A Champions League night at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona ended in frustration for Napoli, and perhaps a bit of disbelief for fans, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday four. But was it really that surprising given the team's recent struggles?
Napoli, typically a high-scoring team, couldn't find the back of the net, marking another disappointing result in front of their home crowd. Scott McTominay, the Scottish midfielder, had several opportunities to break the deadlock, but his shots went wide or were blocked. This stalemate followed a similar 0-0 draw against Como in Serie A just three days prior, raising concerns about Napoli's attacking prowess. Neither Napoli nor Frankfurt gained significant ground in their respective quests to climb their league tables.
Let's rewind a bit. Napoli, currently leading Serie A (but perhaps feeling the pressure), had a mixed bag of results in their Champions League campaign thus far. They started with a loss to Manchester City, followed by a win against Sporting. However, their previous Champions League fixture saw them suffer a heavy 6-2 defeat at the hands of PSV Eindhoven. This inconsistency is definitely something to consider.
Frankfurt, sitting comfortably in eighth place in the Bundesliga, had their own rollercoaster ride in the Champions League. They kicked off with a resounding 5-1 victory over Galatasaray. But then came consecutive 2-1 losses to Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, highlighting their vulnerability against top-tier European opposition.
The first half saw Napoli dominate possession, controlling the ball for almost 70% of the time. But here's where it gets controversial... possession doesn't always translate to goals. Despite their dominance, Napoli only managed to create a couple of half-chances, with McTominay's header and an effort from Eljif Elmas not really troubling the Frankfurt goalkeeper. Frankfurt, on the other hand, had only one shot on target before the break: a long-range effort from Jean-Matteo Bahoya, which was comfortably saved by Napoli's Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Napoli dictating possession. And this is the part most people miss... Frankfurt actually looked more dangerous on the counter-attack. Mario Götze had a header straight at Milinkovic-Savic, and McTominay had another shot blocked.
As the clock ticked down, Giovanni Di Lorenzo fired a shot just wide from a tight angle, signaling Napoli's increased urgency. However, Frankfurt continued to pose a threat on the counter, with Milinkovic-Savic denying substitute Ansgar Knauff.
In the dying moments, Frank Anguissa shot off target from inside the area, and McTominay squandered a golden opportunity to secure a late win for Napoli, firing wide from Anguissa's cut-back. The miss was a real gut punch for the home side, led by manager Antonio Conte.
So, what does this result mean for both teams? Is Napoli's attacking form a temporary blip or a deeper issue? Can Frankfurt capitalize on their counter-attacking threat in future games? And more importantly, do you think Napoli's possession-based approach is ultimately flawed in the Champions League, or do they simply need to be more clinical in front of goal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
