Two sides with 100% league records Napoli and Borussia Dortmund clashed at Stadio San Paolo in Group F of the Champions League.
The game came to life just before the half-hour mark as Gonzalo Higuain headed in from Camilo Zuniga's cross. Roman Weidenfeller was sent off just before the break for deliberate handball.
In the second half Lorenzo Insigne scored a fine free kick from 30 yards before a late Zuniga own-goal set up a nervy finish. Napoli held on, however, for a priceless three points.
Read how the action unfolded below with our live text commentary.
Good evening European football fans and welcome to the second half of matchday one here on Sports Mole. I'll be bringing you Group F and Napoli against Dortmund.
Group F is one of the more intriguing this year. Realistically, any of the four teams can get through although Dortmund and Arsenal are the strong favourites. Despite that, neither Arsenal or Dortmund will want to play at the San Paolo - it is the Germans who get a go first.
Napoli were excellent in the league for much of last season and pushed Juventus most of the way. Their reward for that is a place in the Champions League and they will not be fearing anyone.
Before I go into more of the build-up, it's time to bring you the teams.
NAPOLI XI: Reina; Maggio, Albiol, Britos, Zuniga; Inler, Behrami; Callejon, Hamsik, Insigne; Higuain
DORTMUND XI: Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Bender, Sahin; Blaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Lewandwoski
What can we make from those lineups then? Well, it's pretty much full strength on both parts. Really only Lukasz Piszczek is missing for Dortmund, and their full-strength defence will have a tough time against Napoli's attack.
Both sides excel in attack. For the hosts, summer signing Gonzalo Higuain is capable of damaging any side and with Jose Callejon, Marek Hamsik and Lorenzo Insigne in behind him, there are goals and assists in the Napoli side for sure.
For Dortmund, well we all know about their attacking prowess. The future of Robert Lewandowski might still be uncertain, but he is still a major part of this team. I think the winner tonight will be who scores more rather than who doesn't concede - Jakub Blaszczykowski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus is as good an attacking trio in world football if you ask me.
Rafael Benitez promised to attack, and that is what he has set out to do with that lineup. In the build-up to the game, he said:
"Napoli must play as they always play. We are not thinking about playing 11 men behind the ball. We want to attack and win."
Jurgen Klopp was less keen to give away how he wanted to play, but did acknowledge how strong Napoli are going forward. He said:
"It's not something we are scared of but we have looked into these things ahead of the match in order to judge and prepare for them."
Whoever wins, we should be in for an exciting game. A look at the odds suggests that neither side is heavily favoured, with Napoli at 8-5 and Dortmund at 5-2. It would be wise to steer clear of this one in an accumulator.
PREDICTION: Now you know what the bookies think I'm sure you're desperate to hear my views. Dortmund have been magnificent so far this season and although Napoli too have been good the German side have too much about them for me. It'll be close, but I think they may take it 2-1.
Just a reminder that all eight of tonight's games are being covered with live commentaries right here. So bring up any of them that you want from the home page (but stick around with me, please).
Remember, in the lead up to this one Valon Behrami was very positive about his side's chances. Will he look a bit silly or was he right to back his teammates so strongly? We will find out in just about five minutes time with kickoff.
The players have made their way out of the tunnel. Here comes the Champions League anthem - this is what football is all about. And it's great to see Dortmund back at the top, they were one of the classic sides as I was growing up in the 1990s.
It's an absolutely fantastic atmosphere at the San Paolo tonight as you would expect from the fierce fans in Naples. Just a minute to go now until kickoff.
KICKOFF: The hosts get us back underway. Let's go!
Miguel Britos makes a slight error there and almost allows Lewandoswki in, but Raul Albiol mops up. It's smoky from the flares here early on which is really adding to the atmosphere.
Not a great deal to discuss early on. Both sides are testing each other out in the opening stages. Dortmund in the last few minutes have got their passing game in action and are beginning to look confident.
Gokhan Inler is keen to win the ball from Reus, but goes in a little strongly to give away the free kick. Nothing comes from it, however, and Napoli survive.
For all the hype I gave this one about the attacking talent on display, there hasn't been a lot of it so far. It is still early days, of course, and it should pick up. The opening was always likely to be cagey. Dortmund are seeing much more of the ball at the moment.
