Napoli scored a thrilling victory in their Champions League debut of the season . At the Estádio Municipal de Braga, the Azzurri narrowly beat the hosts 2-1 thanks to a final-minute own goal from Niakatè.
First three points in the group for the Neapolitans, tied at the top with Real Madrid , who won at home against Union Berlin.
Garcia postpones Natan 's debut once again : Rrahmani returns to defense in front of Meret alongside Juan Jesus while Olivera takes his place on the left, with captain Di Lorenzo on the right. In midfield there is no news: there is Lobotka with Anguissa and Zielinski.
In the attacking trio, both Lindstrom and Raspadori were excluded from the start : Politano was the starter alongside Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia . Artur Jorge 's Braga lined up in a mirror image.
Matheus is in goal , Fonte and Niakatè are the central defenders, while Borja and Gomez act as full-backs. Al Musrati and Vitor Carvalho are the central midfielders in Ricardo Horta 's midfield . The lone striker is Abel Ruiz , with Djalo and Bruma playing wide alongside him.
Napoli attacks, Braga resists.
Osimhen stopped by the goalkeeper and the crossbar
Braga started strongly , thanks to an error by Juan Jesus : Horta was blocked by Meret who sent a corner from a shot in the area on the turn. In the 5th minute came the first chance of a half dominated in terms of chances by Napoli : Osimhen found himself one-on-one with Matheus following a mistake in Fonte's clearance, but the goalkeeper did well to save.
Five minutes later, the Nigerian comes close to scoring again with a header: Matheus miraculously deflects the ball onto the post, and Di Lorenzo then has the same opportunity, but the Portuguese goalkeeper once again thwarts him. The bad news for the Azzurri comes in the 13th minute: Rrahmani requests a substitution due to a muscle problem, and Ostigard comes on in his place.
An inattention from Anguissa shortly after conceded a dangerous free kick to the home team: Djalo 's left-footed shot whistled to the right of the post of a motionless Meret. The visitors' reaction was immediate and once again came from Osimhen , who headed Politano 's cross past Matehus : the ball went just wide.
In the 26th minute, Osimhen, unleashed (and very unlucky), came close to scoring again: a tremendous shot from outside the area that hit the crossbar . In the following minutes, Abel Ruiz had a double chance : first he just missed the post with his header, then he found himself one-on-one with Meret and needed a decisive intervention from Ostigard at the moment of the shot to deflect it to a corner.
It remains 0-0.
Captain Di Lorenzo unlocks: Napoli ahead of Braga at 45'
The episode that could have changed the match came in the 33rd minute: Politano shot from outside the box, but Matheus made an unsafe save . Osimhen pounced on the ball and fell to the ground after a challenge with Niakatè : the referee awarded the penalty to Napoli.
After a VAR review , however, the entire match was overturned: the foul was committed by the Nigerian while sliding, and so the game restarted with a free kick for the Portuguese. In injury time, Braga 's wall finally fell.
Kvaratskhelia 's cross towards Osimhen , the number 9 is anticipated by the defense but the ball ends up at the feet of Di Lorenzo : a dirty left-footed shot that bounces off the ground and goes under the crossbar to make it 1-0 for the Azzurri. Partenopei go into the break with a deserved lead.
The pace slowed in the second half, but Napoli knew how to create danger. Braga were no exception and responded by finding their chances to inflict damage.
In the 57th minute, Osimhen was extremely dangerous : the Nigerian received the ball on the edge of the area and, after a series of feints, let loose a right-footed shot that ended up just wide of the post. The Portuguese team's reaction was entrusted to Horta , who took advantage of Lobotka 's inattention and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the area: the ball went wide.
Braga equalises with Bruma, Napoli still ahead after 4'
First changes for Garcia : Raspadori and Elmas come on, Kvaratskhelia 's match ends , as does Politano 's.
In the 73rd minute, Zielinski had the chance to knock out the visitors on his left foot following a soft cross from Di Lorenzo , but the Pole's conclusion was halfway between a shot and a cross and went wide. Napoli were unable to close the game out and Braga therefore launched themselves forward for the final assault.
The goal that felt like a joke came in the 84th minute: a cross from the right by Zalazar , Juan Jesus sleeping and keeping the ball in play, leaving Bruma all alone , who headed the ball past Meret to make it 1-1. Everything seemed to be going wrong again for the Azzurri, but instead the equaliser only lasted 4 minutes.
In the 88th minute, Napoli regained the lead: Zielinski collected a ball cleared by the defense on the short side of the penalty area and crossed powerfully towards the center, but Niakatè made a clumsy intervention and deflected the goal into his own net, giving the visitors the lead again. Last changes for Garcia : in came Natan , making his season debut, and Simeone in place of Zielinski and Osimhen.
The Portuguese's final attacks were nothing short of thrilling: first Ricardo Horta shot just over from inside the area following a corner, then in the 95th minute Pizzi hit the post with a one - on-one with Meret . Napoli saved themselves and took home the three points.
