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Tag Napoli

  • Mar, Tue, 2020
Sport

FC Barcelona vs Napoli Champions League decider to be played without spectators

Match
Barcelona (Spain), March 10, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) FC Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg match with Napoli scheduled for March 18 will take place without spectators due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

A club spokesman said on Tuesday that, for the match which will take place at Camp Nou after a 1-1 draw in Napoli, no supporters will be allowed to enter the stadium.

Other games in the competition this week —- Paris St-Germain (PSG) vs Borussia Dortmund and Valencia v Atalanta —- will also be played behind closed doors.

“The UEFA Champions League match scheduled for March 18 between FC Barcelona and Napoli will be played at Camp Nou behind closed doors,” said FC Barcelona in a statement.

The Spanish Health Ministry had said sports fixtures expected to draw crowds from zones designated as high-risk for coronavirus, such as northern Italy, would be played without spectators.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Joseph Edeh and Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Griezmann goal earns FC Barcelona draw at spirited Napoli

Draw
Naples (Italy), Feb. 26, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Antoine Griezmann’s second half equaliser handed FC Barcelona a vital away goal and a 1-1 draw at Napoli in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg meeting on Tuesday.

A superb curling strike from Dries Mertens put the home side in front in the first half.

The goal helped the Belgian to draw level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli’s all-time top scorer in all competitions with 121 goals.

But Barca breached a well-drilled Napoli defence after the break when Griezmann fired in a Nelson Semedo cross.

The visitors ended the game with 10 men after Arturo Vidal was sent off late on for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.

The two sides, who were facing each other for the first time, will meet again at the Camp Nou for the second leg on March 18.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Milik-inspired Napoli return to form with win over Hellas Verona

Serie A
Naples (Italy), Oct. 20, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Two goals from Arkadiusz Milik helped Napoli return to winning ways in Serie A with a 2-0 home victory over Hellas Verona on Saturday.

The Poland international had not scored this season going into the game, but struck in either half to end his drought.

Napoli’s form stuttered before the international break as they were held to two consecutive goalless draws, against Torino in Serie A and Genk in the UEFA Champions League.

But a comfortable victory at the Stadio San Paolo helped Carlo Ancelotti’s side close the gap on third-placed Atalanta to just one point after they were held to a draw by Lazio.

Napoli are fourth on 16 points, one behind Atalanta and four ahead of fifth-placed Roma, who face Sampdoria on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, Lazio produced a remarkable comeback to earn a 3-3 home draw with Atalanta after trailing 3-0 at half-time courtesy of a Luis Muriel double and an Alejandro Gomez strike.

But Ciro Immobile’s second successful penalty kick of the afternoon levelled the scores in stoppage time after Joaquin Correa also struck for the hosts.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Joseph Edeh and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

UEFA Champions League: Napoli held goalless by Genk

Draw
Brussels, Oct. 3, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Napoli paid the price for playing a weakened side as they dropped UEFA Champions League points in 0-0 draw away at Racing Genk on Wednesday.

After beating holders Liverpool in their opening Group E game, coach Carlo Ancelotti left out Lorenzo Insigne and dropped Dries Mertens to the bench against the Belgian champions

Genk had conceded six goals in their opener against Salzburg.

Arkadiusz Milik made only his second start of the season in attack and his rustiness showed as he struck the woodwork twice.

He also missed three more good chances from close range as the home side led a charmed life in front of their own supporters.

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who moved from Genk to Napoli five years ago, had an effort from a corner kick cleared off the line just before half-time.

Team captain Jose Callejon missed from close range early in the second half.

Mertens, one goal shy of equaling Diego Maradona’s record of 115 for Napoli, was brought on just before the hour mark.

He took 15 minutes to get into the game before being denied with two quick efforts.

With seven minutes left, a slip in the Napoli defence presented Ianis Hagi, son of the Romanian great Gheorghe, a chance to score.

But he fired his effort over from inside the penalty area.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Holders Liverpool face Napoli in UEFA Champions League group stage

Draw
Monaco, Aug. 29, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) European champions Liverpool received a relatively kind draw for the group stage of this year’s UEFA Champions League with Italy’s Napoli their toughest opponents in Group E.

