Napoli Vs Real Madrid: Real Madrid triumph over Napoli in 3-2 Champions League victory | Football News

NEW DELHI: Real Madrid staged a thrilling comeback to secure a 3-2 victory over Napoli in their Champions League Group C clash, with an unfortunate own goal from Napoli’s keeper, Alex Meret, sealing the win for the Spanish side late in the second half.
Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham found the net for Real Madrid in the first half, cancelling out a Leo Ostigard header for Napoli. However, a Piotr Zielinski penalty early in the second half leveled the score for the Italian side.
The winning goal came in the 78th minute when Federico Valverde unleashed a stunning long-range shot that struck the crossbar and then ricocheted off the back of the flailing Meret’s head, ultimately deflecting into Napoli’s own goal.

Real Madrid now lead Group C with six points from two games, followed by Napoli and Braga with three points each. Union Berlin sits at the bottom with no points.
Real Madrid began the game strongly, with Vinicius and Bellingham causing problems for Napoli’s defense. Vinicius, in his second game back from injury, looked explosive and formed a potent partnership with Bellingham, reminiscent of their early-season chemistry.
Despite both players having chances to score early on, it was Napoli who took the lead with Ostigard’s header in the 19th minute, capitalizing on a failure by Real Madrid keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to clear a corner.
However, Real Madrid quickly recovered, with Vinicius scoring in the 27th minute after a brilliant pass from Bellingham. Bellingham himself found the net in the 34th minute with a mesmerizing solo effort, dribbling past three Napoli defenders before placing a precise shot out of the goalkeeper’s reach.
Napoli pulled level early in the second half with Zielinski’s penalty, awarded for a handball by Nacho after a VAR check. Real Madrid vehemently protested the decision, arguing that the ball had deflected off Nacho’s boot before hitting his hand.
Despite Napoli’s efforts to claim the win, Real Madrid emerged victorious thanks to Valverde’s remarkable long-range strike and Meret’s unfortunate own goal.
Luka Modric, who came off the bench, played a pivotal role in energizing Real Madrid during the late stages of the game, providing the assist for Bellingham and helping control the match.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Modric’s impact, saying, “Modric has delivered. We needed more control, and he came in really well, with his experience and quality, controlling the game for us when we needed it.”
(With Reuters inputs)