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3. Napoli dazzle in attack, not so much in defence
Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and the indefatigable Marek Hamsik were brilliant in the first half – pressing incessantly high up the pitch, forcing the Madrid players onto the backfoot and making them commit far too many mistakes, and creating bucket-loads of shooting opportunites that they simply failed to capitalise on. Unlike the away game, where they understandably sat back and tried to counter at pace, they needed to grab the initiative from the get-go, and they did. Going into the first half the game really was balanced on a knife’s edge.
Their defense, though, is another thing. And it’s what tipped the game Madrid’s way in the second half. Napoli have kept just two clean sheets in the last three months, and even when they were completely dominating Madrid, they looked like they could concede any minute – as that Ronaldo chance in the 30th minute showed (where he ran in between the central defenders, rounded Reina, and smacked the post). Both the corner goals were a result as much of sloppy marking as it was of Sergio Ramos’ immense ability and the third goal – scored by former Juve man Alvaro Morata – merely added salt into the open wound that was Maurizio Sarri’s defence.
