- Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
- Location: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
- Teams: Napoli vs Barcelona
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Napoli host Barcelona as both sides search for their best form
Both teams have failed to kick on as they would have hoped after winning their domestic leagues last season. For Barcelona progression to the knockout stages of the Champions League is a step forward from last season. However, like their hosts, they were hoping for better this time round. Progression to the last eight would be a major boost for both sides.
Napoli
Napoli, Serie A champions last season, have failed to maintain their winning form this year. They are currently 27 points behind league leaders Inter, showing an inability to string wins together consistently. Despite their inconsistent performances, many beleive that the Neapolitan team can win in the night due to home advantage. The fans hope that the team finds the spark they are missing and can turn their season around starting with a victory at home.
Napoli sacked manager Walter Mazzarri on Monday, after just three months in charge, and replaced him with Slovakia boss Francesco Calzona. It will be interesting to see if this move has any affect on Wednesday’s performance.
Victor Osimhen has returned following a brief break after the AFCON. Pasquale Mazzocchi, Cyril Ngonge and Hamed Traore were all added to Napoli’s UEFA list after the group stage, but Piotr Zielinski, who is set to leave the club on a free transfer this summer – has been left out.
Barcelona
For their part, Barcelona, also domestic champions last season, are going through a difficult time. The Catalan team have found it difficult to close games out convincingly and have struggled to win by more than one goal for much of the campaign. There is a clear need for Xavi Hernandez’s side to take more of their chances. Games have often been tight and, on occasions, this has caused them to drop vital points.
Alejandro Balde, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto and Ferran Torres all miss out through injury. Joao Felix (ankle) is doubtful. January addition Vitor Roque, could make his Champions League debut.
Prediction
Given the current context of both teams, the match is presented as an opportunity for both Napoli and Barcelona to seek a victory that will help them regain confidence. The game is expected to see goals from both sides and probably more than 2.5 goals in total. Fans and bettors could witness an exciting exchange of chances and an interesting tactical battle between two teams desperately looking to return to their best form.
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
The tie as a whole is on a knife edge and Barcelona could easily be the team to go through. But I do not think that they will win the first leg. I think Napoli will get a victory on the night, but it might not be enough to see the Italian team go through over the two legs. Home win, and bettors might want to get better value by looking at BTTS and/or more than 2.5 goals.
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