Porto beat Napoli 4-1 in the Champions League

Porto beat Napoli 4-1 in the Champions League at the Estádio do Dragão, scoring three times in the second half. The important victory delighted Francesco Farioli: the coach wanted to give the supporters a memorable evening after Porto’s performances in their first three league-phase matches had failed to bring the points he thought they merited.

Porto started strongly and could have extended their lead before McTominay equalised. Farioli felt his side responded well after the interval. Gabri Veiga restored Porto’s advantage in the 71st minute, and Jakub Kiwior scored from a corner ten minutes later. Late in the match, Samu Aghehowa converted a penalty after Rafa Marín was sent off.

Set-pieces played a significant part in the result. Porto’s coach summed up the importance of the win and the desire to share it with the supporters: “It was important. I think we all wanted to give our fans such a special night, especially after three games where we did okay but unfortunately weren’t good enough to turn what we did into points.” He also praised the coaching staff’s work and the players’ dedication, along with the quality of the deliveries and the headed finishes.

Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri was disappointed by the result and the way his side conceded, but did not criticise his players. He acknowledged that Porto had taken advantage of Napoli’s mistakes and said his team had performed well physically and technically. Napoli conceded twice from set-pieces; Allegri also noted that the second goal came from his side’s own goal kick. He felt Napoli had played well for 70 minutes, while describing himself as disappointed and frustrated.

The defeat comes with Napoli eighth in Serie A on 14 points after 10 matches. The club has four wins, two draws and four losses in the league, with 17 goals scored and 13 conceded. Across its last five Serie A matches, Napoli has two wins, one draw and two defeats. Allegri identified the area to address: “We have to analyse and improve our defending from set-pieces.” Porto, meanwhile, secured the victory Farioli felt his team’s earlier efforts had deserved.