published: wednesday 6 november 2013, 23.00cet ssc napoli 3-2 olympique de marseille
the ıtalian side came from behind to stay in group f contention, gonzalo higuaín scoring twice to secure a win that ended the visitors' slim hopes of progress.
ssc napoli were made to work hard for a win over olympique de marseille that keeps them on course for a place in the uefa champions league last 16 while eliminating the french side from the competition.
andré ayew put the visitors in front, but two quick-fire goals from gökhan ınler and gonzalo higuaín changed the complexion of the game. marseille levelled through florian thauvin before higuaín's second sealed victory and edged napoli closer to qualification, which they can obtain with a draw in dortmund.
keen to sustain their challenge for a place in the knockout stage, and extend an impressive overall home champions league record of four wins and a draw, napoli were straight on the attack. josé callejón spread the ball to his left for dries mertens, who showed good composure but less precision with a shot which curled beyond the far post. ıt was by no means only napoli attacking, though, and marseille gained the upper hand in the tenth minute when ayew rose to meet florian thauvin's corner with a stooping header.
napoli were shocked, but they responded by turning the game around in just two minutes. another corner provided the initial danger, with mertens sweeping in a cross from the right which raúl albiol rose to meet, heading straight at mandanda. marseille failed to clear their lines and ınler picked up possession just outside the penalty area, striking a sweet left-foot volley into the far corner to bring the hosts level.
the fans had barely finished celebrating that goal when they were on their feet again, congratulating higuaín after he drilled a venomous shot past mandanda following goran pandev's knock-down.
marseille continued playing with the kind of honour which élie baup had demanded on the eve of the game, thauvin dragging a shot wide early in the second half and rippling the side netting with another, before substitute dimitri payet also missed the target.
the livewire thauvin then silenced the napoli fans for the second time when he showed more determination than pablo armero at the far post to turn alaixys romao's cross in, forcing napoli to re-emerge from their shells for the final half hour. rafael benítez's men obliged, providing the final twist of the game when higuaín ghosted in unmarked at the far post to net his third of the current campaign, and napoli's third on the night, before substitute lorenzo ınsigne hit the post late on.
