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The view from Naples, with Colum Fordham. “Naples calling. What with the change of coach, from Walter Mazzari to Calzona, Napoli will be satisfied with a draw against Barcelona. My students in Naples were pessimistic about tonight’s match after the pathetic 1-1 draw with Genoa but my local grocer Gino was upbeat and thought they’d perform. Which they did, all things considered. Osimhen was tired from the African Cup but showed his class. As did Kavara every so often. Should be a good return match.”
Barca will be the happier of the two teams, coming away from what used to be one of the hardest places to go in Europe with a precious draw. But they’ll wonder if they could have scored another, or at least held onto the lead given to them so clinically by Robert Lewandowski. They were the better team for 74 minutes, even if that wasn’t saying a great deal. But then Napoli won’t be too unhappy either. They were dreadful for the most part, utterly toothless, only for Victor Osimhen to haul them back to parity with his hustle. At least now they’ll take something to Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in three weeks’ time. For a long while, it looked as though they’d be taking nothing at all.
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FULL TIME: Napoli 1-1 Barcelona
The champions of Italy salvage a draw with the champions of Spain. Will either end the season as champions of Europe? On this evidence, it’s unlikely.
90 min +4: Lewandowski makes a nuisance of himself on the edge of the Napoli box. The ball breaks to Gundogan, who curls towards the bottom left. Just wide. The ball rebounds and ripples the side netting. Half of the stadium thinks it’s gone in. But no. A brief silence before everyone breathes again.
90 min +3: Raspadori tries to dribble upfield from deep, only to nearly run into the referee. He turns tail and gives Meret a difficult backpass. The keeper hacks clear, then moans quite a lot.
90 min +2: … so having said that, Cancelo nearly releases Felix down the left with a probing pass. Rrahmani hooks clear.
90 min +1: Barca stroke the ball around the back. If they could declare, they would.
90 min: There will be four added minutes.
89 min: Napoli look most likely to find a winner. Simeone sends a speculative effort over the bar from 25 yards. Not far over.
87 min: João Félix and Oriol Romeu come on for Andreas Christensen and … let me get back to you. Uefa haven’t been on top of the old graphics tonight. Pedri.
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85 min: The second of those corners leads to some bagatelle in the Barca box. Lewandowski shins over his own bar in a panic. Then Raspadori fires a third corner of the sequence towards Zambo Anguissa, rushing in at pace towards the near post. Zambo Anguissa powers a header wide right from close range. A big miss. Had that been on target, ball and net would already be halfway to the Amalfi Coast.
84 min: Another corner for Napoli, as newly arrived sub Raspadori earns a couple of corners down the right.
82 min: All of a sudden, Napoli look willing and able to find a second. Lindstrom busies himself down the right and wins a corner. That comes to nothing, but Barca look a little bit rattled having been hit with that sudden sucker-punch.
80 min: The resulting free kick is a waste of time. Raphinha replaces Yamal.
78 min: Christensen goes into the book as he cynically hauls down Lobotka, who had spun him 30 yards out. He joins his team-mate Martinez in the referee’s pad; Martinez was yellow-carded for suggesting too forcefully that he’d been fouled by Osimhen ahead of the goal.
77 min: That goal had really not been coming. It was Osimhen’s last touch of the ball, as he’s replaced by Simeone. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona finally making some noise!
GOAL! Napoli 1-1 Barcelona (Osimhen 75)
They have now! This has come out of absolutely nothing. Zambo Anguissa strides infield from the left. He passes low towards Osimhen, just inside the box with his back to goal and Martinez behind him. Osimhen spins, Martinez stumbles, Osimhen shrugs him off and slots into the bottom left! Napoli were going nowhere, but now look!
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74 min: Politano attempts to storm into space down the right but his purposeful run is stopped by De Jong, who steps across to take charge and usher the ball out for a goal kick. Napoli still haven’t had a shot on target.
72 min: Osimhen twists, turns and attempts to juggle his way into some space in the Barca box. But there is none. This is a hugely frustrating evening for the striker, who like the aforementioned Kvaratskhelia will also fill plenty editions of the Rumour Mill as Napoli’s dismal season threatens to go from bad to even worse.
70 min: To be fair to Napoli coach Francesco Calzona, Kvaratskhelia had achieved the square root of bugger all.
