UCL: Napoli vs Red Star 3-1 FT, as Mertens goes into the history books with his brace
MATCH PREVIEW:
-The only previous meeting between Napoli and Crvena Zvezda ended 0-0 on matchday one of this season’s Champions League.
- Red Star Belgrade have never won a European Cup/Champions League match against Italian sides, drawing five and losing four of their nine matches.
- Napoli had 20 shots in their 0-0 draw with Crvena Zvezda on matchday one, the most shots they’ve had without scoring in a single Champions League game.
- With one win and three draws so far, this is the first time Napoli have been unbeaten in their first four Champions League games within a single season.
- Napoli have lost just two of their 14 Champions League group stage games at home, winning nine and drawing three.
- Eight of Napoli’s last nine home Champions League goals have been scored in the second half of games, including each of their last six in a row.
Crvena Zvezda have mustered fewer shots on goal than any other side in the Champions League this season (25).
- Following his equaliser against PSG last time out, Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne is the only Italian player to score in five consecutive home matches in the Champions League.
⁻ Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne has scored five goals in his last six Champions League games, more than he managed in his previous 17 in the competition (4).
- Against Liverpool, Milan Pavkov became the first Red Star player to score twice in a European Cup/Champions League match since Darko Pancev vs Panathinaikos in March 1992.
LIVE COMMENTARY: