Match report

Chelsea Overcomes Napoli 3-2 in Champions League Thriller

Napoli
Napoli
2–3
FT
Chelsea
Chelsea
Jan 28, 2026

Chelsea managed to secure a hard-fought victory against Napoli in their UEFA Champions League encounter. Despite falling behind early on, goals from E. Fernandez (penalty), João Pedro (twice) allowed Chelsea to overcome the spirited resistance of Napoli led by A. Vergara and R. Hojlund.

Key Facts

  • • E. Fernandez scored a penalty for Chelsea in the 19th minute.
  • • A. Vergara equalized for Napoli at 33 minutes.
  • • R. Hojlund put Napoli ahead with an assist from M. Olivera in the 43rd minute.
  • • João Pedro scored twice, first at 61 and then again at 82 minutes.

Lineups

Napoli

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Starting XI

  • 1 A. Meret (G)
  • 22 G. Di Lorenzo (D)
  • 5 Juan Jesus (D)
  • 4 A. Buongiorno (D)
  • 37 L. Spinazzola (M)
  • 68 S. Lobotka (M)
  • 8 S. McTominay (M)
  • 17 M. Olivera (M)
  • 26 A. Vergara (F)
  • 20 E. Elmas (F)
  • 19 R. Hojlund (F)

Substitutes

  • 14 N. Contini
  • 61 D. Spinelli
  • 3 M. Gutierrez
  • 9 R. Lukaku
  • 31 S. Beukema
  • 52 E. De Chiara
  • 56 C. Garofalo

Chelsea

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 1 R. Sanchez (G)
  • 27 M. Gusto (D)
  • 24 R. James (D)
  • 29 W. Fofana (D)
  • 3 M. Cucurella (D)
  • 17 Andrey Santos (M)
  • 25 M. Caicedo (M)
  • 41 Estêvão (M)
  • 8 E. Fernandez (M)
  • 7 P. Neto (M)
  • 20 Joao Pedro (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 F. Jorgensen
  • 50 M. Merrick
  • 5 B. Badiashile
  • 9 L. Delap
  • 10 C. Palmer
  • 11 J. Gittens
  • 21 J. Hato
  • 23 T. Chalobah
  • 32 T. George
  • 34 J. Acheampong
  • 38 M. Guiu
  • 49 A. Garnacho

Timeline

  1. Napoli
    17' Napoli Card · Yellow Card
    Juan Jesus

    Handball

  2. Chelsea
    19' Chelsea Goal · Penalty
    E. Fernandez
  3. Napoli
    33' Napoli Goal · Normal Goal
    A. Vergara
  4. Napoli
    43' Napoli Goal · Normal Goal
    R. Hojlund · Assist: M. Olivera
  5. Chelsea
    46' Chelsea subst · Substitution 1
    Off: P. Neto · On: C. Palmer
  6. Chelsea
    59' Chelsea subst · Substitution 2
    Off: Andrey Santos · On: J. Gittens
  7. Chelsea
    59' Chelsea subst · Substitution 3
    Off: M. Gusto · On: T. Chalobah
  8. Chelsea
    61' Chelsea Goal · Normal Goal
    João Pedro · Assist: C. Palmer
  9. Napoli
    67' Napoli subst · Substitution 1
    Off: Juan Jesus · On: M. Gutierrez
  10. Napoli
    74' Napoli Card · Yellow Card
    E. Elmas

    Foul

  11. Chelsea
    74' Chelsea subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Estêvão · On: A. Garnacho
  12. Napoli
    82' Napoli subst · Substitution 2
    Off: E. Elmas · On: R. Lukaku
  13. Napoli
    82' Napoli subst · Substitution 3
    Off: L. Spinazzola · On: S. Beukema
  14. Chelsea
    82' Chelsea Goal · Normal Goal
    João Pedro · Assist: C. Palmer
  15. Chelsea
    88' Chelsea Card · Yellow Card
    W. Fofana

    Foul

  16. Chelsea
    90' Chelsea subst · Substitution 5
    Off: Unknown player · On: B. Badiashile

Match Stats

Stat Napoli Chelsea
Fouls 15 15
Pass Accuracy 86% 89%
Offsides 1 1
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 8 11
Corners 4 1
Total Passes 528 636
Yellow Cards 2 1
Blocked Shots 1 3
Shots on Target 5 5
xG 0.98 2.02
Shots off Target 2 3
Possession 46% 54%
Goals Prevented 0 0
Accurate Passes 456 568
Shots Inside Box 6 6
Saves 2 3
Shots Outside Box 2 5

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Chelsea took an early lead through a penalty scored by E. Fernandez in the 19th minute.
  • ▸ Napoli's quick response with goals from A. Vergara and R. Hojlund put them ahead before halftime, but João Pedro's two second-half strikes turned the momentum back to Chelsea.