Real Madrid is seeking tonight against Naples at the Diego Maradona stadium, where it has never played under that name, a victory that would leave its qualification for the round of 16 well on track after having beaten Union Berlin in its debut at the Bernabéu with a goal by Joselu in the addition. Napoli also won in Braga and the Spanish and Italians are playing for first place in the group.
Despite Napoli being a calcium classic, this will only be the third time that the whites have crossed paths with the Partenopean team. In the four previous matches, Real Madrid has never lost, which has among its memories the 2-0 at the Bernabéu behind closed doors with a historic shot from Chendo to Maradona that Jorge Valdano defined like this: “The birds shot at the shotguns.”
That was in 1987 with the Quinta del Buitre in action. In the last meeting between the two, much more recent, in 2017, with Madrid on the way to the twelfth in Cardiff, the whites also won with a double 3-1. The Italians took the lead in both games.
Today's Naples seems the best armed since the times of Maradona. Last season he won the scudetto with ease, 33 years later. The Italians began the season with doubts with a new coach, the Frenchman Rudi García. Now they have reacted with two wins against Udinese and Lecce. Their striker Victor Osimhen was a substitute this Saturday to arrive rested for the duel.
Madrid went through a low moment with their defeat in the derby (3-1 against Atlético), but they have also won their last two games, against Las Palmas (2-0) and especially on Saturday against Girona in Montilivi (0 -3), a victory marred by Nacho's ugly and inexplicable kick to Portu in added time.
Real Madrid wants to turn the page on the incident in any way possible. Ancelotti stressed it at the press conference. “Nacho has apologized and they have accepted them. He doesn't have to do more. As I said, it was a lack of lucidity. The matter ends there,” he said.
Madrid is confident in Bellingham's good form (his top scorer with seven goals) and in the reappearance of Vinícius, who already played an hour in Girona after being injured for a month. However, he still has important casualties, such as Courtois and Militão. Alaba does not travel either.
Rudi García is cautious. He wants to break his team's jinx but he says: "The Champions League is Madrid's home." Naples fans have a reputation for being the hottest in Italy and one of the most excited in Europe. It was never easy to get something positive out of it. Ancelotti trained there and knows the house well and what awaits him.
