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Europa League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 23, 2015 at 8.05pm UK
 
Wolfsburg

2-2

Maria Callejon (50'), Mertens (65')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Klose (71'), Perisic (73')

Live Commentary: Napoli 2-2 Wolfsburg - as it happened

Take a look back at the Europa League quarter-final between Napoli and Wolfsburg with Sports Mole's text coverage.
2

Napoli progressed to the semi-finals of the Europa League after playing out a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg at the Stadio San Paolo.

Leading 4-1 from the first leg, Napoli soaked up pressure in a goalless first half before taking control of the match with goals from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens.

However, the visitors responded to restore some pride with two goals in two minutes as Timm Klose and Ivan Perisic struck to earn their side a draw.

Read below to find out how Napoli secured a 6-3 aggregate success.


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Good evening everyone! We'll find out which four teams will make it through to the Europa League semi-finals tonight, and I'll be taking you through the second leg of Napoli's tie with Wolfsburg. The Italian side were magnificent last week on their way to a 4-1 win in the first leg in Germany. Can Wolfsburg produce an unlikely comeback?

It's fair to say that last week's result stunned most football fans in Europe. Napoli are certainly a fine team, but to cruise to such a comfortable win over a Wolfsburg side packed with talent was a surprise. Rafael Benitez's men produced a perfect away performance and they will be fully confident of completing the job this evening.

All of the credit went to Napoli in the first leg, and rightly so. Wolfsburg just didn't have an answer for Napoli's intensity and it was Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik who stole the show by linking up in attack throughout the evening. If Wolfsburg are going to boost their slim hopes, they have to perform much better at the back. Can they keep Napoli's attackers quiet?

Napoli's Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik (R) celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with his team-mates during the UEFA Europa League first-leg quarter-final football match on April 16, 2015© Getty Images


Since the drama of the first leg, Wolfsburg struggled once again as they relied on a late equaliser to hold Schalke to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon. Napoli continued their fine form by cruising to a 3-0 victory over Cagliari at the weekend. Benitez's side have scored 10 goals in the last three matches after going five games without a win.

Can the Dane lead the way for Wolfsburg tonight?


NAPOLI: Andujar; Mesto, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; Inler, David Lopez; Callejon, Hamsik, Mertens; Higuain

Benitez makes just one change to the side that performed so impressively in the first leg as Giandomenico Mesto comes into the team to replace Christian Maggio, who misses out on a place in the squad.

WOLFSBURG: Benaglio, Trasch, Naldo, Klose, Rodriguez, Luiz Gustavo, Guilavogui, Caligiuri, Arnold, Perisic, Bendtner

The big news for Wolfsburg is that Kevin de Bruyne misses out due to a bruised foot, while injury also keeps Andre Schurrle out of the squad. There are starts for Ivan Perisic and Maximilian Arnold, and Nicklas Bendtner is preferred to Bas Dost in attack.


Let's take a look at Wolfsburg need tonight. In truth, it's a mini miracle. A 3-0 victory would not even be enough to avoid exiting the competition, while a 4-1 triumph would take the tie into extra time. When you need to win by four goals, you don't really want to be away from home facing an Italian side managed by European football specialist Benitez. It's going to take something special.

Just how big of a miss is De Bruyne. The Belgian wasn't at his best last week, but he is this side's main source of creativity. He links play with the midfielders in a deeper position, and he carries a big threat in the opposition's box. His absence puts a lot of pressure on Arnold, who must find a way to combine with Bendtner tonight.

STAT: Benitez is looking to become just the second coach to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League three times after Italian legend Giovanni Trapattoni. The Spaniard triumphed with Valencia in 2004 and two years ago with Chelsea.

Hecking is fully aware just how tough this task is tonight. Can they pull off a miracle?

"We haven't lost all hope, but the situation could've been better. It would be a miracle if we would progress," he told reporters. "It's going to be extremely difficult, but who would have thought that Bayern would have lead 5-0 at half time against Porto? In football, the craziest things happen."


