UCL: Napoli vs Barcelona: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Published at :February 19, 2024 at 12:15 PM

Modified at :February 19, 2024 at 12:15 PM

Napoli have never won a major European match against the Blaugrana

Napoli dominated Serie A last season, winning the title with a 16-point lead. Despite initial dreams of success, managerial changes and challenges under Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri have left them ninth in Serie A, 27 points off the top. While Mazzarri secured Champions League last-16 qualification, a formidable performance in the tournament is essential for Napoli to rejuvenate their season.

Barcelona, last season’s Spanish champions, face a challenging season as they currently sit in third place, trailing Real Madrid by 12 points. Their defeats in the Spanish Supercopa and Copa del Rey, coupled with Xavi’s announced departure, have been setbacks. Barcelona is hoping for a turnaround in the Champions League after winning four out of six group stage games but experiencing losses to Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp.

Kick-Off

Thursday, 22 February 2023 at 9:00 PM BST (1:30 AM IST)

Location: Diego Armando Maradona Stadium

Form

Napoli (all competitions): L-D-W-L-D

Barcelona (all competitions): L-W-W-D-W

Players to watch out

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Napoli’s standout player, Victor Osimhen, is a striker that instils fear in every opponent. While not as prolific this season, the 25-year-old possesses all the qualities of a modern striker – speed, height, strength, lethal finishing, and a relentless work ethic. Despite missing the previous quarter-final, Osimhen is determined to make an impact in the competition, making him a formidable threat for Barcelona’s defenders.

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

Lewandowski netted two goals in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory against Celta Vigo in their last match of the La Liga 2023-24 season. He has achieved the milestone of 50 goals for Barcelona in 79 matches across all competitions. In his first season, he netted 33 goals, and in the current 2023-24 campaign, he has added 17 more. Among Barcelona’s strikers this century, only Samuel Eto’o and Luis Suarez reached the 50-goal mark quicker, accomplishing it in 68 games each.

Match facts:

Napoli have never won a major European match against Barcelona.
Barcelona are winless in their last three UEFA Champions League games against Italian opponents.
Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri is unbeaten in his five UEFA Champions League home games.

Injury & team news for Napoli vs Barcelona

Napoli is expected to have a fully available squad for the upcoming game, as Victor Osimhen is back in contention after participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Barcelona’s top scorer in the Champions League, Joao Felix, has netted three goals, achieving this feat in fewer minutes than Ferran Torres. Unfortunately, the Portuguese forward will be absent from the Naples trip due to an ankle injury. Additionally, Torres, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, and Alejandro Balde are also sidelined for Barcelona.

Head to Head

Total matches – 8

Napoli wins – 1

Barcelona wins – 5

Draws – 2

Predicted Lineup

Napoli predicted lineup

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Ostigard, Mazzocchi; Anguissa, Lobotka, Traore; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia

Barcelona predicted lineup

Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; Pedri, Christensen, de Jong; Roque, Lewandowski, Yamal

Match prediction for Napoli vs Barcelona

Two evenly-matched teams with inconsistent domestic form will face each other, with Barcelona holding a slightly better position. Both teams are unlikely to concede much ground in the first leg, making the match potentially cautious. Considering Barcelona’s struggle in away fixtures during the Champions League knockout stages and Napoli’s historical inability to win a major European match against Barcelona, will make this match more interesting.

Prediction: Napoli 1-1 Barcelona

Telecast

India – Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network

UK – TNT Sports

US – CBS Sports

Nigeria – Supersport

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