After a missed penalty and a stubborn Qarabag defense, McTominay steps up with a decisive performance as Napoli strengthen their Champions League campaign.
Napoli 2–0 Qarabag — Matchday Recap
Napoli continued their resurgence in Europe with a 2–0 victory over Qarabag, overcoming a difficult opening hour and breaking down the visitors’ impressive defensive wall thanks to Scott McTominay’s match-changing impact. The Azzurri move to seven points in the Champions League league phase, backed by renewed energy after their domestic revival.
The match began with Napoli pushing forward but getting repeatedly frustrated by Qarabag’s compact shape and the brilliance of goalkeeper Kochalski, who produced a superb penalty save in the first half. Hojlund, struggling to find rhythm all evening, saw his spot-kick stopped after Di Lorenzo earned the penalty with a strong run into the box. It set the tone for a tense, uneasy first period for Antonio Conte’s side.
Qarabag showed flashes of danger, particularly through Addai, who tormented Napoli’s back line whenever he had space to accelerate. But despite his efforts, the Azerbaijani club never truly threatened Milinkovic-Savic.
The second half belonged to McTominay. Operating as a deep midfielder, he injected urgency and presence, eventually breaking the deadlock in the 65th minute with a brave close-range header after a chaotic scramble in the box. From there, Napoli relaxed—and Qarabag collapsed.
Just seven minutes later, McTominay produced another moment of inspiration. Attempting a trademark overhead kick, he forced Jankovic into a disastrous touch that redirected the ball past Kochalski for a 2–0 own goal, effectively ending the contest.
Napoli also struck the woodwork through Neres, who added flair and danger on the right side, while Lang showed flashes of improvement in the supporting role behind the striker.
Conte’s team leave the night with confidence restored and momentum growing ahead of key domestic and European battles.
Match Report
Scorers:
65’ McTominay (NAP), 72’ Jankovic (own goal, QAR)
Napoli (3-4-2-1):
Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema (64’ Politano), Rrahmani, Buongiorno (90’ Juan Jesus); Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Olivera; Neres (90’ Vergara), Lang (75’ Elmas); Hojlund (75’ Lucca).
Manager: Conte
Qarabag (4-2-3-1):
Kochalski; Matheus Silva (75’ Bolt), Mustafazada, Medina (61’ Mmaee), Cafarquliyev (75’ Bayramov); Pedro Bicalho, Jankovic; Leandro Andrade (61’ Kashchuk), Zoubir, Addai; Duran (75’ Akhundadze).
Manager: Qurbanov
Referee: Marciniak
Bookings: Medina, Lang, Jankovic, Rrahmani
Expulsions: None
Notes: Hojlund missed a penalty at 56’