History is not Wolfsburg's friend this evening. No side has ever progressed in a European tie after losing the home leg by more than two goals, though 13 have retrieved a two-goal deficit. Wolfsburg need to get onto the front foot early and pile the pressure on Napoli, who can operate on the counter-attack all evening.


Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio has called for the visitors to prove that they are capable of matching the best team's in Europe, despite faltering a week ago. It will only get tougher when they compete in the Champions League next season.

"We want to prove on the European stage that what happened in the first leg was merely a negative dip in form, as far as our performance was concerned - albeit at the worst possible time in an extremely important game," he told reporters.


KEY BATTLE: Napoli do not need to risk much, despite Benitez's suggestion that his side will be going out to win the match tonight. Ivan Perisic can make the difference with his pace and creativity, and he will have the freedom to roam from the wings. Without Maggio, there will be pressure on Mesto to track the Croatian closely. It could be an intriguing battle from the opening minute.

A quick reminder that you can follow live text coverage of all four of tonight's Europa League games by clicking on the fixture in the live scores box on the right of the page. The three other ties are in the balance at the halfway stage. It promises to be a dramatic evening.


PREDICTION: Wolfsburg need to come out and attack quickly this evening, but I just can't see them overturning the deficit after such a disastrous performance last week. Napoli are unlikely to offer much encouragement for the visitors, and I'm going for a 1-1 draw.

Higuain has already scored seven goals in the Europa League, more than any other player still in the competition. Can he add to that tally? Or will Bendtner (4 goals in seven games) be the hero for the visitors?

 Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli celebrates after scoring goal 3-1 during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 football match between SSC Napoli and FC Dinamo Moskva at the San Paolo Stadium on March 12, 2015© Getty Images



Here we go then. The players are on their way out at the Stadio San Paolo and we're just moments away from kickoff. You feel that Wolfsburg need an early goal to put any pressure on the hosts.

Napoli get the game underway! Will we see some drama this evening?

CHANCE! It's almost the perfect start for Wolfsburg. Caligiuri finds space on the wing before delivering a cross which is flicked on by Perisic. Andujar reacts well to make a fine save.

Napoli clear a corner with ease. Wolfsburg were poor with their set-pieces last week and they must be much better this evening. It's the visitors who have certainly started the better of the two teams.

Napoli have struggled to retain possession in the early stages, and it's clear that Wolfsburg are keen to push high up the pitch to limit the space on offer in midfield. Andujar clashes with Bendtner while attempting to collect a cross, but he should be fine to continue.

Trasch is seeing a lot of the ball as Wolfsburg encourage him to get forward as much as possible. The full-back sends a cross into a dangerous area, but Bendtner can only head well wide of the target.

In fairness to Napoli, they have looked solid since that early opportunity for Perisic. The hosts can sit deep all evening, and their attacking four carry a big threat on the break.

Wolfsburg need to step up the tempo in the final third of the pitch. A promising move breaks down when Arnold puts the brakes on out wide. Napoli's midfield are providing a good shield for the defend, and that's forcing Arnold to go in search of the ball.

Hecking should be boosted by what he's seen from his side early in the game. Wolfsburg are putting a lot of pressure on the hosts, but they're just lacking the final ball at the moment. Bendtner's movement has been pretty impressive so far. The visitors need to find the Dane.

Caligiuri and Trasch link up again, but Andujar comes off his line to collect another cross. Napoli haven't had much of a kick so far, despite appearing to be happy for the visitors to have the ball out wide.

Great defending from Mesto as he reacts impressively to clear a dangerous cross. Andujar does well once again to claim the ball from a Rodriguez corner.

Bendtner finally earns some space with a clever turn on the edge of the box, but Ghoulam comes across to cover for the rest of the defence with an excellent tackle. The Dane looked ready to pull the trigger for a moment.

There's a brief stoppage in the game when Ghoulam catches Trasch with a high foot. It wasn't the worst challenge I've seen, but it's a painful one for the Wolfsburg full-back. Napoli's supporters are in full voice, despite Wolfsburg's dominance.

