Barcelona are by way of to the Champions League quarter-finals after a 3-1 victory over Napoli on Tuesday evening.
A 1-1 attract Naples was a constructive consequence for Barcelona heading into the second-leg of their Champions League tie with the defending Italian champions.
Given their patchy latest type domestically, Xavi Hernandez hoped for a quick begin to put the hosts ready of management within the tie, and that’s precisely what he acquired.
The Blaugrana had been 2-0 up inside 17 minutes of play, with Raphinha offering the help for each strikes.
The primary of those two targets got here by way of Fermin Lopez, who has been in sensible type, because the Brazilian performed a cross to him contained in the penalty space and he cooly positioned the ball into the underside nook.
Raphinha may have then turned goalscorer with a shot from contained in the penalty space which struck the surface of the proper publish. From the resultant throw-in, Raphinha acquired the final contact in a little bit of scrappy transfer with the ball bobbling to Joao Cancelo, and he transformed his shot into the center of the objective.
Napoli had been dealing with the unenviable activity of needing to attain two targets away from dwelling, however the first got here on the half-hour mark within the first-half.
It was a crew objective that reminded you simply why this crew had been in a position to be so profitable below Luciano Spalletti final season.
Amir Rrahmani was ultimately let out contained in the field courtesy of Matteo Politano, and Rrahmani’s shot was expertly transformed into the again of the online.
Napoli will probably be annoyed with missed possibilities
To say Barcelona’s defensive resolve was assured could be an exaggeration as Napoli regarded to search out an equalizer within the tie.
From the beginning of the second-half it was the Italian champions who had been making all the possibilities and controlling the match.
First it was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who steadied himself contained in the penalty space earlier than taking pictures vast, then it was Victor Osimhen who broke free and gave the impression to be introduced down inside the world, however the referee waved away appeals.
EFE
Raphinha then pressured a save out of Alex Meret, who brilliantly parried the ball away from hazard, reminding Napoli of Barcelona’s effectiveness on the break.
Lamine Yamal thought he scored a decisive objective, but it surely was chalked off for offside.
This tie-killing objective did ultimately come by way of Robert Lewandowski as Napoli threw gamers ahead seeking an equalizer.
Sergi Roberto performed a cross in direction of the Polish ahead, who had a straightforward activity of tapping the ball into an empty internet, securing Barcelona’s place within the quarter-final.