69 min: A double change for Napoli, as Hamed Traorè and Jesper Lindstrøm come on for Jens Cajuste and an absolutely furious Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli’s star man throws his gum down in irritation before stomping around the perimeter of the field with a black cartoon cloud over his head and a fierce cob on. Transfer rumours ahoy!
67 min: Di Lorenzo works hard down the right. One cross is cleared by Martinez, another blocked by Pedri. The home captain trying his hardest to haul his team back into this.
66 min: Meret makes up for his boo-boo by confidently claiming the corner.
65 min: A free kick for Barca out on the right. Most inside the Napoli box. Gundogan can’t clear the first man. But Napoli can’t clear, and the ball breaks to Pedro, who whips a speculative shot goalwards from the edge of the D. It’s straight at Meret, who parries in unconvincing fashion. The ball balloons into the air, then nearly drops back down into the top left. Inches wide. The keeper so lucky to get away with that.
64 min: Napoli try to hit back through Politano, who advances down the right. But his low cross is headed behind by De Jong, then Ter Stegen deals with the resulting corner. Barca have seriously quietened the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
62 min: That ends a run of four Champions League games without a goal for Lewandowski. He didn’t have a whole lot of space in which to fashion the shooting opportunity … but goodness he managed it nonetheless. That was in the minute it left his boot.
GOAL! Napoli 0-1 Barcelona (Lewandowski 60)
They’re whistling now all right. Pedri slips a clever pass down the inside-left channel for Lewandowski, just inside the box. Lewandowski takes a touch to the right, stepping away from Di Lorenzo and Jesus, and fires a low drive into the bottom left. Simple as that, and Meret had no chance to save!
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59 min: Barca stroke it around to little effect, other than irritating the home fans, who are back at the whistling again.
58 min: Barca have done well to subdue Napoli’s post-hairdryer verve. They’re beginning to assert a little control.
56 min: Martinez clanks Osimhen to the ground as the striker battles down the right. A leg hung out in the agricultural style. The Barca defender is pretty lucky to avoid a booking. Napoli load the box, but nothing comes of the resulting free kick.
55 min: Gundogan finds Lewandowski on the edge of the D. The former Manchester City star spins and tries to release Pedri down the left channel, but overcooks the pass. That would have been a lovely move had the final ball found its target.
53 min: Politano thinks he’s won a corner down the right but the referee and linesman disagree. While the hosts quibble, Barca quickly go up the other end, Cancelo crossing low from the left. With yellow shirts lurking in the middle, waiting to slam home, Jesus does extremely well to telescope a leg and divert the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.
51 min: Gundogan romps down the right and larrups a wild shot high and wide right. He had nobody up with him, so he was within his rights to roll the dice.
50 min: A bit of grass for Osimhen to run into down the left. He knows he’s offside, though, and though he cuts infield and shoots, it’s not with any great belief. He grimaces, wearing the look of a man not best pleased with the level of service he’s getting this evening.
49 min: De Jong finds Yamal in space down the right. The young man cuts back for Gundogan, who opens his body and attempts to pass the ball into the bottom right. He doesn’t catch it at all and it’s an easy snaffle for Meret.
48 min: Lewandowski and Gundogan twist and turn on the edge of the Napoli box, but there’s no getting past Rrahmani and Jesus.
46 min: Napoli didn’t get an effort on target in that first half. They’ve clearly had their hair thoroughly dried by their new coach Francesco Calzona during the break, as they come straight out of the blocks, Kvaratskhelia crossing for Politano, who heads wide right. Still no effort on target, but, well, y’know. That’s better.
Napoli get the second half started. No changes. “Will either of these teams win the Champions League?” wonders Peter Oh. “I suspect the letter on the home side’s badge provides a clue to the answer.”
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Napoli 0-0 Barcelona
… and it comes up one second after the clock ticks round to 45. This hasn’t been great.
44 min: Both teams would benefit from some advice. Just as well half-time is coming up.
42 min: This is all a bit scrappy. Two teams short on confidence.
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40 min: Di Lorenzo floats in a cross from the right and earns a corner on the left. Kvaratskhelia prepares to take, but is forced to wait as the referee lectures Osimhen and Christensen for wrestling. Then the corner comes in, and it really wasn’t worth waiting for.
38 min: Politano loops a cross in from the right but there’s barely any Napoli presence in the Barca box and once again the visitors deal with the situation easily. The home fans are uncharacteristically quiet right now.