Another break in play arrives with Callejon needing treatment, but he looks fine to continue. Napoli are pushing a bit further up the pitch. Wolfsburg continue to control the game, though.

It's getting a bit scrappy in midfield. Wolfsburg are struggling to turn possession into opportunities. Despite the current scoreline, some of Napoli's players seem to be eager to change the flow of the game. Mertens and Callejon have barely had a kick.

CHANCE! Napoli lose their shape at the back, and Guilavogui finds space to collect the ball at the back post. The midfielder really should test Andujar, but he can only hit his effort straight at Albiol.

Great positioning from Albiol once again. Caligiuri does well to earn space in the box, but his cross is intercepted by the Spaniard, who keeps calm to retain possession for his side.

Napoli survive an extended spell of the pressure from the visitors. Arnold and Rodriguez both waste decent chances to deliver the ball into the box, before Bendtner finds space to meet a cross and send a header just wide of the post.

Napoli finally show some attacking intent, but Hamsik is dispossessed by Naldo before Callejon drifts into an offside position a few moments later. The pattern of this match really should not come as a surprise. Napoli are cruising at the moment.

Bendtner drops deeper to collect the ball before turning and running at the Napoli defence. The Dane finds the space to unleash a low effort, but Andujar makes an easy save.

There's jeers for Bendtner when he goes down too easily under pressure from Britos. For a striker of his size, he should have been looking to earn himself a yard of space there.

Superb from Andujar. It's Bendtner who gets the chance to break the deadlock, but he's frustrated by the Napoli goalkeeper once again.

CHANCE! The hosts come agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock against the run of play. Higuain makes an excellent run to meet a cross from Mertens, but he can only hit the side-netting. Benaglio breathes a huge sigh of relief.

HALF TIME: NAPOLI 0-0 WOLFSBURG

Napoli are 45 minutes closer to the Europa League semi-finals, and there's surely no way back for Wolfsburg from this positions. The visitors needed a fast start, but despite dominating for much of the first half, they've been met with stubborn resistance from Napoli's defence and goalkeeper.

Wolfsburg had a lot of the ball in the first leg, but their end product was disappointing that evening and they've struggled to slice open the hosts tonight, too. Can they win the second half 4-0? Probably not, but the visitors will be keen to restore some pride.

Check out the latest scores from all four of the quarter-finals below. There's sure to be more twists before the night is over.

Zenit (1)0-1(3) Sevilla
Dnipro (0)0-0(0) Club Brugge
Fiorentina (2)1-0(1) Dynamo Kiev
Napoli (4)0-0(1) Wolfsburg



BENCH WATCH: Bas Dost's heroics earlier in the year seem a long time ago, but he can be difficult for defenders to mark if he gets the right service. Without Schurrle and De Bruyne, Wolfsburg are lacking a lot of creativity.

The players are back out for the second half. No changes from either manager yet. Wolfsburg will get the game back underway.

CLOSE! Great skill on show from Mertens as he runs at pace on the wing before cutting inside to send a shot just past the post. Callejon wasn't far away from heading the ball in.

Napoli's supporters are being treated to some attacking football from their side early in the second half. Mertens makes a fool of Trasch with some clever footwork moments after Benaglio was forced to come off his line to collect a cross from Mesto.

GOAL! NAPOLI 1-0 WOLFSBURG (CALLEJON)

If it wasn't over already, it is now. Higuain does well to spot his teammate in space, and Callejon takes the opportunity to unleash an effort from long range. His shot takes a big deflection to leave Benaglio helpless as Napoli make it 5-1 on aggregate.

CHANCE! Callejon almost scores a second. A good run on the overlap earns him space, but Benaglio reacts well to block his first-time effort. Albiol then fires wide from the corner which follows.

It's a completely different feel to this game now. Napoli were always comfortable due to their advantage from the first leg, but they've been fantastic since the interval and look eager to extend the lead.

Wolfsburg create a half-chance at the other end when Trasch delivers a cross to the back post to find Perisic, who can only send a header well wide of the target.