Juergen Klopp’s side, who beat Tottenham Hotspur in June’s final to win their sixth European Cup, will also face Austria’s Salzburg and Belgian side Genk.

The draw produced two fascinating groups which should deliver a real battle for qualification with FC Barcelona facing Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Slavia Prague in Group F.

Group D is also a mouth-watering prospect with Italian champions Juventus taking on Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will return to his homeland France for a clash with Paris St-Germain (PSG) in Group A which also includes Club Brugge and Galatasaray.

Last year’s runners-up Tottenham Hotspur face German champions Bayern Munich as well as Greek side Olympiakos and Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade in Group B. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Magnificent Lacazette free-kick sends Arsenal into Europa League semi-finals

Lacazette

Naples (Italy), April 18, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) A magnificent Alexandre Lacazette free-kick sent Arsenal into the 2018/2019 UEFA Europa League semi-finals with a comfortable 1-0 win away to a toothless Napoli on Thursday.

Arsenal’s win ended Serie A’s interest in European competition this season.

The Frenchman struck in the 36th minute to earn Arsenal a tie against Valencia.

Napoli were trailing 2-0 from the first leg, and they were threatening to take control of the game.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team lost their way after that.

Arsenal were then able to sit out the second half to reach the semi-finals for the second season in a row with a 3-0 aggregate win.

In a lively opening half hour, Napoli threatened to make a breakthrough as Jose Callejon’s effort was saved by Petr Cech’s legs.

Arkadiusz Milik also had a goal chalked off for offside.

The Pole should have put Napoli ahead minutes later when compatriot Piotr Zielinski’s cross found him unmarked in the penalty area, but he headed wide.

Arsenal also lost Aaron Ramsey to an apparent hamstring problem.

But just as it seemed things were going against them, they went ahead as Lacazette curled his free-kick around a poorly-organised wall from 25 metres.

Arsenal should have wrapped up the game four minutes into the second half.

But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with only Alex Meret to beat, placed his shot too near the goalkeeper.

The second half petered out after that as Arsenal sat back and Napoli enjoyed most of the possession but did little with it.

Lorenzo Insigne shot weakly at Cech after getting clear of the Arsenal defence and was immediately substituted.

It was a decision which infuriated the forward who watched the rest of the match on the touchline with his arms folded.

Fabian Ruiz summed up their evening by firing their last chance wildly over the crossbar in stoppage time.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Serie A: Napoli win to delay Juventus title celebrations, send Chievo down

Delay

Verona (Italy), April 14, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Napoli postponed Juventus’ march to the Serie A title and consigned Chievo to relegation with a 3-1 win at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side needed a victory to ensure that the Turin club, who lost 2-1 at SPAL on Saturday, would not wrap up their eighth consecutive league championship with a record six games to spare.

Two goals from Kalidou Koulibaly either side of an Arkadiusz Milik strike confirmed Chievo’s demotion.

Even Bostjan Cesar’s late consolation could not save Chievo after a miserable season in which the Verona club have recorded just one win in 32 games.

The result leaves second-placed Napoli on 67 points, 17 behind runaway leaders Juventus on 84.

However, Juve can secure the title by avoiding defeat at home to Fiorentina next weekend. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Felix Ajide

 

Sport

Quagliarella misses out on record as Napoli thump Sampdoria

Serie A
Milan (Italy), Feb. 2, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella missed out on becoming the first player to score in 12 successive Serie A games as his side were beaten 3-0 by second-placed Napoli on Saturday.

Arkadiusz Milik and Lorenzo Insigne both scored within a minute midway through the first half and Simone Verdi added the third from a late penalty kick.

Napoli, with 51 points, are eight points behind Juventus who hosted Parma later on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Quagliarella was unlucky to face Kalidou Koulibaly, arguably the toughest defender in Serie A this season, and did not get much of a look-in.

He now remains level with Gabriel Batitusta, the only other player to score in 11 successive games.