37 min: Politano’s not particularly confidently delivered free kick somehow squirts through to Di Lorenzo, just inside the Barca box. But Di Lorenzo can’t spin Araujo and the visitors clear. Ter Stegen has had nothing to do.
36 min: De Jong clips Politano out on the right. Free kick for Napoli. Everyone queues up on the edge of the Barca box. Politano to take.
34 min: Kvaratskhelia crosses from the left. It’s deflected back into the path of Lobotka, who briefly considers larruping a shot goalwards from the edge of the box, but over-thinks it and ends up doing nothing whatsoever. In lieu of very few options, he should have bought a ticket to the raffle.
33 min: Jesus again finds himself on the wrong end of a soft decision, Lewandowski going down near the right touchline after being very lightly brushed. Nothing comes of the resulting free kick, Lewandowski aiming a weak header wide left.
31 min: Jesus steals the ball off a snoozing Gundogan, and prepares to launch an attack against a defence caught light at the back. But the referee blows, late, for a very soft foul. Gundogan’s theatrics tipped the scale there. Jesus rightfully aggrieved.
29 min: Pedri finds Yamal in space down the right. Yamal dinks cutely into the box, but the ball floats over the head of Gundogan, who had made a clever run between the centre-backs. Goal kick. Barca remain more likely to open the scoring.
27 min: Di Lorenzo curls a cross in from the right. At the far stick, Osimhen rises highest. He can’t guide a header on target, but looks to have earned a corner … until the flag goes up, correctly, for offside. Osimhen spins around in frustration.
26 min: Kvaratskhelia bets on himself in a footrace down the left with Kounde. He wins that bet, knocking the ball past his man and romping clear. Christensen comes across to put a stop to his gallop, and is the latest man to find himself somewhat fortunate not to go into the book.
24 min: Rrahmani rolls Di Lorenzo into space down the right. The Napoli captain drives infield and prepares to shoot, but holds onto possession one stride too far, allowing Pedri to nip in from behind and steal off with the ball.
23 min: Gundogan curls the resulting corner over everyone’s head. From the sublime to the ridiculous.
22 min: Cancelo romps down the left, reaches the byline, then cuts back. Lewandowski flippers a first-time shot goalwards. Straight at Meret, who hacks away. Barca come straight back at Napoli, and space opens up in front of Gundogan. A rising drive, heading for the top left, is palmed around the post by the keeper. That’d have been a lovely goal. It was a fine save instead.
21 min: Cajuste comes through the back of Christensen and is fortunate not to join De Jong in the book.
19 min: Politano rolls a pass down the right for Osimhen, who wins a corner. Nothing comes of it. Both teams are searching in vain for the killer final pass.
17 min: That doesn’t stop him going on a 60-yard run down the middle of the park. He slips a pass to Yamal to his right. Yamal attempts another curler but that’s blocked … by Olivera’s arm? Yamal thinks so, but the referee doesn’t. Could have been, but VAR can’t get involved as the incident is outside the box.
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16 min: De Jong goes into the book for a late slide on Di Lorenzo. A daft challenge inside his own half. A long evening on a yellow stretches out in front of the Dutch midfielder.
15 min: Pedri is nearly released by a speculative ball down the inside-left channel. Meret is out quickly to smother at his feet.
14 min: Pedri is clipped as he worms his way down the left. Free kick and a chance for Barca to line up on the edge of the Napoli box. Gundogan swings into a crowded mixer but Rrahmani heads clear. Barca come straight back at Napoli, though, Gundogan slipping a forensic pass down the left channel for Lewandowski, who can’t force home from a tight angle, six yards out. Jesus did well to make sure that angle remained tight. Goal kick.
12 min: A slightly shaky Araújo backpass nearly lets Kvaratskhelia in. Ter Stegen is alive to the situation and able to kick clear. A couple of signs that Napoli are belatedly waking up.
10 min: Olivera slips a pass down the left flank for Kvaratskhelia, who enters the box but can’t quite work space for a shot. But that’s better from Napoli, who have finally shown a little something in attack.
9 min: Yamal cuts in from the right channel and rasps a shot towards goal. Meret parries with strong hands, and the rebound falls kindly for the home side, who eventually clear despite the presence of Gundogan and Lewandowski, both hovering around. Already it feels like a goal is coming for Barca.
