5 reasons why Barcelona will defeat Napoli tonight | UEFA Champions League 2019-2020
Barcelona turns its focus to the Champions League as it hosts Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli outfit at the Camp Nou tonight. The Catalan giants have the away-goal advantage going into this fixture and will want to exorcise their Champions League nightmares against Napoli.
The first leg in Italy ended in a 1-1 stalemate after a crucial goal from Antoine Griezmann levelled the scores for Barcelona. The Blaugrana will have the French striker back for this fixture and has to be its best to defeat a well-drilled Napoli side.
Barcelona faces a must-win Champions League clash against Napoli
Barcelona has endured a miserable season so far and has had to deal with a number of controversies both on and off the pitch. The Catalans desperately need a shot in the arm and tonight's game presents the perfect opportunity.
Barcelona needs a trophy more than it ever has at the moment and will have to present a united front in the Champions League. The absence of a second leg in this edition of the competition may well be a blessing in disguise for a Barcelona side that has often bottled significant leads in the Champions League in the past.
While Napoli is an excellent side in its own right and can be lethal in the final third, Barcelona's impressive squad depth and experience in the competition may tip the scales in the Catalans' favour.
Barcelona should be able to get past Napoli tonight and will be thoroughly disappointed if it fails one of the biggest tests of its season. Here, we look at five reasons why Barcelona has the upper hand against Napoli in this fixture.
#5 The time factor
Both Barcelona and Napoli have had gruelling and hectic schedules since the restart of European football and have played an astonishing number of games. The Catalans have finally found some rest after the conclusion of a disappointing La Liga season and will approach this game with a fresh mindset.
Barcelona played its last game on the 19th of July and have enjoyed two more weeks of rest than Napoli. The Italians played their last Serie A fixture only a week ago but the fact that they thrashed an impressive Lazio side by a 3-1 margin will be a source of worry for Barcelona.
The Blaugrana has spent the last two weeks preparing for this fixture and the team's press conferences have reflected positive and energetic vibes from the squad for arguably the first time this season. Barcelona has a massive few weeks coming up and has had plenty of time to prepare for what will arguably be a crucial Champions League campaign.
#4 La Masia
Napoli will have specific plans in place for most of Barcelona's superstars and may well be able to stifle the Catalans' attacking prowess as they did in the first leg earlier this year. Barcelona, however, has improved certain aspects of its squad since February and Quique Setien does have some aces up his sleeve going into this game.
Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati have been the brightest spots in an otherwise miserable season for Barcelona and have all but guaranteed their long-term tenures at the club with some breakthrough performances. Napoli got a taste of Ansu Fati in the first leg but has not seen enough of Riqui Puig and Barcelona could spring several surprises tonight.
In the young La Masia prospects, Quique Setien has two potent wild cards in his squad and can use them to create an impact at the Camp Nou. Barcelona has always depended on La Masia to guarantee its long-term success and Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati could personify Barcelona's driving force on the pitch today.
Also Read: Top 5 Barcelona performances in the Champions League