they've only lost twice."
"On October 17, 2001, they lost 2-3 to Deportivo La Coru?a in the group stage."
"On February 23, 2005, they lost 0-1 to A in the Round of 16."
"Other than those rare defeats, Old Trafford has been a fortress."
"The odds are against Napoli pulling off a eback here."
But at the pre-match press ference, Gao Shen remained defiant.
"No matter how slim the ce, as long as it exists—it's still a ce."
"I believe in my team, and I believe we turn this around."
Gao Shen even referenced a famous moment from Champions League history:
"Look at the 1999-2000 season."
"Back then, Real Madrid faced Maer United in the quarterfinals. The first leg ended 0-0 at the Bernabéu. But iurn leg, at Old Trafford, Vite del Bosque's Madrid won 3-2 a on to cim the title."
"That match made Del Bosque a legend."
"Until 2006, when I took over Real Madrid ahem to a miraculous double, repg him as the club's most successful mid-season appoi."
"Tonight, we face a simir situation. we replicate what Madrid did nine years ago?"
"The whole world is watg."
"Will Ferguson's Maer United reaother Champions League final? Or will Gao Shen, the you Champions League-winning manager in history, lead the you semifinal team in history—Napoli to the final?"
---
Maer United's Starting Lineup
Ferguson's sele surprised many.
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper: Van der Sar
Defense: Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea
Midfield: Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher
Forwards: Rooney, Ronaldo, Park Ji-sung
It was the exact same lineup as the first leg.
"That's odd," uttered, uneasily.
"Ferguson isn't the type to repeat the same approach without adjustments."
"Is this a psychological ploy?" Zidane added, also skeptical.
Why would Ferguson stick with the same tactics?
The first leg ended 1-1, and though United scored an away goal, they hadn't domihe match.
Rooney had been tained. Carrick struggled to dictate py. Maer United had limited trol apart from their goal.
Would Ferguson really not make any ges?
"Hard to say," Gao Shen mused, then smiled.
"Maybe he thinks they got lucky in the first leg and wants to carry that luto the sed."
"Besides—haven't we ged?"
---
Napoli's Starting Lineup
Gao Shen also opted for a 4-3-3 formation, but with some key adjustments.
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper: Handanovi?
Defense: Vargas, David Luiz, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner
Midfield: Thiago Motta (deep), Biglia, Rakitic
Forwards: Di María, i, Sánchez
The personnel remaihe same, but the roles had shifted.
Rakitid Biglia sed positions.
Biglia struggled pying high up in the first leg, so now he would sit deeper.
Rakiti the other hand, believed he could push forward mgressively.
Di María and Sánchez also switched sides.
Di María was fident he could beat O'Shea one-on-one.
On the left fnk, where Rooney and Evra operated, Napoli's defense would face a greater challenge.
Uhe right side, Lichtsteiner wouldn't be able to push forward as aggressively, leaving fewer opportunities for overpping support.
But Gao Shen had another objective in mind.
He wao turn Napoli's left fnk, where Vargas, Rakitid Di María pyed into the team's primary attag el.
His pn was simple: overwhelm Maer United's right side.
---
Inside Maer United's Locker Room
As Gao Shen received United's starting lineup, Ferguson was handed Napoli's lineup in the home dressing room.
He was just as surprised.
Napoli hadn't ged either.
"That makes sense," said Mike Phen, Ferguson's assistant. "This is their regur starting eleven. Gao Shen only uses a 4-2-3-1 in league matches or during squad rotations. In big games, he always sticks with 4-3-3."
René Meulensteen frowned. "But his 4-2-3-1 has been very effective before."
That was the beauty of Champions League knockout ties both sides spent days sed-guessing each other's tactics.
A, Ferguson had guessed wrong.
"Enough guessing," Ferguson said firmly.
Phen and Meulensteen immediately turo him, waiting for instrus.
"Napoli has no choice but to attack tonight. I'm certain they'll start aggressively, it's what they do best."
His assistants hat much was clear.
"So, we o use our home advantage. We take trol early, pin them back, score first, and kill their momentum before they get going."
Ferguson wasn't going to let Napoli dictate the pace.
He had seen firsthand how dangerous their attag waves were in the final moments of the first leg.
If Napoli went on the offensive, United would be under enormous defensive pressure.
United's dominan Europe had always been built on a solid defensive core.
But based on how the first leg ended, even Ferguson kneoli could be lethal if given the ce.
---
Inside Napoli's Locker Room
As the pyers returned from warm-ups, they expected Gao Shen to set up the tactical board, as he always did.
But this time, he didn't.
Instead, he read out United's starting lineup, highlighting a few key areas to watch.
Limit Rooney and Carrick.
Track Ronaldo's movements.
Then, his focus shifted to attag.
"Di María, your job is to pin down O'Shea. Sánchez, keep Evra occupied. If we win our one-on-ones out wide, United will have no choice but to pull extra pyers back to help defend—Park Ji-sung and Rooney will have to drop deep."
On the defensive end, Gao Shen emphasized ohing:
"Maer United doesn't always look for Ronaldo first on the ter. He's not suited to holding the ball under pressure iral areas. Instead, their attacks usually start with Rooney or Anderson."
"So, our defensive focus should be on cutting off the supply to Ronaldo not just marking him directly."
I years, United's tactical shift had seen their forwards dropping deeper to receive the ball, before initiating attacks.
If Napoli could ralize Rooney, United's entire game pn would suffer.
"But Ferguson will have adjusted too," Gao Shen remihem. "So, we must be ready to adapt on the fly."
Then, his voice hardened.
---
"Guys, you've all seen it."
"Everyoside expects us to lose."
"Some are even throwing around statistics, saying our ces of winning are under 4%."
He paused, sing the faces of his pyers.
"I don't know who came up with those numbers, or what their purpose is. I only know ohing—"
"We are just oep away from the Champions League final!"
He turned and poio the locker room door.
"Gh that door, beat Maer United—"
"And we make histain!"
