McTominay stars to get Napoli moving in Europe
Napoli earned a 2-0 home win over Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League, with a Scott McTominay header and an own goal downing the resilient visitors, whose goalkeeper denied Rasmus Hojlund from the penalty spot among a string of fine saves.
It was a much-needed victory for the host, which had won one of its opening four matches, but Napoli was made to battle all the way by an Azerbaijani side that put in a battling performance at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Both sides are on seven points, with Qarabag a provisional 16th in the league phase standings and Napoli 18th.
Qarabag showed its intent from the start, pressing high up the pitch, and Emmanuel Addai came close early on with a powerful low effort from distance that flew just wide.
Napoli managed to get a foothold in the game, but its typical patient build-up play did little to trouble the visitors until a David Neres overhead kick brought a spectacular save from Qarabag keeper Mateusz Kochalski.
Qarabag continued to threaten, with Addai having another shot deflected into the side netting, and a balanced opening half ended goalless.
Visiting striker Camilo Duran tried his luck from a wide angle shortly after the break but Napoli keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic managed to hold on to the ball at the second attempt.
Qarabag conceded what looked a rather harsh penalty for what the referee saw as a foul by Marko Jankovic on Giovanni Di Lorenzo but Kochalski went the right way to deny Hojlund with a one-handed save.
Napoli began to stream forward, Kochalski again saving from Neres, and when the keeper stopped Mathias Olivera's close-range effort, the resulting corner brought the opening goal in the 65th minute.
Kochalski batted away the ball from an attempted clearance by his own defender but McTominay was perfectly placed to head in the rebound.
McTominay's attempted overhead kick seven minutes later was turned into his own net by Jankovic and the Azerbaijani side had no response as Napoli earned the win on the fifth anniversary of Diego Maradona's death.
In the 10th minute, the Napoli fans remembered their most famous number 10, holding aloft scarves, flags and t-shirts in memory of the revered Maradona, who was fundamental to the Naples club winning its first two Serie A titles.
"Incredible, the crowd here is something iconic," McTominay, who was named Serie A's most valuable player last seaosn in helping Napoli win the Scudetto, said.
"I think of many dreams that we have already achieved and those that we still want to achieve for this club."
