Far from their best, but still far too good - Lavezzi & Napoli run Chelsea ragged to put Villas-Boas on the brink

The great Napoli showboat sails on. A second San Paolo victory over Premier League big spenders has left them within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals, with Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani once more the inspirational figureheads as their European tour continues unabated. They head for Chelsea in three weeks with a 3-1 lead and the knowledge that it could – or rather, should – have been more.

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The Azzurri haven’t had a comfortable relationship with expectation all season, with all of their better performances coming against teams they hadn’t been tipped to beat, and it was noticeable that the pre-match talk of a Stamford Bridge crisis was quickly rebuffed by anyone and everyone of a Neapolitan persuasion. Being the favourites clearly didn’t sit well with them.

They showed signs of big-night nerves early on, with Cavani and Lavezzi both failing to find the net from decent chances, and their back three looking about as disorganised as they have all season. It wasn’t a complete surprise when Paolo Cannavaro misread a simple bounce and Juan Mata mopped up to put Chelsea ahead.

But still Napoli didn’t kick into action, with the Blues, buoyed by the goal, suddenly looking a little bit more comfortable. With half-time approaching, it was clearly going through some people’s minds that maybe – just maybe – this was where the adventure ended. Lavezzi soon put paid to that, though.

MATCH FACTS | Napoli 3-1 Chelsea
Shots  On Target  Possession  Territory  Corners  Bookings	Napoli 15 8 42% 46% 4 1	Chelsea 15 6 58% 54% 4 2

With Chelsea dropping too deep, the Argentine collected the ball in space just outside the area. Given time to look up, he spotted the smallest of gaps inside the far post in which to slot a curling effort beyond the dive of Petr Cech. The San Paolo erupted, and seven minutes later it was to explode.

The tie should have been buried soon after the restart, but again Cavani side-footed at the keeper when well placed, while Lavezzi dragged a good chance wide. All the while, assistant coach Niccolo Frustalupi’s decision to allow the visitors more space and rely on the counter played an ever more dangerous game. But the tactic was justified when David Luiz made a mockery of a simple clearance and gifted Cavani the ball. The striker teed up Lavezzi and the tie was virtually over at 3-1.

It could have been put beyond doubt had Christian Maggio turned in Marek Hamsik’s low cross, but the wing-back’s tame side-foot effort was alertly cleared off the line by Ashley Cole.

After all the talk before the game about Andre Villas-Boas’ future as Chelsea manager, it appears increasingly likely that changes will be afoot in west London. But if last night proved anything it was that the Portuguese is working with substandard tools. Nine years have passed under the leadership of Roman Abramovich, during which time the solid core of Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba has remained almost untouched. Now, at least three of those four need replacing, and it is proving an unenviable task.

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It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Chelsea can score twice at Stamford Bridge on March 14, but they will need to do something very special to keep the clean sheet they would need to go with it. Napoli’s seven clear chances were testament to the porous nature of the Blues’ backline against a lightning attack, as well as the turnaround AVB – if he’s still in charge in three weeks – will be asked to conduct. 

For the Italians, it is another feather in their cap as they waltz around Europe taking scalps. Their big stars once again came through for them, and they will no doubt have gone to bed dreaming of various quarter-final draw scenarios. Only that uneasy bedfellow complacency can stop them now.

What is even more concerning for Chelsea is that the Partenopei were nowhere near their best last night, yet still opened up the Blues time and again. Napoli are at their most dangerous on the counter attack when teams attack them, and Chelsea will have to attack in three weeks time. This will leave gaping holes for the likes of Lavezzi and Cavani to expose once again.

The task is a huge one. Not since the 2008 quarter-final against Fenerbahce have Chelsea overturned a first-leg deficit. That year they ended up one kick away from their first ever Champions League crown. Oh, how times change. Last night, they were one goal-line clearance away from an inevitable exit. Instead, they live to fight another day … but only just.

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