McTominay and Neres shine in Napoli’s Champions League win against Qarabag | OneFootball

Napoli defeated Qarabag 2-0 in the Champions League group game at Diego Maradona Stadium to mark their second win of the tournament.

The Partenopei had a great opportunity to break the deadlock after being awarded a penalty, but Rasmus Hojlund had his strike denied by Mateusz Kochalski.

Much to the Danish striker’s relief, Scott McTominay put the home side ahead with the simplest of a close-range header in the 65th minute.

The Scottish midfielder quickly forced an own goal from Marko Jankovic to seal a crucial win for the Serie A champions, thus keeping their hopes alive in the UCL.

With the pressure mounting on Antonio Conte’s side after the humiliating loss against PSV, followed by a goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, they have now gained back the momentum with last night’s victory.

McTominay once again proved to be the difference maker with his brilliant all-around performance.

Shouldering the responsibility in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Frank Anguissa, McTominay showed once again that he is the most influential player for the Italian giants.

He completed 55 passes with a pass accuracy of 87%, including nine final third passes. The former Manchester United man also created three big chances and made six recoveries off the ball.

The Scottish star now has five goals and two assists to his name in all competitions this season.

David Neres was as pivotal as McTominay in the victory against the Azerbaijan outfit.

The Brazilian winger nearly pulled two jaw-dropping goals, but only to be denied by Kochalski and the woodwork.

He was a constant threat down the flank during the counterattacks and made 11 touches in the opposition box.

The 28-year-old completed two dribbles and created three big chances, playing a key role in Napoli’s second goal.

Napoli are 18th in the UCL table after picking up two wins, a draw and two defeats in five games.

They need to win the remaining fixtures against Benfica, Copenhagen and Chelsea to fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout phase.