Napoli beats Genk 4-0 to reach Champions League last 16

Posted December 10, 2019 6:00 am

The Associated Press

NAPLES, Italy (AP) - Napoli beat Genk 4-0 on Tuesday to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League, although manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged his job could still be in danger.

Arkadiusz Milik scored a first-half hat trick for Napoli and Dries Mertens added a penalty in the 74th minute following a handball by Genk midfielder Casper De Norre.

The result saw Napoli end a winless run of nine matches overall but Italian media reports that former AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso will nevertheless replace Ancelotti.

'œI have never resigned and I will never do it,'ť Ancelotti said. 'œI don't know if I will still be Napoli coach at the weekend, I'll talk with the president tomorrow. It's a mutually agreed meeting to evaluate the current situation.

'œI hope that qualifying for the next round removes a bit of pressure from us and gives us energy.'ť

For Genk's 17-year-old Maarten Vandevoordt, it made of a tough Champions League debut. Vandevoordt became the youngest goalkeeper ever in the competition but was at fault for the opening goal after just three minutes when he gave the ball away inside his own area.

Napoli ended the group stage unbeaten but finished second in Group E, a point behind Liverpool, which won 2-0 at Salzburg.

___

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

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.