Barcelona - Napoli summary: score, goals & highlights, Champions League

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Champions League 2023-24 quarter-final, semi-final draws: time, format, teams, dates

Here's everything you need to know about the draw for the UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals, which will be live on AS USA.

(4-2)

FULL-TIME!

BARCELONA ARE THROUGH TO THE QUARTER-FINALS OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

SAVE. Lamine Yamal hits a low effort into the hands of Meret.

WIDE! Kvaratskhelia flings a wild shot just wide of the near post after a huge error from Oriol in the back line.

4 added minutes.

"Being a Barça fan is the best there is" sing the fans in the stands. On nights like these, they're not far wrong.

OFF THE BAR! Olivers hits the bar from close range!

A huge challenge from Cubarsí takes the ball from Lindstrøm who threatens on the counter.

DiLorenzo spoons a clearance behind for another Barcelona corner. 

Back underway.

Gundogan slips a pass in to Sergi Roberto inside the box. The Barcelona captain plays it across the six-yard box towards Lewandowski, who taps home to send Montjuïc into party mode!

LEWANDOWSKI

(4-2)

Xavi switches things up:

OFF: Raphinha

ON: João Félix

WIDE!!! Lindstrøm heads a sensational chance inches wide of the far post! He was completely on his own in the six-yard box.

Lewandowski strays offside just as Raphinha picks up the ball on halfway, but he's already played the pass before the Polish forward has curved his run back to a legal position.

WIDE. Lamine Yamal curls a shot wide of the far post after another dangerous attack from Barcelona sees them pile men forward.

SAVE. Meret stops Raphinha's low drive from distance and smothers the spilled ball. It's another lightning-fast counter from theCatalans, who smell blood.

CHANCE. A corner is sailed in from the left and Lewandowksi doesn't see the ball drop to him at the far post; his touch is too heavy and the ball rolls behind.

CHANCE. Raphinha can't reach the ball as it flies towards him from Lamine Yamal on the right. Barcelona are looking like scoring as it stands.

Cubarsí flicks the ball with his heel as it comes towards him in mid-air from a Osimhen pass around the corner, controlling it beautifully. Another delightful display tonight from the young defender.

Barcelona have a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box, just to the left.

Barcelona seem to have found energy from somewhere and are pushing Napoli back.

A bit of a scramble in the box ends with Lamine Yamal tapping home, but he's in an offside position.

The ball is in the net for Barcelona... but it's offside!

SAVE. Raphinha surprises, going for goal from the free-kick. Meret does well to get down and push it behind for a corner.

Olivera goes up against Lamine Yamal for the first time tonight. He brings him down and is booked.

Napoli changes:

OFF: Politano, Mário Rui

ON: Lindstrøm, Olivera

HUGE CHANCE. It's a complete mess up at the back for Barcelona who get it all wrong as Napoli attack.

The cross comes in from the left and both Ter Stegen and Cubarsí go for the ball that lands with Osimhen who is fortunately facing away from goal. Barça scramble back and clear.

Barcelona - Napoli

Passes completed: 255-291

Pass accuracy: 87%-88%

Barça changes:

OFF: Fermín, Christensen

ON: Romeu, Sergi Roberto

We've had an hour of play...

CHANCE. Ter Stegen to the rescue and that time hearts did fly out of throats.

The ball is crossed in from the left by Mário Rui and tapped back towards Ter Stegen, where Osimhen is waiting. Fortunately for the health of the fans, the goalkeeper manages to smother the ball.

CHANCE. There are inches in it as Anguissa's cross flies over the head of Osimhen, who even turned his body thinking about an overhead kick. 

Mário Rui steps in front of Lamine Yamal to take the loose ball away from the danger zone after a tasty cross from Raphinha tempted both the youngster and Lewandowski.

SAVE. Raphinha takes on the shot first time from the centre of the box but the effort is weak and straight at Meret, who is grateful to the Football Gods.

Cancelo makes a frankly stupid challenge on Politano as the Napoli player races down the wing. 

The Italians have a dangerous free-kick on the right side of the pitch.

Napoli are pressing well and Barcelona are not having a fun time at the start of this half.

I've just had a look at the Cubarsí challenge on Osimhen.

