In the fourth matchday of the Champions League group stage, Napoli hosted Union Berlin at the Stadio Maradona. Matteo Politano gave the Italians the lead in the first half from a touch he barely knew about, but the Germans equalized through David Fofana from a swift counter-attack after the break. The Partenopei wasted a flurry of chances and had to settle for a draw that raised their tally to 7 points. So here are our player ratings for Napoli after registering a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin who finally ended their twelve-match losing streak.
Napoli (4-3-3)
Alex Meret – 6.5
The Italian goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save on Becker just before conceding on the rebound. He also pulled off another solid stop and looked confident overall.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 5.5
This wasn’t the finest performance from the Napoli captain who darted up and down the right flank but his crosses were mostly miscued. Provided the assist for Anguissa’s disallowed goal which was overruled following a VAR check for an aerial challenge from the skipper.
Amir Rrahmani – 6
A quiet night for the former Verona man who was largely untroubled by Fofana and Becker as they were only able to score from a counter-attack while the Partenopei defenses surged forward for a corner kick.
Natan – 6
The Brazilian also had a relatively uneventful evening at the back. However, he almost grabbed the opener with a towering header but was denied by the post.
Mario Rui – 6.5
The Portuguese veteran was one of the best on the pitch for as long as he lasted. His crossing unlocked the German defenses in the first half, prompting Anguissa’s disallowed goal and providing the assist for Politano’s opener, albeit with a deflection.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6
The Cameroonian thought he had given Napoli the lead with a close-range finish but was denied by VAR. He seemed to be commanding the middle of the park in the first half but his impact dwindled as the match progressed.
Stanislav Lobotka – 6
The Slovakian did well in both phases, although he didn’t make himself noticed. Napoli will be sweating over his fitness after leaving the pitch with a knock.
Piotr Zielinski – 5.5
Aside from a couple of sublime crosses, the Pole scarcely stamped his mark on the match. Rudi Garcia would have expected from the midfielder, especially in these delicate moments,
Matteo Politano – 7
Although his finish was certainly fortunate, the former Sassuolo man was the best player on the pitch for Napoli. Caused havoc for the opposition with fabulous runs and dribbles, but should have done better on a couple of other chances, especially one that directly led to Union’s equalizer.
Giacomo Raspadori – 6
The Italy international caused some problems for Leonardo Bonucci with his pace and trickery but was at times hesitant to shoot. Did well in the buildup phase, but his team needs a cold-blooded killer in Victor Osimhen’s absence.
Khicha Kvaratskhelia – 5.5
The Georgian picked Mario Rui in the pre-assist for the goal and had a few promising runs. That being said, he squandered three of four important chances to score, which could cost Napoli dearly in the long run.
Substitutes
Giovanni Simeone – 5.5
The Argentine only had one crack at goal but tried the diving header from a wide angle and his shot went wayward. Earned a yellow card for committing a challenge after getting dispossessed.
Mathias Olivera – 5.5
The former Celta Vigo man couldn’t offer the same energy and danger on the left flank that Mario Rui provided.
Jesper Lindstrom – N/A
Jens Cajuste – N/A
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