Barcelona 3-1 Napoli Player Ratings as Lionel Messi magic spearheads Catalans to the quarterfinals | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
A Lionel Messi masterclass handed Barcelona a crucial 3-1 victory against an impressive Napoli side at the Camp Nou earlier today. Napoli dominated large periods of the game but Barcelona's cutting edge in the first half sent Gennaro Gattuso's side out of the Champions League.
Barcelona will now face an immensely formidable Bayern Munich outfit in the quarterfinals and will have to put in a much better performance to stand a chance against the mighty Bavarians. Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong stood out for Barcelona today and will have to build on this performance if Barcelona has to win the Champions League.
Barcelona's stars hold their own in an impressive Napoli performance
Napoli surprisingly enjoyed plenty of possession at the Camp Nou and Dries Mertens could have scored as early as the second minute but scuffed his volley from close range. Barcelona opened the scoring against the run of play with an excellent header and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso was furious after a VAR review allowed the goal to stand despite the French defender's perceived foul.
Lionel Messi's indomitable magic stunned the away side minutes after the opening goal as the Argentine genius dribbled past a host of Napoli's defenders to score a magical goal. The Barcelona captain's second goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review revealed the slightest of handballs in the build-up.
Barcelona won a penalty towards the end of the first-half after Lionel Messi was fouled by Kalidou Koulibaly. With the Barcelona captain nursing his left ankle, Luis Suarez stepped up to give the Catalans a 3-0 lead. Napoli won a penalty almost immediately at the other end and Lorenzo Insigne scored his side's away goal to hand Napoli a much-needed lifeline.
Napoli dominated the first 15 minutes of the second half and ruffled a few Barcelona feathers with its fluid passing. The Catalans did well to weather the storm and eventually started to take control of the ball. Frenkie de Jong started to dictate the play in Barcelona's midfield as Napoli's players started to grow weary.
Gennaro Gattuso's excellent substitutions handed his side the impetus yet again and Napoli bombarded Barcelona's penalty area in the final 15 minutes. Lorenzo Insigne and Arek Milik came within inches of scoring for the away side but Barcelona showed plenty of grit and determination to see out an important 3-1 victory.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6.5/10
While Napoli enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the game, Barcelona's German shot-stopper did not have much to do and was a spectator for most of the game. Ter Stegen could not do much for the penalty and will need to maintain his lofty standards against Bayern Munich.
Gerard Pique - 7.5/10
Gerard Pique was Barcelona's best defender on the night and repelled a series of assaults from Napoli in the second half. The Catalan veteran was troubled by Dries Mertens on a few occasions but held his own against the Italian side's lethal attack.
Clement Lenglet - 7.5/10
Clement Lenglet scored the crucial opening goal for Barcelona in the first half and put in a solid performance alongside the impressive Gerard Pique. The French defender did have a few nervy moments in the second half but was largely reliable on the ball.
Jordi Alba - 6/10
Jordi Alba did not have the best of performances today and was often caught out of position by Napoli's pointed counter-attacks. The Barcelona left-back did have a few good moments in the first half but his crosses often failed to find the desired target.
Nelson Semedo - 6.5/10
Barcelona's Portuguese right-back was troubled by the impressive Lorenzo Insigne on a number of occasions but used his pace well to stay out of trouble. Semedo also found himself in good positions in the final third but will have to work on his final product.
Frenkie de Jong - 7.5/10
Frenkie de Jong was engaged in an intriguing battle with Fabian Ruiz and Piotr Zielinski and held his own against Napoli's skilled technicians. The Dutch midfielder had an excellent second half and was one of Barcelona's best players on the pitch.
Ivan Rakitic - 5.5/10
Ivan Rakitic did manage to keep the ball well in Barcelona's midfield but was not comfortable against Napoli's dynamic playing style. The Croatian midfielder gave away a needless penalty at the end of the first half and is likely to be replaced by Sergio Busquets against Bayern Munich.
Sergi Roberto - 6/10
Apart from a few characteristics forward forays with the ball, Barcelona's utility man Sergi Roberto was unable to impact the match. The Catalan midfielder will have to do a lot better against a brilliant Bayern Munich outfit.
Antoine Griezmann - 6/10
Antoine Griezmann showed glimpses of brilliance on the ball but was unable to make much of an impact in the final third for Barcelona. While the French striker's work-rate was impressive, he will need to get himself on the scoresheet more often for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi - 9/10
With Lionel Messi in this kind of form, Napoli never stood a chance. The Barcelona captain eviscerated Mario Rui and Kalidou Koulibaly to score his goal and was denied his second goal after a controversial VAR decision. The Argentine genius also won Barcelona a penalty in the first half and was arguably the only difference between the two sides.
Luis Suarez - 6.5/10
Luis Suarez looked fresh today and played a few good balls to his fellow Barcelona forwards in the second half. The Barcelona striker took his penalty with aplomb to give Barcelona a buffer going into the second half.
Substitutes
Monchu - NA
Barcelona B captain Monchu was introduced late in the second half and did not have enough time to make an impact.
Ansu Fati - NA
Ansu Fati was brought on for Luis Suarez in stoppage-time as Barcelona looked to see out the game.
Also Read: Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea (7-1 aggregate): 5 Talking Points as Bavarians cruise past Frank Lampard's Blues to book quarterfinal spot | UCL 2019-20