It's been a thrilling match so far at the Stadium San Paolo where Napoli and Manchester City are locked in a 1-1 draw with both teams going for the win. City have controlled the play but the hosts are one of the most accomplished counterattacking teams in the world, breaking forward with pace whenever they recover in the midfield (which is frequently), and it was Napoli who'd get the first goal.
Napoli Vs. Manchester City, 2011 UEFA Champions League: 1-1 At Halftime
It's a little surprising that said goal came from a set piece, considering City's height advantage over the Italian side, but the identity of the goalscorer is no shock: Edinson Cavani is perhaps the best traditional centre forward in Europe and he got the slightest of touches to Ezequiel Lavezzi's near-post corner, flicking just past Aleksandar Kolarov and a wrong-footed Joe Hart.
City's response was hardly instantaneous, but they slowly piled on the pressure and it eventually paid off when a panicked clearance by Salvatore Aronica fell straight to the feet of David Silva. Morgan de Sanctis could only parry the Spanish star's drive, and Mario Balotelli was on hand for the tap in. The half ended with the visitors in the ascendancy, but really, anything could happen here. Both sides are playing fun, attacking football, and long may it continue.
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