Napoli have opened their Champions League Group F campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund at home.

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The game started on a slow note but picked up pace soon after, as Robert Lewandowski found himself in a one-on-one situation with Pepe Reina, but failed to get the ball past him.

Two minutes later in the 29th minute Napoli went ahead through Gonzalo Higuain, who headed home Juan Zuniga's cross from close range.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was furious with the officials denying Neven Subotic from coming back onto the pitch and effectively making his side play with 10 men during the goal, and was sent to the stands for his protests.

Higuain had another chance in the 44th minute with a header, but this time he failed to turn Gokhan Inler's free kick into the net.

Then deep into first-half stoppage time visitors Dortmund were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller was dismissed for handling the ball outside his own penalty area.

Napoli took advantage of their numerical superiority in the second period and doubled their lead on 66 minutes when Lorenzo Insigne scored from a direct free kick 30 yards from goal.

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However, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could have halved the deficit for the German club just two minutes later had his shot from 25 yards not come back off the crossbar.

Last season's beaten Champions League finalists make it 2-1 three minutes from the full-time whistle when Zuniga turned a Marco Reus cross into his own net, but that was too little too late for the visitors.