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7 min: Napoli look extremely nervous. Olivera and Zambo Anguissa do their level best to tee up Lewandowski 25 yards out, but get away with their loose control. Then Cancelo barges down the left and looks for Lewandowski in the middle. Olivera eyebrows away from danger just in time.
5 min: Koundé crosses from the right to force the first corner of the game. Nothing comes of it for Barcelona, but the visitors have started very confidently. The home fans are already resorting to irritated whistling.
4 min: Gundogan brings down a long ball 30 yards from goal, spins, then feeds Yamal to his right. Yamal curls a confident shot over the bar.
3 min: Young Lamal makes off down the right and gives Olivera something to think about. The Napoli left-back stands his ground. He had to keep his wits about him there against the irrepressible 16-year-old.
2 min: Plenty of very early possession for Barcelona as they attempt to make themselves at home. Napoli have hardly had a touch.
Barcelona get the ball rolling. A rocking atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, like that’s breaking news.
The teams are out! Napoli in their sky blue, Barcelona in fourth-choice yellow. We’ll be off after a quick blast of The Champions. Eh?
A reminder of how we all got here. Napoli finished Group C as runners-up to Real Madrid, who beat them home and away. The Partenopei also dropped points at home to Union Berlin in a 1-1 draw that snapped the German club’s 12-match losing sequence.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| 2 | Napoli | 6 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | Braga | 6 | -6 | 4 |
| 4 | Union Berlin | 6 | -4 | 2 |
Barcelona also lost a couple of group games, at Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp. They beat Porto home and away, though, and that proved crucial to winning Group H on the head-to-head. More evidence that neither of these sides have been totally on top of their game this season.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | FC Porto | 6 | 7 | 12 |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | -2 | 9 |
| 4 | Antwerp | 6 | -11 | 3 |
Napoli make four changes to the XI that started last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Genoa. Victor Osimhen, Mathías Olivera, Jens Cajuste and Juan Jesus replace Pasquale Mazzocchi, Leo Østigård, Hamed Traorè and Giovanni Simeone, all of whom drop to the bench.
Barcelona make two changes to their starting line-up in the wake of the narrow 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. İlkay Gündoğan and Iñigo Martínez replace Vitor Roque and Pau Cubarsí, who are both named as subs.
The teams
Napoli: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera, Zambo, Lobotka, Cajuste, Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Natan, Mario Rui, Traore, Contini, Simeone, Lindstrom, Mazzocchi, Ostigard, Raspadori, Gollini.
Barcelona: ter Stegen, Kounde, Araujo, Martinez, Joao Cancelo, de Jong, Christensen, Gundogan, Yamal, Lewandowski, Gonzalez.
Subs: Raphinha, Pena, Joao Felix, Lopez, Romeu, Vitor Roque, Sergi Roberto, Astralaga, Casado, Cubarsi, Guiu, Fort.
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany).
🚨 BARÇA XI 🚨#NapoliBarça | @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/dc03AEHmGG
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 21, 2024
Preamble
The reigning champions of Italy and Spain meet in what is ostensibly the glamour clash of the round. Only problem being, it’s faded glamour right now.
Napoli are onto their third manager of the season having lost five of their last 11 in all competitions, winning only three. During that run, they’ve been cashiered from the Coppa Italia in disgrace, losing 4-0 at home to Frosinone. Their defence of the scudetto they took 33 years to reclaim has been a pitiful shambles: they’re currently ninth, having scored just five goals in their last eight league matches. This is a team that scored 105 times last season. Way to go off a cliff. Let’s see what wonders new man Francesco Calzona, who replaced Walter Mazzarri on Monday, has worked in the 48 hours he’s been in office.
Barcelona are faring better, but only because the bar’s been set so low. They’ve got managerial woes of their own – Xavi is off in the summer – and while they’re third in La Liga, they’re well off the pace set by Real Madrid. Their last two league matches paint a picture: they required a late goal from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal to salvage a home draw against relegation-haunted Granada, and needed a twice-taken injury-time Robert Lewandowski penalty to see off struggling Celta Vigo. They’ve also recently been battered 5-3 at home by Villarreal, and dispatched from the Copa Del Rey 4-2 by Athletic Bilbao.
Something’s got to give. Will the undoubted quality both teams possess finally show itself and tell? Or will we witness a fiasco for the ages? Either way, this could be a whole lot of fun. Kick off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is at 8pm GMT, 9pm local. It’s on!
