UEFA Champions League Gameweek 5
Napoli 2 - 0 FT Qarabag
Popular today
Most read in the last 24 hours
Futmetrix Verdict
57
Newcastle
vs
Hull City
Sat, Sep 19 • 14:00 UTC
⚡ Form
69
⚖️ Balance
64
🏆 Stakes
56
⭐ Stars
73
Unbeaten starts clash at St. James' Park.
Futmetrix Verdict
16
Tottenham
vs
Aston Villa
Sat, Sep 19 • 11:30 UTC
⚡ Form
3
⚖️ Balance
84
🏆 Stakes
6
⭐ Stars
27
Early relegation six-pointer in North London.
Futmetrix Verdict
36
Celta Vigo
vs
Racing Santander
Sat, Sep 19 • 16:30 UTC
⚡ Form
37
⚖️ Balance
75
🏆 Stakes
0
⭐ Stars
58
Celta seek desperately needed first win.
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Kevin Medina 43'
HT
50' Noa Lang
Marko Janković 55'
↓ K. Medina ↑S. Mmaee 60'
↓ Leandro Andrade ↑O. Kashchuk 60'
64' ↓ S. Beukema ↑M. Politano
65' S. McTominay
72' M. Jankovic (S. McTominay)
75' ↓ N. Lang ↑E. Elmas
↓ E. Cafarquliyev ↑T. Bayramov 75'
75' ↓ R. Hojlund ↑L. Lucca
↓ Matheus Silva ↑Dani Bolt 75'
↓ C. Duran ↑N. Akhundzade 75'
77' Amir Rrahmani
90' ↓ A. Buongiorno ↑Juan Jesus
90' ↓ David Neres ↑A. Vergara
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Napoli
Goalkeepers
Vanja Milinković-Savić 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Sam Beukema
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
64
Entry
Amir Rrahmani 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
62%
Duel Win %
Alessandro Buongiorno 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Midfielders
Giovanni Di Lorenzo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Stanislav Lobotka 
MAGNET
77
Activity
77
Activity
72
Passes
5
Duels
Scott McTominay
MAGNET
72
Activity
72
Activity
63
Passes
9
Duels
Mathías Olivera
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
David Neres 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
30%
Pass Acc
Noa Lang
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
75
Total Mins
75
Entry
Rasmus Højlund
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
75
Total Mins
75
Entry
BENCH
Nikita Contini 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Arda Yazıcı
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Juan Jesus
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Eljif Elmas
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Antonio Vergara
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matteo Politano
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lorenzo Lucca
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Giuseppe Ambrosino
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Qarabag
Goalkeepers
Mateusz Kochalski 
PENALTY HERO
1
Pens Saved
1
Pens Saved
8
Saves
8.9
Rating
Defenders
Matheus Silva 
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
4
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Bahlul Mustafazada
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kevin Medina
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
61
Total Mins
60
Entry
Elvin Jafarguliyev
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
4
Tackles
100%
Duel Win %
Midfielders
A. Zoubir
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Pedro Bicalho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Marko Janković 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Pen Given
Mistake
Pen Given
Mistake
1
Fouls
5.9
Rating
Leandro Andrade
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
61
Total Mins
60
Entry
Emmanuel Addai 
DRIBBLER
3
Dribbles
3
Dribbles
3
Attempts
100%
Success %
Forwards
Camilo Durán
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
76
Total Mins
75
Entry
BENCH
Shahruddin Mahammadaliyev
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Fabijan Buntić
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Samy Mmaee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
29
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Daniel Lima
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Toral Bayramov
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Badavi Huseynov
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Chris Kouakou
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Joni Montiel
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Oleksii Kashchuk
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Nariman Akhundzade
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Musa Gurbanli
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
League Standings
P: 5 GD: +13
P: 5 GD: +11
P: 5 GD: +9
P: 5 GD: +9
P: 5 GD: +7
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +5
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +7
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +5
P: 5 GD: +3
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: -1
P: 5 GD: -3
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: 0
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -3
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -5
P: 5 GD: -5
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -7
P: 5 GD: -4
P: 5 GD: -6
P: 5 GD: -4
P: 5 GD: -8
P: 5 GD: -8
P: 5 GD: -10
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Napoli
Qarabag
Napoli
Qarabag
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
McTominay's Clinical Edge Ends Qarabag's European Dream
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 25/100. Napoli's dominance at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona proved too much for a spirited Qarabag side, but the margin flatters neither the hosts' inconsistency nor the visitors' resolve.
Control Without Conviction
For 65 minutes, Scott McTominay and Amir Rrahmani led a Napoli outfit that suffocated possession—55% to Qarabag's 45%—yet lacked the Intensity to break through. Seventeen shots to eleven told the story of territorial control, but with only 3.45 expected goals generated, the Partenopei were shooting without cutting. Mateusz Kochalski stood defiant between the sticks, eight saves and a crucial penalty stop keeping Qarabag's deficit manageable until the decisive moment arrived.
The Turning Point: McTominay's Release
In the 65th minute, McTominay ended the stalemate with a finish that carried the weight of frustration. The midfielder's goal unlocked what possession could not—a pathway to victory. Seven minutes later, the Stakes shifted decisively when M. Jankovic deflected a McTominay-assisted chance into his own net, an own goal that transformed a tight contest into a rout. Rrahmani's outstanding defensive performance had anchored Napoli's backline throughout, and with the second goal, the game's Balance swung irreversibly toward the hosts.
Qarabag's Resilience Undone
For a side sitting atop their group with 22 points from 11 games, Qarabag arrived with pedigree. Yet Napoli's 89% pass accuracy and 484 completed passes created an almost suffocating rhythm that the visitors—managing just 85% accuracy—could not match. Kochalski's eight-save masterclass delayed the inevitable, but Champions League football demands clinical finishing, and Napoli delivered when it mattered. The hosts' xG of 3.45 versus Qarabag's 0.49 spoke to a chasm in quality that two goals barely captured.
Key Questions
What made Mateusz Kochalski the standout performer?
Eight saves and a penalty stop kept Qarabag competitive despite Napoli's dominance. His 8.9 rating was a masterclass in composure under relentless pressure.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Survival Sunday at the Maradona
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 59/100. This is a continental six-pointer where the loser likely bids farewell to their European dreams for the season.
The Setup
Reporting live from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the atmosphere for this late November clash feels more like a cup final than a league stage fixture. The Stakes are absolute: both Napoli and Qarabag sit on seven points, occupying the final few rungs of the qualification ladder. For Napoli, their recent Form (LWDLW) has been a rollercoaster of inconsistency, leaving the Partenopei faithful nervous about their standing in 23rd place. Qarabag, meanwhile, arrive in Italy looking to exploit any defensive Balance issues the home side might show, knowing that even a draw keeps them ahead of the Italians on goal difference.
Key Battle
The tactical heart of this match lies in the midfield transition. Without a dominant playmaker controlling the tempo, Napoli will rely on the explosive pace of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to break lines. Qarabag will counter this with a compact low block, hoping that Juninho can find space on the break. If Napoli cannot find an early breakthrough, the frustration in the stands will become Qarabag's greatest ally.
Our Prediction
Napoli usually find an extra gear under the lights in Naples. Expect the home side to dominate possession while Qarabag sit deep and frustrate. We predict a narrow Napoli victory, secured by a late surge of pressure as the visitors' energy fades. Scoreline: 2-1.