The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
A match touched by greatness
Diego Maradona to cheer for hard-nosed Napoli who face star-studded Real Madrid in Last 16 clash
REAL MADRID have mastered the art of winning without hitting top gear this season but that strategy will be severely tested in Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 showdown against a Napoli side that have developed their own invincible aura. La Liga leaders Real were riding high as they set a Spanish record 40-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. That run was finally snapped by Sevilla last month and now Napoli have taken up the mantle of the hardest team to beat in Europe, stringing together 18 games without defeat. Real’s scrappy 3-1 win at basement club Osasuna on Saturday displayed visible weaknesses in their rearguard as Zinedine Zidane’s use of a back three bore mixed results, with goalkeeper Keylor Navas called upon numerous times to thwart the La Liga strugglers.
The return of a fit-again Dani Carvajal should see the coach revert to his favoured 4-3-3 line-up as he has an almost full strength side at his disposal except for Gareth Bale, who has recently returned to training following an ankle injury.
Real captain Sergio Ramos said his team needed to underline their credentials on Wednesday ahead of the return leg at Napoli’s notoriously atmospheric San Paolo stadium. “Napoli are strong opponents on a very good run and we’ll try and keep a clean sheet so we can have a more comfortable trip over there,” the defender said in a broadcast for Facebook Live on Monday.
Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik, who returned to the squad for Friday’s 2-0 win over strugglers Genoa but stayed on the bench after four months out with a knee injury, could make his comeback against Real.
Belgium forward Dries Mertens has taken on the team’s attacking responsibilities in Milik’s absence, plundering 13 goals in his last 10 games and inspiring a run of seven wins and one draw in 2017, taking Napoli to third in Serie A. An estimated 10,000 Napoli supporters, including the team’s most famous player Diego Maradona, are expected to make the trip to the Spanish capital for the first competitive meeting with Real Madrid since the 1987. In addition, Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol will face their former side for the first time.
“We’re feeling the fans’ support a lot. The Bernabeu is an intimidating stadium to play at but the only way to get past Real Madrid is to be brave and go there with intent,” Napoli and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina told radio station Onda Cero. “Maradona’s presence will motivate us and we hope we don’t disappoint him.”
Almost 30 years later, though, he will be at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium trying to cheer the Italian club to its greatest Champions League achievement.
Maradona was Napoli’s biggest star in that European Cup encounter in 1987, when Madrid won 3-1 on aggregate. On Wednesday, he will be the team’s symbolic No. 1 fan.
Maradona and about 10,000 Napoli supporters made the trip to Madrid for what could be a historic moment for the club in Europe’s top team competition. Napoli has a chance to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in its history. “If I was a prophet, I wouldn’t need to be a player,” Maradona said when asked about his prediction for the first leg as he arrived in the Spanish capital.
It is only the second time that Napoli is playing the last 16 of the Champions League. It also reached this stage in 2011-12, when it was eliminated by Chelsea.
The 56-year-old Maradona was invited by Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis to watch the game against the defending European champions in Madrid.
Bayern,
Bayern Munich and Arsenal meet in their big-name Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, both hoping European success will help lift mid-season gloom on their domestic fronts.
Bayern are on track for a record-extending fifth consecutive title with a seven-point lead thanks to their 2-0 win over Ingolstadt on Saturday.
But that result does not tell the whole story, with the German champions looking lacklustre for most of the match before snatching two goals in the final minutes.
The Bavarians have been more a model of efficiency under coach Carlo Ancelotti than the high-scoring, high-speed train of past seasons under predecessor Pep Guardiola. With fans grumbling about the lack of spark, Ancelotti said Saturday's win gave them the boost needed to take on Arsenal.
Arsenal clash
Maradona and about 10,000 Napoli supporters made the trip to Madrid for what could be a historic moment for the club in Europe’s top team competition. Napoli has a chance to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in its history.