Starting With Real Madrid

Relying too heavily on a single star player is never a sustainable strategy.

In Ferguson's eyes, he had no regrets about building his tactical system around Ronaldo, but he was also well aware of its flaws.

Looking back, the Scottish manager believed that Manchester United's best overall performance in recent years came during the 2006-07 season.

At that time, Ronaldo had only just been established as the focal point of the attack. The team's tactical coordination remained fluid, and the players complemented each other well. That season, United scored 83 league goals, the second-highest tally for the club in the new century.

The only season with a higher total was 2001-02, when United had scored 87 goals. That was the peak era of the Class of '92, with Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, and Keane in midfield, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had just arrived from PSV leading the attack.

More importantly, in 2006-07, United only conceded 27 goals in the league, a massive improvement over the 44 goals conceded in 2001-02. This was a clear indication of the team's dominance in the Premier League.

That season, Ronaldo registered 17 goals and 16 assists, while Rooney contributed 14 goals and 12 assists.

Additionally, key players like Saha, Solskjær, Scholes, and Giggs all performed exceptionally well. United were in their prime, excelling at both ends of the pitch.

However, their Champions League journey ended in disappointment, as they were eliminated in the semifinals.

The following season, subtle changes began to emerge.

Ronaldo exploded with a career-best goal tally, scoring 31 league goals and providing 7 assists. Rooney added 12 goals and 13 assists, while Tevez contributed 14 goals and 6 assists.

United's front three were individually brilliant.

Yet, the team's overall goal tally dropped to 80, noticeably lower than the previous season.

And this season, the decline was even steeper.

With 34 league games played, United had managed only 63 goals even fewer than Liverpool, a team not traditionally known for its attacking firepower.

Ferguson knew something was wrong.

Among the various data points analyzed by Fernando Lucas, one particular statistic stood out.

In many games over the past two seasons, Ronaldo alone had taken as many shots as the entire opposing team. In some matches, his attempts accounted for over half of United's total shots.

This was an unhealthy dynamic.

It often took Ronaldo ten or more shots to score a goal, which led to him earning the nickname "Long-Range Ronaldo."

Another revealing statistic:

Berbatov, one of Ferguson's most highly-rated center forwards, struggled to connect with Ronaldo.

So far, the Bulgarian had provided 16 through balls that put Ronaldo in one-on-one situations.

How many had Ronaldo converted into goals?

Zero.

It was this imbalance that led Ferguson to make the pivotal decision to try to sign Benzema and sell Ronaldo. He knew United's current system couldn't continue as it was.

But football is unpredictable. No matter how much a manager plans, the game has a way of making its own decisions.

As the match entered the 77th minute, Manchester United launched a rapid counterattack.

Carrick collected the ball and quickly played it out to Evra on the left flank.

The French full-back surged forward, pushing into Napoli's half. As he approached the halfway line, he glanced up and spotted Rooney making a run. Without hesitation, Evra delivered a diagonal pass toward him.

But Lichtsteiner challenged Rooney in the air and won the header.

Unfortunately, the Swiss right-back failed to clear it properly.

The ball dropped awkwardly landing right at the edge of the penalty area.

Berbatov was the first to react, intercepting the loose ball.

With a smooth touch, he dribbled past Thiago Motta, using his body to shield the ball from Bonucci. As David Luiz rushed in to challenge, the Bulgarian forward skillfully slid the ball between Napoli's two center-backs, threading it into the penalty area.

Holding his position with his back to goal, Berbatov delicately flicked the ball into space.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived first, sprinting past Vargas to meet the pass. In one fluid motion, he guided the ball past Handanović and into the Napoli net.

For a brief moment, San Paolo Stadium fell silent.

Then came the uproar.

Napoli fans stood in stunned disbelief.

After seventy-seven minutes of deadlock, the breakthrough had finally come.

On the touchline, Gao Shen's heart clenched the moment the ball hit the net. Instinctively, he clasped his hands over his head, then turned away in frustration, heading back toward the bench.

"Damn it! He actually scored this time!" he muttered, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Seventeen attempts. Seventeen!

And only now does he decide to put one away?

What were you doing for the first sixteen, Ronaldo?

