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 Barcelona vs Napoli, Champions League: final score three-1, Barça earn tough-fought win at domestic, develop to region-finals

Barcelona first goal

Barcelona are adequately via to their first Champions League quarter-final in four years thanks to a tough-fought three-1 win over Napoli within the second leg in their round of sixteen tie on the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night. Barça made an outstanding start, struggled mightily over the next forty five minutes of action, however finished the sport robust to earn a properly-deserved victory and move on to the remaining eight of Europe’s pinnacle competition.

FIRST 1/2⚽⚽

The first 20 mins of the hole period had been, in a phrase, ideal: Barça have been sensational to begin the game, playing at the the front foot with quick, incisive passes thru the strains and a ferocious attitude without the ball to press excessive up the pitch with extraordinary depth to win the ball again and stop Napoli from having any joy at the ball.

And on pinnacle in their manipulate of the game, Barça created 4 large chances: Fermín López missed the primary , but third time became the allure for the younger midfielder: after an notable passing series down the left wing, a thru ball from João Cancelo found Raphinha, who crossed it again to the middle in which Robert Lewandowski took out  defenders with a splendid dummy and allowed Fermín plenty of time and area to get the end proper and give Barça the lead.

Napoli attacked proper from the kickoff and almost created a chance down the left wing, but Barça’s protection handled the trouble and the ensuing counter-attack led to the fourth risk and the second goal: Lamine Yamal observed Raphinha on the run and the Brazilian hit the internal of the publish with a effective shot, and João Cancelo become quickest to the rebound to pass the ball into an open internet and double the Blaugrana lead.

It turned into a clearly brilliant start to the game via the home facet that helped settle the nerves of the group and the crowd, and the Catalans decided to now not take too many risks and have been comfy letting Napoli have more of the ball whilst still urgent high to pressure errors and create extra possibilities.

However Barça dropped too a ways back and misplaced the intensity proven within the first 20 minutes, and that they paid for it when a pleasant passing sequence down the right wing by using Napoli ended with an help by Matteo Politano and a rare goal by Amir Rrahmani, who made a surprising run from center-returned and determined the lowest nook to carry the visitors again in the sport and the tie.

2nd 1/2

The start of the final period changed into indeed disturbing, with Barça not able to keep hold of the ball for extended stretches and not executing their press with the same intensity and attention to detail, which created extra areas for Napoli to assault in behind. Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsí made multiple key interventions towards Victor Osimhen, however the Catalans looked a touch too stretched as we reached the hour mark.

Xavi Hernández sensed the problems in the protective shape and attempted to shore things up in midfield with Sergi Roberto and Oriol Romeu replacing Fermín López (who was beginning to look very tired) and Andreas Christensen (who had a yellow card). Napoli coach Francesco Calzona right away answered with two substitutions of his personal, looking to add a few clean legs to the wings and convey extra danger to a inclined Barça protection.

Barça’s modifications had a high-quality impact at the team early on, as a more protective midfield setup allowed the Catalans to regain manage of the ball and gradual down the tempo of the game, forcing Napoli to retreat and defend their field all through long stretches for the primary time within the half of. The Blaugrana almost restored their two-intention lead thru Yamal, but the teen turned into offside and the aim changed into disallowed.

Lamine surely came to lifestyles after the hour mark, the usage of his abilities and aggressive dribbling to create havoc on the left aspect of Napoli’s defense, and Barça’s great moments in assault all worried Yamal in some capability. The Blaugrana have been once more the superior team at the pitch as we reached the final 15 mins, however they nevertheless wanted a third intention to relaxed qualification.

Yamal neglected a golden danger to attain that 1/3 intention, and Barça nearly paid for it right away inside the eightieth minute when a pass by way of Mathías Olivera observed Jesper Lindstrom all by myself in the six-backyard field, but his header went inexplicably extensive and the Catalans dodged a major bullet.

Xavi looked to his bench for help getting the all-critical third purpose as João Félix changed Raphinha, but it became every other replacement who determined the game: captain Roberto another time got here up huge on the european degree as he went on a fantastic solo run from left to center, made a appropriate one- with Ilkay Gündogan at the edge of the container, and gave Robert Lewandowski the easiest of faucet-in to repair Barça’s purpose lead with seven mins to move.

The loss of life minutes had more than one scares as Napoli attempted the whole lot to get a overdue miracle, but Barça prevented conceding a 2nd purpose and the final whistle came to ship them to the quarter-finals.

The spectacular start and the sturdy finish helped Barça triumph over a completely hard stretch inside the center of the game, and that they certainly deserved the victory and a gap within the subsequent round. Xavi made the right team choice and substitutions, and almost each participant achieved at a high stage for maximum of the night. A true crew win, and a satisfied night in Europe for a trade.