Napoli suffered a shock 2-0 defeat against Swiss side Young Boys in the Europa League.
Napoli suffered a shock 2-0 defeat against Swiss side Young Boys in the Europa League.
The Partenopei had won their first two Europa League fixtures and visited Young Boys, who play on a synthetic pitch at the Stade de Suisse. Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik were among those rested, giving Michu and Jonathan de Guzman rare starts after a 2-2 draw with Inter at the weekend. It was a special game for Raphael Nuzzo and Coach Uli Forte, who are self-confessed Napoli supporters due to their Italian origins.
The hosts started well, as Guillaume Hoarau’s glancing header skimmed the base of the far post, while Dries Mertens tried to lob from the centre-circle and Jonathan de Guzman stung the goalkeeper’s gloves with an angled drive.
Another Hoarau header tested Rafael and Steve Von Bergen was decisive to stop Duvan Zapata nodding in from close range.
Mertens tried to curl into the far bottom corner, but was denied by a fine one-handed Yvon Mvogo save.
After the restart Faouzi Ghoulam’s free kick was just off target, but it was Young Boys who took the lead in Berne.
Hoarau had already threatened before and he found the right finish with a low angled drive into the bottom corner.
The hosts wasted a promising counter and substitute Marek Hamsik nodded over. Jose Callejon had the ball in the net with a wonderful volley, but the offside flag was correctly raised.
Napoli poured forward in the final stages, but they were horribly caught out on the counter by Leonardo Bertone – of Italian origin – who ran from his own half to beat Rafael. This is the sixth consecutive Young Boys home victory in Europe.
Young Boys 2-0 Napoli
Scorers: Hoarau 52 (Y), Bertone 92 (Y)
Young Boys: Mvogo; Sutter, Vilotic, Von Bergen, Lecjaks; Sanogo Junior, Gajic; Steffen, Kubo (Bertone 71), Nuzzolo (Rochat 86); Hoarau
Napoli: Rafael; Maggio, Henrique, Albiol, Ghoulam; Inler, Jorginho (Callejon 75); De Guzman (Higuain 84), Michu (Hamsik 62), Mertens; Zapata
Ref: Buquet (FRA)