Manchester City defeated Manchester United 2–0 at home, completing a season sweep over their rivals.
Not only did the Etihad Stadium fans remain in the stands long after the final whistle, cheering passionately for head coach Gao Shen and the players, but media and fans alike immediately praised Manchester City's performance.
Almost everyone agreed that City had one foot in the Champions League final.
Manchester United manager Ferguson also admitted in the post-match press conference that failing to score an away goal was a heavy blow for his side.
"In the first thirty minutes, we had a clear advantage."
"Whether it was possession or the chances we created, we were ahead of our opponents."
"We even kept them from getting a single shot off or even entering our box for the last thirty minutes. I can't quite describe the feeling, but at that moment, we all believed we could win."
Ferguson wanted to emphasize that although United lost 0–2, the match didn't reflect total City dominance. Especially in the early stages, City had been forced into a very uncomfortable position. It was the first time all season they had been pressured like that.
Despite the defeat, Ferguson promised a better performance at Old Trafford.
"It's difficult, no doubt, being two goals behind and having conceded no away goals, but I believe we still have a chance at Old Trafford. I spoke to the players after the game, and they are full of confidence."
"I can't reveal specific tactics, but we will perform better than tonight, that much I can promise."
Ferguson's message was clear: Manchester United still had a chance.
Gao Shen agreed.
At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen said the 2–0 result at home was not enough to guarantee progression.
"We're not particularly satisfied with the result, because we should've scored more."
Gao Shen emphasized that Manchester City was at a crucial stage in their season. The team had made progress in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. They had already clinched the league title early, and in both the FA Cup and Champions League semifinals, their opponent was Manchester United.
"I've said before that we are very familiar with Manchester United, and we're confident we can beat them five times this season."
As he said this, Gao Shen raised his right hand, palm open, showing five fingers.
That image quickly spread across websites and media outlets.
Gao Shen had declared his intent to beat Manchester United five times!
"Now, we've completed three wins. Let's aim for the fourth next week. Let's wait and see!"
…
The media response to Manchester City's 2–0 win over Manchester United was fairly measured.
This season in the Premier League, City had remained unbeaten and had already beaten United twice. That level of dominance in the league brought City's status to new heights.
Even with Arsenal's "Invincibles" season as a comparison, City had not only remained unbeaten but also had many more wins.
No matter what happens in the final four rounds, it's widely accepted that Manchester City's achievement has surpassed that of Arsenal's historic run.
So a 2–0 win over United at home? Perfectly normal.
The Times wrote that Manchester City deserved to reach the Champions League final. However, whether they could surpass Barcelona remained to be seen.
Arrigo Sacchi pointed out in his column that Gao Shen's team had almost no obvious weaknesses. Every position was filled by world-class players, making City a team of tremendous overall strength.
"Even before the season started, I said Manchester City would be perfect this season. At the time, people said I was exaggerating Gao Shen's impact. But if you look closely, it's clear that he's had a complete vision for the team from day one. This second season is where it all comes together."
Sacchi explained that this wasn't unique to Gao Shen. It often took coaches at least two or three years to build a team to its peak. But Gao Shen's tactical brilliance, vision in player recruitment, and team-building skills allowed him to do it in under two years.
"With Manchester City's financial power and current form, every major club in Europe will be under pressure in the coming years."
"They'll have to contend with the threat of Manchester City and Gao Shen at all times."
While the British media took a relatively reserved tone despite it being an all-English clash, the European media were far more enthusiastic.
L'Équipe described Manchester City's performance as dominant once again.
"Gao Shen and his team are marching toward the summit of European football."
L'Équipe revealed that if Manchester City won the Champions League this season, Gao Shen would achieve a historic feat.
In just three years, he would have led two clubs that had never played in the Champions League before and won the title in their first appearance.
This would not only be unprecedented in Champions League history, but very likely unrepeatable for many, many years.
"It's an unbelievable achievement. But Gao Shen is just one match away from it."