There is certainly a slight step of the boot on the forward's foot, and I certainly can say that I've seen that type of contact given.

The defender is a lucky boy.

Nada. It's a corner.

There was certainly contact from Cubarsí on the forward as Osimhen drove into the box.

Osimhen goes down in the box...

Hearts are in mouths and in some cases at the bottom of trouser legs as Politano skips inside and fires towards Ter Stegen.

The shot is blocked and eventually cleared, but not before an audible gasp from the 50,000 fans.

WIDE. Kvaratskhelia finds a yard on the edge of the box and thunders a shot past the far post with Ter Stegen at full stretch.

Kounde and Araujo team up down the right to stop Kvaratskhelia getting in behind.

(3-2)

No changes for either side.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!

Barça get the ball rolling.

A season-defining half of football coming up..

Here come the players!

It's Napoli's Xi who are out first...

That's why there's so much noise

A superb attendance for the game. The fans have really made their voices heard today!

In other news...

Arsenal are leading Porto 1-0 on the night and it's 1-1 on aggregate.

Half-time thoughts:

Barcelona are ahead - just - after a crazy 45 at Montjuïc. 

The home side started off as though they'd eaten lightning, putting Mariana Trench levels of pressure on their Italian opponents, squeezing the hope out of them as the crowd blazed on all four sides of the pitch.

Two goals came in two flashes, with Fermín striking before Cancelo sent dogs barking from miles away, and Barcelona were in the driving seat.

Osimhen was caught offside, offside and offside again down Barça's left but it was Di Lorenzo who got in behind the full-back to send a cross to Rrahmani. A fine shot flew past Ter Stegen and from then, Napoli saw there was something to hold onto.

After the goal, the half was much more of a balanced affair, and it's anybody's guess what's going to happen next.

(3-2)

HALF-TIME!

Well, well, well...

We're well over the time but the referee has blown for a free-kick to barcelona after Lamine Yamal is brought down by Traoré. I'm getting Madrid vs Valencia vibes...

Barcelona win a corner after good work (again) from Raphinha.

Juan Jesus gets the easiest yellow you'll ever see as he trips Gündogan who threatens on the counter.

Gündogan cuts out Anguissa's pass down the line towards Kvaratskhelia who was breaking away like a runaway train.

3 added minutes.

Lamine Yamal is booked for a late challenge on Mário Rui.

A nice ball is sent over the top of the Barça defence but Osimhen is... you guessed it.

CHANCE. Traoré gets the ball on the penalty spot from a low Kvaratskhelia cross put his touch is poor and Araujo swipes away the danger.

We're into the final 5 minutes of normal time in the first half and Barcelona definitely need another goal to calm the nerves, which have just begun to show in the fans.

CHANCE. Lamine Yamal sends a diagonal pass towards the penalty spot from the right corner of the box, which lands at Lewandowksi. The forward is facing away from goal and hits a shot on the spin, which flies just wide of the far post.

Barcelona aren't seeing the ball as much after the goal and Xavi can't keep still on the touchline.

Napoli are looking dangerous against Barcelona's defence over the last few moments, with Kvaratskhelia getting time and space on the ball to create and drive forward.

HUGE SAVE!!! Ter Stegen grows 100 sizes to stop Di Lorenzo's looping header towards the far post!

Meret collects a loose ball inside the box after a nice move from Cancelo down the wing opens Napoli's defence. The cross towards Lewandowski is good, but a defender gets a vital touch.

Well, that has changed things considerably. Napoli are pressing like wolves and Barcelona look a little shellshocked.

(3-2)

A fantastic move pulls Barcelona all over the pitch. The ball is cut back from the by-line on the right and Rrahmani is there to smash the ball into the far corner.

Fermín, meanwhille, is playing as high up as Lewandowski, both on and off the ball.

Barcelona are sliding the ball around with ease. Anguissa has joined Osimhen in the front line of the Napoli press in an attempt to make things a little more difficult at the back for the home side.

I'd go so far as to say that Barcelona are enjoying themselves at the moment. Kounde skips past Kvaratskhelia just as Lamine Yamal goes on a fun run up the wing. Things are as smiley as they have been all season.

Napoli are keeping the ball in an attempt to calm down their opponents and the fans, who are whistling like canaries.

Osimhen is caught offside. Again.

