Having both scored late to kick off their respective 2023-24 Uefa Champions League campaigns with a win, Napoli and Real Madrid meet in southern Italy looking to take the early initiative in group C.
The Italian champions took the lead at Braga through captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo a minute into first-half added time, but were pegged back when the home side equalised with six minutes remaining only for an 88th-minute own goal to decisively restore their advantage.
Madrid left it even later at home to Champions League newcomers Union Berlin, Jude Bellingham marking his first European appearance for the club with the only goal four minutes into added time.
Previous meetings
Napoli wins 0
Real Madrid wins 3
Draws 1
Napoli goals 3
Real Madrid goals 9
Real Madrid have won both ties against Napoli, most recently in the 2016-17 Champions League round of 16 thanks to a 3-1 victory both home and away. Lorenzo Insigne gave Maurizio Sarri's visitors an eighth-minute lead in the first game at the Santiago Bernabéu but Karim Benzema quickly levelled (18) before strikes early in the second half from Toni Kroos (49) and Casemiro (54) put Zinédine Zidane's Madrid in charge of the tie.
Dries Mertens put that in jeopardy when he halved the home side's aggregate deficit in the 24th minute in Naples, but again Madrid did the damage early in the second period, Sergio Ramos (52) and a Mertens own goal (57) effectively ending the contest before substitute Álvaro Morata (90+1) wrapped up the win.
Leo Beenhakker's Madrid overcame Napoli 3-1 on aggregate in the sides' only other encounter, in the first round of the 1987-88 European Cup.
Madrid won the first leg 2-0 through goals from Míchel (penalty) and Miguel Tendillo, before earning a 1-1 draw at what was then known as the Stadio San Paolo, where Emilio Butragueño – today a club director – cancelled out Giovanni Francini's opening goal for a Napoli side coached by Ottavio Bianchi and captained by Diego Maradona.
Form guide
Napoli
Record v Spanish clubs: W6 D7 L9 F26 A31
Home record v Spanish clubs: W3 D2 L6
Napoli's last fixtures against a club from Spain came in the 2021-22 Europa League knockout round playoffs, when they bowed out to Barcelona after a 4-2 second-leg defeat at home, the first game having finished 1-1.
A 2-1 win against Granada in the 2020-21 Europa League round of 32 second leg – a tie they lost 3-2 on aggregate – is Napoli's sole success in their last seven home matches against Spanish clubs; four of those matches ended in 1-1 draws.
That Granada victory is one of only two in Napoli's last 14 matches against Liga sides, home and away (D5 L7).
This is Napoli's eighth Champions League group appearance overall, and a sixth in the past eight seasons.
The 2022-23 campaign proved to be the Italian side's most successful in their European Cup history, Napoli finishing top of group A ahead of Liverpool, Ajax and Rangers and beating Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16 (2-0 a, 3-0 h). However, AC Milan ended their run in an all-Italian quarterfinal (0-1 a, 1-1 h).
Last season was the first time Napoli had won a Champions League knockout tie, at the fourth attempt.
The Italian side are unbeaten in 13 home Champions League games (W9 D4), since a 4-2 defeat by Manchester City on matchday 4 in 2017-18.
Napoli have won seven of their last eight Champions League group stage matches (L1).
The Partenopei captured their third Italian league title, and a first since 1990, last season, finishing 16 points clear at the top of Serie A.
Championship-winning coach Luciano Spalletti stepped down in the summer, Napoli naming former Roma coach Rudi Garcia as his replacement.
Real Madrid
Record v Italian clubs: W43 D11 L26 F129 A94
Away record v Italian clubs: W11 D8 L18
Madrid's last fixtures against an Italian club came in the 2021-22 group stage, when Rodrygo's 89th-minute strike earned a 1-0 win at Inter on matchday 1 before a 2-0 success in Spain on Matchday 6 in which Kroos opened the scoring.
That made it eight successive wins against Serie A sides, home and away.
Madrid have won 14 of their last 15 games against Italian clubs, the exception a 3-1 home defeat by Juventus – who they had beaten 4-1 in the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff – in the 2017-18 quarterfinal second leg. Madrid nevertheless squeezed through having won 3-0 in Turin.
The first-leg result at Inter was a seventh straight win in Italy for Madrid, who had previously gone eight matches there without a victory (D4 L4).
This is Madrid's 28th Champions League group stage campaign, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996-97.
Madrid have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 27 of their previous campaigns.
Having claimed the club's 14th European Cup – and eighth Champions League, also a competition record – in 2021-22, Carlo Ancelotti's side then finished first in their Champions League section last season, winning four of their six games (D1 L1) before beating Liverpool in the round of 16 (5-2 a, 1-0 h). That set up a second successive quarterfinal against Chelsea, Madrid winning 2-0 home and away, before a repeat of their 2021-22 semifinal against Manchester City, which this time went in the English side's favour (1-1 h, 0-4 a).
That 4-0 loss in Manchester equalled Madrid's biggest European defeat.
Madrid have lost eight of their last 23 Champions League away games, winning seven. They have been beaten in four of the last nine.
The Merengues ceded the Spanish title to Barcelona, finishing ten points behind their great rivals in the Liga standings.
Links and trivia
Ancelotti was in charge of Napoli between August 2018 and December 2019, guiding the club to a second-placed finish in Serie A in his sole full season in charge.
Ancelotti played for Milan between 1987 and 1992, winning two Serie A titles and two European Cups. He then went on to manage Milan between 2001 and 2009, winning two Champions Leagues and one Serie A.
The Italian also played for Parma and Roma and coached Reggiana, Parma, Juventus and Napoli.
As a coach, Ancelotti has met Napoli on 12 occasions: four with Parma, with Juventus and four with Milan. His record in those matches is W9 D1 L2.
