Football
2017-18 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage
FEY 
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FT
 NAP
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Associated Press 6y

Napoli out of Champions League after losing to 10-man Feyenoord

Feyenoord finally secured their first points in Champions League Group F, rallying from a goal down to beat Napoli 2-1 on Wednesday, costing the Serie A side a spot in the round of 16.

Napoli's defeat combined with Shakhtar Donetsk beating group winner Manchester City 2-1 to finish second means Napoli heads to the Europa League.

Midfielder Piotr Zielinski put Napoli ahead after just 96 seconds, firing the ball hard into the roof of the net after Feyenoord failed to clear a free kick from Amadou Diawara.

Nicolai Jorgensen equalised a half-hour later and substitute Jeremiah St. Juste headed an injury-time winner while Feyenoord were reduced to 10 men.

With Feyenoord already eliminated after losing their first five Group F matches, coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave second-choice goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer a start and 18-year-old Tyrell Malacia a Champions League debut.

After conceding the early goal, Feyenoord scrambled to keep down the score. Vermeer came off his line fast to deny Dries Mertens in the 18th minute and Renato Tapia made a good sliding challenge barely a minute later as Jose Callejon looked set to poke the ball into an empty net.

Van Bronckhorst's team were less composed near the Napoli goal until the 33rd minute when Jorgensen rose between three Napoli defenders to head home a Steven Berghuis cross from the right.

Feyenoord played the closing minutes with 10 men after Tonny Vilhena was sent off for his second yellow card and with visibility reduced by smoke from flares lit up by fans at De Kuip Stadium.

The home team pressed despite being a man down, and St. Juste crowned Feyenoord's best European performance of the season with a headed goal a minute into injury time.

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