On Wednesday, Napoli won the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. With the 3-0 victory in the second leg (5-0 on aggregate), the Partenopei qualified for the Quarter-finals of Europe’s elite competition the first time in club history. Here are four takeaways selected by Forza Napoli Press.
Killing the game
Napoli were already up 2-0 heading into the second leg against Frankfurt at the Maradona. That meant that the Partenopei did not need to score to advance, so long as they conceded fewer than two goals. Yet, Luciano Spalletti did not change his tactics, with his Napoli on the hunt for more goals. That naturally allowed Frankfurt get opportunities at the other end, which is not critique but an observation.
It allowed Rafael Santos Borré a free header from a corner kick. Additionally, Mario Götze and Borré almost went 1 v 1 with Alex Meret, but because of poor communication, the Italian goalkeeper was able to claim the ball before any Frankfurt players arrived.
Had the visitors converted any of these chances, the match could have been very different, but that’s a big “if”. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also had two big opportunities to score early on, for example. In the end, we all know how it turned out. Perhaps it is a quality that Spalletti’s men should work on, though “protecting by defending” might not be in the tactician’s vocabulary.
Don’t Press Piotr
Piotr Zielinski brought his A-game to the Maradona on Wednesday night. While Napoli struggled with Frankfurt’s press in the first half, Zielinski dribbled through the field with ease. He played with great confidence, exactly how we love to see him. He made three successful dribbles and created four chances, which is the most of any player on the pitch. After a quick flick and marauding run, he put Kvaratskhelia 1 v 1 with Kevin Trapp, who saved the Georgian’s effort. Zielinski put the cherry on top of the proverbial cake when he was fouled in the second half inside the Frankfurt box. A penalty was awarded and even though Osimhen was on a hattrick, the Polish midfielder was granted the opportunity to score. He made no mistake from the spot, scoring his first goal since the Udinese match 123 days prior. After the Atalanta game we spoke about André-Frank Zambo Anguissa regaining his form; Zielinski can be added to the list.
Politano Pays Off
Hirving Lozano played a key role in the first meeting between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt. He sprinted towards the backline and assisted Victor Osimhen for the opening goal back in Germany. Forza Napoli Pod expected the Mexican to start again on Wednesday, but it wasn’t the case. Matteo Politano got the nod from Luciano Spalletti, and it was another masterstroke by the tactician. Politano nearly scored early on when he cut inside and curled a shot towards the left corner, but Trapp pushed it away. Just before the end of the first half, Politano assisted Osimhen’s towering header with a well-placed cross from his weaker right boot. In the second half, Politano played the pass before the pass in the build-up to Osimhen’s second goal. The Italian winger showed exactly why Spalletti picked him for the return leg.
Osi-show
After the Kvara-show against Atalanta at the weekend, it was Osimhen’s turn on Wednesday. The Nigerian striker was clearly frustrated having failed to score against La Dea, so he must have been delighted with his two goals against Frankfurt. His first demonstrated the Nigerian’s Cristiano Ronaldo-like leaping and finished abilities. The second demonstrated his spatial awareness and intelligence with his runs.
In a post-match interview, Osimhen confirmed that Zielinski asked the Napoli No. 9 if he would like to take the penalty kick. Though Osimhen was on a hattrick, he unselfishly relinquished the penalty kick to the Polish midfielder. Even without the penalty kick, Osimhen had done enough to earn himself Man of the Match honours.
