Napoli vs. Real Madrid: Score, Reaction from 2017 Champions League Round of 16

A Sergio Ramos-inspired Real Madrid came back from a goal down to beat Napoli 3-1 at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday to qualify for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the seventh consecutive season.

Having won the first leg of their last-16 clash 3-1, Real were heavy favourites to advance to the last eight. But Napoli played brilliantly in the first 45 minutes on Tuesday and led 1-0 at the break thanks to Dries Mertens' 24th-minute strike.

Two goals in five minutes—both from Ramos headers—soon after half-time saw Real take control of the tie again, and they eventually eased through to the next round with a 6-2 aggregate victory, substitute Alvaro Morata netting Los Blancos' third seconds from time.  

Both clubs provided their starting lineups ahead of the clash: 

Napoli started very sharply and spent much of the opening 10 minutes camped in Real's half. Mertens worked a couple of half-chances, and Marek Hamsik dragged an effort wide of the post, but the hosts could not find the early opener they would have wanted.

Los Blancos worked themselves into the game and began to look dangerous on the break, especially through Gareth Bale down the right flank.

However, just as Real were getting a foothold in the match Napoli went ahead, Mertens thrashing home a left-footed finish having been fed brilliantly on the left edge of the box by Hamsik.

Per football analyst Dave O'Brien, it was a wonderful goal from Maurizio Sarri's side:

Their intensity did not drop as they looked to find another goal to draw level on aggregate with the Champions League holders.

Napoli still looked vulnerable to the counter, though, and they were surprisingly reprieved just before the half-hour mark when Cristiano Ronaldo contrived to hit the post despite having the goal at his mercy after rounding goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

The woodwork then denied Mertens a second goal eight minutes before half-time after he shot instinctively on the turn having received the ball in the penalty area. 

A breathless 45 minutes ended with Napoli still in the ascendancy, but Italian football writer David Amoyal warned against a repeat of the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu:

Real looked much more organised at the start of the second half, and Karim Benzema shot into the side-netting two minutes after the break following a terrific cross-field ball by Marcelo.

In the 52nd minute, Ramos then rose highest to meet Toni Kroos' right-footed in-swinging corner to draw Real level and make Napoli's task all the harder.

A virtual carbon copy from Real five minutes later then made the hosts' challenge almost impossible as Ramos headed another Kroos corner—this time an out-swinger from the right—into the back of the net, via a slight deflection from Mertens, to put Los Blancos 5-2 ahead on aggregate.

As noted by football writer Robin Bairner, the Spain international has a knack for making telling contributions in the biggest of matches:

Napoli were left reeling, and although they pushed forward and forced a couple of half-chances in the aftermath of going behind, they looked beaten, unsurprising given they needed four goals to advance. 

An immediate response was needed from the hosts, and when they could not find another goal to breed some tension in their opponents' ranks, it became a procession.

Real eventually won at a canter, Morata adding salt into Napoli's wounds in stoppage time as he turned home a loose ball after Reina could only parry Ronaldo's stinging effort. 

Post-Match Reaction

Sarri admitted after the match that his side were unable to react to going behind but insisted there were many positives to be taken from Napoli's performance, per Football Italia:

"

We played 55 very good minutes, but to maintain that tempo we needed more enthusiasm and those two goals sapped it out of us. With those two goals, the qualification became impossible and at that point, without an objective, we lost our way.

We get the feeling we are not that far off, as we dominated the best team in the world for 55 minutes. If we can grow, become more physical, then we can become competitive at this level too.

"

Ramos was appalled to hear UEFA had denied him a double after they registered his second as a Mertens own-goal, per Mega (via Spanish football writer Dermot Corrigan):

Meanwhile, Bale conceded Real should have been better in the first half but credited his side's clinical finishing, per BT Sport (h/t the Guardian's Simon Burnton): "Obviously we could have been a bit better, but we knew we would get chances in the end, and thankfully we took them. It’s a very hostile atmosphere. We had to stay solid defensively, and work hard for each other. We want to win, we want to win every trophy we’re in for."