Barcelona vs Napoli score, result, highlights, analysis as Xavi's team keeps UEFA Champions League dream alive

Is Barcelona back? That's a difficult question. But they are, at least, back in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League — and in some style.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie with Napoli, they hosted the reigning Serie A champions at a packed-out but nervy Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company’s. This, after all, is the Catalans' last realistic chance of silverware before Xavi steps down as head coach, with Real Madrid comfortably in control of the La Liga title race and Barca's Copa del Rey challenge ending back in January. Defeat here would have been tough to stomach: for Xavi, his players, a fanbase wracked with uncertainty about the future, and club accounts that remain a missed payment away from ruin.

Xavi has often demanded his players show more intensity this season, and he will have been enthused by the way they started. They pressed and covered passing lanes superbly and, with the ball, attacked with speed. The outstanding Fermin Lopez was the beneficiary when Raphinha and Joao Cancelo combined down the left, and Robert Lewandowski leapt over the ball, allowing the midfielder to finish.

Two minutes later, Raphinha again cut in from the left, this time unleashing a shot with his weaker right foot that cannoned back off the post and fell kindly to Cancelo. Fortunate, yes, but no more than they deserved.

Of course, this wouldn't be Barcelona 2023/24 without some attempt at surrendering control of a game. They had the first leg in their pocket only to gift Victor Osimhen a goal after squandering chances for 2-0, and they duly let Napoli back into the contest here before halftime, Cancelo switching off and allowing Matteo Politano to set up centre-back Amir Rrahmani for a surprisingly accomplished finish.

The second half became nervy, Barca surrendering possession too easily in a makeshift midfield anchored by Andreas Christensen. His place at centre-back was filled by Pau Cubarsi, a centre-back making his Champions League knockout debut against one of Europe's most feared strikers. Alongside Ronald Araujo, the 17-year-old was magnificent.

Xavi then introduced Sergi Roberto to regain control, and it paid off: the Spain international linked with Ilkay Gundogan and set up Robert Lewandowski for a tap-in, just minutes after Napoli substitute Jesper Lindstrom had missed a sitter. Yet this wasn't a smash-and-grab; this was fully deserved. This was Barcelona proving that maybe, just maybe, they can mix it with the continents best once again.

Barcelona vs Napoli analysis

Pau Cubarsi: The Maldini of La Masia

If you thought starting a 17-year-old centre-back against Victor Osimhen in a Champions League knockout match was an error... well, you'd normally be on to something. But Pau Cubarsi is a long, long way from a normal young defender.

Xavi had spoken highly of the academy graduate, who was born a month before his coach played in a Champions League last-16 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in 2007, but it's hard to imagine anyone predicted a performance of this calibre against an attacking force like Napoli's. To describe it as towering would be like calling La Sagrada Familia quite a pretty church.

 

Osimhen, quite simply, barely had a kick. Actually, he had one: a subtle clip of the heel by Cubarsi in the penalty area that, potentially, could have faced a longer VAR review. Otherwise, it seemed like he was second to every ball against the teenager, who dovetailed with Araujo, covered the vacant green turf between him and the maverick Cancelo, and played press-beating passes like he's been doing it since birth. In the closing stages, when Lindstrom led a break from a Barca corner, Cubarsi seemed to materialise from nowhere to take back the ball with barely a break in stride.

Highlights:

From captivating goals to cunning interceptions, there were many brilliant moments throughout the game. Similar to how every highlight encapsulated the spirit of the competition, My Amazon Bee excels at emphasizing the distinctive features of their clients' goods to guarantee top visibility and interaction on the Amazon marketplace.

Conclusion:

As Barcelona celebrates their victory and advances in the UEFA Champions League, My Amazon Bee continues to empower businesses to achieve their goals in the dynamic world of e-commerce. Just as Xavi's team kept their Champions League dream alive, My Amazon Bee remains committed to realizing their clients' aspirations for success on Amazon.