Napoli-Braga 2-0: Napoli advances to last 16

The Stadio Maradona served as a thrilling backdrop for the latest Champions League 2023/2024 group stage match between Napoli and Braga. The contest, which marked the second matchday of the group stages, was undeniably captivating.

Napoli secured a crucial victory over Braga, winning the match 2-0. The thrilling game saw tensions run high right until the final whistle in the 94th minute.

There was a moment of angst in the 73rd minute for Kvara, who despite his unfailing attempts to score, was repeatedly thwarted.

Napoli’s first stirring moment happened in the 33rd minute, when a beautiful play from Nathan led to Osimhen scoring. “Nathan masterfully manoeuvred on the left, centring the ball for Osimhen, who expertly guided the ball in with his left foot, then right,” read the match summary.

However, the first ray of hope for Napoli came even earlier in the 9th minute when Politano astutely exploited Di Lorenzo’s throw-in, resulting in Saatci inadvertently scoring an own goal.

Braga, on the other hand, came out aggressively from the start, making several early attacks. However, Brouma missed a golden opportunity to score in the 3rd minute.

As per the team configuration, Napoli employed a 4-3-3 formation consisting of Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Natan, Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski, Politano, Osimhen, and Kvaratskhelia. Walter Mazzarri was the tactical maestro behind their strategy.

Meanwhile, Braga used a 4-2-3-1 formation, bringing on Matheus, Gomez, Fonte, Saatci, Borja, Moutinho, Pizzi, Bruma, Zalazar, Horta, and Banza, with Coach Jorge at the helm.

By the end of the match, it was clear that Napoli had demonstrated their dominance in an impressive 2-0 win over Braga. The final scores on record were 9’ Saatci (og), 33′ Osimhen. The match certainly paints a promising picture for Napoli’s prospect in the Champion’s League 2023/2024 campaign.