Rosenior praises young Chelsea after 3-2 win at Napoli to reach last 16

Liam Rosenior praised his young Chelsea side after they came from behind to beat Napoli 3-2 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. An excellent double from João Pedro and a devastating cameo from Cole Palmer ensured Rosenior’s side secured the 3-2 win and avoided the inconvenience of having to go through next month’s two-legged playoff for a place in the knockout phase.

Chelsea had taken the lead through an early penalty from Enzo Fernández but trailed 2-1 at half-time before the youngest side in the competition responded in the second half, condemning Antonio Conte’s Napoli to an early exit. Rosenior reflected on the experience gained from the night, saying: "That’s what experience is.

It’s nights like this and it’s also having setbacks and understanding why setbacks happen. I was told that’s the first time we’ve won away in the Champions League for a long, long time as a football club. That’s a great marker for the team and hopefully we can continue." The report notes Chelsea had not enjoyed an away win in this competition since October 2022.

Rosenior also praised Palmer’s impact after he came on at half-time, saying: "There was no way that Cole could have started this game and played through to 60, 70, 80 minutes... I felt Cole’s performance was magnificent. Not just his quality, his pressing, his running for the team.

chelsea comeback napoli, liam rosenior praise, joão pedro double, cole palmer cameo, enzo fernández penalty, 3-2 napoli win, stadio diego armando maradona, champions league last 16, away win since oct 2022, avoided two-legged playoff, antonio conte napoli exit, youngest side champions league, rosenior match reaction, palmer injury concerns, rosenior replaces maresca, comeback win analysis, joão pedro goals, palmer pressing and running, napoli early exit, knockout phase qualification