Barça’s return to a Champions League tie after three years of absence was not traumatic. He was at the height of the club, it did not cause embarrassment. The Blaugrana were a dominant team, dwarfing Naples in many phases of the game and deserved to leave the Maradona stadium with a victory. A defensive mistake by Íñigo Martínez, the only one in the match, prevented the visitors from winning and changed a result that should have been different. The chronicles should not be corrected too much by the goal against, no matter how much bad taste it left in the mouth. It was not a great work by Xavi’s group but it was worthy and decent, which is notable because playing in a round of 16 away from home is never easy. This Naples is no wonder but Barça, for those who have not yet realized it, neither is. Lewandowski scored after several clear options from his team to take the lead and Osimhen tied in the only real one for the Italian team. The last one was Gündogan. If we had put her inside, we would have been talking about something else.
These games are very serious, something that is already transmitted through the lineups. Only one teenager got into Barça’s team, the titular Lamine Yamal. Cubarsí’s place went to Íñigo Martínez and the rest of the eleven was as expected, with Christensen as a midfielder in training and Gündogan, fresh on his legs after resting in Vigo, acting more as a playmaker than as a midfielder. The Blaugrana’s start was good, with long and sharp possessions (Cancelo left; Lamine, right) and an activation in the pressure that described and anticipated a responsible and very involved team.
The first chance was for Lamine Yamal, electric in his appearances and already intimidating in Naples despite his age. The youth player executed a diagonal from right to left, now common and that reminds us of who he reminds us of (he even wore his own Adidas boots), but his shot at mid-height was rejected by Meret. He had a good look for Barça. At Naples, meanwhile, there was no script, they were more aware of the rival than themselves, with little confidence and without the motivational effect of the change of coach (Francesco Calzona was making his debut) too visible.
The hopeful assessments with the current Barça are always reckless but the following minutes increased the size of Xavi’s team, which did not score a goal because Meret was a titan between the sticks. Cancelo, with his knee unbandaged and untied, went deep to the baseline and passed the ball academically to the nine, of course Lewandowski, whose low shot met the foot of the Italian goalkeeper. If he barely breathed, Gündogan tested him from above with a very powerful distant shot that Meret also cleared with both hands, showing off his extensive display. Barça lacked a forcefulness that he would regret later.
Napoli hardly caused any concern and Barça’s defense seemed real, with all its elements working compactly. Even Koundé looked fine. The last ten minutes before the break were spent by Barça on the defensive, giving the ball away but taking few risks despite conceding a couple of corner kicks. It was time to see after the break if the sensations of superiority were temporary, the result of another irregular work, or if we were facing a finally lasting and solid performance.
It came out expensive, at least at the start of the restart. Barça did not get lost. It all started as in the first half, with Lamine Yamal getting to his marker and leaving a perfect ball for Gündogan’s shot, who shot lazily. Barça’s purpose was to continue threatening and they did. The difference was that Lewandowski this time did not fail. Pedri prowled the edge of the area like a hawk looking to dive and located the Pole’s movement in perfect timing. He faked the nine and placed it close to the post, because Meret could only beat by heeling the ball too much.
The displaced Barça fans made themselves heard, admiring a Barça of which they could be proud. Pedri, his game was good, came loose with a very focused left foot shot from a distance that Meret deflected into a corner. He introduced Calzona changes to try to change the dynamic. Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen, excellent footballers last season with champion Napoli, were somewhere between uninspired and neutralized by a concentrated opposing defense. Until Iñigo Martínez, when everything seemed under control, miscalculated his anticipation, fell to the ground, and left Osimhen alone in front of Ter Stegen, beating him. The ball had been received by the Nigerian from Anguissa. The Barça players protested a possible foul but there was none.
Barça ran the risk of letting the game slip away and throwing away all the work they had done, attacked by one of their own birds. But it didn’t happen. The Maradona stadium roared, revived by the goal, but Barça resisted as best they could. Xavi introduced many changes to pause the feature. Raphinha came in for a declining Lamine, as well as João Félix for Pedri and Oriol Romeu for Christensen. Minutes passed without much news. The 1-1 tie was bad because of everything that was displayed (even Gündogan had the goal in the last play of the game with a shot that grazed the post), but it is not that bad. Montjuïc will pass sentence.
1 – Naples: Meret; Di Lawrence, Rrahmani, John Jesus, Olivera; Cajuste (Hamd Traore, m.68), Lobotka, Anxiety; Politano (Raspadori, m.77), Kvaratskhelia (Lindstrom, m.68) and Osimhen (Simeone, m.77).
1 – Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Araújo, Cancelo; De Jong, Gundogan, Christensen (Oriol Romeu, m.86); Pedri (Joao Felix, 86), Lamine Yamal (Rapinha, 80) and Lewandowski.
Goals: 0-1, m.60: Lewandoski; 1-1, m.75: Prince.
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany). He cautioned De Jong (m.16) and Chirstesen (m.78) for Barcelona.
Incidents: first leg match of the round of 16 of the Champions League played at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples.
