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23 min: Napoli pile on the pressure, Di Lorenzo to the fore, with Cucurella having to make a heroic block when the ball falls to the Napoli captain.
22 min: Chelsea resume their taking their sting from the opposition. It’s all on Napoli now. Spinazzola sends away Di Lorenzo, and his cross comes in, to be kicked away by Sanchez’s boot.
21 min: Chelsea climb to sixth AS IT STANDS, with Napoli in 28th.
20 min: It was Jesus who was the handler of the ball. Unsurprising update: Conte is not at all happy with that decision. Fernandez buried that penalty with venom.
Goal! Napoli 0-1 Chelsea (Fernandez, 19)
Enzo Fernandez waits and waits, and slots with venom. The home fans are not happy.
Penalty to Chelsea!
16 min: James certainly fancies it. A consortium of players discuss what comes next. It’s taken shot, James smashes it, and the ball bounces off Buongiorno. That’s soft but looks a penalty…VAR checking. The ref called it straight away, Clement Turpin is tonight’s ref.
16 min: Estevao gets the ball in the loose, and passes inside to Joao Pedro, who is fouled. Chelsea free-kick, one from the type of distance that maybe Reece James might fancy.
14 min: Chelsea, again, try to pass the ball slowly, take out the sting. It’s working for them. Napoli look a bit leggy, as they did when losing to Juve at the weekend.
13 min: It’s maybe more frantic than is comfortable for either manager. Hojlund is doing well in holding up the ball, but this time Elmas can’t get to the ball.
11 min: First corner for Chelsea, taken short, and headed by Joao Pedro, but that won’t beat Napoli’s keeper.
10 min: Enzo Fernandez picks up a loose ball, and surges forward. The steam goes out of the attack, and then, despite Estevao’s attacking intentions, they cut back.
8 min: McTominay looks dazed, to say the very least. That ended up being very nasty. Does he know where he is? Tell him he’s Scott McTominay.
7 min: Now McTominay leads the press, hounding down Caicedo, and Sanchez clears hurriedly and smashes the Napoli man full in the chops. That’s gotta hurt.
6 min: McTominay sets off on a run, and Enzo Fernandez hacks him down. A reducer on the danger man, Lancaster’s finest.
5 min: Hojlund spins his defender, and tries to release the recovered Di Lorenzo. Chelsea have a high line, though Hojlund was in his own half. This time they clear and attack at speed.
4 min: Chelsea pressing high, Estevao full of beans as he chases down his flank. Napoli having to play their way out.
3 min: Di Lorenzo goes off but looks groggy rather than hurt badly. Napoli are running low on players at the moment so losing him would be a bitter blow.
Away we go in Naples
1 min: And yes, both teams are lined up with three at the back. Could three at the back be one of the reasons for Conte’s lack of European success? The man himself is pacing as Di Lorenzo, his captain, is down after a collision.
The Napoli ultras sang the last line of the Champions League anthem like a war cry. This competition has not always been kind to their team.
Naples is loud as the teams take to the field, and by the looks of pre-match it will be two teams playing three at the back. The Champions League anthem rings out.
Hugh Collins gets in touch: “Are there any theories as why Conte teams are so abysmal in Europe? He has had plenty of opportunities to get it right.”
One theory is the intensity he throws at domestic campaigns, though other theories are available.
Liam Rosenior spoke to TNT ahead of kick-off: ““It’s been a positive start. Firstly the players and their engagement and attitude and willingness to learn, I think they have enjoyed it as well. Tonight is another big test for us and if we manage to come through it , it gives us a great chance of being in the top eight.”
“They are very good on transition. They are very organised in their press. From what I’ve seen they will press us really, really high, whether that is from a 3-4-3 or a 5-4-1. They have outstanding players. They build well from the back. It is going to be a difficult game and we are prepared for it.”
For Chelsea, Reece James looks to be playing centre-back, while Napoli have only named five subs. Antonio Conte has selected Leonardo Spinazzola on the the right flank, with Mathías Olivera on the left of the traditional Conte 3-5-2. It looks as though Chelsea have matched them man for man.
A reminder that Napoli, despite their travails in this competition, have not lost at home for a year.
This game brings back memories of a Champions League classic. Recall John Terry directing the team from the sidelines after subbing himself off? To think he never became Chelsea manager, as once seemed his destiny.
So, no Cole Palmer starting for Chelsea. Romelu Lukaku is also on the bench, for Napoli against his old club.
The teams
Napoli XI: Meret; Buongiorno, Juan Jesus, McTominay, Olivera, Hojlund, Elmas, Di Lorenzo, Vergara, Spinazzola, Lobotka. Subs: Contini, Spinelli, Gutierrez, Lukaku, Beukema, De Chiara, Garofalo
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, James (C), Fofana, Cucurella, Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Estevao, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro. Subs: Jorgensen, Merrick, Acheampong, Badiashile, Chalobah, Hato, Palmer, Gittens, George, Garnacho, Delap, Guiu
Here’s where the teams stand in the mega table, ahead of the final round.
Let’s not forget the permutations:
After edging past Pafos last week, Chelsea hold the final top-eight place but face a difficult trip to Antonio Conte’s Napoli, despite the Italian champions’ injury problems. A win in Naples should put Liam Rosenior’s side through to the last 16 but it may come down to goal difference. A draw or a defeat and, again, given the number of teams on 13 points, Chelsea would likely be condemned to the playoffs.
The overnight news from Naples was grim.
The big news of the day so far from Chelsea: Raheem Sterling was not on the flight.
Preamble
Antonio Conte was a popular Chelsea manager, and then he was no longer Chelsea manager. That’s the way it’s always gone during his coaching career, from Juventus to Italy to Chelsea to Inter to Tottenham (!?) and now Napoli, the trajectory is similar. There’s usually a kick against the suits and then a departure. Another constant is a ruinous record in Europe despite being such a capable coach. Napoli, the Serie A champions no less, are in 25th place and need a win to make the knockouts. Chelsea, for whom Liam Rosenior is the seventh manager since Conte turned up for training in the summer of 2018 and found himself replaced by Maurizio Sarri, are in eighth and probably need a win to escape what they’re calling the “punishment round”. All to play for the in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Join me. Kick-off is 8pm UK time.
