UCL Last 16: Real Madrid vs Napoli

Great comeback, although I would've loved if we had scored one more.

I'm also quite impressed with Ronaldo. I thought he was finished, but today he actually played from the wings and had great pace cutting inside.

Benzema upped his work rate and looked nothing like he had been all season.

I'm happy for them both, and I really, really hope they continue like this.

We've got to be the worst team in history of football to kill teams off. It's liie as soon as we have a comfortable lead, everyone's brains turn into lead. We spent the last 20mins of this game trying to set Ronaldo up. There's a reason our midfield is our most prized asset. To them Ronaldo is just another player. It pisses me off how we squander chances left and right because we are comfortable. Napoli had a really good chance at 3-1 to make it 3-2 because Marcelo lost his concentration and his man. In the last 15-20mins when Ronaldo tried to score I thought to myself ah here we go again, back to bad decision making galore

Anyways lovely game from our midfielders as usual. They controlled the tempo of the game and cut off passing lanes etc. Napoli had nowhere to go and as if it'd be easier they were trying to attack Carvajal's wing. If Sarri had done his homework properly he would've completely ignored that wing and peppered Marcelo but their loss is our gain i suppose

Glad to have Pepe. Guy is a bloody rock. So calm and collected, lets nothing past him

Ronaldo was fantastic, most involved game Ive seen from him in a while. All around Madrid played a great game.

Real totally outclass Napoli, they are just so damn good, their midfield and quick attacks. Cavarjal is a beast ffs. Interesting quite a lot of ppl thought Napoli could upset Real, not a chance its proved again.

Only team capable to get into the latter stages of the CL from Serie A proved once more to be Juve. Roma and Napoli as much as they tried just cant reach that level.

Every year the pundits think we are the weakest team in the knock outs and no matter who we play we will need luck in order to advance only our former players Owen and Macmanaman believe in us.

I bet they will say that Barca have a bigger chance of advancing than us in the post match analysis

Expected a 2 goal lead by Madrid. They need to hold on to their nerves at the San Paolo, the atmosphere's gonna be insane.

It is not likely that Madrid won't score at least a goal. Napoli may have a better chance than Arsenal, but it is all but lost for Napoli too.

Expecting Madrid to win at San Paolo too.

Napoli president ADL has started bashing his players & manager. Everyone whom he was praising before kick-off. #RealNapoli

Napoli president ADL: “The lads lacked the Neapolitan grit tonight. The only one who showed it was Insigne, who scored a very sneaky goal."

Napoli president ADL: “Our players didn't exist! Stunned into submission by the glorious figures of Real Madrid, who didn’t even play well."

Napoli president ADL: “In Naples it’ll be a cauldron, but if Real Madrid score there, I can imagine the same players will crumble again."

Napoli president ADL: “I don’t want to get into the decisions. I might disagree with the choices. Nobody said Milik should start tonight

ADL: "Sarri could actually once in a while change tactics... I don't understand some of his choices. Could have been 5-0."

Sacchi: "The De Laurentiis (Napoli president) comments were more damaging than defeat to Real Madrid.

Napoli's president criticized your team & the manager. Pepe Reina: "We hadn’t lost a game since October and he didn’t speak then…”



popcorn time

Not many things worked for Napoli. One of the big positives at least, Diawara is such a great player in the making. Excellent midfielding on the big stage and he is only 19!

2 years ago he was playing in Serie D. Now he is a starter in CL knockouts and one of the better performers of the night for his team.

I'm pretty certain this is actually Maradona's fault. The guy should not anymore be allowed close to a team, a microphone or any chance to speak publicly

Noticed Diawara too, wow only 19, looks promising.

The president is kinda right though, as soon as Real scored, Napoli lost all their confidence it seemed and Real just dominated. Not sure if its inexperience/stage fright or just simply not good enough.

Good result, despite I hoped on greater score.
Mertens ad CF and Koulibaly can be great just in Serie A ....

Hapless_Hans wrote:I'm pretty certain this is actually Maradona's fault. The guy should not anymore be allowed close to a team, a microphone or any chance to speak publicly

Spot on.

Robespierre wrote:Good result, despite I hoped on greater score.
Mertens ad CF and Koulibaly can be great just in Serie A ....

Hapless_Hans wrote:I'm pretty certain this is actually Maradona's fault. The guy should not anymore be allowed close to a team, a microphone or any chance to speak publicly

Spot on.

From the sound of it, he should not be allowed close to young women either anymore

Hans did you already sextuple your houses?

Harmonica wrote:Hans did you already sextuple your houses?

lmao no I'm afraid not, I have not actually started to bet yet, despite your spot on recommendations.

As I said I'm a noob, I'm not even sure where to place a bet, how exactly the odds work etc, what betting company to use.

I'll start when I have more time, the basic principles of Refrid and UEFrid will still be in place then I hope

Let's go Ronaldo

A confident boosting win against Roma vs a confident boosting win against Eibar.

Napoli will probably repeat the lineup from the first leg. Zielinski has really overtaken Allan, the only question is Jorginho vs Diawara.

Mertens is expected to be fit for the game.

2-2 or 3-2

Madrid to go through.

2-0 Napoli to go through.

Napoli isn't going to win anything. Never let the 2nd or 3rd placed Serie A team fool you, they ALWAYS disappoint.

#Napoli fans reportedly blared car horns and banged pots and pans to keep #RealMadrid’s players awake last night. https://t.co/GbteoeOOCa pic.twitter.com/bnTdbkNJaa

— footballitalia (@footballitalia) 7 March 2017

Despicable clowns

This is why they're disliked almost everywhere in Italy

This is also false.

Madrid specifically booked a hotel where they wouldn't be disturbed and no one could sneak around. Its been reported like everywhere in Italy. With tons of references to 87 when they went to Napoli and actually did get woken up by fans. So this time they just eliminated that possibility.

Clzema got this.

A lot of hype behind the loud Blue Tiger ultras and the noisy crowd in San Paolo for Champions League as per usual, to which has struck fear in the hearts of many big teams and evidence persists yet Real Madrid of all teams I have noticed of all big teams never are perturbed by an atmosphere as rare to see such an unspectacular team yet so mentally sound given their experience and mental conditioning. Same thing happened in the Türk Telecom Arena for Galatasaray in which the noise was ear-popping yet Madrid made short work of them.

Nothing will cause an upset unless Napoli cease the deer-in-headlights mentality in CL and take it to them, to which they will not.