Lobotka is back up. Christensen, who had his studs up in the challenge, is a lucky man.

Lobotka is down after a nasty challenge from Christensen.

SAVE! Osimhen sees his low shot saved by Ter Stegen!

Back underway. The noise. Oh, the noise.

Barcelona race up the pitch as Napoli are caught out at the back.

Lamine Yamal slides a diagonal ball towards Raphinha on the left. The ex-Leeds winger cuts inside before smashing a low shot off the far post.

The ball lands with Cancelo, who crashes the rebound home!

(3-1)

JOÃO CANCELO

We're back underway.

The ball is played down the left to Raphinha, who cuts it back towards Lewandowski.

The Polish forward steps over the ball, leaving it for Fermín, who sinks a low drive in at the near post.

FERMÍN LÓPEZ

(2-1)

CHANCE. Napoli get down the right with Mário Rui who plays a dangerous cross into the box that Osimhen can't quite control. Barça eventually clear the ball away.

OVER THE BAR. Cubarsí sends a long ball over the top of Napoli's defensive line and it lands on Fermín's big toe. The midfielder takes a touch and tries to chip a shot over Meret, but the ball lands on the top of the goal.

Lamine Yamal gets a smack in his Lamine Yamals and Mário Rui is very lucky not to give away a free-kick close to his own goal. It's the two youngsters in blaugrana shirts who are standing out in the early stages. 

Fermín goes for goal from distance but his shot is dragged well wide of the goal

Cubarsí does superbly well tostep out of the defensive line and into Osimhen's path, cutting off the Nigerian forward and stopping the attack.

Napoli are having their first tentative feel of the ball, like a wrapped Christmas present under the tree.

There's a very well placed microphone somewhere near Xavi and the fourth official.

Let's say that if I repeat what the Barça manager just said, then my manager will have something to say to me. This is a family friendly live feed. 

This atmosphere is stunning.

The fans are screaming at every loose ball and their voices are making sure not a single player in blue and red is allowed to be seen walking or jogging. All sprinting.

SAVE! Osimhen is sent the ball behind the Barça back line with a lovely flick from Politano. He drives towards Ter Stegen but the flag goes up once his shot is saved.

Napoli are sitting in a 4-5-1 with Osimhen up top on his own.

Politano gets back to intercept Lamine Yamal's cross-field pass aimed towards Raphinha, who was all alone on the left.

CHANCE. Barcelona come flying forward and Raphinha sends the crowd wild with a rabona cross that's cleared. The ball lands with Lamine Yamal on the edge of the box and smashes a curled effort over the bar.

Woof. Osimhen gets on the end of a long ball after 7 seconds and Pau Cubarsí does well to beat him to it.

AND WE'RE OFF!

TheItalians get the ball rolling from right to left in a fantastically loud stadium

Kit update:

Barcelona, as expected, are in their classic stripes; Napoli are in all white tonight, à la Madrid. 

The Chaaaaaaampioooons!

The UEFA flappy ball is being flapped in the centre circle as the Barcelona fans roundly boo the Champions League anthem.

What a noise!

OK, that is the loudest I've heard Montjuïc this season, without a doubt.

Tick, tock, tick, tock

Both teams are lined up in the tunnel as the Barcelona himno rings around the ground...

We've got plenty of UCL action...

Paul has got you covered with Arsenal - Porto, which kicks off at the same time as the game in Barcelona.

I'll give you HT and FT updates on that game.

How are you feeling, Barça fans?

All of the above?

The players are in the tunnel!

The first players are making their way out of the dressing rooms and into the tunnel.

It's tight at the top!

With just minutes to go until kick-off, you have been voting for your winner and let me tell you: it's incredibly tight!

FIFTEEN MINUTES TO GO!

Both teams have made their way down the tunnel ahead of kick-off!

Deco pre-game:

Football is for fun, we want people to come and enjoy themselves.

Since the youth team, Cubarsí has shown the class that he has. But he's a humble guy, which is as important as having a strong personality.

Football has no age, Lamine and Cubarsí could be in the team at any point, they have the quality. You have to earn your chance to play. The young players have to enjoy themselves and play football. The responsibility is there for everyone, not just the older players.

It's normal to have meetings (about next season), it's part of my job. But we're focussed on the here and now.