At this moment, Gao Shen truly felt like he was managing a game of Football Manager. He had seen this scenario before, where a player finally opens their account for the season at the most inopportune moment.

Cristiano Ronaldo's goal felt exactly like that.

"I guess he missed sixteen times just to make sure the seventeenth went in," Zidane said wryly, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

There was nothing Napoli could have done about it. The goal came from an unfortunate series of events rather than a defensive lapse.

Lichtsteiner's clearance was rushed due to Rooney's pressure.

Berbatov, renowned for his exquisite ball control, managed to hold possession despite being double-teamed.

And once Ronaldo got up to full speed, no one was stopping him.

Napoli had done an excellent job containing United all night.

But football only needs one moment.

And this time, United took it.

"What now?" Zidane asked, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice.

Only twelve minutes remained.

Gao Shen didn't hesitate.

Substitutions.

Hamsik replaces Thiago Motta.

Pellè replaces Cavani.

Napoli shifted from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.

A full offensive press.

Because at this point, there was no other choice.

Before the match, Ferguson had been puzzled.

Why had Gao Shen not attacked in the opening stages of either half?

It didn't match the aggressive style Napoli had displayed in previous matches.

At one point, Ferguson even suspected that Gao Shen was deliberately holding something back.

But the moment Napoli threw everything forward, Ferguson knew.

This was what he had been waiting for.

His tension eased.

So, without hesitation, he made a counter-move.

Substitution: Anderson off, Giggs on.

Ferguson was looking to hit back on the counter.

Napoli had played with a 4-2-3-1 setup for three seasons. Every player was familiar with their roles.

As soon as the change was made, the intensity skyrocketed.

High pressing. Relentless pressure.

Manchester United's midfield, already struggling, was now completely overwhelmed.

Ferguson didn't make another substitution. Instead, he reorganized the midfield and had Rooney drop deeper to help out.

"This kid is fearless," Ferguson chuckled.

He never expected Ronaldo to score from a Berbatov assist.

The two rarely combined for goals.

Sixteen failed shots.

And now, in a Champions League semifinal, Ronaldo suddenly delivers a decisive moment.

Now that United had a priceless away goal, Ferguson's immediate priority was preserving the lead and possibly extending it if the opportunity arose.

But when Napoli goes all-out, they aren't easy to contain.

Especially on the wings.

With Pellè now leading the line, Napoli's tactical adjustments became clear.

Di María and Sánchez were completely unleashed.

Unfortunately for United, their center-backs were already fatigued from dealing with Cavani.

The Uruguayan forward had run them ragged all match, constantly pressing, battling for duels, and disrupting their defensive line.

Of the two center-backs, Ferdinand was struggling the most.

Plagued by injuries all season. first a groin strain, then back issues. Ferdinand had already missed a significant number of games.

And now, after absorbing relentless pressure from Cavani, his energy reserves were running low.

By the 83rd minute, Ferguson hesitated, then made the decision.

Substitution: Ferdinand off, Evans on.

Three minutes later, Napoli seized their moment.

United lost possession in midfield.

Biglia intercepted the ball and immediately played it forward to Di María, who had dropped back to receive.

Ronaldo didn't track him.

Di María surged forward along the left flank, dribbling with intent.

Just past midfield, before Fletcher could close in, he squared a pass to Hamsik in the empty space behind him.

Then, without breaking stride, Di María pointed forward, signaling for the return ball.

Hamsik, reading the move perfectly, delivered a first-time pass behind O'Shea.

Di María accelerated, sprinting onto it.

Just like that, O'Shea was bypassed.

Two passes.

One breakthrough.

As Di María took his next stride, he spotted Vidic charging forward to challenge him.

Without hesitation, he poked the ball past him, then used his pace to burst around the outside.

One-two. Past Vidic.

"Brilliant play! Napoli's counterattack is on!"

The San Paolo crowd erupted.

Di María caught up to the ball, now inside the left edge of the penalty area.

Napoli's options were taking shape.

Pellè was still slightly behind the play.

Sánchez, however, had made a sprint from the right and was arriving in the box.

Only Evans stood in front of Di María.

Further back, Carrick was trailing, trying to recover, while O'Shea and Fletcher were chasing.

But they were too far behind.

Di María hesitated for only a fraction of a second before making his choice.

He would take on Evans one-on-one.