Juventus did not make their first threatening terattatil the 16th minute.

  After a successful interception in midfield, Paro quickly delivered a through ball directly behind the Napoli defense. Bojinov spri top speed, chasing the ball.

  Just as the Bulgarian forward was about to break through the offside trap, a blue figure dashed back at an even faster pace. David Luiz quickly caught up from behind, gradually closing the gap. Using his body, he leaned into Bojinov, f him to slow down, and then skillfully stole the ball.

  The Bulgariao the ground again, but the referee did not blow his whistle, signaling for py to tinue.

  David Luiz's brilliant recovery tackle earned him enthusiastic appuse from the crowd.

  "Great job, David!" Gao Shen shouted from the sidelines.

  Iands, Napoli fans cheered wildly.

  It was a magnifit piece of defending that showcased David Luiz's impressive individual abilities and speed truly a testament to his potential.

  "That's the way! Keep it up, e on!" Gao Shen cpped his hands vigorously in encement.

  Turning around, he saw that Carlo, Lucas, Bueura, and the others were all equally excited.

  Juventus had yet to take a single shot on target.

  And this was Juventus!

  Looking over at the opposing bench, Deschamps appeared agitated and on the verge of colpse, whily added to the enjoyment and satisfa.

  "Last season, whether at the Stadio delle Alpi or at the Bernabeu, we were utterly embarrassed by Juventus. This is sweet revenge!" Lucas excimed with excitement.

  Exactly who could disagree?

  Though Napoli and Real Madrid were two different teams, fao Shen, taking revenge on Juventus while leading Napoli seemed perfectly natural.

  Besides, that guy Secco was sitting iands.

  With that thought, Gao Shen turned around, raised his head, and looked towards the chairman's stand behind him. Though he couldn't quite make out where Secco was sitting, he could almost imagihe embarrassment on the Juventus sp director's fabsp;

  Hold on!

  We haven't scored yet!

  Gao Shen thought expetly.

  More than ten minutes into the game, Juventus had yet tanize a det attack, but their defense remained solid.

  The 4-1-4-1 formation ensured a well-anized deferucture, and Deschamps was known for his ability to manipute a team's defense effectively.

  To break down Juventus's defense, Napoli's attackers would o step up their game even more.

  Gao Shen stood silently on the sidelines. He believed his pyers knew what they o do.

  They wouldn't let him down.

  Absolutely not!

  ...

  The Napoli pyers clearly uood the situation och. Each was determio press Juventus hard, patiently probing for opportunities, especially with quick terattacks.

  Juventus's 4-1-4 formation made for a very pact defensive line.

  Marne and Nedved were positioned on the fnks. While these two pyers didn't offer mu attack, they were invaluable in defense. Marne, in particur, doggedly tracked Vargas every time he ventured forward on the left for Napoli.

  This made it difficult for Napoli's left-side bination of Vargas and Gervinho to truly threaten.

  Gervinho found himself isoted iack, and though Birindelli was experienced, apart from that one dangerous cross earlier, Gervinho hadn't managed much else.

  As a result, the game fell into a stalemate.

  Napoli trolled the possession and pace, dominating Juventus och, but their attacks cked real danger, and they were uo break the deadlobsp;

  ...

  "Lots of hreat," Secco scoffed from the stands as Napoli once again attempted a pass into the Juventus penalty area, only to see it cleared away.

  He had lost t of how many times this had happened.

  Although each attempt made him nervous, they had mao hold out every time.

  Initially, Secco was genuinely worried, but his s eased as the team's defense held firm.

  "Eventually, there will be a time when you 't hold on," Maried calmly.

  Secco was uurbed. Although Juventus were giants, they were away from home, and their style had always been built around defense and ter-attacks.

  "Did you watch the 2003 Champions League final? We maintain this type of defense for 120 minutes," Secco boasted. The game was sidered overly servative by some, but to professionals, it was a mastercss in defense and tactibsp;

  It was, in many ways, the pinnacle of Serie A i years.

  "Didn't you still lose in the end?" De Laurentiis sneered.

  Secco's face froze momentarily but quickly rexed.

  "Maybe, you won't o defend for that long. When you 't attack for a while..." Secco chuckled.

  De Laurentiis and Marino exged gnces, both uanding there was truth to what Secco said.

