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Mbappe and Buffon can't beat Napoli in Champions League

After 180 minutes, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain finished dead even with a 1-1 draw Tuesday after 2-2 in their first meeting

Reported by: AP Published on: November 07, 2018 4:00 IST
Mbappe and Buffon can't beat Napoli in Champions League
Image Source : AP Mbappe and Buffon can't beat Napoli in Champions League

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — After 180 minutes, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain finished dead even.

Following a 2-2 draw in Paris two weeks ago, the teams finished 1-1 Tuesday in another riveting Champions League matchup.

While it was PSG which needed a last-gasp equalizer in the first meeting, this time Lorenzo Insigne's penalty for Napoli canceled out Juan Bernat's opener for the visitors.

Kylian Mbappe set up Bernat's goal and Gianluigi Buffon's impact with Jose Callejon earned Napoli its penalty, while Neymar was hardly a factor.

In an extremely tight Group C, last season's finalist Liverpool leads Napoli on goal difference with six points each.

PSG is next with five points and Red Star Belgrade, which stunned Liverpool 2-0 in Tuesday's other group game, is still in contention with four points.

Mbappe had been controlled by Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly before he finally broke free down the left flank and pulled back a cross for the advancing Bernat in first-half added time.

There was tension as the teams walked off the pitch at halftime as Koulibaly and Napoli midfielder Allan had to be separated from PSG midfielder Marco Verratti.

Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti then went to protest to the referee, perhaps because he thought there was more than the single minute of announced added time.

However, it was a deserved advantage for PSG, which controlled for long stretches.

After the break, Buffon showed that he's still — at age 40 — one of the world's most skillful goalkeepers with a series of reflex saves.

First, Buffon deflected a dangerous angled effort from Dries Mertens. Then he made a leaping save to push another effort from Mertens over the bar with his fingertips.

However, Buffon couldn't stop himself from slamming into Callejon when the Spain winger got sandwiched between the goalkeeper and defender Thiago Motta.

Buffon guessed right on the direction of Insigne's spot kick but the Napoli striker's shot was struck precisely into the bottom corner.

Buffon was making his Champions League debut for PSG, having served a three-match ban for his comments about the referee at the end of Juventus' run last season.

Buffon was booed loudly on each touch for spending most of the last two decades with Napoli's domestic rival.

Insigne now has three goals in four Champions League matches this season and 10 in 14 games in all competitions this season.

Napoli captain Marek Hamsik made a record 512th appearance for the club.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
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