Barcelona vs Napoli

Camp Nou is the venue as Barcelona and Napoli go head-to-head in the first leg of their mouth-watering UEFA Europa League knock-outs play-off round tie.

After failing to negotiate their way out of the Champions League group stages for the first time in 21 years, Barcelona will feature in their first Europa League knock-outs since the 2003/04 season. Indeed, excluding the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, each of Barca’s last 191 games in European football have been in the Champions League. Only two years ago, the ‘Blaugrana,’ inspired by their former talisman Lionel Messi, overcame Napoli in their Champions League last-16 tie 4-2 on aggregate. Coming into this fixture, Xavi Hernandez’s men have put together a three-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W2, D1), including a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Espanyol at the weekend. Interestingly, Barcelona’s last seven European knock-out encounters at Camp Nou have seen one side net 3+ goals!

In the meantime, Napoli squeezed past Europa League Group C, finishing runners-up to Spartak Moscow, courtesy of a decisive 3-2 win over Leicester City on Matchday 6. Worryingly, though, ‘I Partenopei’ have suffered defeat in each of their last four away knock-out games in major European competitions, including a 3-1 reverse at the hands of Barcelona in 2019/20. However, Luciano Spalletti’s men head into proceedings in high spirits, having halted their three-game winning streak in all competitions with a 1-1 draw with Serie A pacesetters Inter Milan last time out. Moreover, they have won both previous league travels by an identical 2-0 scoreline, boosting their confidence ahead of this trip. Yet, to keep that run of form going, Napoli will have to defy their dismal two-legged tie record against La Liga clubs in European football, losing each of their last six such engagements in a row.