Starting With Real Madrid

Both teams played in the Champions League midweek and faced strong opponents in the league over the weekend, but the outcomes were drastically different.

The formidable Napoli defeated Juventus 1-0 away, thanks to Cannavaro's decisive goal. They secured three vital points and further extended their lead at the top of Serie A.

Meanwhile, Mourinho's Inter Milan could only manage a 3-3 draw at home against Roma, failing to maintain pressure on Napoli and watching as Gao Shen and his team disappeared further into the distance.

This sparked a heated response in the Italian media following the matches.

The media showered Napoli, and especially Gao Shen, with all the praise they could muster. Who would have thought that Napoli, after scoring a crucial away victory against Chelsea midweek, would go on to clinch another decisive win against Juventus?

The key detail: in both matches, the players who delivered the decisive blows were substitutions made by Gao Shen.

In the away match against Juventus, it was Pastore who earned the corner, Parejo who delivered it, and Cannavaro Jr., Napoli's fourth-choice center-back, who scored the winning header. All of this pointed to Gao Shen's masterful control over the Napoli squad, demonstrating his ability to orchestrate them like an extension of his own body.

Consider this: Cannavaro is currently a substitute among substitutes, but he showed no signs of rust after coming on. His sharp performance only underscored the exceptional job Gao Shen and his staff have done in keeping the players fit and ready.

Even more impressively, Napoli has had the fewest player absences due to injuries in all of Serie A this season.

On the other hand, after Napoli widened their lead, Gazzetta dello Sport reported discontent brewing within Inter Milan's locker room.

Veteran players like Materazzi, Vieira, and Crespo were reportedly unhappy with Mourinho's failure to implement an effective rotation system, which resulted in a significant lack of playing time for the team's substitutes.

In stark contrast, Napoli's approach was meticulously efficient.

Gazzetta dello Sport even devoted an entire page to comparing the playing time of players from both teams, revealing that every single member of Napoli's first-team squad had seen action this season, with substantial minutes across the board. Even young talents like Insigne and Verratti had received playing time. While these appearances were often in less critical matches or during "garbage time," they were valuable opportunities for these players to gain experience and adjust to Serie A.

Mourinho, by contrast, stuck with players he trusted and was familiar with, limiting opportunities for others. This led to diminished playing time for Materazzi, Vieira, and Crespo.

When asked, Mourinho defended his choices by saying the veterans were simply too old. However, this didn't sit well with them, and many media outlets criticized him for neglecting players who had once been key to Inter's success.

Adding to Inter's troubles, after their 3-3 draw with Roma, Roma's head coach, Spalletti, publicly accused Mourinho and his team of receiving favoritism from the referees.

"Inter Milan is doing now what people used to accuse Juventus of doing," Spalletti said, referencing Juventus' infamous scandals before the Calciopoli incident.

Spalletti's frustration stemmed from a questionable penalty awarded to Inter during the match. Balotelli converted the penalty, allowing Inter to salvage a point. Without that decision, Roma would have taken all three points.

For Roma, this wasn't just about pride. They're currently seventh in Serie A, tied on points with Cagliari, just two points ahead of Atalanta and Palermo. However, they're six points behind sixth-placed Genoa. If not for the penalty, Roma would have closed the gap with Genoa to four points and created a more comfortable cushion over their pursuers, a critical distinction for their European ambitions.

Spalletti was livid about the referee's decision, which he believed cost Roma two vital points.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Spalletti declared, "Inter's performance tonight doesn't deserve the draw."

He added, "If I had to pick now, this season's Serie A champion should be Napoli. Gao Shen's team has demonstrated true dominance on the pitch. They deserve the title."

Spalletti acknowledged that stronger teams tend to receive slight favoritism from referees, calling it an inevitable psychological bias. Roma themselves, he admitted, had benefited from it in the past.

"But in critical matches like this, referees must be more cautious. Decisions that affect the outcome of the game should be handled with extreme care. Tonight, the referee clearly failed to remain impartial," Spalletti said.

These remarks caused a major stir.

Mourinho, unsurprisingly, fired back, saying there was nothing wrong with the penalty decision.

"The only thing Spalletti got right," Mourinho quipped, "is that referees favor the strong teams and we are the strongest team in Serie A."