We never wanted Xavi to go, I don't think it's the moment to be talking about this all the time, every game. He made a decision and that's it. The most important thing is today's game.

The kids are... amazing!

While they're not coming into the team in the most positive moment in the club's history, both Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal are showing that they have what it takes to step up and be counted in the most important moments.

Barcelona stats breakdown:

Here's a look at all the numbers behind Barcelona's season so far. 

Interestingly, Kounde has won the most aerial duels while Lamine Yamal - less surprisingly - has completed the most dribbles. 

Here's a reminder of the starting XIs:

BARCELONA:

GK: Ter Stegen

DEF: Kounde - Araujo - Cubarsí - Cancelo

MID: Christensen - Gündogan - Fermín

ATT: Raphinha - Lewandowski - Lamine Yamal

NAPOLI:

GK: Meret

DEF: Mário Rui - Rrahmani - Juan Jesus - Di Lorenzo

MID: Lobotka - Anguissa - Traoré

ATT: Kvaratskhelia - Osimhen - Politano

HALF AN HOUR TO GO!

What a noise from the fans as the Barcelona players make their way out onto the pitch for the pre-game warmup!

And now you can have your say!

As smooth as a veteran radio DJ...

Get involved and have your say on what you think is going to happen. Vote in the live poll and get in touch below the line.

Bruno has his say!

If you haven't seen the Barcelona club video of Bruno meeting Xavi, it's well worth seeking out. He's Xavi's special invite for the game today and has already given his prediction!

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Why are Barcelona worried about Napoli fans taking over Montjuïc for the Champions League game?

14 April 2022 wasn’t the best day in Barcelona’s history.

LaBlaugrana were eliminated from the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt, who won 3-2 in Catalonia in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

But perhaps even worse was that almost 40,000 fans of the German club were in attendance and took over Camp Nou, with Barça doing nothing to monitor who was buying tickets in different parts of the stadium.

Now, club bosses are concerned it could happen again..

Xavi pre-game:

We knew the fans were going to be great and they will be (during the game), it's our turn to give them something. Let's see if we get through after 4 seasons.

It's a very even tie. They want to ball and they want to press, they're very physical as well. We want to be more efficient than in the first game. 

Both (Raphinha and Fermín) can give us different things. Raphinha can play in between the lines and shoot from distance, Fermín can give us the calmness, the control.

Cubarsí is incredible, he's earned his place in the team with his qualities - that's why he's here.

I'm not nervous now, I'm not normally nervous before a game. During the game I'm tense!

Today's substitutes:

BARCELONA: Peña, Fort, Sergi Roberto, Martínez, Casadó, Romeu, Unai, Guiu, João Félix, Vitor Roque

NAPOLI: Contini, Gollini, Olivera, Natan, Østigard, Mazzocchi, Cajuste, Raspadori, Lindstrøm, Ngonge, Simeone

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Champions League 2023-24 quarter-final, semi-final draws: time, format, teams, dates

The ‘Road to Wembley’ and the final of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League is getting closer as we approach the quarter final stage.

Here's everything you need to know about the quarter-final draw, which will also give us the pathway for the teams should they make it further in the tournament.

NAPOLI XI REVEALED:

GK: Meret

DEF: Di Lorenzo - Rrahmani - Juan Jesus - Mário Rui

MID: Anguissa - Lobotka - Traoré

ATT: Politano - Osimhen - Kvaratskhelia

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

What is the away goal rule in the Champions League round of 16: What happens if there’s a tie?

The away goals rule in the Champions League was scrapped a few years back: here’s why...

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin pointed out how the away goals tiebreaker ran “counter to its original purpose”, adding that it discouraged teams from playing attacking football.

“It dissuades home teams — especially in first legs — from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage,” Ceferin said.

Raphinha makes the XI!

The former Leeds winger makes Xavi's starting XI over João Félix, which is certainly an interesting call from the manager. 

It's been the Portuguese who has stood up in the biggest game of the season so far (apart from El Clásico), when he scored against Porto in the group stages of the Champions League.

BARCELONA XI REVEALED:

GK: Ter Stegen

DEF: Kounde - Araujo - Cubarsí - Cancelo

MID: Christensen - Gundogan - Fermín

ATT: Raphinha - Lewandowski - Lamine Yamal

Yellow card warning!

