Napoli down Villarreal
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Xinhua, September 28, 2011
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Napoli's Edinson Cavani (left) celebrates with teammate Zuniga after scoring on a penalty kick during a Champions League Group A soccer match against Villarreal in Naples on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. |
Napoli achieved a triumphant return to the San Paolo in the Champions League on Tuesday when they beat Villarreal 2-0.
The hosts raced to a two-goal lead after just 17 minutes thanks to goals from Marek Hamsik and Edison Cavani. Villarreal made ferocious fightback, but eventually could not find the net.
Hamsik broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when he was left totally unmarked at the back post thanks to ex-Udinese defender Cristian Zapata's slip to meet Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross and fire across the goalkeeper.
Two minutes later Lavezzi burst into the box and was tripped by Gonzalo Rodriguez, who received a yellow card for the obvious penalty. Cavani stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to double Napoli's lead.
A through ball had sent Rossi into the area, but he was cut short by a perfectly-timed Andrea Dossena challenge. Cavani was helping out at the back when his awful backpass was intercepted by Nilmar, but fired wide.
It was a more even game from then on, though Napoli remained comfortably in control. Straight after the restart Cavani was again caught offside in an extremely tight decision, though Morgan De Sanctis plucked a Rossi header out of the air.
Villarreal were pouring forward in the second half, as indeed they had to. Paolo Cannavaro caught Rossi on the edge of the box with an arm across Pepito's chest, but the Marcos Senna free kick was into the wall. On the counter, Lavezzi over hit the ball and it ran out of play.
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