Two second-half goals from Joao Pedro saw Chelsea come from behind against Napoli to finish in the top eight while knocking the Italian side out of the Champions League.

Enzo Fernandez had opened the scoring with a penalty, but Antonio Vergara and Rasmus Hojlund put Napoli ahead just before half-time.

However, Cole Palmer was brought on at the interval and set up both of Joao Pedro's second half goals.

It was heartbreak for Napoli and ecstasy for Chelsea, who secured a place in the last 16.

Chelsea began strongly when captain Reece James struck a free-kick against the hand of Juan Jesus to win a penalty in the 18th minute, which Enzo Fernandez drilled powerfully into the bottom corner.

Going a goal down sparked urgency from Antonio Conte's Napoli side, as defenders Mathias Olivera and Giovanni di Lorenzo had efforts blocked and saved before equalising.

The home side's opener came in the form of a remarkable first Napoli goal for local playmaker Antonio Vergara, as he escaped Moises Caicedo in midfield, turned Wesley Fofana and placed his shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Vergara's 33rd-minute strike was followed 10 minutes later by Rasmus Hojlund's goal, the on-loan Manchester United striker beating Fofana to meet Olivera's low cross and guide a first-time finish into the corner.

At half-time, Palmer, on the bench having recovered from a thigh problem, came on to replace Pedro Neto.

Palmer made an impact by feeding Joao Pedro, who shrugged off a challenge and smashed in an equaliser from the edge of the box in the 61st minute.

The Brazilian striker was then found by Palmer while counter-attacking and slotted an 82nd-minute winner under the legs of Meret.

Substitute Romelu Lukaku had a chance to equalise in added time against his former club but his shot was saved as it was struck directly at goalkeeper Sanchez.

The Italian champions are out of Europe, but Chelsea avoid a two‑legged play-off in February and qualify for the last 16 at the first time of asking.

It's remarkable to think those were Palmer's first two assists of what has been a difficult season so far.

His 45‑minute display was a reminder of his creative, match‑winning ability, which has rarely been seen this campaign.

A recurring groin issue from the beginning of last season forced him to miss more than half of Chelsea's matches, before a separate thigh injury kept him out for a further two games.

Against the backdrop of his fitness concerns, Palmer has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United — claims Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has repeatedly denied.

Meanwhile, his England hopes have been dwindling amid fierce competition for the No.10 role, with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Morgan Rogers currently appearing ahead of him in Thomas Tuchel's pecking order.

Yet Palmer's cameo arrived in timely fashion to remind English football of his worth, underline his commitment to Chelsea's cause and put himself back in the headlines.

His precise passing released Joao Pedro to strike powerfully for the equaliser, while his second assist owed much to his awareness in finding space when linking up with fellow midfielder Enzo Fernandez, before playing the Brazilian through to score again.

Rosenior admitted the decision to start with Palmer on the bench was partly because of fitness and partly to ensure he impacted the game late on.

"It was a combination of both," he said. "There was no way Cole could have started and played 60, 70, 80 minutes. I knew Napoli had injury problems and felt we would get stronger over time in the game.

"We need to look after him and the way he has managed himself in the last two weeks was magnificent and we hope we can see him fully fit.

"He is a world class player, there has been a lot of talk around Cole but he was a very happy man in the dressing room. It's was scary good."

For the manager victory was also a fifth win in six matches since replacing Enzo Maresca after the Italian's falling out with the hierarchy.

However, on this occasion, the new English manager arguably would not have kept that run going without Palmer's influence, with Chelsea changing the poor mood since December and battling it out in four competitions.

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was part of the subtext before kick-off as he attempted to navigate Napoli's injury crisis.

Seven senior players were unavailable, including former Chelsea midfielders Kevin de Bruyne and Billy Gilmour, while Romelu Lukaku had only just returned from injury in Sunday's 3-0 defeat by rivals Juventus in Serie A.

Before the match, the Italian admitted that "the wind is against us and the waves are high", as Chelsea's £1.5bn squad arrived aiming to knock his side out.

There was, however, some hope: Napoli had lost just one of their previous 20 home matches, playing in one of the Champions League's most vibrant atmospheres.

Yet after rallying midway through the first half, they ultimately ran out of steam, having relied on virtually the same XI since the winter break.

Although there will be sympathy for Conte's plight, there will also be broader criticism of his Champions League record at Juventus, Chelsea and Napoli — he has now won just 17 of his 50 matches in the competition.

Napoli welcome Fiorentina for a Serie A match on Saturday (18:00 GMT).

Chelsea welcome West Ham to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday (17:30 GMT). They then play the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Arsenal on Tuesday (20:00 GMT), having lost the first leg 3-2 earlier in January.