Napoli pulled off one of the great Champions League performances on Tuesday evening at the Amsterdam ArenA to cement their position at the top of Group A thank to a resounding 6-1 victory that has sent reverberations around the continent.
It was not the ideal start as the hosts took the lead through Kenneth Taylor, but the Azzurri were quickly back on level terms through a deft header by Jack Raspadori on 18 minutes. Giovanni Di Lorenzo headed Napoli ahead with 33 minutes on the clock before Piotr Zielinski raced through on goal to slot home on the stroke of half time.
There was no letting up in the second half as Raspadori conjured up a first-time finish to add gloss to the scoreline two minutes after the interval, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia got his name on the scoresheet on 63 minutes with a classy finish. Substitute Giovanni Simeone rounded off the scoring on 81 minutes to leave the Azzurri on the brink of reaching the last 16 with a 100% record from three games.
Ajax 1-6 Napoli (HT: 1-3)
Scorers: Taylor 9, Raspadori 18, Di Lorenzo 33, Zielinski 45, Raspadori 47, Kvaratskhelia 63, Simeone 81.
AJAX: Pasvee, Rensch (Bass 84), Timber (Grillitsch 80), Bassey, Blind, Alvarez, Taylor (Klaassen 72), Berghuis (Brobbey 72), Tadic, Bergwijn, Kudus.
Coach: Schreuder.
NAPOLI (4-3-3) Meret, Di Lorenzo (Zanoli 84), Rrahmani, Kim, Olivera, Anguissa, Lobotka (Gaetano 80), Zielinski (Ndombele 46), Lozano, Kvaratskhelia (Elmas 64), Raspadori (Simeone 64).
Coach: Spalletti.
Referee: Letexier (France).
Booked: Raspadori, Timber, Kudus.
Sent off: Tadic on 73 for a second bookable offence.