Napoli now have just started to fizz the ball around a bit more. Insigne looks for Hamsik with an angled ball, but Subotic is in tight to win the ball. A few tasty tackles then fly in from both sides, but the referee hasn't seen anything untoward.
Higuain thinks he has been fouled by Mats Hummels as he goes down off the ball, but the referee has no interest whatsoever. That's the danger for the visitors - Insigne and Hamsik dropping off and looking for Higuain.
The rhythm is still somewhat lacking in this, although Napoli are now looking more dangerous. Higuain is again played in and looks to be away but Subotic makes an absolutely fantastic saving tackle.
Both sides are pressing high, which is leading to several misplaced passes. It has gone in phases so far and Napoli are on top of this one as Hamsik tries to keep it in play on the far side but is unable to.
Strange touch there from Blaszczykowski. The ball comes to him on the edge of the box and he tries a dummy but gets a really heavy touch instead and gives the ball straight to Reina. Ok, I admit, this has let me down so far.
There are still a lot of free kicks. Both sides are enthusiastic, which has led to it being a bit too stop-start. I thought it was just a first 10 minutes thing, but it has now been going on for 25.
CHANCE! First real chance of the game. Lewandowski is played through and finds himself one-on-one with Reina, but the Spaniard wins the duel with his left foot. It goes for a corner and from it Dortmund win another. Pressure building...
GOAL! Napoli 1-0 Dortmund (Gonzalo Higuain)
That is why you pay tens of millions for strikers. He finds space in the box to get on the end of a Zuniga cross from the corner of the box to plant his header low. Jurgen Klopp is absolutely furious - and I mean scarily angry - presumably because Subotic was not allowed to come back on the pitch and couldn't get back in time.
Klopp has been sent to the stands after that furious outburst at the fourth official. Obviously we don't know what was said, but he is no longer in the dugout.
What can Dortmund do now? They respond by creating a half-chance for Reus as Lewandowski flicks the ball back to him but Reus's left-footed effort is harmlessly wide.
BOOKING: Britos goes into the book and that seems a little bit harsh. He and Reus got a bit tangled and it was probably a foul, but the centre-back is carded. Dortmund have another chance with the free kick.
BOOKING: Three minutes later a Dortmund player goes into the book. Schmelzer is the man in trouble for pulling down Insigne as Napoli looked to break.
Another free kick, this time about 40 yards out, for Dortmund. Reus tries to get it into the middle but again it's a dreadful effort. That's probably the worst of the lot as it goes straight into the arms of Reina.
CHANCE! Hamsik goes down in a heap right on the edge of the box. The fifth official says it was outside - which is was. The ball comes in from Inler and Higuain meets it but this time puts it wide - he should have scored really.
RED CARD! Hummels is being carried off the pitch, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but on the pitch it's bad for Dortmund. Roman Weidenfeller comes out to play sweeper keeper but handballs it well outside the area - a straight red!
DORTMUND: So with Weidenfeller off it means that Langerak has to come on. That's a second sub with Blaszczykowski making way Huguain drills the free kick low straight at the new keeper.
HALF-TIME: Napoli 1-0 Dortmund
And breathe. For 25 minutes nothing happened, but by half time we have had a goal, a coach sent to the stands and a goalkeeper sent off. It's gone horribly wrong for Dortmund and Napoli will surely go on to win this easily now.
Where to start? Well, about half an hour in really. Lawandowski might have put his side ahead when through on goal, but Reina stuck out a boot to save it. Then followed a goal from Higuain while Subotic was off the pitch - and Klopp was sent to the stands for his reaction.
Then Weidenfeller was sent off for handling outside the box. He was playing sweeper keeper throughout, with Higuain playing off the shoulders of the Dortmund defence, but he misjudged one and was given his marching orders.
The players are lining up in the tunnel now. Any changes, I'll let you know, but I highly doubt there will have been a third from the visitors just yet.
KICKOFF: The visitors get us back underway - can they get back in this?
Napoli as expected have come straight out firing for the second half. Insigne controls a diagonal Inler pass and tries to cross, but Grosskreutz blocks for a corner.
Dortmund have not seen much, if any, of the ball so far in the half. Subotic comes out to press Higuain but succeeds only in bringing the striker down about 40 yards from goal.
