Napoli once again wasted golden opportunities and were beaten 1-0 by Dnipro, crashing out of the Europa League semi-final.
The Partenopei needed to score in Kiev after a controversial 1-1 first leg result, as Dnipro’s goal was clearly offside. Rafa Benitez was without Jonathan de Guzman, but surprisingly dropped Marek Hamsik and Walter Gargano. The hosts gave Yevhen Seleznyov a start after he came off the bench to score in Naples, but Ondrej Mazuch, Egidio, Roman Zozulya and Serhiy Kravchenko missed out, while Yevhen Shakhov was not 100 per cent fit.
Napoli once again wasted golden opportunities and were beaten 1-0 by Dnipro, crashing out of the Europa League semi-final.
The Partenopei needed to score in Kiev after a controversial 1-1 first leg result, as Dnipro’s goal was clearly offside. Rafa Benitez was without Jonathan de Guzman, but surprisingly dropped Marek Hamsik and Walter Gargano. The hosts gave Yevhen Seleznyov a start after he came off the bench to score in Naples, but Ondrej Mazuch, Egidio, Roman Zozulya and Serhiy Kravchenko missed out, while Yevhen Shakhov was not 100 per cent fit.
In the opening minutes Gonzalo Higuain nodded a Manolo Gabbiadini free kick over, but then Pipita was sent clear by Gokhan Inler only to fire straight at the goalkeeper, who parried with his thigh.
Higuain again thought he had scored with a glancing header only for it to be flapped off the line by Boyko’s one-handed save.
David Lopez gave away a dangerous ball in the final third and Mariano Andujar had to fingertip to Seleznyov snapshot round the far post.
Dnipro threatened on the counter after the restart, Valeriy Luchkevych’s angled drive flashing across the face of goal to skim the far post and Seleznyov firing at Andujar at the near post.
The warnings were not heeded, as Dnipro took a shock lead. Konoplyanka’s cross from the left found Seleznyov’s header into the near top corner from six yards. Napoli claimed he was holding Miguel Angel Britos down and they certainly had more than a handful of each others’ shirts.
Dries Mertens and Marek Hamsik came off the bench to spark something more in Napoli, the Belgian’s shot flashing across the face of goal and a Callejon effort charged down after the Slovak’s fine run.
David Lopez didn’t put enough power into his strike to trouble Boyko, but on 76 minutes Callejon’s looping attempt from the tightest of angles was dipping under the bar before Douglas performed a desperate goal-line clearance.
Napoli moved to 3-4-3 in the final 12 minutes and Cheberyachko made a decisive intervention at the near stick, then Boyko beat away a Christian Maggio cross from close range.
The corner was chaos, but Dnipro almost scored on the counter, Andujar beating away a Kalinic strike and Matheus looping long-ranger. Deep into five minutes of stoppages, a Matheus header bounced off the crossbar and into the arms of a grateful Andujar.
Napoli pushed to the final whistle, but Dnipro have won their last five Europa League home games without conceding a goal.
Dnipro 1-0 Napoli (2-1 agg)
Scorers: Seleznyov 58 (D)
Dnipro: Boyko; Fedetskiy, Douglas, Cheberyachko, Leo Matos; Kankava, Fedorchuk; Luchkevych (Matheus 67), Rotan, Konoplyanka; Seleznyov (N Kalinic 75)
Napoli: Andujar; Maggio, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; David Lopez (Henrique 78), Inler; Callejon, Gabbiadini (Hamsik 55), Insigne (Mertens 61); Higuain
Ref: Mazic (SRB)