  When a team is attag for a prolonged period without success, it's often at its most vulnerable especially a young team like Napoli.

  At that moment, Napoli tried to pass the ball to Pelle again. After using his body to shield Kovac, Pelle tried to y it back, but Zai, who had dropped back to help defend, intercepted it.

  Napoli's attack had failed once more.

  Secco ughed. "Ygest mistake tonight is starting Pelle. He 't hahe iy of a game like this."

  her De Laurentiis nor Marino could refute him.

  Truth be told, since joining Napoli, Pelle had not performed impressively. i, oher hand, had been excellent; the Uruguayan was arguably Napoli's best performer this summer.

  But for reasons unknown, Gao Shen had benched i and started Pelle instead. What was he thinking?

  Was it really, as Secco suggested, a fatal mistake?

  Just then, Napoli anized atabsp;

  ...

  Pelle felt that Juventus's ter-attacks were ckluster.

  Against David Luiz, Bojinov had been uo gain any advantage, rendering Juventus's ter-attacks toothless.

  The Bianeri were pying like a tortoise head tucked in, just waiting for Napoli to tire themselves out.

  But Juventus's defense was pad left Napoli little room to work with.

  Every attempt to create a threatening opportunity was thwarted by Juventus pyers.

  Pelle felt frustrated.

  He had been trying his best. Both Gao Shen and Borrell had told him repeatedly that even if he couldn't score, he o create space for his teammates.

  But how could he create that spabsp;

  It sounded simple, but how was he supposed to do it?

  Pellet was troubled.

  Both the coad Borrell had said that this sort of thing was something he had to figure out on his own.

  But how?

  If he knew how, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first pbsp;

  Maybe he just wasn't cut out for this role.

  Pelle thought in frustration.

  Atack fizzled out, and Napoli quickly switched to pressing. Juventus failed to clear the ball effectively and were forced to kick it out for a throw-in.

  Gervinho wao take the throw-in, but Vargas moved in.

  The Peruvian full-back quickly stepped forward aured fervinho and Hamsik to e over.

  Pelle sidered moving over to support, but seeing that there were already three teammates there, he felt it might be overcrowded and decided to hold his position in the middle.

  Vargas threw the ball in. Gervinho passed it to Hamsik, then made a run into the penalty area, anticipating a return pass. However, Juventus had already caught onto the tactibsp;

  Hamsik, having no good options, passed back tas on the left.

  The Peruvian full-back trolled the ball just ihe sideline and looked towards the penalty area. Seeing Pelle raising his hand, Vargas crossed with his left foot.

  The ball curved towards the penalty area.

  Pelle wrestled with Kovaable to face the goal directly.

  Kovac wasn't tall and couldn't physically match Pelle, but he was experienced, alositioning himself between Pelle and the goal. With a keeper like Buffon behind him, Juventus's defense was nearly imperable.

  But as the ball came over, Pelle could see the entire left side of the penalty area. He noticed Gervinh and making a run bato the box after spotting Vargas's cross.

  A sudden idea fshed in his mind.

  Using his body, Pelle pressed against Kovac, f him to back up two steps. When the ball desded, he chested it down and, before it could touch the ground, forward with his foot.

  "e on!" Pellet shouted loudly.

  He didn't know if Gervinho would uand his iion or rea time.

  Almost simultaneously with Pelle's shout, Gervinho turned, accelerated, shrugged off Birindelli, and spriraight to the left er of the six-yard box, tg onto Pelle's pass.

  It happened in the blink of an eye. Gervinho, reag the ball, didn't hesitate he struck it ly with his right foot. The ball flew in a near-straight line, like a bolt of lightning, smashing into the .

  1-0!!!

  Buffon was disrupted by Pelle, and by the time he reacted and dived to the side, it was already a bit too te.

  Gervinho's shot finally found the back of Juventus' .

  The entire crowd at the San Paulo Stadium had been holding their breath sihe throw-in, and at that moment, an explosion of thunderous cheers erupted.

  Amidst the r cheers of the fans, Gervinho turned and sprinted out of the Juventus penalty area, running all the way to the sideline, celebrating non-stop, releasing all his inement and joy.

  The entire San Paulo Stadium instantly transformed into a sea of celebration.