Benfica and Napoli face showdown after slip-ups
Having squandered numerous chances to clinch their knockout stage place, Benfica and Napoli face a Champions League showdown tonight knowing they will only have themselves to blame if they are eliminated.
The Group B match could easily have been one of the numerous dead rubbers in the final week of the group stage but, instead, the two favourites have everything to play for with Besiktas lurking menacingly in the background.
Napoli’s place looked a formality after they won their first two games in the group and there was even an outside chance that they could have clinched their place in their third match.
Yet, clearly missing injured striker Arkadiusz Milik, Napoli’s campaign went off the rails and they have taken only two points from their subsequent three games in the group, including a goalless draw at home to Dynamo Kiev last month.
Benfica, meanwhile, let slip a 3-0 lead at Besiktas and were held to a 3-3 draw in their last game, missing out on the win that would have sent them through.
The Portuguese champions also conceded a last-minute equaliser when they were held 1-1 at home by Besiktas in their first meeting with the Turkish side earlier in the group.
As a result,...