Napoli's second day of the Champions League ended with a 2-3 defeat against Real Madrid.
We witnessed a match full of action and with a result that was not at all obvious, which once again highlighted all of Napoli's potential.
Below is the broad summary of Napoli – Real Madrid, which ended 2-3.
Summary Napoli – Real Madrid 2-3
On a vibrant evening at the San Paolo, Napoli and Real Madrid faced each other in a match that could have belonged on any final stage of a tournament. The tension was palpable from the start, and the opening minutes saw both teams trying to assert their authority.
Ostigard, for Napoli, broke the ice in the 19th minute in a moment of confusion in the Real Madrid defense, taking advantage of an uncertain exit by Kepa. This goal galvanized the team and the Neapolitan fans, but their joy did not last long. In the 27th minute, a error of By Lorenzo allowed Bellingham to serve a golden ball to Vinicius who, with surgical precision, found the equalizer for the guests. And as if that wasn't enough, at 37', Bellingham, with a masterful play, danced between the Napoli defenders to score an extraordinary goal and turn the score around.
The second half offered further twists. After a study phase, a VAR intervention in the 53rd minute he decreed a penalty in favor of Napoli for a touch of Nacho's hand. Zielinski he approached with determination and beat Kepa with a shot that grazed the post before hitting the net, bringing the match back to a draw. The tension was now sky high and the audience was on edge. But fate had another twist in store: in the 78th minute Valverde he threw a powerful shot that Meret, who in a desperate attempt to save, ended up deflecting it into his own net, giving Real Madrid the lead.
Napoli, with grit and determination, tried to react. A series of chances enlivened the final minutes of the game, in particular a furious scrum in the Real area where it looked like the equalizer was just a whisker away, but Mendy, heroically, cleared it off the line. Despite tactical changes and final efforts, Napoli was unable to find the goal to make it 3-3.
At the final whistle, Real Madrid celebrated for one hard-fought but precious victory, while Napoli left the field with a bitter taste in their mouths, aware of having given everything in an epic match which, unfortunately for them, did not bring any points.
