Nerveless Napoli through to last-16

Mueez Ajao

– Napoli kept up their 100% record in the Champions League group phase and secured progress to the knockout stages by beating Ajax 4-2 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday.

– Early goals from Hirving Lozano and Giacomo Raspadori put the Serie A leaders comfortably ahead by the 16-minute mark and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added a second-half penalty after Davy Klaassen had pulled one back for Ajax.

– The Dutch club made a desperate bid for a share of the spoils as Steven Bergwijn converted an 83rd-minute penalty to bring the score back to 3-2 but a horror defensive error allowed Victor Osimhen to score Napoli’s fourth in the final minute.

Also Read: Three late goals send Napoli back to the top

– Napoli’s 12-point haul means they are guaranteed a top-two finish in Group A, having scored 17 goals in four matches.

– They join holders Real Madrid, Club Brugge and Manchester City as teams through to the round of 16 in February.

Round of 16 soon for @en_sscnapoli 👏
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 12, 2022

– Any hopes Ajax had of revenging last week’s 6-1 humiliation at the Amsterdam Arena — their heaviest defeat in European club competition — were handed a blow in the opening salvoes of the match.

– Lozano played a quick give-and-go with Piotr Zielinski, heading the lofted return ball into the net as Ajax’s defence were caught static in the fourth minute.

– While the Dutch club had several half chances for a quick equaliser, Napoli went down the other end with a flowing run on the left from Kvaratskhelia, who played the ball inside for Raspadori to rifle a powerful shot into the net.

– Ajax looked the brighter of the two sides immediately after the break and they got an instant reward as Klaassen headed home from Calvin Bassey’s inch-perfect cross in the 49th minute.

– Napoli’s two goal advantage was restored in the 62nd minute after a VAR review found Jurrien Timber had handled in his area and Kvaratskhelia converted the resultant spotkick.

– Ajax were awarded a penalty of their own seven minutes from time, which offered them hope of snatching a point when substitute Brian Brobbey was brought down and Bergwijn scored from the spot.

– But those hopes were extinguished in the last minute when Daley Blind was dispossessed by Osimhen as the Nigerian striker marked his return from injury with a goal.