Champions League Playoffs, Napoli-Nice 2-0

A judicious and already in good shape Napoli mortgaged its qualification to the Champions group stage thanks to a clear 2-0 win over Nice in the first leg of the playoff played at the San Paolo.

Priva of Balotelli and Sneijder, Favre’s lineup confirmed itself as a distant relative of the one that had surprised in the last Ligue 1.

Napoli immediately focused: excellent the first quarter of the game of the Azzurri, who pass already on 13′ with Mertens, cold in passing Cardinale on a defense filter and then immediately touching the double.

Only at halftime did Sarri’s team rebound, risking a lot, however, on a couple of restarts not materialized by Saint-Maximin and Koziello.

At the beginning of the second half, however, Napoli was seen again, dribbling at speed: Insigne missed the touch on the line on an invitation from Mertens, who then earned the 2-0 penalty midway through the half (Jallet’s holding that perhaps started outside the box). Jorginho displaces Cardinale and Nice’s nerves jumped: expelled Koziello for double admonition and Plea for protests, but newcomer Milik gobbled up the goal that would have turned the return match into a formality