Napoli were held to a 0-0 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in a match dominated by the Italian side’s possession and the visitors’ deep defensive structure. Israel Schmidt de Azevedo breaks down how Frankfurt’s compact shape neutralised Napoli’s attack.
Napoli vs Eintracht Frankfurt was a match with both teams coming off the back of heavy Champions League losses. Frankfurt entered with one objective, to protect their goal at all costs. Their domestic record had seen them concede 19 goals in nine matches, and that fragility shaped their approach. They sat deep, absorbed pressure, and looked to counter, leaving Napoli frustrated without De Bruyne to unlock spaces.
Early on, Frankfurt pressed briefly, with their attacking trio stepping high and the full-backs pushing up. Napoli tried to play through by widening their centre-backs and advancing both full-backs. Stanislav Lobotka dropped deep to link play, with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and McTominay pushing higher, and Matteo Politano and Elmas stretching the width to supply Rasmus Højlund.
For most of the game, though, Frankfurt parked the bus. Their back five narrowed, while Larsson, Chaïbi and Mario Götze shielded in front. Burkardt and Bahoya were left high as outlets for the counter. Napoli responded by committing numbers forward — Di Lorenzo and Gutiérrez pushed up, while Lobotka anchored behind them, supported by Anguissa and McTominay closer to the Frankfurt back line.
Napoli’s best first-half chances came from Elmas. In the 11th minute, he burst past defenders but saw his shot deflect wide. A minute later, his solo run ended in an effort saved comfortably by Zetterer. At 40 minutes, Gutiérrez found Anguissa at the edge of the box, but the midfielder skied his shot.
In the second half, Frankfurt found rare moments to attack as Napoli’s intensity dipped. Their structure shifted fluidly — Bahoya moved higher to join the striker, while Götze operated centrally, and Kristensen and Chaïbi worked as advanced wing-backs. Their clearest chance came in the 73rd minute when Götze set up Knauff, whose fierce strike forced Milinković-Savić into a superb save.
Napoli had their own opportunities late on. In the 75th minute, Anguissa missed a close-range acrobatic attempt. Eight minutes later, McTominay blazed over from inside the area. In stoppage time, Elmas and Højlund both had efforts denied in a chaotic sequence inside the Frankfurt box.
The match ended goalless, with Napoli visibly missing De Bruyne’s creativity. Conte’s side moved the ball too slowly, failing to unsettle Frankfurt’s disciplined defensive block. Frankfurt, meanwhile, showed defensive progress after recent setbacks, keeping a clean sheet for the first time in several games.
As both sides chase qualification, Frankfurt will be encouraged by their resilience, while Napoli must rediscover tempo and invention if they are to progress from their group.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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