Champions League
February 21, 2012
Napoli
3 - 1
Chelsea
Champions League
19:45 +00:00, February 21, 2012
San Paolo, Italy
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo
Andre Villas-Boas will have questions to answer over his team selection, but it's joy for Serie A as they claim another big home win over Premier League opposition.
Napoli have control of this tie but Chelsea are certainly not out of it with that crucial away goal. But at the same time you cannot see them keeping a clean sheet.
Collectively it was perhaps the worst display of defending you will see at this stage of the Champions League. The side best able to capitalise on those errors won this game.
And that's the last action of the game, full-time in Naples.Inler fired in the driven shot-cross, but it flicked off a Napoli player and went behind.
Ivanovic tugs back Gargano. Last chance for Napoli for four.
Lampard with a power drive but De Sanctis holds well again.
We've played two of three added minutes.
Ashley Cole crossed in from the left, Drogba had his back to goal and can only fire well wide. He should have left the ball for Sturridge who was free behind him and facing goal.
- Drogba misses a chance!
Sturridge flips to the ground looking for a free-kick over on the left. The ref waves at him to get up.
Offside against Drogba again.
Doesn't look like Chelsea are going to get what could be a vital second goal.
Gargano breaks and squares it for Pandev but he blazes over. A look down at the pitch from Pandev tries to shift the blame for that effort.
Chelsea pump a free-kick into the box and eventually Drogba is flagged offside - but Napoli look like an under-10s team every time the ball goes into the box.
Chelsea really could do to find a second goal, that would make them favourites in this tie. Otherwise they face an uphill task to score at least two and not concede.
And that's Hamsik's last action of the game as Goran Pandev comes on.Ivanovic completely lost Hamsik, and cut the ball back, played the short square ball to Maggio who had to score - but Maggio picked out the only man blocking his path and Ashley Cole made a superb clearance when a fourth goal looked certain.
- Great goal-line clearance by Ashley Cole!
Mata takes the corner, it's a poor one but he gets a second chance to deliver. There's an almighty scramble in the box and Napoli manage to hack it away.
Drogba wins the corner. Chelsea with another chance to create a goal.
Inler swings in the free-kick but Cannavaro is penalised for jumping on Ramires.
Free-kick to Napoli. Dzemaili felled by Lampard.
This time David Luiz gets across to stop a long ball trying to find Cavani.
Blerim Dzemaili was at Bolton earlier in his career but sold by Gary Megson who never played him in the first team. Dzemaili is too skillful for that.
- The hero Lavezzi is replaced with Blerim Dzemaili.
Ezequiel Lavezzi celebrates the first of his goals against ChelseaCavani brings out the theatrics to win a free-kick from Essien.
So no action tonight for Fernando Torres. But Chelsea do need a goal after all.
- Frank Lampard and Michael Essien are on for Florent Malouda and Raul Meireles.
Speak of the devil.
It's amazing that the only change so far is the substitution of the injured Bosingwa after 12 minutes.
Remember you can follow me on Twitter: @dalejohnsonESPN
Ramires has been absolutely dire tonight. A player we expect more of losing possession time and time again.
Chelsea have work to do now, but can they do that without letting in a fourth?
Chelsea throw all their good work away. David Luiz makes a complete hash of dealing with a ball over the top, Cavani closes him down, he feeds in Lavezzi who makes no mistake with Cech left stranded.
GOAL Lavezzi for Napoli!Napoli play one of those frustrating short corners, it comes to Gagarno but his dipping shot is easy for Cech.
Napoli finally get out and up the other end, a Lavezzi shot is deflected and they win the corner.
This is like the ESPNsoccernet boys playing five-a-side on a Monday night. With less quality, of course.
The corner comes in and Cahill gets to it first, his header going inches wide of the post.
Malouda finds Drogba, he just can't get the ball down quickly enough and a desperate Aronica challenge saves his team.
Chelsea pack the box and now it's Malouda with the chance to try a shot on a tight angle, he fails to connnect properly.
