Fiorentina underlined their credentials to challenge for a European place this season as they upset defending champions Napoli 3-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Although Victor Osimhen’s penalty in first-half stoppage time cancelled out an early strike from Josip Brekalo, Napoli had no answer after Giacomo Bonaventura restored Fiorentina’s lead in the 63rd minute, with substitute Nicolas Gonzalez adding a late third.
The result sees Fiorentina move level with Napoli on 14 points, seven behind early pace-setters AC Milan.
Fiorentina started brightly, with Lucas Martinez seeing an ambitious early overhead kick effort blocked, and those endeavours were rewarded when they took the lead with seven minutes gone.
It was Martinez again who saw his rather awkward effort off his knee bounce back off the post, but it fell for Brekalo to slot it through the goalkeeper’s legs from a tight angle.
Napoli’s desire to make amends saw them pour forward but too many of their moves were rushed, the ball pinging about on the edge of the Fiorentina box in a manner they could not control.
A chaotic move saw the ball in the back of the net after 22 minutes but they were denied an equaliser by the assistant’s flag.
Osimhen’s shot was blocked but Matteo Politano’s disguised pass found Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Fiorentina again got in a block and Mathias Olivera was offside when he sent in a cross-cum-shot that was tucked in by Osimhen at the far post.
They kept coming forward, but Pietro Terracciano made a fine save to keep out Stanislav Lobotka’s powerful drive.
Osimhen’s penalty appeals were in vain when he was bundled over late in the first half, but the officials could not ignore him in stoppage time when Fabiano Parisi’s chested pass back to Terracciano fell short and the goalkeeper collided with the advancing striker.
And, having put himself back on penalty duty, Osimhen dispatched a powerful shot from the spot.
Fiorentina nearly got back in front five minutes into the second half when Jonathan Ikone’s shot struck the right-hand post.
It was end-to-end at this point – Osimhen sent a shot across goal for Napoli, then Ikone narrowly missed the target through a crowded box.
Osimhen should have put the hosts in front just before the hour when he broke away down the left but he was too slow to shoot and Terracciano cut off the angle.
And Fiorentina made him pay for the missed opportunity as the visitors retook the lead moments later. Alfred Duncan ran into trouble but the ball bounced for Bonaventura, left in far too much space on the penalty spot, and he tucked the ball away.
Napoli pushed for an equaliser but it would be Fiorentina celebrating at the end as they hit their hosts on the counter attack in stoppage time, with Gonzalez finishing the move.
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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