Napoli’s Champions League journey came to a heartbreaking end after a dramatic 3-2 defeat against Chelsea at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, despite the Serie A champions holding a strong position at halftime and keeping their playoff hopes alive for most of the night.
Napoli entered the match knowing that a positive result could push them into 17th or 18th place in the UEFA Champions League long table, enough to secure a spot in the knockout playoffs. The Italian side looked on course to achieve exactly that after an impressive first-half display.
Amir Vergara opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Rasmus Højlund doubled Napoli’s advantage ten minutes later, sending the home crowd into celebration. At 2-1 up by halftime, Napoli were in control and seemed destined to keep their European campaign alive.
However, the second half saw Chelsea completely shift momentum. Enzo Fernández pulled one back in the 19th minute mark of the second half, reigniting the contest and putting pressure on the Napoli defense. Chelsea’s attacking intensity continued to grow, and João Pedro emerged as the decisive figure on the night.