Andujar has been very impressive tonight without ever looking to worried. A corner is flicked on by Perisic, but the Napoli goalkeeper collects the ball before Gustavo can add the finishing touch.

SUBSTITUTION: Benitez senses an opportunity to rest one of his key men as Hamsik comes off to be replaced by Lorenzo Insigne.

Higuain has been on the fringes of the game for long spells, but he threatens the Wolfsburg defence with a clever piece of skill to earn space before dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Good defending on show from Trasch as he tucks inside to block Callejon's effort after good work from both Higuain and Insigne. It's turning into a very easy night for the hosts, which won't come as a surprise to anyone.

GOAL! NAPOLI 2-0 WOLFSBURG (MERTENS)

Superb from Napoli! A patient passing move ends with Higuain sliding the ball into the path of Mertens, who slots home after seeing Benaglio block his first effort. It's 6-1 on aggregate and Benitez's side are storming through to the next round.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Changes from both managers as Rodriguez comes off to be replaced by Marcel Schafer. There's a standing ovation for Higuain, who makes way for Duvan Zapata.

It's perhaps not too hard to make a game plan with a 4-1 lead in the bank, but Napoli have executed the tactics well once again. They soaked up the pressure before the break before asking more questions of the Wolfsburg defence. Callejon and Mertens have been excellent in the second half.

GOAL! NAPOLI 2-1 WOLFSBURG (KLOSE)

It's just a consolation goal, but Wolfsburg may still be able to avoid defeat in the second leg. Arnold delivers a corner into a dangerous area and Klose finds the space to head past Andujar.

GOAL! NAPOLI 2-2 WOLFSBURG (PERISIC)

The tie may be over, but Wolfsburg are determined to finish strongly! Guilavogui does very well to earn himself some space on the wing before delivering an inch-perfect cross to allow Perisic to finish from close range.

SUBSTITUTION: Perisic needed treatment after hurting himself while tapping in the equaliser, but he's fine to continue. Guilavogui comes off to be replaced by Sebastian Jung.

It might be 6-3 on aggregate, but that doesn't matter to Benitez, who is clearly angered by his side's inability to hold onto the two-goal advantage. Hecking is urging his players in forward as they look to restore some pride by winning the second leg.

SUBSTITUTION: Trasch's night is over as Hecking sends on Dost for the closing stages.

Napoli are happy to allow the visitors to dominate possession late on as they retreat back to open up space for the counter. Another goal wouldn't matter too much, but it would be great to see more drama as Wolfsburg come forward once again.

SUBSTITUTION: It looks like Napoli are going to switch to a back five in the final few minutes as Henrique comes off the bench to replace Mertens, who has impressed in the second half.

A good opportunity is missed by Wolfsburg as the visitors work the ball well on the edge of the box before creating an opening for Bendtner, whose weak effort is easily stopped by Andujar.

Napoli attack at the other end as the game opens up, but Insigne slices a shot into the path of Callejon, whose own effort takes a deflection off Zapata before going behind for a goal kick.

Napoli win a corner with some good work from Zapata, and Wolfsburg's hopes of finishing a disappointing tie with a second-leg triumph are fading quickly.

CHANCE! Caligiuri somehow manages to find space in the box after linking up with Schafer, but he fires his effort wide of the post. He should have hit the target from such a good position.

The fourth official confirms that there will be three minutes added on at the Stadio San Paolo.

Wolfsburg are desperately looking for a way through in the final minute of stoppage time, but there's a lack of space on offer now.

FULL TIME: NAPOLI 2-2 WOLFSBURG

It's all over at the Stadio San Paolo. In truth, the damage was done in Germany a week ago. Wolfsburg battled back impressively this evening, but Napoli were worthy winners in this tie and they will be full of confidence heading into the last four. That's all from our live coverage this evening. Keep an eye out for reaction from all four of tonight's games. Goodnight.

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Napoli's Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik (R) celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with his team-mates during the UEFA Europa League first-leg quarter-final football match on April 16, 2015
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