Purely on what we are seeing tonight, you have to ask how Manchester City lost here.
Snap shot from Mata, again straight at De Sanctis.
Gary Cahill goes into the book on his Champions League debut for a late challenge on Lavezzi.Ivanovic has gone away on holiday up the other end of the pitch leaving Lavezzi clean through. He must score! And drags it wide of the post.
- Massive escape for Chelsea!
Mata opts for the shot with the option to play in Sturridge. It was a pea-roller from Mata to De Sanctis.
Credit to Gary Neville on TV for his line: "I hope everyone at home is enjoying this basketball match."
Back up the other end and Malouda tries his luck from outside the area. De Sanctis gathers at the second attempt.
Now Napoli break, Cavani is played in on the left and he opts to shot rather than pass and it's easy for Cech.
The corner comes in from the right, David Luiz is left unmarked but a Napoli defender hacks off the line.
Mata's shot is deflected behind for the corner.
Hamsik tries to feed in Zuniga, the pass is under-hit and Chelsea close him out.
Ashley Cole almost makes a hash of defending up against Maggio, but the Napoli winger drags back his defender.
Surely the second half cannot be played as open as the first?
- And we're off again in the second half. No changes it seems.
Ezequiel Lavezzi fires home an equaliser for NapoliYou can follow me on Twitter: @dalejohnsonESPN
It's a vital away goal for Chelsea which keeps a hand in the tie, but they can still leave Naples with more.
Both teams have zero confidence at the back, and there are many more goals in this game if that does not change.
Napoli probably deserve to be a goal up, but they look far from comfortable with a one-goal lead.
- And that's half-time.
Chelsea break with a great run by Ivanovic, but he is crowded out.
Gokhan Inler with the assist on that one.
The cross comes in from the right, Ivanovic was fast asleep at the back post and in ghosted Cavani to force the ball into the back of the net.
- GOAL Cavani gives Napoli the lead in the 47th minute.
We've just seen Bosingwa hobbling off to the tunnel with his hamstring heavily strapped.
The free-kick is worked to Inler, but he blazes over from 25 yards.
Three minutes to be added on.
Ramires loses the ball with poor control, it enables Gargano to break before Ramires pulls him back for the foul.
Ivanovic is fouled by Gargano, free-kick in defence.
Both these defences are now all over the shop. It seems like there could be a goal at either end in every attack.
The special Juan celebrates his goal.- Raul Meireles is booked for a rash challenge, and that card rules him out of the second leg.
Ramires found acres of space, cut inside into the box but blazed miles over from around the penalty spot. That should be 1-2.
- Ramires wastes a great chance!
- Cavani is booked for over celebrating the goal.
Cavani plays a short ball across the box, Raul Meireles fails to track Lavezzi who shifts it across and bends a shot into the opposite corner past Cech.
- GOAL Lavezzi scores his first ever Champions League goal.
The corner comes in from the right, and David Luiz gets there in front of De Sanctis but somehow heads over the bar. That was a great chance.
- So close to a second!
Sturridge breaks and has Mata unmarked on the left - but the England man runs with his head down and goes down a cul-de-sac, but at least wins the corner.
The free-kick from Lavezzi wasn't the greatest and Chelsea can break.
Malouda fouls Maggio, he bought that one. Chance to get it into the box.
Napoli definitely a little shell-shocked by that out of the blue opener, they need to regroup themselves.
That away goal is so important for Chelsea, because even if Napoli turn this around it gives AVB's men a vital foothold regardless.
And he's back on the pitch.
Mata is off getting some treatment off the pitch for an injury. Hopefully he will be okay.
The important thing for Chelsea now is that they take confidence from that goal. A crucial away goal which puts them in control of this tie.
That was completely against the run of play, and an error of epic proportions from Napoli captain Cannavaro.
Amazing scenes! Sturridge plays a hopeful ball into the area, Cannavaro makes a horrible, shanked attempted clearance and it leaves Mata in the clear to slot home.
