Champions League: Real survive Napoli scare

Holders, Real Madrid, came from behind to record a 3-1 win over Italian outfit, Napoli, in the first leg of their last-16 clash in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Lorenzo Insigne sent the visitors into an eighth-minute lead at the Bernabeu, but goals from Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Casemiro ensured that Zinedine Zidane’s side would take a two-goal lead into the second leg in Naples on March 7 as they bid to make the quarter-finals once again.
The visitors made the breakthrough in the eighth minute when Insigne curled a quite wonderful long-range effort into the bottom corner after spotting that Keylor Navas was in a poor decision.
Benzema missed two big chances in the early moments, but the Frenchman was not to be denied on the third occasion as he headed a searching Dani Carvajal cross into the back of the net to level the scores in the 18th minute, much to the relief of the home supporters.
Ronaldo had a glorious chance to send Real Madrid 2-1 ahead in the 28th minute after being played through by Luka Modric, but the number seven somehow blazed over the crossbar as Napoli survived another dangerous moment.
Napoli started the second period on the front foot, but it was Real Madrid that scored the game’s third goal in the 49th minute when Ronaldo dribbled towards the away side’s box before picking out Kroos, who simply passed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Five minutes later, Real Madrid made it 3-1 on the night and it was a once-in-a-lifetime strike from Casemiro, who found the far corner of the net with a sensational volley from distance to put Napoli in all sorts of trouble.
Both managers made changes as the match entered its final 15 minutes, and it was Real Madrid that were searching for the game’s next goal as Benzema and Ronaldo started to find each other in dangerous positions once again.
Callejon actually had the ball in the back of the Real Madrid net 10 minutes from time after converting from close range, but the former Los Blancos attacker was ruled offside.
Neither team could add to the four goals on the night, however, and Real Madrid will therefore take a two-goal advantage into the return match in Naples early next month.