McTominay Header, Janković Own Goal Propel Napoli to Vital Champions League Win

Napoli, Italy — Napoli breathed new life into their UEFA Champions League campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over FK Qarabag at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Tuesday evening. The Italian side, previously sitting in 25th position and facing elimination, delivered a performance that rewarded their passionate supporters and kept their European dreams flickering.

After a goalless first half where both teams struggled to find rhythm, the match burst into life after the interval. Scott McTominay broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, powering a header from very close range to the bottom left corner following a corner. The Scottish midfielder's perfectly timed run gave goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski no chance, igniting celebrations throughout the stadium.

Napoli doubled their advantage just seven minutes later when Marko Janković unfortunately turned the ball into his own net in the 72nd minute. The Qarabag midfielder's misfortune came as Napoli continued to press forward with increasing confidence, showcasing their quality in the final third. The home crowd erupted as their team took firm control of the contest.

The hosts demonstrated their superiority throughout, registering 17 shot attempts to Qarabag's 11, with eight of those efforts finding the target. Napoli's midfield maestro Stanislav Lobotka orchestrated proceedings with composure, completing an impressive percentage of his passes as the home side maintained 54.8% possession. The Partenopei's defensive unit, marshaled by Amir Rrahmani despite his 77th minute yellow card, limited the visitors to just three shots on target.

Qarabag, who entered the match in 15th position with seven points from four games, showed flashes of the quality that had earned them impressive results earlier in the competition. Emmanuel Addai provided their best attacking moments, but lacked the finishing touch to truly trouble Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Napoli goal.

The result gives Napoli a significant boost in the expanded 36-team Champions League format, though they remain outside the top 24 teams that would advance to the knockout phase. With three more matchdays remaining in the league phase, the Italian side will look to build on this performance and continue their climb up the standings. For Qarabag, the defeat is a setback in their own qualification hopes, but they remain in contention for one of the coveted playoff positions as the competition intensifies heading toward the new year.