Starting With Real Madrid

On match day, Old Trafford became the brightest beacon in Manchester's night sky.

Thousands of Manchester United fans flooded in from every corner of the city, moving toward the stadium like a red tide.

Highways leading to Manchester were packed with vehicles, as supporters from across the Greater Manchester area and beyond arrived for the game.

The 76,000-seat stadium filled up quickly.

As more fans entered, the energy intensified, like a pot of boiling water, each individual fan a drop that instantly reached its boiling point upon entering.

Even the most reserved gentleman couldn't help but be swept up in the frenzy.

The feeling was addictive.

---

By the time Manchester United's players emerged for warm-ups, the stands were already packed.

The aisles remained crowded, with fans still streaming in, eager to fill every last seat.

As soon as the United players stepped onto the pitch, the atmosphere exploded.

It was as if dry wood had met fire, the fans erupted, chanting 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 Manchester United's third consecutive Champions League semifinal.

After winning the Champions League the previous season, the club was determined to become the first team to defend the title since the tournament's format was changed.

Following the 1-1 draw in Naples, United's confidence was sky-high.

They had the best superstars, the best manager, and the best fans in the world.

And tonight, every supporter in the stadium seemed to be channeling their energy into the players, pushing them toward victory.

---

"Good evening, everyone! We are live from Manchester United's Old Trafford!"

"As you can see, the stadium is already buzzing with anticipation."

"The United squad is warming up, getting a feel for the pitch, while Napoli's players 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 draw, Napoli now faces a must-win situation."

"They have to score at least one goal while avoiding defeat, a nearly impossible challenge at Old Trafford."

"Since the 2000-2001 season, Manchester United has played 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 Coruña in the group stage."

"On February 23, 2005, they lost 0-1 to AC Milan in the Round of 16."

"Other than those rare defeats, Old Trafford has been a fortress."

"The odds are against Napoli pulling off a comeback here."

But at the pre-match press conference, Gao Shen remained defiant.

"No matter how slim the chance, as long as it exists—it's still a chance."

"I believe in my team, and I believe we can 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 Manchester United in the quarterfinals. The first leg ended 0-0 at the Bernabéu. But in the return leg, at Old Trafford, Vicente del Bosque's Madrid won 3-2 and went on to claim the title."

"That match made Del Bosque a legend."

"Until 2006, when I took over Real Madrid and led them to a miraculous double, replacing him as the club's most successful mid-season appointment."

"Tonight, we face a similar situation. Can we replicate what Madrid did nine years ago?"

"The whole world is watching."

"Will Ferguson's Manchester United reach another Champions League final? Or will Gao Shen, the youngest Champions League-winning manager in history, lead the youngest semifinal team in history—Napoli to the final?"

---

Manchester United's Starting Lineup

Ferguson's selection 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," Carlo muttered, 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 dominated the match.

Rooney had been contained. Carrick struggled to dictate play. Manchester United had limited control apart from their goal.

Would Ferguson really not make any changes?

"Hard to say," Gao Shen mused, then smiled.

"Maybe he thinks they got lucky in the first leg and wants to carry that luck into the second."

"Besides—haven't we changed?"

---

Napoli's Starting Lineup

Gao Shen also opted for a 4-3-3 formation, but with some key adjustments.

Formation: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper: Handanović

Defense: Vargas, David Luiz, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner

Midfield: Thiago Motta (deep), Biglia, Rakitic

Forwards: Di María, Cavani, Sánchez

The personnel remained the same, but the roles had shifted.

Rakitic and Biglia swapped positions.

Biglia struggled playing high up in the first leg, so now he would sit deeper.

Rakitic, on the other hand, believed he could push forward more aggressively.

Di María and Sánchez also switched sides.

Di María was confident he could beat O'Shea one-on-one.

On the left flank, where Rooney and Evra operated, Napoli's defense would face a greater challenge.

Unlike the right side, Lichtsteiner wouldn't be able to push forward as aggressively, leaving fewer opportunities for overlapping support.

But Gao Shen had another objective in mind.

He wanted to turn Napoli's left flank, where Vargas, Rakitic, and Di María played into the team's primary attacking channel.

His plan was simple: overwhelm Manchester United's right side.

---

Inside Manchester 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 changed either.

"That makes sense," said Mike Phelan, Ferguson's assistant. "This is their regular 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 second-guessing each other's tactics.

And yet, Ferguson had guessed wrong.

"Enough guessing," Ferguson said firmly.

Phelan and Meulensteen immediately turned to him, waiting for instructions.

"Napoli has no choice but to attack tonight. I'm certain they'll start aggressively, it's what they do best."

His assistants nodded. That much was clear.

"So, we need to use our home advantage. We take control early, pin them back, score first, and kill their momentum before they can get going."

Ferguson wasn't going to let Napoli dictate the pace.

He had seen firsthand how dangerous their attacking 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 dominance in Europe had always been built on a solid defensive core.

But based on how the first leg ended, even Ferguson knew Napoli could be lethal if given the chance.

---

Inside Napoli's Locker Room

As the players 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 attacking.

"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 players back to help defend—Park Ji-sung and Rooney will have to drop deep."

On the defensive end, Gao Shen emphasized one thing:

"Manchester United doesn't always look for Ronaldo first on the counter. He's not suited to holding the ball under pressure in central 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."

In recent years, United's tactical shift had seen their forwards dropping deeper to receive the ball, before initiating attacks.

If Napoli could neutralize Rooney, United's entire game plan would suffer.

"But Ferguson will have adjusted too," Gao Shen reminded them. "So, we must be ready to adapt on the fly."

Then, his voice hardened.

---

"Guys, you've all seen it."

"Everyone outside expects us to lose."

"Some are even throwing around statistics, saying our chances of winning are under 4%."

He paused, scanning the faces of his players.

"I don't know who came up with those numbers, or what their purpose is. I only know one thing—"

"We are just one step away from the Champions League final!"

He turned and pointed to the locker room door.

"Go through that door, beat Manchester United—"

"And we make history again!"