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Napoli — Arsenal, UEFA Champions League

UEFA Champions League
Napoli D8 Aug · Home Celta de Vigo · 1:1W12 Aug · Home Aris Thessaloniki · 6:2W22 Aug · Away Genoa · 2:0L30 Aug · Home Como · 1:2L5 Sep · Away Inter · 2:3L9 Sep · Home Arsenal · 0:1
0:1
Finished

Kick-off was

Arsenal D12 Aug · Home Como · 1:1W16 Aug · Home Manchester City · 3:0W21 Aug · Home Coventry · 3:0W31 Aug · Away Aston Villa · 1:0W6 Sep · Home Chelsea · 2:1W9 Sep · Away Napoli · 1:0
Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona City: Naples

Match report

Ødegaard strikes late as Arsenal edge Napoli at Maradona

Arsenal picked up a narrow 1-0 win against Napoli in the opening League Stage match of the Champions League campaign at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The visitors held firm after Martin Ødegaard's second-half goal and saw out the game to claim all three points. Napoli started brighter and pressed high, but Arsenal's midfield held its shape. Billy Gilmour picked up a booking in the 42nd minute as the hosts tried to break them down. Five minutes later Alex Meret was substituted, which caught the eye — a goalkeeper off early is unusual business. Arsenal then brought on Matteo Politano and Alisson Santos in quick succession, reshaping their approach. The decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute when Martin Ødegaard found space and finished clinically. By then Arsenal had already made changes: Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze had come on to add fresh legs. Viktor Gyökeres and Bukayo Saka followed shortly after, and Rasmus Højlund joined the fray in the 76th minute. The hosts kept pushing but Arsenal's back line stood tall. Yellow cards came for Lorenzo Lucca in the 85th minute and Ødegaard himself in stoppage time. Stanislav Lobotka and Ben White were among the other substitutions on display. Napoli threw men forward late on, but Arsenal's discipline never wavered. The statistics tell a clear story. Arsenal dominated possession at 58 percent and created six big chances compared to Napoli's zero. Their expected goals figure of 4.05 stood in stark contrast to the hosts' 0.22. Yet Arsenal managed only one goal from eight shots on target — chances went begging for too long. Napoli had 42 percent of the ball but could not find the net from three attempts. Both sides enter the next round with zero points and zero games in the record books, so this opening result sets the tone for what follows. Arsenal's away victory gives them a solid foundation, while Napoli have work to do at home.

Prepared from match data

Video

Goal UEFA Champions League: Napoli vs Arsenal other Goal UEFA Champions League: Napoli vs Arsenal other

Key numbers

Possession, % 42 – 58.00
Shots on target 3 – 8
Shots off target 0 – 11
Expected goals 0.22 – 4.05

Match events

  1. 42' 0:0 Napoli Yellow card Billy Gilmour
  2. 45' 0:0 Napoli Substitution Alex Meret off: Vanja Milinković-Savić
  3. 57' 0:0 Napoli Substitution Matteo Politano off: Costantino Favasuli
  4. 58' 0:0 Napoli Substitution Alisson Santos off: Antonio Vergara
  5. 65' 0:0 Arsenal Substitution Mikel Merino off: Bruno Guimarães
  6. 66' 0:0 Arsenal Substitution Eberechi Eze off: Christos Tzolis
  7. 73' 0:0 Arsenal Substitution Viktor Gyökeres off: Kai Havertz
  8. 73' 0:0 Arsenal Substitution Bukayo Saka off: Noni Madueke
  9. 75' 0:1 Arsenal Goal Martin Odegaard assist: Christos Tzolis
  10. 76' 0:1 Napoli Substitution Rasmus Hojlund off: David Neres
  11. 77' 0:1 Napoli Substitution Stanislav Lobotka off: Lorenzo Lucca
  12. 82' 0:1 Arsenal Substitution Ben White off: Martín Zubimendi
  13. 85' 0:1 Napoli Yellow card Lorenzo Lucca
  14. 90+1' 0:1 Arsenal Yellow card Martin Odegaard

Statistics

42 Possession, % 58.00
3 Shots on target 8
0 Shots off target 11
0.22 Expected goals 4.05
0 Big chances 6
0 Corners 6
12 Fouls 11
11 Free kicks 12
1 Offsides 1
2 Yellow cards 1
0 Red cards 0
12 Goal kicks 4
8 Throw-ins 12
All statistics
17 Aerial duels 17
69 Backward passes 88
2 Blocked shots 7
19 Clearances 6
9 Crosses 19
7 Dribbles 12
0.14 Expected assists 3.41
61 Failed passes 50
6 Goalkeeper saves 3
3 Interceptions 7
4 Key passes 23
60 Long passes 19
37 Passes into the final third 292
174 Passes in the opposition half 493
280 Passes in own half 134
0.60 Shot accuracy 0.31
3 Shots from outside the box 11
2 Shots inside the box 15
10 Aerial duels won 7
0 Successful crosses 5
3 Successful dribbles 7
30 Successful long passes 7
6 Successful tackles 7
384 Successful passes 558
14 Tackles 9
445 Total passes 608

Line-ups

Napoli

Starting XI
# Player number
1 Alex Meret 1
13 Amir Rrahmani 13
16 Rafael Marín Zamora 16
17 Mathías Olivera Miramontes 17
22 Giovanni Di Lorenzo 22
6 Billy Clifford Gilmour 6
11 Kevin De Bruyne 11
68 Stanislav Lobotka 68
19 Rasmus Højlund 19
21 Matteo Politano 21
27 Alisson Santos 27
Substitutes
# Player number
14 Nikita Contini 14
32 Vanja Milinković-Savić 32
2 Costantino Favasuli 2
5 Benoît Badiashile 5
31 Sam Beukema 31
37 Leonardo Spinazzola 37
26 Antonio Vergara 26
7 David Neres 7
20 Lorenzo Lucca 20
Show full squad

Arsenal

Starting XI
# Player number
1 David Raya 1
4 Benjamin William White 4
5 Piero Martín Hincapié Reyna 5
6 Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães 6
15 Ezri Konsa Ngoyo 15
7 Bukayo Saka 7
8 Martin Ødegaard 8
10 Eberechi Eze 10
23 Mikel Merino 23
41 Declan Rice 41
14 Viktor Einar Gyökeres 14
Substitutes
# Player number
13 Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta 13
30 Illan Meslier 30
33 Riccardo Calafiori 33
49 Myles Anthony Lewis-Skelly 49
89 M. Salmon 89
36 Martín Zubimendi 36
39 Bruno Guimarães 39
56 M. Daumen 56
17 Christos Tzolis 17
20 Chukwunonso Tristan Madueke 20
29 Kai Lukas Havertz 29
Show full squad

Match prediction: Napoli — Arsenal

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Recent form

Napoli

D8 Aug · Home Celta de Vigo · 1:1W12 Aug · Home Aris Thessaloniki · 6:2W22 Aug · Away Genoa · 2:0L30 Aug · Home Como · 1:2L5 Sep · Away Inter · 2:3L9 Sep · Home Arsenal · 0:1

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Arsenal

D12 Aug · Home Como · 1:1W16 Aug · Home Manchester City · 3:0W21 Aug · Home Coventry · 3:0W31 Aug · Away Aston Villa · 1:0W6 Sep · Home Chelsea · 2:1W9 Sep · Away Napoli · 1:0

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