Here are the players who would be suspended for the semi-final should they receive a yellow card today.

BARCELONA

· João Félix

· Ronald Araújo

· Ferran Torres (not in squad)

NAPOLI

None

Barça arrive at Montjuïc

Xavi looks calm as he and the players make their way into the dressing room.

Could Xavi be sacked?

The current Barcelona boss has already announced that he will be leaving the club a the end of the season, stating that his work will not be "valued" no matter what he achieves.

It seems like Xavi - the man who for many epitomises everything about Barcelona and follows on from figures such as Cruyff and Guardiola - genuinely hasn't enjoyed his time as head coach.

However, even in spite of his best attempts to convince us otherwise, the reaction from his players since his announcement has not been great. OK, they're unbeaten, but watch the performances instead of fixating on the results and things just don't look great. 

The whole situation has led to some people even believing that the former midfielder could be relieved of his duties should the Catalans not make it through to the final 8 tonight against Napoli.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Napoli - Barcelona summary: score, goals & highlights, Champions League

Contrary to the vast majority of their other performances this season, against Napoli, Barcelona actually looked like a cohesive unit all across the pitch. 

They pressed well and controlled the ball, as well as most of the game, with Lewandowski finding his scoring boots and putting away a typically brilliant finish in the game. 

The home side did come into the tie as the clock ticked on and eventually equalised after some poor Iñigo Martínez defending but other than that the Catalans can take a lot of heart and confidence from the Italian leg of the tie.

The fans are up for the game today!

Here's some more footage of the welcome the blaugrana fans gave the team bus as it pulled into the stadium car park. If that doesn't get the players up for the game, nothing will!

Madness on the outside, calm on the inside

The calm before the storm! The fans are making an insane noise outside and the flares, smoke and fireworks are all flying! 

Meanwhile, on the inside, the pitch is waiting patiently in silence for the players to step out.

Want to watch the game?

Here's how you can watch the action as it unfolds today. Get the game on your TV or on your streaming device of choice.

Wouldn't you hate to be the Napoli social media manager...

Imagine that, a day wandering around sunny Barcelona taking photos for the socials. Horrible.

I'm joking of course. It sounds delightful.

Who's the ref?

Danny Desmond Makkelie is the fantastically named referee for the tie tonight. 

The Dutch official is a regular in the Eredivisie and has also overseen a number of games across the world including World Cup qualifiers, Nations League games and the Stoiximan Super League in Greece.

Barcelona's stadium this season

The view inside the Camp Nou is not a pleasant one as the building work is underway and that’s why the side have moved their bag of footballs and cones up the hill to Montjuïc, where they will play this season. 

It’s not ideal as the stands are flatter than a Dutch hillside and the the atmosphere can be as delicate as a beetle’s wing but it’s all they’ve got in this season full of challenges.

The pressure is ramping up

The fans are certainly playing their part ahead of the game - look at the welcome as the Barça team bus arrives at the stadium!

Napoli finding their feet

Don’t be fooled by the 15 (it’s not 15) managerial changes that Napoli have seen over the past year or so, as their recent run under Calzona has been impressive. 

He had just one day to prepare for the game against Barcelona and the side came away with a draw.

Since then they’ve gone unbeaten and although they don’t look anything like the all-conquering force of nature we saw last season, they’re certainly no pushovers.

Napoli team news:

It’s just Jens Cajuste and forward Cyril Ngonge who are the only absentees for the Italians as Francesco Calzona has a near-fully fit squad to choose from.

The biggest game of the season...

As the title says, this might well be the biggest game of the season for Barcelona. 

They’re out of the Copa del Rey and the LaLiga title race has only one horse remaining, meaning that continental glory - however unlikely that is - is the only thing left to fight for.

The biggest moment of the season until this point has been Xavi Hernández announcing his departure at the end of the season, however a loss today might see that schedule pushed forward a little… 

Barcelona team news:

Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are all out while Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso and Ferran Torres are all carrying knocks.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the AS USAlive coverage of Barcelona vs Napoli in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg. 

It’s Joe on duty tonight to guide you through the action as it happens in Cataluña.

Kick-off is coming up in around 90 minutes.