- GOAL GOAL FOR CHELSEA
Hamsik plays in the corner, Cavani meets it at the near post but he heads well wide.
Maggio is running rings round Chelsea on the right wing. His delivery leads to another corner as Ivanovic heads behind.
Another poor pass from Drogba, playing the ball out wide to a non-existent winger. Chelsea still to muster a shot.
Remember you can follow me on Twitter @dalejohnsonESPN
Hamsik takes the corner and Cech has to come out with real purpose to punch to safety.
Ivanovic has to nod behind for a corner with Hamsik lurking.
Napoli look like creating a chance with every attack. Chelsea are quaking at the back.
Ashley Cole loses Christian Maggio, Gary Cahill can't close him down and the Napoli player is in on goal - it looks like the deadlock will be broken but again Cech makes a fine save to deny him.
- Cech saves Chelsea once more!
All of a sudden Napoli get themselves in a right tizz as Chelsea break. De Sanctis and Campagnaro make a hash defensively, it comes into the area for Sturridge it's too difficult for him to control.
Lavezzi takes the free-kick, he fails to find a team-mate and David Luiz hacks clear.
Napoli playing the ball around with ease, and then Lavezzi is chopped down by Mata.
Malouda tries to feed in Cole down the left, it's a woefully over-hit pass and runs out for a goal-kick. Chelsea have offered nothing so far.
Ramires is robbed in midfield, Lavezzi feeds in Cavani with a fine through ball and the Uruguyan is relieved the see the offside flag go up after a horror first touch.
Chelsea almost split open again.
Bosingwa hobbles off now, and the "unfit" Cole comes on.
Jose Bosingwa is down and injured. Ashley Cole is going to come on after just 11 minutes.
Inler picks out Cavani with a find ball, the Uruguyan completely unmarked and seemingly certain to score, but Cech saved with his feet. Good save.
- Cech saves Chelsea!
Napoli love the ball over the top against this Chelsea defence in the early stages. Cavani just caught offside when trying to break the trap.
Campagnaro is coming on with a hilarious hair net on. Petr Cech looks far more stylish.
Offside flag is up against Drogba, who collides with Campagnaro when challenging for the ball. Both need a bit of attention and Campagnaro will need a cut seeing to.
Great ball over the top from Paolo Cannavaro which Lavezzi almost runs on to - Cech had to be out smartly to push the ball to safety.
If Andre Villas-Boas pulls off a positive result here he'll be a smug man tonight against the Chelsea egos.
Jose Bosingwa did not look comfortable trying to cross the ball with his left there, and only finds the gloves of the goalkeeper.
Strong start from Napoli. Lavezzi almost gets space for a shot but his control lets him down.
- It's a wet night at the Stadio San Paolo, and Napoli get us underway.
Napoli fans have let off gold ticker-tape. It's like a huge game of Crystal Maze in the Crystal Dome.
Chelsea have just released the following statement on John Terry's fitness: "John has tried hard to be ready for tonight's game but it was clear after training last night that it was not going to be possible. He will undergo an exploratory arthroscopy in the next day or so, after which the club's medical team will be better placed to advise on a prognosis."
Napoli recall fit-again goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis. This makeshift Chelsea defence will have to deal with the triple threat of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik.
Gary Cahill comes in to partner David Luiz in the centre of defence. John Terry will be out for six weeks after an operation scheduled for tomorrow.
Villas-Boas says that Ashley Cole is not quite fit enough to play, yet he is still named on the bench. Playing a suspect right-back, in Bosingwa, at left-back is a huge risk.
Amazing Chelsea team news coming in from Naples. While John Terry is injured, Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas stunningly leaves out Ashley Cole along with Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres at Napoli. Jose Bosingwa plays left-back. What are we to make of this?
Join @dalejohnsonESPN for live commentary of Napoli v Chelsea tonight.
Chelsea are without both Ashley Cole and John Terry.
The second leg is back at Stamford Bridge in three weeks' time. Remember you can follow me on Twitter: @dalejohnsonESPN