Napoli secured their second UEFA Champions League win of the season with a 2–0 victory over Qarabag FK at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
After a tightly contested first hour, Scott McTominay broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion, scoring an acrobatic bicycle kick in the 65th minute. Seven minutes later, the Scottish midfielder doubled Napoli’s advantage when his shot deflected off Marko Janković and wrong-footed the goalkeeper.
After the match, head coach Antonio Conte spoke passionately about the significance of the night and the team’s resilience: “It was a special evening for Napoli, for all Neapolitans. Maradona represents something that is difficult to explain unless you are here, so we wanted to honour this day.
“There was positive energy in the stadium; we gave it, and also received it.
“Napoli was not dead … it’s not a question of being alive or not alive, but of continuing to work and always giving everything we have.”
Conte also addressed the squad’s limited depth, praising his players for adapting: “We are in a very difficult situation numerically we had seven players on the bench, two of them goalkeepers and two youngsters.
“When you don’t have many players available, you must find different solutions, even if it increases the risk.”
He emphasised the importance of mentality and collective effort:
“Energy is fundamental. I need to be the first to have it in order to pass it on to the team. The lads must have the willingness to suffer and to rejoice together for a common objective.”
Napoli’s next match in the competition will be against Benfica set to take place on December 10th 2025.