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It was a tense affair as the Parisian giants drew with the Partenopei at the Stadio San Paolo on the evening, with both sides coming off feeling like they could've taken all the points available on the night.
Liverpool's loss to Red Star Belgrade before the start of the game made it a really important game for both teams if they wanted to progress without hiccups to the next round, and both failed to make the most of it, as the qualifying race in Group C is now split wide open.
It was also Edinson Cavani's first return to his former club, from which he was pried away five years ago when PSG was still in the process of becoming the commercial and footballing juggernaut that they are. It wasn't a homecoming to remember for the Uruguayan hitman as he was left on the bench by German tactician Thomas Tuchel, along with Adrien Rabiot.
Tuchel went with a 3-4-3 formation on the night to try and get a result against former Paris coach and Ligue 1 winner Carlo Ancelotti, who now reigns in the Napoli dug-out. He has made this truly impressive Napoli side look even better in his tenure so far, which is a huge compliment considering how attractive and effective their level of football was under now Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri. Tuchel started Di Maria out wide on the right instead of Cavani down the middle, and Rabiot was benched for Julian Draxler.
His calm, gum chewing opposite number set his team up in a 4-4-2 that looked like a 6-2-2 when they were defending as the wingers or one of the midfielders doubled up on the wings to minimize the threat posed by Mbappe and Neymar, two of the world's best attacking talents. Here are the observations from this entertaining, draining fixture.
#1 PSG fail to turn up when it matters the most yet again
Over the past 7 years since their takeover, Paris Saint-Germain have gone on to add a litany of stars in their ranks such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, Edinson Cavani to name a few, and have completely revamped everything that existed at the club before they became one of the big boys.
They now are in possession of the biggest club coffers, some of the World's most mercurial talents, and look on the brink of something special. But that's it. On the brink of something.
Every season the club begins with the ambition of winning the Champions League and every season they beat struggling sides, raising high hopes for fans and neutrals alike, and every season they don't cease to disappoint. But a lot of factors could be considered that kept big ears away from their reach, especially one night of absolutely horrendous refereeing by Deniz Aytekin at the Nou Camp. But that's all in the past now.
Tonight they started the game brightly and were quite unfortunate to go into halftime only 1 goal up, but after the half-time break, they just didn't have the same desire and intensity. Napoli sensed that and capitalized on their glaring weaknesses against a defence which is in need of investment more so than any other spot in the squad.
Thiago Silva, club captain, gave away a stupid penalty at the hour mark after a foul on Jose Callejon from behind, and Lorenzo Isigne calmly stroked it past the reach of the outstretched veteran Buffon.
No more excuses can be given now, and if the players fail to up their levels against clubs that can put up more of a fight than Nantes, they'd tarnish not only their club's but also their own legacies.
#2 Napoli is looking seriously good under Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti was let go by his previous club, Bayern Munich a short while after losing 3-0 to the Paris giants, and took up his first job since then by joining Napoli to replace the outgoing mastermind Maurizio Sarri. He has done a fantastic job getting his message across to his players, who seem to have really bought into his method of playing fast expansive and often lethal football.
His side looked to stifle his former employers in their own half by the wingers doubling up on the flanks and were pretty much on point, except for when Mbappe broke free and ran past Raul Albiol to set up Juan Bernat's superb finish at the end of first half.
The Parnepetoi came out all guns blazing in the second half and forced Gigi Buffon into a lot of crucial saves which kept the French champions in the contest, as they looked overwhelmed by such relentless attacking and pressure by Ancelotti's men.
#3 Should Neymar be considered the 3rd best player anymore?
Neymar Jr. broke the internet and defied all logic, by leaving the all-conquering FC Barcelona for Paris for a world record fee in 2017. He was then considered the heir to Messi and Ronaldo's throne as the world's next icon, and looked unplayable at times, as opposition teams reconciled to fouling him to stop him from scoring.
Whilst still incredibly talented, Neymar has dropped off that pedestal by taking more than a step-down, and we cannot keep looking at the world's most expensive player, (whose transfer has absolutely ruined the way transfer values are evaluated) for his potential to be the best.
He's now 26, and he is now what can be considered his physical prime. Neymar should be banging in goals for fun every weekend given how the team is built around him to best suit his abilities, and the level of opposition he faces in league competition. But that hasn't been the case.
Instead of proving why he cost so much, Neymar has caused more headaches than joy to the PSG hierarchy. If they do end up failing again this year in their annual pursuit, PSG must seriously consider letting him be someone else's problem, and build the team around Mbappe, who seem to be just as much talented, if not more than the flashy Brazilian.
#4 Allan is an absolute beast
Tonight, the Brazilian enforcer was given the task of nullifying his International compatriot's phenomenal talents, and he turned up with a performance of a lifetime, as he was the best Napoli player on the pitch by a mile.
The midfielder was outstanding on the night, involved in 17 duels, winning 9 of them, and having 4 successful tackles. He created one chance, blocked a shot in the dying stages of the game, and completed 7 long balls, all while being the constant link between defence and attack. He was everywhere for Napoli, and whilst he isn't the tallest or the quickest, he definitely was the grittiest player on the pitch on the night, stopping the opposition dead in their tracks throughout the 90.
At 27, he still has more than a few years left in his tank, and any club willing to take a chance on him in the market could very well be buying one of the steeliest midfielders around.
#5 Group C is the most interesting of them all
I don't mean any insult to the other groups, but let's be honest for a moment. Any group with three of the world's most entertaining football teams, accompanied by some of the best atmospheres to play football, being clubbed in the group stage is a delight for any person who's a fan of fluid, attacking football. This group is this year's group of death, as no team is guaranteed a spot in the next rounds, and have it all to play for in the final game week of the group stages in the Champions League.
Both of tonight's teams face Liverpool in the upcoming fixtures, and it will be the most interesting of matchups that Europe's elite club competition will provide us with this year, as this quality of fixtures are generally seen in the latter stages of the competition. Football fans are in for an absolute treat this year, and no one knows how this group will look when the dust settles.
