Napoli's Champions League slump deepens with Porto defeat

Napoli suffered their third defeat in four Champions League matches and their seventh loss of the season in fourteen games, according to a report in Corriere dello Sport. The Italian club has now lost half of the matches it has played, a start to the campaign the newspaper described as a nightmare that risks compromising the entire season as early as November.

The report said Napoli resisted for more than an hour in Portugal before collapsing. It described the team as exhausted, weak and fragile, noting that they tried and fought but ultimately gave way.

Corriere dello Sport attributed part of the difficulty to ten absences, which it said weighed heavily. Coach Allegri, according to the report, had only thirteen outfield players plus goalkeepers available, revived the only possible formation (a 3-5-1-1) and chose to mark Porto man-to-man across the pitch.

The newspaper identified set pieces as the real weak point. It said two near-identical goals were conceded from corners, with zonal marking leaving too much freedom for Porto's tall players to attack the box. It also noted difficulties on the left, where Vergara, described as not comfortable playing a full-wing role that is not his, sometimes opened dangerous gaps.

Rafa Marin, who was also sent off late in the match, was said to have struggled along with Beukema and Rrahmani. The report added that the midfielders had trouble containing the talent of Gabri Veiga, who it recalled had previously disappointed Napoli president De Laurentiis by choosing money in Saudi Arabia over an offer from the Italian club.

The report concluded that there was nothing to salvage from such a bitter night and, worse, no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. It said Napoli is in difficulty, has lost confidence and is crumbling with incredible ease.