He had one chance in the first half but was foiled by a perfectly-timed tackle from the Senegalese defender.

Allan blocked an acrobatic effort in the second half and goalkeeper Alex Meret dived at his feet to smother the ball after a one-two with Manolo Gabbiadini.

Napoli went ahead with a simple goal in the 25th minute as Marek Hamsik released Jose Callejon on the right.

The Spaniard rolled the ball across the penalty area for Milik to fire into the roof of the net.

Callejon also provided the pass for Insigne to score the second one minute later, the forward’s first league goal since Nov. 2.

Verde converted a penalty kick awarded for handball by Joachim Andersen in the 89th minute.

The referee initially gave a free kick but, after consultation with the VAR, ruled it was inside the area.

In the earlier game, bottom-of-the-table Chievo missed out on their second win of the season when they squandered a two-goal lead and were held 2-2 by fellow strugglers Empoli.

Francesco Caputo scored a brace for the hosts.

Emanuele Giaccherini gave the Flying Donkeys the lead in the 31st minute after Empoli lost possession.

Mariusz Stepinski added a second in first-half stoppage time after the hosts failed to clear a corner kick.

Empoli replied immediately as Caputo scored from close range from Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s pass.

The forward struck again in the 51st minute after Chievo were caught out by Ivan Provedel’s long goal kick.

Chievo stayed bottom of the 20-team table with nine points while Empoli are four points clear of the relegation zone.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Brilliant Piatek double sends AC Milan into Coppa Italia semi-finals

Coppa Italia
Milan (Italy), Jan. 30, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Poland striker Krzysztof Piatek scored twice on his first start for AC Milan as they beat Napoli 2-0 to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Tuesday.

Piatek joined AC Milan last week for a fee reported to be 35 million euros (40 million dollars) from Genoa, after netting 13 goals in 19 Serie A appearances.

But he was the star of the show as last season’s finalists were too strong for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

The 23-year-old needed 11 minutes to open the scoring.

He latched onto Diego Laxalt’s long ball before speeding past Nikola Maksimovic to fire into the bottom corner across Alex Meret in the visitors’ goal.

The striker then produced an individual moment of brilliance a quarter of an hour later.

He beat two Napoli defenders before finding the top corner in a scintillating first half display from Gennaro Gattuso’s side.

Napoli were much-improved after the break and went close through Faouzi Ghoulam and Adam Ounas, but were unable to find a way back into the game.

Fiorentina host AS Roma and title holders Juventus visit Atalanta on Wednesday, before Inter Milan face Lazio on Thursday in the remaining quarter-finals.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Mertens gives Napoli last-gasp win against brave Bologna

Serie A
Naples (Italy), Dec. 29, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Napoli’s Dries Mertens scored two minutes from time to give his second-placed side a 3-2 win over Bologna after the struggling visitors twice fought back to equalise on Saturday.

Arkadiusz Milik put Napoli ahead on two occasions but Bologna, without a win in 12 Serie A matches, hit back with goals by Federico Santander and Danilo.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli side stayed nine points behind leaders Juventus, who have 53 points after a 2-1 win at home to Sampdoria, as the championship reached the halfway mark.

Napoli fans carried pictures and banners of support for defender Kalidou Koulibaly who was subjected to racist insults during the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan on Wednesday.

The Senegalese was sent off in that game, with Ancelotti blaming the player’s loss of temper on the taunts, and was suspended on Saturday.

Milik scored in the 16th minute, prodding the ball home after a series of rebounds, only for Santander to level for Bologna just after the half hour.

The Paraguayan got in front of his marker at a free-kick to power home a header.

Napoli regained the lead with a Milik header six minutes after the restart, only to concede another goal from a set-piece.

This time Danilo scored in the 80th minute as Koulibaly’s absence was sorely felt.

Belgian Mertens then came to the rescue, cutting inside to score from the edge of the area with a shot which bounced under Lukasz Skorupski.

Bologna nearly levelled again when Napoli’s Mario Rui had to clear off the line following a corner-kick, but the home team held on.

The defeat kept Bologna in the relegation zone in 18th place with 13 points.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)