Benfica meets Napoli in critical game
Group B clubs hope to secure Round of 16 berth after squandering previous chances
MADRID — Not long ago, Napoli was in position to become the first team in Champions League history to advance from the group stage after only three matches. Now, the Italian team is in danger of not making it at all.
All Benfica needed to do to guarantee its spot in the next stage was hold on to a 3-0 lead in its last game. Now, not even a draw may be enough.
Benfica and Napoli meet in Lisbon on Tuesday to decide their fate in Group B, hoping to make it to the last 16 of the Champions League after squandering numerous opportunities in the previous rounds.
Both teams have eight points, one more than Besiktas, which plays at already eliminated Dynamo Kyiv and will advance with a victory.
The winner at Estadio da Luz will automatically advance, and a draw will be enough for Napoli because it defeated Benfica when the teams played in Italy. If Besiktas defeats Dynamo, which has lost its previous two home games, the loser in Lisbon will be eliminated.
“It’s not going to be a walk in the park in Lisbon for us but it’s not going to be for them either,” Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. “The last 20 minutes could be decisive and we’ve got to focus on winning and not defending a draw.”
Napoli could have made history had it beaten Besiktas at home in its third match, but it conceded a late winner to lose 3-2, then was held 1-1 in Turkey and drew 0-0 with Dynamo Kyiv to enter the final round still needing a point.
Benfica was set to secure a spot in the last 16 when it opened a 3-0 lead at Besiktas, but a dramatic late run allowed the Turkish side to equalize and stay alive. Benfica also conceded a late equalizer to Besiktas when the teams played in Lisbon.
The last round will determine whether it’s Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal finishing first in Group A, with the French team holding the head-to-head advantage on away goals. PSG will secure the top spot with a home win against Ludogorets regardless of Arsenal’s result at Basel.
PSG and Arsenal have 11 points each. Bulgarian side Ludogorets and Swiss team Basel are tied with two points and will be playing for a Europa League spot.
Barcelona has already secured first place in Group C but the home game against Borussia Moenchengladbach will give the Catalan club a chance to rebound from three consecutive draws, including the disappointing 1-1 result against Real Madrid on Saturday at Camp Nou.
The game will also give Lionel Messi a chance to match or surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 11 goals in the group stage. Messi has nine entering Tuesday’s game.
Neymar and Ivan Rakitic are out for Barcelona because of suspensions. Manchester City, which hosts Celtic, has already secured second place. Moenchengladbach will finish third.