UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Matches . The Reverse Fixture .Tuesday March 12th , 2024 .
Barcelona Vs Napoli .
Venue – Montjuic. Stadium , Barcelona .

Victor Osimenhen , Napoli faces an uphill task against Barcelona at the Montjuic stadium this night , when they battle a star studded Barca , at least on paper as they ve not been consistent all through season, despite their array of stars , in a make or mar second leg reverse fixture , after a thrilling first leg encounter at the Diego Maradonna Stadium in Naples a fortnight ago. which ended 1-1 with Barca taking the lead in the half hour mark from Robert Lewendosiki , while Nigerian International and African Footballer of the Year , Victor ‘s late minute strike saved what could have been an embarrassing defeat infront of their home fans .

With the scores level, both teams have equal chances of making it to the next round of the Champions League. Barcelona will be a bit worried as they have not been consistent enough throughout the season. They are already playing catch-up in the league and cannot afford a slip-up here.

The good news is that they have been unbeaten in their last seven games and have won three out of their last five. The Spanish giants are heading into this one on the back of a 1-0 win and will be confident about their chances.
Napoli have not been able to reach the heights they did last term. They are currently seventh in the league and are seven points behind the team in fourth. The disappointment of their overall performance could easily go away if they can manage to get to the next round by knocking out Xavi’s men.
While the Partenopei have been unbeaten in their last six games, they have only won two of those. They head into this on the back of a draw and will have to put up a much-improved performance to stand a chance. .

Frenkie de Jong and Pedri have joined fellow midfield Gavi on the sidelines, which means Barcelona will be heading into this one with a makeshift midfield unit. Apart from the trio, Ferran Torres, Alejandro Balde, and Marcos Alonso are also out injured.
While the availability of Raphinha is also a doubt, they do have a boost as Ronald Araujo is back from suspension. Xavi will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will be the full-backs for the home team. In the heart of the defence, Araujo will pair up with Inigo Martinez.
With Pedri, Gavi, and de Jong all out injured, Barcelona could go ahead with Fermin Lopez in the centre of the park alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Andreas Christensen. Lopez and Gundogan will support Christensen, who will line up as a defensive midfielder.
Lamine Yamal will take charge on the right flank, while Joao Felix will take charge on the left. Finally, star man Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the Catalan giants against Napoli.

Barcelona have won five out of the nine matches against Napoli on the European stage.
Napoli have not defeated Barcelona giants in any of their last five meetings. Three of those matches have ended 1-1.
Both teams have scored in their last five matches played between the two.
Barcelona have made it past the Round of 16 on 20 out of the last 21 occasions where they have avoided defeat away from home in the first leg.
Napoli have been eliminated on each of the last 11 occasions where they have failed to win the first leg of a European fixture at home.

In front of the goal, Osimhen has not been as dominant as he was last season. But he still has 13 goals and four assists to his name so far. If Napoli are to go past the Catalan giants, the Nigerian ace will have to step up and deliver.
He found the back of the net in the first leg, and one is unlikely to bet against him scoring in the second as well. While his overall form has not been that great, this match could turn things around for the 25-year-old ace..

Not only have they put together a more consistent run of results – and should really have won the first leg – but Barcelona have done so in the face of adversity, with several squad members missing through injury.
Having claimed countless La Liga points via goals scored after the 70th minute, even if improving Napoli manage to find the net at Montjuic, the Blaugrana can rely on such spirit to see them over the line and into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Irrespective of their recent struggles, Napoli seem to have a perfect opportunity to knock the Spanish giants out of the UEFA Champions League. They do have the needed quality in their squad, and it will all depend on if things click for them in the final third or not.
Predictions for this encounter is a bit tight as well as demanding between the two strong European teams where the Partenopei might have the last laugh, other things being equal and bulldoze the star studded Barca team that have failed to impress lately .

Prediction might look like this tonight .
Napoli 3-2 on aggregate , 2-1 after 90 minutes / Or 1-1 , then penalties to determine who goes to the quarter finals .

Happy Viewing .

@UcheFreetips , (2024, C ).

Login into my website ,

Home 4

.