Antonio Rüdiger played for Roma between 2015 and 2017, the first season under current Napoli coach Garcia.
Has also played in Italy:
Brahim Díaz (Milan 2020–23)
Have played in Spain:
Stanislav Lobotka (Celta Vigo 2017–20)
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Villarreal 2019-20 loan)
Mathías Olivera (Getafe 2017–22, Albacete 2018-19 loan)
Have played together:
Mário Rui, Juan Jesus & Antonio Rüdiger (Roma 2016-17)
International teammates:
Mathías Olivera & Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
Jesper Lindstrøm was in the Eintracht Frankfurt side beaten 2-0 by Madrid in the 2022 Uefa Super Cup in Helsinki. David Alaba scored the first goal while Vinícius Júnior provided the assist for the second.
Napoli goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was in the Atalanta side beaten 1-0 at home by Madrid in the 2020-21 Champions League round of 16. Ferland Mendy scored the only goal of the game from a Luka Modric pass.
Díaz played Napoli in last season's Champions League quarterfinals with Milan. His team won 1-0 in Milan and drew 1-1 in Naples.
Latest news
Napoli
Summer transfers
In: Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta, loan), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo, loan made permanent), Giovanni Simeone (Verona, loan made permanent), Elia Caprile (Bari, loaned to Empoli), Natan (RB Bragantino), Jens Cajuste (Reims), Walid Cheddira (Bari, loaned to Frosinone), Jesper Lindstrøm (Frankfurt)
Out: Andrea Petagna (Monza, loan made permanent), Sebastiano Luperto (Empoli, loan made permanent), Karim Zedadka (released), Davide Marfella (released), Min-jae Kim (Bayern), Hirving Lozano (PSV)
On Saturday Napoli earned their biggest win of the season with a 4-0 success at Lecce, Leo Østigård opening the scoring with his first goal for the club. Halftime substitute Victor Osimhen found the net for the second game in succession with Gianluca Gaetano scoring his first goal of the season and Matteo Politano completing the scoring from the penalty spot.
Politano has three Serie A goals this season, matching his totals for both 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Jesper Lindstrøm made his first start for Napoli at Lecce.
Napoli were held to a goalless draw at Bologna on 24 September with Osimhen missing a penalty.
It was the first time the Italian champions had failed to score this season, while it was only their second clean sheet this term.
Three days later, Napoli responded in style by beating Udinese 4-1 at the Stadio Diego Maradona.
After Osimhen's miss against Bologna, Piotr Zielinski took the penalty which opened the scoring against Udinese. The Nigerian striker, however, later found the net and now has five goals in Serie A this term after failing to score in his three league games and four in all competitions before striking against Udinese.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Giovanni Simeone both scored their first goals of the season against Udinese.
Napoli's reserve goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini is out with a hand injury.
Defenders Amir Rrahmani and Juan Jesus have both been sidelined by thigh injuries since 24 September.
On 14 August left-back Mario Rui renewed his contract until 2026. On 5 August Di Lorenzo had signed until 2028.
Real Madrid
Summer transfers
In: Jude Bellingham (Dortmund), Fran García (Rayo Vallecano), Joselu (Espanyol, loan), Arda Güler (Fenerbahçe), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea, loan)
Out: Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad), Marco Asensio (Paris), Eden Hazard (released), Jesús Vallejo (Granada, loan), Antonio Blanco (Alavés), Sergio Arribas (Almería), Reinier (Frosinone, loan), Álvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad), Mariano Díaz (Sevilla)
Madrid have won eight of their nine games in all competitions this season, scoring 17 goals and conceding six. They were 3-0 victors at Girona on Saturday.
Joselu opened the scoring with his fourth goal in his fourth Liga start for the club, Aurélien Tchouameni doubling the lead with his first league goal for Madrid on his 41st appearance.
Jude Bellingham completed the scoring; the 20-year-old has seven goals in eight games in all competitions for Real Madrid this season – six in LaLiga in addition to his winner on Champions League Matchday 1.
The win at Girona means Carlo Ancelotti has now beaten all 27 Liga clubs he has faced in charge of Real Madrid.
Following their victory against Union Berlin, Ancelotti's team lost their first game of the campaign on 24 September, going down 3-1 at local rivals Atlético de Madrid.
Three days later Madrid were back to winning ways with a 2-0 home victory against Las Palmas thanks to goals from Brahim Díaz and Joselu. It was the former's second goal for the club, having scored his first in his first spell in May 2019.
David Alaba came off in the first half against Las Palmas with a muscle injury and missed the weekend win.
Vinícius Júnior came on as a substitute against Las Palmas – the Brazilian's 100th win in LaLiga – to make his first appearance since suffering an injury in Madrid's 1-0 Liga win at Celta Vigo on 25 August. He started on Saturday.
Éder Militão suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his left knee in a 2-0 win at Athletic Club on the opening weekend of the season on 12 August and is expected to be out for several months.
Thibaut Courtois ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training in early August.
Summer signing Arda Güler suffered a meniscus injury during pre-season and is still to make his debut.
The 3-1 win at Almería on 19 August made Ancelotti the coach to have taken charge of the third most league games in Real Madrid's history (154). He overtook Vicente del Bosque (153), and is now behind only Zinédine Zidane (183) and Miguel Muñoz (424).
A 2-1 win at home to Real Sociedad on 17 September took Ancelotti above Zidane to move into second place on the all-time list of most Real Madrid wins as a coach, having overseen 173 victories. The Italian, now on 175 wins, is behind only Miguel Muñoz (357 wins).
Luka Modric was seventh in the vote for Uefa Player of the Year 2022-23.
Modric, Vinícius Júnior and Bellingham are among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on 30 October in Paris.
