Barcelona vs. Napoli: Final Score 3-1, Xavi Lead the team to a Champions League quarter final position. Raphinha is Back. Barcelona defeated Napoli 3-1 in the second leg of their Round of 16 match at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, securing their spot in the Champions League quarter finals for the first time in four years. Barça had an incredible start to the match, suffered terribly for the next forty-five minutes, but came through with a well-earned win to advance to the Last Eight of Europe’s premier championship.
Barcelona is once more rejoicing after winning in the Champions League last round, four years later.
The five-time European champions defeated Napoli 3-1 on Tuesday to advance back to the quarterfinals.
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Italy three weeks prior, Barcelona advanced 4-2 on aggregate thanks to goals from Fermín López, João Cancelo, and Robert Lewandowski.
Napoli, which failed to repeat its last-eight performance from the previous season, when it achieved its first-ever knockout round victory, was helped by a goal from Amir Rrahmani.
Barcelona had not advanced past the group stage in the previous two years and have not faced Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals since 2019–20.
Sergi Roberto, a midfield player for Barcelona, remarked, “It was an amazing night.” Four years had passed since this club was at its rightful place. We must savor this moment.
Barcelona became the first team to field two players under the age of 17 in a UCL quarterfinal game, making history in the process. At the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona secured a 4-2 aggregate victory against Napoli thanks in large part to the outstanding 3-1 victory in the second leg, which was led by Pau Cubarsi (17 years, 50 days) and Lamine Yamal (16 years, 243 days). Despite Victor Osimhen’s equalizing goal in the 75th minute, Barcelona emerged victorious in the 1-1 draw between the two underperforming clubs this season.
Barcelona vs Napoli Match Summary:
First Half
The first 20 minutes of the first half were, in a word, flawless. Barça started the game on the front foot, pressing high up the pitch with extraordinary intensity to win the ball back and prevent Napoli from having any joy with it. They did this by passing the ball quickly and incisively through the lines and by adopting a fierce mentality off the ball.
In addition to dominating the game, Barça also produced four excellent opportunities: After two excellent passes down the left wing, a through ball from João Cancelo found Raphinha, who crossed it back to the middle where Robert Lewandowski took out two defenders with a great dummy, giving Fermín López plenty of time and space to finish and give Barça the lead. Fermín López missed the first two, but the third time proved to be lucky for the young midfielder.
Napoli attempted a left wing attack, but Barça’s defense handled it, resulting in a second goal and a fourth chance for Barcelona, with Raphinha’s shot hitting the post. Napoli dominated play after Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s header, but Marc-André ter Stegen saved to prevent equalization, causing Barça to lose control and lose the lead.
Second Half
It was tight at the beginning of the last quarter as Barça struggled to hold the ball for long periods of time and could not execute their press with the same intensity and precision, which allowed Napoli to attack in behind more openings. Although Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araujo made a few crucial saves against Victor Osimhen, the Catalans were a bit overextended as the hour approached.
Sensing problems in the defense, Xavi Hernández substituted Andreas Christensen (who had received a yellow card) and Fermín López (who was beginning to look very tired) with Sergi Roberto and Oriol Romeu in an attempt to shore things up in midfield. In an instant, Napoli head coach Francesco Calzona made two replacements of his own, hoping to give the wings some new life and increase the threat to a weak Barça defense.
Barça’s defensive midfield configuration helped recover possession and reduce pace, forcing Napoli to defend. Yamal scored the second goal for Blaugrana, but it was disallowed due to offside.
Lamine and Yamal contributed to Barça’s impressive attacking performance, causing havoc on Napoli’s left flank. However, Barça needed a third goal to qualify, and Yamal missed an opportunity. Jesper Lindstrom’s header missed, allowing Barça to secure a massive win.
Robert Lewandowski scored a crucial goal for Barça, restoring their lead with a solo run from left to center. Ilkay Gündogan assisted, and Xavi assisted from the bench. Barça secured a spot in the quarterfinals, but Napoli faced concerns in the final minutes.
Team Lineups :
Barcelona :
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK) , Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo . Fermin Lopez ,( Sergi Roberto, 60′), Andreas Christensen ( Oriol Romeu, 61′), Ilkay Gundogan , Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, (Joao Felix, 81′).
Napoli :
Alex Meret (GK), Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Mario Rui ( Mathias Olivera, 64′) , Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Hamed Traore ( Giacomo Raspadori, 78′) , Matteo Politano, ( Jesper Lindstrom, 64′), Victor Osimhen, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia ,( Cyril Ngonge, 90+3′).
FAQs
Who is in the last eight of the Champions League?
Thus far in the competition this season, Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern, Manchester City, Paris, and Real Madrid have all guaranteed spots in the final eight.
Has anyone won 7 Champions League?
Real Madrid and AC Milan are two of the top men’s title winners in the UEFA Champions League. See the complete list. Real Madrid, with 14 trophies, is the most successful team in Spanish football; AC Milan comes in second with seven.
How many times has Napoli won?
They won the Serie A championship in the 2022–2023 season, making them the current champions in Italy. Three Serie A titles, six Coppa Italia titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and one UEFA Cup have all been won by Napoli throughout its history.
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