Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli put one foot into their first-ever UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final after a dominant 2-0 victory over 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park.
Despite all of the pre-game talk focusing on Napoli’s incredible exploits in Serie A, it was Oliver Glasner’s Frankfurt that made the better start in front of a raucous home crowd.
Star striker Randal Kolo Muani, one of just three players in Europe’s top five leagues to register 10+ goals and assists this season, nearly opened the scoring inside five minutes after a delightful flick invited a volley, but the Frenchman dragged his effort wide.
No side scored more goals in the UCL group stage than Napoli and it was soon apparent why, as they completely took control of the contest and cut off the service to the Frankfurt front men.
With HT approaching, Hirving Lozano struck the post before the Partenopei won a penalty as Aurelio Buta’s hack on Victor Osimhen was punished.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saw his spot-kick saved by Kevin Trapp, but his blushes would be spared by his partner in crime – Victor Osimhen.
Five minutes before the break, the Nigerian hitman timed his run to perfection to convert a pinpoint Lozano cross at the back post.
Relentless pressure from the Italian outfit continued after the restart, and only the heroics of Trapp were keeping the Eagles in the contest.
He was proving Kvaratskhelia’s personal nemesis, rushing off his line to deny the Georgian the chance to double the lead.
An increasingly difficult task was made even harder for Frankfurt on the hour mark, when Kolo Muani was sent off for a late lunge on André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – crucially ruling him out of the return leg in Naples.
Luciano Spalletti’s men were in supreme command now and the second goal inevitably arrived, although through an unlikely source.
Anguissa fed Kvaratskhelia, whose delightful back-heel teed up Giovanni di Lorenzo to precisely slide into the bottom corner.
That wrapped up a first-ever H2H victory for Napoli, who have now won four consecutive matches by a 2+ goal margin while also keeping a clean sheet.
Their imperious form makes them one of the favourites for the tournament, especially considering they’ve lost three of their last 21 UCL games.