Cole Palmer proves he really is ‘untouchable’ in Chelsea victory over Napoli

Good evening, and welcome to live coverage of Napoli vs Chelsea from a blockbuster final round of league-phase fixtures in the Champions League, as Liam Rosenior’s side hope to secure their spot in the last 16 with a win over the Serie A champions, who are fighting to stay in the competition.

With all 36 teams kicking off at the same time tonight, Chelsea come into this evening’s game occupying the final spot in the all-important top eight, but they are one of eight teams on 13 points, from Paris Saint-Germain in sixth down to Atalanta in 13th.

Therefore, the two-time Champions League winners will almost certainly need a victory in Naples to cement their spot in the automatic qualification places, and even then, their fate may well come down to goal difference.

Following a slump in form that contributed to Enzo Maresca’s exit, Chelsea are enjoying a new-manager bounce under Rosenior, winning four of their five games since the 41-year-old took over, including against Pafos last time out in Europe and at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The west London side are coming up against a familiar face this evening, taking on Antonio Conte, who remains the last manager to guide them to a Premier League title, doing so in the 2016-17 campaign after their 10th-placed finish the season before.

The Italian achieved an identical feat with Napoli last year, taking them to the Serie A title in his first season at the club after they finished 10th in the 2023-24 campaign.

But in a similar manner to his tenure at Stamford Bridge, Conte’s second season is proving less successful. As things stand, an injury-stricken Napoli are heading out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, while they are nine points off the pace in Serie A following a 3-0 defeat away at Juventus on the weekend.

They currently sit at the top of the elimination zone in Europe; however, they are level on points with the three teams above them and are within reach of the next five teams in the standings, meaning it is all to play for this evening.