Napoli 4-0 Genk
Napoli have clinched their spot to the next round of the Champions League by thrashing Genk in a masterpiece. It was a much-needed win for the Italian side, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men couldn’t buy a victory prior to this match.
Arkadiusz Milik led the charge with his treble by setting the tone early in the first half while Dries Mertens added one more in the latter stages of the match via a penalty kick.
With Genk not favoured in our Champions League 2019 odds as they are already consigned to finish at the bottom of Group E, there was some pressure for the Italians to finish on a high note in front of their fans at Stadio San Paolo.
Napoli and Liverpool are set to move on to the next round by placing in the top two of Group E, leaving Red Bull getting the Europa League spot and Genk having to go home early.
Hours after the victory, Napoli delivered some shocking Champions League 2019 news when they relieved team manager Carlo Ancelotti from his duties. It remains to be seen on where he’ll end up next, but perhaps a return back home in AC Milan might be a good place to go given their recent struggles.
SBOBET offers to you the highlights of this superb game by the Partenopei.
Highlights of the game
Teenage goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt made his Champions League debut for Genk, and it was a night to forget for him. He was the youngest to make his maiden appearance at 17 years and 287 days.
Vandevoordt conceded an early goal in just less than two minutes as Arkadiusz Milik smashed home an easy one when the teenage goalkeeper panicked and failed to clear the ball.
He was tested once more when Kalidou Koulibaly had a header of an attempt, but his shot hit the post and bounced in. It looked like a goal upon first look, but the VAR didn’t count it upon further review.
Napoli controlled pretty much of the first half as Genk were in the defensive all night long. Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik continued to dictate the tempo for the Partenopei.
Paul Onuachu had a rare chance to answer back for Genk in the 16th minute after a lovely pass by his teammate. However, his shot went too narrow to the left.
Arkadiusz Milik would score his second goal of the night 10 minutes later via a beautiful cross by Giovanni di Lorenzo, as Maarten Vandevoordt was left on an island.
Alex Meret showed his wares defensively when he prevented a forming attack by Genk in the 33rd minute. He intercepted a pass from Junya Ito for a possible attempt by Mbwana Samatta.
A few minutes later, Genk were called for a yellow card when Vandevoordt made a brave challenge to a hard-charging Jose Callejon. Arkadiusz Milik, who had the hot hand, scored off of a calm penalty kick to secure his first Napoli hat-trick.
Allan almost joined in the scoring party in the second half when he found himself open inside the box. However, his shot went too far wide to the left.
Vandevoordt was doing much better in the second half as he would make better decisions, including a save after a weak strike by Fabian Ruiz and a long clearance at the 68th minute when his defender passed him the ball while Koulibaly was trailing from the play.
It was Napoli’s turn to showcase their improved backline as they would prevent Genk from having shots on target. The Belgian team’s long ball attempts didn’t work as defenders like Kostas Manolas and Kalidou Koulibaly showed their aerial prowess to head those away.
Jose Callejon drew another penalty violation for Genk when his strike hit the backhand of Casper de Norre. Dries Mertens let out a cool finish to cap off their strong performance.
Key statistics
By demolishing Genk, Napoli have registered their biggest winning margin ever in the Champions League.
Arkadiusz Milik’s goal under three minutes was the second-fastest time for a Napoli player to score in the Champions League. The fastest one was Piotr Zielinski back in 2018 against Feyenoord when he netted one in the first 1:35.
Genk finished at the bottom once more in the group stages for the third consecutive time. They also didn’t fare well back in the 2003 and 2012 editions of the tournament.
What’s next?
Napoli are going to host the visiting Parma for their Serie A match while Genk will go back home to clash against Waasland-Beveren in the Belgian Pro League.
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