Hey, remember when I said that all Vesuviani should have their whisky bottles ready for this match? Well, turned out that I'm a bit of a prophet. Or perhaps I could just tell from the Bayern Munich lineup, and the utter lack of a Napoli defense, that this match at the Allianz Arena was simply not going to go well.
Bayern Munich Vs. Napoli, 2011 UEFA Champions League: Halftime, Mario Gomez Hattrick But Federico Fernandez Pulls One Back
Of course, fans of Bayern are ecstatic at the moment. Mario Gomez scored a hattrick before the halftime whistle, easily getting behind the Napoli defense each time. The first goal was beautiful, with the forward receiving the ball, pirouetting, and sending it in off his left foot. Just five minutes later, Gomez had a second, springing forward as the not-so-intelligent Napoli backline kept him onside.
The partenopei defense managed to keep out a hattrick for a bit, with defenders sliding in to stop Gomez, and Mogan De Sanctis pushing away a shot. But, with just a few minutes to go before the break, UberMario had his third, perhaps made easier by Salvatore Aronica’s injury and Andrea Dossena’s entrance onto the pitch.
Whisky made the match a bit hazy after that, but it was clear enough that Napoli had managed to get one back. Federico Fernandez put in a sharp header off an Ezequiel Lavezzi corner, exposing some poor marking on the part of Bayern. Moments later, Marek Hamsik very nearly scored a second, his shot from distance going inches wide of the post.
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