Napoli regained their smile in the Champions League and, above all, three points that weigh like gold in the race for qualification.
At the Maradona, Antonio Conte's men beat Qarabag 2-0 thanks to a second-half brace from Scott McTominay, settling a game that had been tied for a long time and which the hosts struggled to break the deadlock.
First half stalled, Neres inspires but the goal doesn't arrive
The start was intense but lacking in opportunities. Both teams maintained a high tempo, but were unable to make any impact in the closing stages. The match really came to life in the final ten minutes before halftime: in the 35th minute, Neres attempted a spectacular overhead kick, but goalkeeper Kochalski leaped forward and made a remarkable save. Di Lorenzo tried shortly after, but slipped as he was about to shoot, squandering a golden opportunity.
Brazilian Neres remained the most lively of the Neapolitans, while at the other end, Qarabag made their presence felt with two attempts from Addai, but without seriously troubling Meret. The half-time score was 0-0.
Hojlund misses from the spot, McTominay does it all himself
The second half began with a potentially match-changing incident: Di Lorenzo was brought down in the penalty area by Jankovic, and the referee awarded a penalty. Hojlund stepped up to take the spot kick, but Kochalski found the right corner and saved, keeping the score level.
The decisive breakthrough came shortly thereafter. In the 65th minute, McTominay, quick to read the play, pounced on a short clearance from the goalkeeper and tapped in the 1-0 lead. Seven minutes later, the Scotsman struck again: a right-footed shot from the edge of the area was deflected by Jankovic, an unstoppable trajectory, and the score was 2-0, dashing Qarabag's hopes.
The final was under control and Maradona celebrated.
The Azzurri held onto their lead until the final whistle, greeted by applause from the crowd. With this victory, Napoli moves to seven points and relaunches its playoff contention, joining the large group aiming for the round of 16.
An evening that Antonio Conte had been waiting for: solid, determined, and decisive by an unexpected but decisive protagonist like McTominay.
Comments (1)
Napoli played well, but there were many mistakes on the pitch. McTominay scored two goals, but Hojlund's penalty miss was a critical moment. The team needs to improve their accuracy.