Barcelona is just 90 minutes away from their first Champions League quarterfinal since 2019/20. The Spanish giants drew 1-1 in the first leg of their last-16 tie against Napoli and, with 13 wins in their last 16 home knockout games in the competition (D2, L1), they will be confident of getting the job done here.
They come into this match in good form, having gone eight games unbeaten in all competitions (W5, D3), which has helped them close the gap on Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Their most recent result was a 1-0 win over Mallorca on Friday night, which eased the pressure on under-fire manager Xavi, who is personally targeting a successful end to the season with a new trophy.
The Italian visitors will be determined to stop them. They reached the Champions League quarterfinal for the first time in their history last season and will be looking to do so again this time around. A trip to Spain is perhaps not ideal for their chances of making it back-to-back quarterfinals, as Napoli have lost five of their last six games on Spanish soil in Europe (W1).
The Italian champions are currently on their longest unbeaten run of the season, a six-game streak in all competitions (W2, D4). They have managed to avoid defeat after going behind in three of those games. In the most recent of those matches, Francesco Calzona’s side recorded the second-biggest away win in their history, thrashing Sassuolo 6-1 in Serie A.
Players to watch: Barcelona’s João Félix has scored the first or last goal in seven of the eight games in which he has scored in the Champions League. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be looking to outshine him. Napoli had won all 20 games in which he had scored before their 1-1 draw with Torino on Friday.
Current streak: Both teams have scored in six of Napoli’s last six games. That includes four 1-1 draws!
Prediction: Barcelona 2-1 Napoli
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