Napoli had taken the lead through Adam Ounas, but shoddy defending allowed RB Leipzig to snatch a 3-1 Europa League victory at the San Paolo.
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Napoli had taken the lead through Adam Ounas, but shoddy defending allowed RB Leipzig to snatch a 3-1 Europa League victory at the San Paolo.
See how all today’s Europa League games involving Italian teams unfolded on the LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei dropped down into this competition from the Champions League and made no secret of their relative disinterest compared to the Scudetto. There were almost more RB Leipzig fans at the Stadio San Paolo than for the home team, while Dries Mertens and Zinedine Machach were suspended, Lorenzo Insigne rested and Jose Callejon used in a new centre-forward role. Stefan Ilsanker was banned for the Germans, with Diego Demme only fit for the bench.
It was an aggressive start from RB Leipzig, as immediately Timo Werner’s strike from a corner was smothered by Pepe Reina, but Callejon failed to make the most of a defensive error at the other end.
Yusuf Poulsen held off Kalidou Koulibaly to strike the side-netting and Callejon’s scorcher was beaten away by Gulaschi.
After the restart, Werner blasted off target from 12 yards, but Ounas scored his first goal in a Napoli jersey. He sprung the offside trap down the right, where Callejon usually runs, and placed a precise angled drive in off the inside of the far post with his weaker right foot.
Reina stuck out a foot to parry from point-blank range on Poulsen at the end of a promising team move, while Naby Keita’s deflected effort landed on the roof of the net.
Leipzig did get their deserved equaliser with a well-worked move, Poulsen’s dummy on a pull-back allowing Werner to control and finish from seven yards.
Substitute Lorenzo Insigne had a huge chance to restore the advantage on a Callejon assist, but snuck up behind the defender only to be denied by Gulasci’s reaction save.
Instead, the Germans turned it around completely, as Christian Maggio kept Poulsen onside and there was great generosity to roll across for Bruma’s tap-in.
During Napoli’s rather chaotic attempts to level it in stoppages, Emil Forsberg was allowed to go on the counter and set it up on a silver platter for Werner and the third goal.
Napoli 1-3 RB Leipzig
Ounas 52 (N), Werner 60, 93 (L), Bruma 74 (L)
Napoli: Reina; Maggio, Tonelli, Koulibaly, Hysaj (Mario Rui 54); Rog, Diawara, Hamsik (Insigne 54); Ounas (Allan 60), Callejon, Zielinski
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi; Laimer, Orban, Upamecano, Klostermann; Sabitzer, Kampl, Keita (Demme 85), Bruma (Forsberg 79); Poulsen (Augustin 82), Werner
Ref: Dias (POR)