MTNFootball

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas

Napoli have one foot in the qualification door as they fought back from a Juan Mata goal to beat Chelsea 3-1 at the San Paolo, due to an Ezequiel Lavezzi brace and an Edinson Cavani strike.

The teams were greeted to an electric atmosphere with Napoli seizing the opportunity to make the first attack as Lavezzi’s ball was well saved with an outstretched foot by Petr Cech.

Cavani sprung the offside trap down the left and Cech stuck out a foot to parry at the near post, Ashley Cole made an unexpected early appearance as he had to replace Jose Bosingwa due to a hamstring strain.

Cavani was too quick for his own good as he was caught offside for a Lavezzi through ball, but at the other end there was a misunderstanding between Morgan De Sanctis and Campagnaro, which Florent Malouda failed to entirely make the most of.

However, just before the half hour mark Juan Mata gave Chelsea the lead. The ball lobbed in front of Paolo Cannavaro who failed to clear it, seeing it bounce over him and allowing the Spaniard to poach it into the back of the net.

Lavezzi then brought the teams equal when he scored his first goal in the Champions League. He gathered outside the area, cut back past Raul Meireles and curled a right-footed shot into the far bottom corner past Cech.

Ramirez had a chance to restore the lead but his effort was well high of goal. On the other end, Cavani struck in stoppage time as he snuck into the box to chest the ball into the back of the net.

After the restart a David Luiz header was eventually cleared practically off the line by Salvatore Aronica, while Partenopei should have extended their lead. Cavani rolled across for the unmarked Argentine, but Pocho flashed the angled drive across the face of an open goal.

Didier Drogba had a quiet game by his standards as he controlled a Florent Malouda cross, but Aronica was on form as he blocked the unleashed effort.

However, Napoli increased their lead to 3-1. Marek Hamsik did well to turn his defender, passed to it Cavani who tapped it back to Lavezzi who fired it into back of the net.

Following subs from either team, a chance fell to Napoli to make it 4-1. Hamsik and Lavezzi did well to combine in the box but ‘El Pocho’s’ resulting shot was cleared off the line by Cole.

Goran Pandev came on for Hamsik but his last effort went over the goals.

Finally, in stoppage time De Sanctic did well to drop down and grab hold of a Drogba shot.