Napoli made history by qualifying for the first time in their career to the Champions League quarterfinals, beating Eintracht Frankfurt comfortably 3-0 in the round of 16 second leg. After their 2-0 victory in Germany, the Italian team had a considerable advantage, which made the second leg a formality.
The Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, was the figure of the match by scoring a brace, opening the scoring at minute 45+2 and extending it at minute 53. The Pole Piotr Zielinski joined the party by converting a penalty at minute 64, sealing the tie.
“It’s amazing to make history with this victory,” Osimhen expressed emotionally to Prime Video. “We are going to keep dreaming, we have the team to do it,” he added. With this result, Italy will be the country with the greatest representation in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, with Napoli, AC Milan and Inter Milan classified.
This season has been spectacular for Napoli, the prominent leader in the Italian Serie A, with an 18-point advantage over second-placed Inter, which augurs a possible title in the domestic championship. The team led by Luciano Spalletti seeks to relive the glorious years of the Diego Maradona era, when Napoli won the Italian league twice (1987, 1990) and the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) in 1989.
For its part, Eintracht Frankfurt, champion of the last Europa League, sees its participation in this season of the Champions League cut short. Now, he must focus on the battle for a qualification to the next edition of the German tournament, where he is in sixth position, five points behind fourth place.
With the elimination of Eintracht, only Bayern Munich represents Germany in the quarterfinals of this tournament. «I have no problem admitting that they were better, but I also have to congratulate my team. We did better than in the first leg at home. I am very proud,” said Oliver Glasner, the Eintracht coach.
This Wednesday’s match took place without Eintracht fans due to legal disputes surrounding ticket sales. Even so, the Napoli players felt supported by their fans at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, which vibrated with the historic victory.
Now, Napoli advance to the quarterfinals, with their sights set on going even further in the Champions League. The Italian team will seek to overcome this new stage and continue making history in the prestigious European tournament. The dream continues for Napoli in the Champions League!
2023-07-25 08:13:32
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