Digimagaz.com – In a riveting showdown at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, Real Madrid emerged victorious against Napoli in the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League. The intense match, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday, October 4, 2023, ended with a scoreline of 3-2 in favor of Los Blancos. The goals for Real Madrid were scored by Vinicius Jr (23′), Jude Bellingham (34′), and an unfortunate own goal by Alex Meret (78′).
Meanwhile, Napoli managed to find the back of the net twice, courtesy of Leo Ostigard (19′) and a penalty converted by Piotr Zielinski (54′). From the very start, the visiting team took the initiative in the attack. Just six minutes into the game, Rodrygo posed a significant threat. Fortunately for Napoli, Alex Meret was quick to deny the opportunity. In the 19th minute, Ostigard managed to break through Kepa Arrizabalaga’s defenses.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia delivered a corner kick that Natan headed to score the goal. Although the ball hit the post, the Norwegian defender capitalized on the rebound, making it 1-0 in favor of Napoli. However, Napoli’s lead was short-lived, as Bellingham successfully intercepted a pass from Giovanni Di Lorenzo in midfield. He immediately sent a through-ball to Vinicius on the left side, who promptly slotted the ball past Meret.
Seven minutes later, it was Bellingham himself who added to his goal tally. This time, the English midfielder executed an individual effort to put Real Madrid in the lead, 2-1. The scoreline remained the same as the teams headed into halftime.
After the break, Napoli intensified their attack. In the 54th minute, the referee penalized Nacho for a handball, rewarding their efforts to level the score. Zielinski stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, making it 2-2. Madrid regained the lead at 3-2 following a powerful strike by Federico Valverde that hit the post and rebounded off Meret. The goal was officially recorded as an own goal by the goalkeeper. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Here Are The Lineups For Both Teams
Napoli XI (4-3-3) Coach: Rudi Garcia
Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Leo Ostigaard, Natan, Mathias Olivera (Mario Rui 88′); Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa (Giovanni Simeone 88′), Stanislav Lobotka (Jens Cajuste 88′), Piotr Zielinski (Giacomo Raspadori 75′); Matteo Politano (Eljif Elmas 70′), Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvarats khelia
Real Madrid XI (4-3-1-2) Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Kepa Arrizabalaga; Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, Antonio Rudiger, Eduardo Camavinga (Ferland Mendy 64′); Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos (Luka Modric 64′); Jude Bellingham; Rodrygo Goes (Joselu 75′), Vinicius Jr
The match was a thrilling display of skill and determination from both teams. With Real Madrid ultimately securing a hard-fought victory. The win puts Real Madrid in a strong position in the Champions League group stage, while Napoli will be eager to bounce back in their upcoming matches. Football fans around the world eagerly await more exciting clashes in this season’s Champions League.
