Dries Mertens had put Napoli in front, but they ultimately held on for a point after David Ospina saved the AZ Alkmaar penalty.
Follow all the action as it happens from this game and Roma-Young Boys on the LIVEBLOG.
This 1-1 draw, and Real Sociedad’s chaotic 2-2 with Rijeka, means it all goes down to the final game. Napoli lead with 10 points, Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar have eight.
Dries Mertens had put Napoli in front, but they ultimately held on for a point after David Ospina saved the AZ Alkmaar penalty.
Follow all the action as it happens from this game and Roma-Young Boys on the LIVEBLOG.
This 1-1 draw, and Real Sociedad’s chaotic 2-2 with Rijeka, means it all goes down to the final game. Napoli lead with 10 points, Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar have eight.
The Partenopei had lost the opener at home to AZ, but since recovered to lead the group, so a win would guarantee qualification for the Round of 32. Victor Osimhen was still out injured, but confidence was high after crushing Roma 4-0 at the weekend in Serie A.
It was a lightning start from both teams, as Albert Gudmundsson had a shot on goal within 10 seconds, but Napoli made their stick with a Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross from the right turned in by Dries Mertens from seven yards, springing the offside trap.
David Ospina had to get down for a great save to push Zakaria Aboukhlal’s daisy-cutter onto the upright on 21 minutes.
Di Lorenzo flicked a corner on just beyond Mertens, but Calvin Stengs fired over when unmarked from nine yards.
It was a warning and moments later AZ Alkmaar equalised, as Teun Koopmeiners volleyed on a corner and Bruno Martins Indi avoided the offside trap to flick it past Ospina from close range.
The situation went from bad to worse, as Tiemoue Bakayoko clumsily bundled into Abouklhal for a penalty. Captain Koopmeiners stepped up and it was by no means a bad spot-kick, but Ospina read it perfectly and fingertipped it onto the upright.
Andrea Petagna should’ve made it 2-1 to Napoli on 76 minutes, but incredibly turned a free header wide from seven yards on Mario Rui’s cross.
Petagna had another huge opportunity, this time running on to an Insigne through ball and dinking it past the goalkeeper, but it rolled all the way across the open goal to graze the far post.
Hirving Lozano also threatened, Bizot rushing into midfield for a desperate sliding tackle.
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Napoli
Mertens 6 (N), Martins Indi 54 (A)
AZ Alkmaar: Bizot; Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Martins Indi, Wijndal; Midtsjo, Koopmeiners; De Wit; Stengs, Gudmundsson (Bouadu 69), Aboukhlal
Napoli: Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Ghoulam (Mario Rui 66); Fabian Ruiz (Elmas 57), Bakayoko, Zielinski (Petagna 61); Politano (Lozano 61), Mertens (Demme 66), Insigne
Ref: Buquet (FRA)
Saved penalty: Koopmeiners 60 (A)