Barcelona are in unfamiliar territory tonight as the Champions League stalwarts drop into the Europa League with a key clash against Napoli.
It’s the standout tie of the round, between two of the favourites to lift the trophy, and after a woeful start to the season there is a renewed sense of positivity at Barcelona with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore and Ferran Torres all arriving in January.
The Spanish side finished third in their Champions League group, behind Bayern Munich and Benfica, after a number of below-par performances.
Napoli meanwhile will be full of confidence - only Lyon scored more than them in Europa League group stage. Victory over Leicester in the final match secured their progress through to the knockout stages.
Here’s everything you need to know about the heavyweight Europa League clash...
Date, kick-off time and venue
Barcelona vs Napoli is scheduled for a 5.45pm GMT kick-off today - Thursday, February 17, 2022.
The Camp Nou in Barcelona will host the first leg.
Where to watch Barcelona vs Napoli
TV channel: Tonight’s match will be televised live on BT Sport ESPN. Coverage begins at 5.30pm GMT.
Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will also be able to watch the match online via the website or BT Sport app.
Live blog: You can also follow all the action as it happens with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog.
Barcelona vs Napoli team news
Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Mingueza, Pique, Garcia, Alba, De Jong, Nico, Pedri, Torres, Aubameyang, Traore
Subs: Neto, Tenas, Dest, Busquets, Puig, Gavi, Dembele, Braithwaite, De Jong
Napoli XI: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rahmani, Koulibaly, Jesus, Anguissa, Fabian, Elmas, Zielinski, Insigne, Osimhen
Subs: Ospina, Idasiak, Ghoulam, Malcuit, Rui, Zanoli, Demme, Mertens, Ounas, Petagna
Barcelona vs Napoli prediction
Barcelona have shown promising signs under Xavi, including a recent win over Atletico Madrid, and they will be targeting a deep run in the Europa League.
But they’ve been given an extremely tough tie, against a Napoli side that are right in the thick of the Serie A title race and have shown far more consistency this season than Barcelona.
The Italians will fancy their chances of getting through, and a first-leg draw would not be a bad result for them away from home.
Draw, 1-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Barcelona wins: 1
Draws: 1
Napoli wins: 0
