6 hours; that’s how quickly the Stadio San Paolo sold out for the upcoming UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

 

Despite this being the 2nd leg and with the events of the first encounter yet to run their course, anticipation for this clash has gripped the city of Naples with tickets being sold on secondary markets such as eBay for well over the original asking price, and although on Wednesday the club announced a clamp down on anyone presenting tickets bought via these channels, this will do little to dampen the spirits of a support with high expectations.

 

Napoli is no stranger to big Champions League ties and the rekindling of an on field rivalry that last took place in season 1987/88 is only the next in a long list of huge clashes to rock the Stadio San Paolo. However, when looking back where does this particular tie rank among previous ‘must win’ clashes? I took a trip down memory lane to compare:

 

The 2011/12 Champions League campaign was Napoli’s first foray into Europe’s top club competition since season 1990/91, and they didn’t disappoint as they more than held their own in a group consisting of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Villarreal. Having qualified for the knockout phase in second place two points behind Bayern Munich and a single point ahead of Manchester City, their exploits saw them face Chelsea in what remains a tie Napoli fans look back on as one they should have come through.

 

Despite defeating the Premier League side 3-1 at the San Paolo in the first leg, they went on to lose the second leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in 90 minutes, taking the tie into extra time where Chelsea eventually triumphed with a goal by Branislav Ivanovic. In Naples however, the tie should have been dead and buried, as Napoli surged back in the 2nd half to take a 3-1 lead over the Londoners and who could forget that last gasp clearance off the line by Ashley Cole from Christian Maggio in what would have seen Napoli take a 3 goal lead to Stamford Bridge.

 

The importance of finishing top of your group in the Champions League was painfully emphasised as Napoli dropped out of the competition at the first knock out hurdle and, to add insult to injury, the final was contested by the side who finished above Napoli in their group and the side who knocked them out of the competition completely, with Chelsea emerging victorious to lift the trophy on penalties.

 

It would be two years before Napoli would return to the competition, in season 2013/14 and it would see the club claim the most unwanted of records, becoming the first and only club to be eliminated from the competition despite finishing with 12 points, a single point more than their previous haul in 2011/12’s campaign.

 

In a cruel twist of fate, Napoli would win every one of their three home ties against Arsenal (2-0), Borussia Dortmund (2-1), and Marseille (3-2) and pick up a solitary win away from home, a 2-1 win over Marseille, as the top three clubs in the group (Dortmund, Arsenal, and Napoli) finished on 12 points. Ultimately, the Partenopei went out with a goal difference of +1 versus +3 of Arsenal; overall goal difference being used because both Arsenal and Napoli had identical head to head records of one win each, 2 goals for and 2 goals against. 



Two campaigns, two tales of woeful luck, and ironically as we fast forward to present day, it appears nothing has changed.

 

This season, despite a few hiccups along the way in the guise of a home loss to Besiktas and a goalless draw with Dynamo Kyiv, Napoli finally did what everyone has said they must; win their group. However in an ironic, some would say unbelievable turn of events, both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich contrived to finish second in their respective groups and turn a supposed dream draw into a potential nightmare.

 

No-one who won their group wanted to draw either of the aforementioned sides, and while there are no easy games when you get to this stage of any major competition, you would need to be grossly unfortunate to face a side of that calibre, at this stage of the competition, as group winners. Yet it was with a sigh of disbelief and a borderline chuckle of acceptance that Napoli’s faithful saw ‘Real Madrid’ come out the pot as their last 16 opposition; win your group they said, you’ll get an easier draw they said. Suddenly all the statistical talk about 81% of group winners progressing past the first knock out stage was irrelevant, and ironically Benfica, the side who finished second to Napoli, went on to draw Borussia Dortmund, the side who bested Real Madrid. Easy? No. Easier? Yes.

 

In 1987/88, back when the European Cup was a full blown knock out competition, way before group stages and elaborate ceremonies to commence the draw, Diego Maradona’s Napoli, newly crowned champions of Italy for the first time, faced Real Madrid in the very first round of the competition. Napoli lost 2-0 in Madrid before a spirited attempt at overturning the deficit in Naples finished 1-1, and just like that, Europe’s top club competition had lost Napoli and Diego Maradona before September was over. The outcry over two big names meeting so soon would lead to talks which would eventually see the formation of the competition we are familiar with today, but for Napoli that would be no consolation. 

 

Today however, lessons must be learned from past campaigns and especially from the Chelsea tie of 2011/12 when it comes to taking opportunities when they arise. Napoli does hold one advantage; that in the Champions League era at least, they have never had a second leg home tie in the knockout phase

 

Football has a funny and ironic way of digging up the past and throwing it in clubs’ faces when they least expect it; 1986/87, for the first time in their history Napoli finally won the Scudetto and were handed a first knock out round tie with Real Madrid. 30 years later, in 2016/17, after another first for Napoli that saw them win their Champions League group for the first time, they have once again been ‘rewarded’ with a first knock out stage tie with Real Madrid.

 

Napoli fans will hope that the similarities and ironies end there and that the outcome in February is not as painfully similar to that of Maradona and his side of 1987/88.


James McGhie (@jrmcghie) is the founder of @SemprePodcast,the original & best SSC Napoli podcast for English speaking supporters across the world.