Barcelona vs Napoli: 5 key battles that will determine the outcome of the decisive second-leg tie | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Barcelona will host Napoli to the Camp Nou in the decisive second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, 166 days after the first leg at the San Paolo Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw.
Antoine Griezmann scored the crucial away goal for The Catalans, while it was Dries Mertens who scored for I Partenopei. It was an evenly contested match in which a well-drilled Napoli made the visitors fight hard to earn a draw.
A loss in the fixture will condemn Barcelona to its first trophy-less season since 2007-08.
Camp Nou has been a fortress for Barcelona in the Champions League as they have gone 35 games unbeaten at the iconic venue. It will be Napoli's first appearance at the stadium in official competitions.
On Saturday night, Gennaro Gattuso's men will have to be at their attacking best if they desire a positive outcome from the fixture, as all Barcelona need is a goalless draw to see themselves through to the last eight.
So with the stage all set for this showdown between the two sides, here, we take a look at five key battles that could decide the outcome of the game.
#5 Luis Suarez vs Kalidou Koulibaly
Luis Suarez was absent from the squad when Barcelona travelled to Naples in February on account of a knee injury and his absence was clearly felt in the final third as they lacked accuracy in front of the goal, managing only two shots on target. He has since recovered from the injury and got back to scoring ways in the La Liga.
For Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly was on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue and his physical presence and tough tackling was sorely missed in the backline.
With both key players back in the squad, we will finally get to see the duel between one of the top strikers in the world against one of the finest central defenders.
Both players bring a lot of experience against top opponents, thus it will be an interesting battle and might prove to be one of the most crucial duels on the pitch on Saturday night.
#4 Jordi Alba vs José Callejón
José Callejón has been a loyal servant for Napoli and has operated quietly in the shadows of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne in attack for the Italian club.
He is one of the most underrated players in the squad and will be key in creating chances from the right flank. He will also have to put in a defensive shift because he will face Jordi Alba for Barcelona, one of the world's best left-backs on Saturday.
Callejón and Alba are old foes who used to face each other regularly during the former's stint at Real Madrid. Both have since matured as footballers and will be looking ahead to this reunion.