On Wednesday, Napoli crashed out of the Champions League, as Chelsea came back to win 3-2 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, thanks to Joao Pedro. The Brazilian scored two great goals in the second half, which meant Chelsea finished sixth in the league phase table and advanced to the last 16.
The Blues got an early penalty when Juan Jesus was penalized for handball. Enzo Fernandez scored from the spot in the 19th minute to put the visitors ahead. But the Italian champios changed the game before halftime. Antonio Vergara scored his first senior goal with an amazing roulette spin before putting the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Rasmus Hojlund then put Napoli ahead after beating Wesley Fofana at the near post just before halftime. From there, Joao Pedro stole the show. Liam Rosenior, Chelsea’s head coach, brought in Cole Palmer at halftime to take Pedro Neto’s place. This change in tactics turned out to be the key.
In the 61st minute, Pedro got the ball from Palmer and blasted it past Alex Meret with his left foot to tie the game. With eight minutes left, the Brazilian broke into the Napoli half after connecting with Palmer and ran 30 yards before hitting his shot across the goal into the corner. Chelsea’s first away win in the Champions League this season was sealed by a clinical finish.
Rosenior told TNT Sports after the game:
“I thought the character of the players, the resilience in the second half, the reaction to going behind was so positive. Joao Pedro scored some magnificent goals in a magnificent performance from him.”
Napoli had a terrible European campaign, finishing 30th out of 36 teams. Antonio Conte’s side have endured a lot of injuries all season, and they were missing important players for the big game. Meanwhile, Chelsea won’t play in Europe again until March. In the last 16, they will face either Qarabag, Monaco, Newcastle, or PSG. The Blues will be back in the Premier League on Saturday when they play West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.
What’s Next For Chelsea?
Chelsea’s sixth-place finish means they skip the knockout phase play-offs and go straight to the round of 16 in the Champions League. The Blues have now won four games in a row in all competitions, which is their best run of form since Rosenior took over for Enzo Maresca earlier this month.
Joao Pedro scored the game-winning goal, bringing his total to 11 goals and four assists in his first season with the club. He has become an important part of Rosenior’s attack. As Palmer gets back in shape and the Blues’ momentum grows, they will try to keep this confidence going into their London derby against West Ham.