Champions League: Napoli, Sevilla enter group stage

Paris: A Jose Callejon goal helped Napoli ease into the Champions League group stage on Tuesday, while Sevilla also went through and Celtic suffered a scare in Kazakhstan before winning their play-off tie. Third in Serie A last season, Napoli were too strong for Nice, winning 2-0 in France with Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne both scoring as they progressed 4-0 on aggregate.

Beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid in the last 16 last season, Maurizio Sarri’s side took the lead when Marek Hamsik deposited a low cross from the left for Callejon to convert at the back post in the 48th minute. The dangerous Dries Mertens then hit the post before Insigne sealed the Italians’ win a minute from time.

“Napoli must keep on playing in the Champions League every season, because this is where we belong. We are happy with the qualification,” said Insigne. Nice, for whom recent signing Wesley Sneijder started, were thoroughly outplayed over the two legs and will have to settle for a place in the group stage of the Europa League instead.

Sevilla, who won the Europa League three years in a row before losing to Leicester City in the last 16 of the Champions League last season, survived an almighty scare against Istanbul Basaksehir to go through.The Spanish side, 2-1 winners in the first leg in Turkey, drew 2-2 at the Sanchez Pizjuan to advance 4-3 on aggregate.