Dortmund are now sitting deep, as opposed to the high pressing game we saw from them in the first half. The problem with that is that Inler will have so much more space in which to ping his diagonal passes around.
First foray forward of the half from the visitors there, but Lewandowski has too much to do with no space. Napoli win it back and look to break with Callejon playing over the top for Higuain, but a foul is given against the Argentine.
It's still all Napoli. Surely this is just a matter of time before they get the second that would see the points safe. Higuain has another effort but he's closed down quickly and it's blocked.
About 30 yards is well in Inler's range. He is given a few yards of space, which is enough and he tests Langerak. From it Insigne picks up and drives down the left. He cross is deflected to Hamsik, but he cannot control it from about eight yards out. Dortmund are hanging on.
Aubameyang is absolutely rapid. He breezes past Britos and squares to Reus, but the German slices his shot high and wide. Aubameyang could well have gone for goal himself.
GOAL! Napoli 2-0 Dortmund (Lorenzo Insigne)
Wow. Pick that one out. Napoli have a free kick some 30 yards out. Insigne steps over it and gets whip, dip and curl on the ball to get it round the wall and in off the underside of the bar. What a strike.
BAR! What an effort that is from Aubameyang. He has no option 25 yards out but to shoot but his effort smashes back off the bar. Reina was beaten.
CHANCE: Incidentally, Insigne was booked for taking his shirt off. He's involved again, squaring for Higuain who doesn't get enough on his effort and Langerak gathers. Insigne then makes way for Dries Mertens.
DORTMUND SUB: Callejon has been a real handful tonight and he wins another free kick against Grosskreutz. Mkhitaryan, who has been quiet, makes way for Jonas Hofmann.
NAPOLI SUB: That's a cheeky effort from Mertens, who goes for goal and almost catches Langerak out at his near post. Opening goalscorer Huguain walks off to a huge ovation with Goran Pandev on for him.
SAVE: That might be Reina's first touch this half, as he's out to just clear the ball. Then he's tested more diving low to his right to keep out Hofmann, but that's routine in truth.
Here's a nice shot of Napoli's new hero Higuain celebrating his opening goal.
© Getty Images
SAVE: Decent stop from the Aussie keeper there. Mertens is allowed too much space on the left and then finds Pandev, who shoots low but it's kept out by Langerak low to his left.
Reus and Sahin stand over a free kick from the edge of the box. It is the latter, but his curling effort was not dipping enough to get on target.
Dortmund are finishing quite strongly here, with Hummels playing almost in midfield and driving forward. Aubameyang has been their best player since coming on and is remaining lively until the last.
GOAL! Napoli 2-1 Dortmund (Zuniga own goal)
What on earth is Zuniga playing at?! The ball is crossed by Reus and, with Lewansowski lurking, Zuniga tries some sort of backheel to clear it. He gets it all wrong and it goes against his own post before bouncing over the line and coming back out. The fifth official says it was in - which it did look to be. Late flurry?
SAVE! Late save from Reina! Finally Reus gets a free kick on target. It doesn't have a lot of power but Reina needs to turn it behind. No Langerak up for the corner, shockingly, which is poor and straight to Reina.
There will be five minutes of time added on. That's quietened the stadium somewhat...
NAPOLI SUB: Time-wasting change here from Benitez, who brings on Giandomenico Mesto for Hamsik.
Anywhere will do now from Napoli, as Albiol thwacks the ball as far down field as he can. The crowd are whistling, but there are a couple of minutes yet.
Dortmund are pressing high, but Napoli are winning the battle, with all the deflections going their way. Hofmann launches it forward and here comes Grosskreutx. Sahin crosses and Britos gets it away! The whistle goes!
FULL-TIME! Napoli 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Well they had to hang on more than they would have liked, but Napoli have done it. They have beaten last season's runners up to continue their 100% start to the season. That makes things interesting in the group.
Klopp will not be happy with his side, but I get the feeling that Dortmund won't be the only side that will find it tough here. Arsenal and Marseille will not be looking forward to their visit to the San Paolo.
Thanks for joining me for this one. We'll be back with commentaries from the Europa League tomorrow, but for now stick around for the results and reaction from tonight's football. Goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
