Michael Oliver to referee Porto v Napoli in the Champions League
UEFA has given Napoli's trip to the Estadio do Dragao to the referee who was in charge in Rotterdam on 6 December 2017, the night Sarri's side went out of the Champions League.
Michael Oliver will referee Porto v Napoli at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday 4 November, kick-off 21:00 CET (20:00 UK, 15:00 ET). It is matchday four of the Champions League league phase. Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring are the assistants, Thomas Bramall is fourth official, and Stuart Attwell and Christian Dingert are on VAR.
Napoli fans will remember the name for the wrong reasons. Oliver refereed Feyenoord 2-1 Napoli on 6 December 2017, the last group game. Sarri's Napoli lost, went out of the Champions League and dropped into the Europa League. His handling of cards and contact caused debate that night, but what people remember is the elimination.
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The precedent decides nothing, and blaming a referee before a ball is kicked is no way to prepare. The real problem is Napoli. They arrive in Porto two days after losing 2-0 to Juventus, eighth in the league, with Di Lorenzo and Olivera left behind in Naples, which strips two more men from the flanks of the defence. Porto have won all ten of their league games. If Napoli play as they did in Turin, with one shot on target, the referee will hardly matter.
Source: AreaNapoli
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