Football: Napoli beats Red Star 3-1 with Mertens to stay on top



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NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) – Napoli swept the Red Star Belgrade with a typically entertaining performance, while two goals from Dries Mertens helped them to win 3-1 over former European champions when their Champions League match on Wednesday.

Napoli stayed ahead of Group C with nine points in five games, while the Serbian champion, with four points, was eliminated after scoring 13 goals in three away games.

The win was not enough to guarantee Napoli a place in the round of 16, with Paris St Germain beating Liverpool 2-1 in the other match, leaving the French team eight points and Liverpool six.

Napoli goes to Liverpool in his last match, where he must avoid losing by two goals or more, or by a score of 1-0, to qualify without relying on PSG's result outside the Red Star Belgrade.

"We have to play well and win at Anfield, it's as simple as that," said Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti. "The truth is that we are leading the group that no one would have believed in the beginning."

"This team gives me a lot of enthusiasm, which I have not felt for more than two years, and when you feel emotion, you can work better.I feel Neapolitan to # 39; inside. "

Napoli quickly took his elegant foot and almost took a fast forward with a delightful gesture.

Kalidou Koulibaly sent José Callejon on the right and his low shot was backed to the goal by Mertens but blocked by goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

It did not take long for Napoli to start, but Nikola Maksimovic hid a corner to capture a corner that allowed Marek Hamsik to return to the post far after 11 minutes.

Borjan gave Koulibaly the advantage over Senegal 's impressive defense. Mertens doubled the lead after another tricky attack. The center deviated by Fabian Ruiz shone in the 33rd minute.

Hamsik started the third third seven minutes into the match with a deep incisive ball in Mertens, whose superb first strike pushed the Belgian away from his goal before plunging the ball over helpless Borjan.

A clever skill of Marko Marin, who opened the defense of Napoli with a superb pbad in the opposite direction, installs the consolation of Red Star for El Fardou Ben Nabouhane five minutes later.

"Taking into account that we had a problem with the injured players and that the expectations were great for us, we managed to play a good game tonight, especially in the second half," said the coach. Red Star Dejan Milojevic.

(Written by Brian Homewood, edited by Toby Davis)

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