This provoked an immediate response from Spalletti. "Are you the team that's seven points behind the Serie A leaders right now?"

The Roma coach added, "I understand why Mourinho is in denial, he's afraid of losing the championship. But honestly, if you ask anyone, I can't think of a single reason why they wouldn't pick Napoli."

"The best-performing team this season is the strongest team."

Mourinho retorted quickly, "So what if we're seven points behind? There are still 12 rounds left in Serie A. The fight isn't over."

"At least we're competing for the championship, not scrambling for Europa League qualification," he added.

The back-and-forth between the two prominent managers captured the attention of the media and fans in Milan and Rome, sparking intense debates across Italy. The league was suddenly alive with tension and excitement.

Then, Gao Shen posted a tweet.

Accompanied by a cartoonishly aggrieved face, his tweet read, "Come on, you two big guys, keep arguing. Just don't drag me into it! I'm young, I'm still a kid!"

Strangely enough, Gao Shen's tweet had an immediate effect. Mourinho and Spalletti both stopped arguing. The Milanese and Roman media, as if on cue, turned their attention toward Naples.

What happened?

It was later reported that after seeing Gao Shen's tweet, both Mourinho and Spalletti were so infuriated that they called each other, vented about Gao Shen's shamelessness, and agreed to a truce.

Mourinho allegedly cursed, "This guy steals the spotlight and acts innocent."

Even Spalletti couldn't help but grumble, "How can someone so cunning pretend to be so harmless?"

Gao Shen, hearing all this, simply shrugged. "Who did I offend this time?"

…

Perhaps the tension from the argument lingered, but Mourinho clearly felt the heat.

In the midweek Italian Cup semi-final first leg against Sampdoria, Mourinho fielded both Materazzi and Vieira, alongside several other substitutes and rotation players. Even the goalkeeper was switched from Cesar to Toldo.

This lineup showed that Mourinho was prioritizing the league and Champions League over the domestic cup.

However, the plan backfired spectacularly.

Just nine minutes in, Sampdoria's Cassano found the net. By the 30th and 42nd minutes, Pazzini, a winter signing, scored twice, giving Sampdoria a 3-0 lead by halftime.

Mourinho brought on Crespo and Obinna in the second half to boost the attack, but it was too little, too late. Inter Milan suffered a humiliating defeat.

In the post-match press conference, a frustrated Mourinho lashed out, calling his team's performance amateurish. He also directed his anger at the substitutes, saying, "Before, people criticized me for not rotating players. Now, you've seen why I stick to the same starters."

"The difference in quality was obvious tonight."

His comments sparked widespread outrage. Though clearly fueled by frustration, Mourinho's remarks only deepened tensions within Inter's locker room.

Inter's management scrambled to contain the fallout. Both Moratti and Branca publicly downplayed the issue, insisting Mourinho's words had been misinterpreted and denying any internal conflicts.

Still, whispers persisted that Mourinho had been looking for an excuse to abandon the Italian Cup entirely and focus on the league and Champions League.

…

While Inter Milan suffered a blow, Napoli took a comfortable 3-1 victory over Lazio in their Italian Cup semi-final first leg.

Eighteen minutes into the match, Thiago Motta threaded a pass to Cavani, who calmly slotted it past the keeper.

In the 27th minute, Lichtsteiner played a through ball, allowing Cavani to beat the offside trap and score his second.

Seven minutes later, Vargas sent in a cross, which Lazio's center-back cleared poorly. Rakitic chested the ball down and smashed a volley from outside the box into the net. 3-0.

Though Lazio pulled one back in the second half, the damage was already done. Napoli secured a crucial away win.

…

Three days later, in the 27th round of Serie A, Napoli faced Lazio at home.

Five minutes in, Pelle controlled the ball in the box, turned, and fired it into the net to give Napoli an early lead.

In the 40th minute, Pelle scored again, doubling Napoli's advantage.

The match ended 2-0, with Pelle's brace sealing another win for Napoli.

Inter Milan also won their match, beating Genoa 2-0 with goals from Ibrahimovic and Balotelli.

The gap between the two teams remained seven points, but with only 11 rounds left, the title race was becoming increasingly one-sided.

…

After the 27th round, Napoli prepared to host Hiddink's Chelsea.