Let’s start from the end: seeing half of Maradona leave after Joao Pedro’s goal, ten minutes before the end, does not do this city credit. Nor to the team, obviously. Thank goodness the other half of the stadium was worth framing at the final whistle. A time to dream, another to awaken. Because football does this like this: Napoli abandons the Champions League, the defeat against Chelsea 3-2 ruins Neapolitans’ hopes of seeing the competition again in the Playoffs. There will be time for analysis, for today the heart and desire remain in the eyes, the half-way comeback and the shortcomings of a team that returns defeated at Maradona over a year later. A lesson to raise your head that starts from the feet of Antonio Vergara, the happiest note of the evening: a beautiful flower in this freezing winter. We always believe in Pino, but today we like the Blues a little less.
Is a star born?
The only change at the start for Conte is Olivera, on the left with Spinazzola changing sides. On points, Napoli would start better. Much better. Maybe it’s because of the special evening, because of the electric air, maybe because of the full Maradona, maybe because the Champions League shout in these parts always has a certain effect – as it was 14 years ago – but the Azzurri seem distant relatives of those seen in the second half in Turin just a few days ago. And they have even more opportunities than their opponents. McTominay opens to scare Sanchez, then Olivera who shoots out with a lopsided left foot and again Di Lorenzo who gets hypnotized face to face with the goalkeeper. But it is the guests who take the lead: a free kick from the edge turns into a penalty. Turpin has no doubts: he has the classic size of the big whistle, you see little but you hear a lot. He has no doubts about Juan Jesus’ left arm. Meret almost ruins Enzo Fernandez’s celebration, but the Argentine coolly gives his team the lead. Napoli loses their bearings for a moment, so much so that immediately afterwards Rosenior’s team risks doubling their lead with an overhead kick from Joao Pedro. Widely out, though. Then Conte’s team calms down and reorganizes. A spark is enough to light everything: Vergara’s goal is magic, a pirouette in mid-air between the opposing shirts that keeps everyone in suspense. Then in the corner hole with that polite and incorrect left-hander, rebellious and winning like all the kids who come from this province. The draw is what Maradona wanted.
Here they are again
Conte’s lions see each other again only then, when Buongiorno and his teammates, under the B, ask for an extra hand. Before the break, another play by Vergara on the right kicks off the action that turns the game upside down: from right to left, from Di Lorenzo to Olivera, then Hojlund so precise, perfect in his insertion to pierce both Chelsea centre-backs. It’s 2-1 and now the whole city believes it because the results in the 45th minute show Napoli well qualified. Rosenior sees the difficulties of his team: the choice of James in central defense does not pay off, Malo Gusto and Cucurella alter the entire balance. The English manager takes action: the second half sees Palmer starting in place of Pedro Neto. Just to reiterate how strong and long the Blues bench is
Only applause
Gittens and Chalobah also came on on the hour mark to provide stability, because the Azzurri continued to try but obviously went on in flames. Possession and restart, while Chelsea tries to raise the pace, not always successfully. Palmer isn’t in the best condition, but he always knows how to invent. And in fact the episode arrives just after the hour of play with a prairie left to Joao Pedro and a left shot that Meret doesn’t reach. Conte tries to respond: send Lukaku onto the field, together with Gutierrez and Beukema: the Spaniard and the Dutchman will be protagonists in reverse when Joao Pedro closes the score again. Silence falls on Maradona before the final tribute, the scream remains strangled in his throat. Others, for this year, there will be none: for the Azzurri the Champions League ends here. A huge regret: what could Conte’s team have done without all these problems? What will it take to find ourselves here again next year? There’s an entire second half of the season for the answer.