L'Équipe was clearly not optimistic about Manchester United's chances in the second leg.
Bild, meanwhile, tried to find some solace in defeat.
When Manchester City knocked out Bayern Munich 4–1 away, the German press had gone into mourning. But after City beat United 2–0, the consensus was that losing to such a strong team wasn't so bad.
This was a team destined to win the Champions League.
In a way, it echoed the Chinese national team's self-consolation after the 2002 World Cup.
…
Although strength alone doesn't determine everything on the football pitch, it can often show in key moments.
The day after City's 2–0 win over United, Guardiola took Barcelona to face Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium.
Allegri's team was organized and disciplined. With Cavani leading the line, supported by Vidal, Nainggolan, and Benatia in defense, plus Handanović in goal, Napoli's backline held firm.
This was a steel wall shaped by Gao Shen over three years, and polished further by Allegri.
Even Barcelona struggled to find a breakthrough.
With full energy, Napoli managed to frustrate their opponents. But as fatigue set in, Barcelona's stars began to find space.
In the final ten minutes, Messi came alive, using his brilliance to break down Napoli's defense twice and score both goals.
Guardiola's side eventually left Naples with a 2–0 victory.
Both semifinal first legs ended 2–0, but Barcelona's advantage was bigger than City's.
If Manchester City had one foot in the final, Barcelona had the whole team already there.
The Italian media were generally disappointed, but not surprised.
Napoli was no longer the same side from two years ago. Although Cavani remained in superb form, the departures of Di María and Sánchez had left Napoli's attack reliant almost entirely on Cavani. Winning back-to-back Serie A golden boots was as much as he could do.
In midfield, Hamsik continued to perform consistently. Vidal and Nainggolan were the core, while Pastore had become a revelation after Parejo's departure, emerging as Serie A's breakout star.
Young midfielder Verratti had also broken into the first team and performed impressively.
At the back, Bonucci and Benatia continued to form a solid central pairing, key to Napoli's position at the top of the Serie A table. Fullbacks like Maggio, Danilo, and Alex Sandro made Napoli's wide play dangerous.
Still, Napoli wasn't a true top-tier side.
With heavy investment going into San Paolo's renovation, the club didn't yet have the foundation of an elite giant. As a result, this season, having already won the league and reached the Champions League semifinals—Napoli's players had again become targets for the biggest clubs.
Reports claimed Bayern Munich, desperate for defensive reinforcements, were after Benatia and Vidal. Juventus were also said to be pursuing Vidal and Bonucci. Inter, AC Milan, and even Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Chelsea all had Napoli players on their radar.
This summer's European transfer market was bound to see another frenzy of spending.
Others might not know it yet, but as a "shareholder" in Napoli, Gao Shen had already been briefed by De Laurentiis and Marino.
In addition to the big-name clubs mentioned, they revealed one more name that caught Gao Shen by surprise:
Paris Saint-Germain.
The Qatari-owned powerhouse, newly acquired and flush with cash, had already contacted Napoli well before the takeover. Their sporting director was none other than former Inter Milan boss Leonardo.
Yes, the same unlucky man who was sacked by Inter and now found himself holding a transfer budget worth hundreds of millions. Who wouldn't be envious?
Leonardo clearly understood that, with Ligue 1's current reputation, it was nearly impossible to lure players from top Premier League or La Liga sides. So he turned his eyes to Serie A and the Bundesliga.
And among all the Serie A teams, who was more suitable than Napoli?
De Laurentiis and Marino had never tried to force players to stay. They had sold hundreds of millions worth of talent before and reinvested in infrastructure like the stadium and training center. The two club executives had profited handsomely.
Now, they were following the same path.
That was always Napoli's self-positioning. They never aspired to become a footballing superpower.
Their goal was to be a consistent force in Serie A, a club that finishes near the top every season.
Today, Napoli can strengthen themselves by recruiting from mid- and lower-tier teams, developing talent, and then selling to Europe's elite.
That is the Napoli way.
(To be continued.)