As things stand, Napoli will have it all to do if they wish to feature in this season's Europa League final.The Partenopei were left stunned after Dnipro scored a late equaliser, and despite their furious remonstrations with the official following the goal - which appeared to be offside - the match would go on to finish 1-1 and the tie delicately poised on a knife's edge.
Right now, should the score stand, it will be the Ukrainian outfit who will be featuring in Warsaw. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk have arguably been this tournament's surprise package, something that striker Yevhen Seleznyov acknowledged but feels his team have done enough to deserve their fair share of respect.
"It would mean a lot [to reach the final] - a victory would increase our prestige [in Europe]," he noted prior to his team's biggest game of the season.
"Nobody backed us and it has really surprised everyone we have come this far.
"All of us understand what we are playing for. We have been playing together for a while now and we have always had great team spirit.
"[And] we will do everything possible to win against Napoli."
Myron Markevych's side will come into this game after losing their last match in their domestic league, and he will have to make do without Serhiy Kravchenko and Roman Zozulya, while Yevhen Shakhov could also miss out if he fails to pass a late fitness test.
It will not be easy for Rafa Benitez's men as the Ukrainians are known for their ultra-defensive approach at home. So far, the hosts have won their last four home games in this tournament, all sans conceding a single goal.
Talismanic attacker Gonzalo Higuain, who was rested in his team's surprise draw with Parma, has already netted seven times in the Europa League and is still in contention to become the tournament's top scorer.
However, despite the possibility of some personal accolades being a reality, the Argentinian attacker appears to be more focused on his team's objectives for tomorrow and the rest of the season:
.@G_Higuain: domani è una partita fondamentale come lo sono anche le ultime 3 in campionato, meritiamo di andare in Champions
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) May 13, 2015
"Tomorrow is as crucial a match as are the last three games in the league. We deserve to be in the Champions League [next season]"
Meanwhile, despite seeing his team be at the unfortunate receiving end of some questionable refereeing decisions, Benitez is keen to write it off and look ahead to their crunch match tonight:
#Benitez: tutti abbiamo visto l'errore dell'arbitro a Napoli, questo mi da fiducia sulla regolarità e la normalità della sfida di domani
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) May 13, 2015
"We have all seen the mistake of the referee in Napoli. This gives me confidence that the game tomorrow will be a regular and normal one [without problems]"
For the Partenopei, they are featuring in their first Europa League semi-finals since the 1988/1989 season. And the outcome of this match will certainly have a huge impact for the team's fans as they have witnessed their team's best European campaign since the time of Diego Maradona who wasa key part of their historic campaign.
As Benitez described it:
#Benitez: dopo 26 anni ci giochiamo una semifinale europea, un momento importante per noi, la società e i nostri tifosi
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) May 13, 2015
"After 26 years, we are playing in a European semi-final...it's an important moment for us, the club, and our fans"
Will Napoli give their faithful support more to cheer about? Or will their hopes of European glory be dashed by their opponents?
Tune in to find out.
Team sheets for Dnipro vs Napoli
Dnipro's lineup: Boyko, Douglas, Luchkevych, Fedetskiy, Leo Matos, Kankava, Cheberyachko, Fedorchuk, Rotan, Konoplyanka, Seleznyov.
Napoli's lineup: Andujar; Maggio, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; David Lopez, Inler; Callejon, Gabbiadini, Insigne; Higuain.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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