Real Madrid, current champion, and Napoli confirmed their presence in the quarterfinals of the Football Champions League on Wednesday, after beating Liverpool (1-0) and Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0), respectively.
The Spaniards, who completed the 300th match in the current format of the competition, and the transalpines, for the first time in the ‘quarters’, set out for the return matches with ‘foot and a half’ in the next phase, in view of the superiority evidenced in the first.
After the ‘super’ comeback at Anfield Road, from 0-2 to 5-2, today, at the Bernabéu, in Madrid, the ‘merengues’ played with a three-goal advantage, but even so, they did enough to come back prevail, with some wasted chances until the goal that dictated a new victory appeared.
It was only after minute 79 that the ‘null’ was undone, the result of an easy ‘back’ by the Frenchman Karim Benzema, after assisting the Brazilian Vinícius Júnior, who was able to finish off with only Alisson in front, but slipped before, already on the grass, he managed to deliver the ball to the French striker.
For the ‘Reds’, captain James Milner became the oldest Englishman (37 years and 70 days) to start a ‘Champions’ match, since David Beckham, in April 2013 (37 years and 335 days ).
The Portuguese international Diogo Jota started in the English shield, while his compatriot Fábio Carvalho was only released by Jürgen Klopp already in added time.
At the same time, in Naples, the Serie A leader, who is chasing a third national title, after the two won in 1986/87 and 1989/90, with Diego Armando Maradona as the great star, welcomed Eintracht 2-0. in their favor, with the second duel marked by clashes between the German fans, without entry to the venue, and the transalpine police.
Despite not having tickets, several fans of the German team, hooded and dressed in black, moved to Naples, where they threw fireworks, chairs and bottles in the direction of the police, who responded with tear gas.
At the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Víctor Osimnhen, who had already scored in Frankfurt, once again put his name on the scorers’ list, after heading a ball served by Politano into the back of the net, in minute 45+2.
In the second half, the tie was closed, thanks to a new goal from the Nigerian striker, in the 53rd minute, this time served by Di Lorenzo, with a penalty taken by the Polish Zielinski closing the scoring, in the 64th minute.
In the Neapolitans, the Portuguese international Mário Rui lined up from the start in Luciano Spalleti’s team, as well as the compatriot Buta in the Eintracht Frankfurt side, who was deprived of the Frenchman Kolo Muani, expelled in Germany.
Real Madrid and Napoli join Benfica, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Manchester City in the quarter-finals, the draw for which is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 (Lisbon time).
Source: TSF
