Napoli vs Barcelona Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips

Napoli vs Barcelona Match Preview

• Date – Wednesday, February 21
• Kick-off Time – 08:00 pm GMT
• Venue – Diego Armano Maradona Stadium

The two giants of their respective leagues – Napoli and Barcelona – will face off against each other in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. With the first leg set to take place on Wednesday, both sides come into the game on the back of disappointing seasons so far.

Napoli won the Serie A title last season after 36 years but are lying ninth in the table after 24 games this time around. They have had 10 wins, six draws, and eight defeats in the league.

They finished second in their Champions League group behind Real Madrid with three wins, one draw, and two defeats.

Meanwhile, Barcelona, who won the La Liga title last season, topped their UCL group with four wins and two losses. In La Liga, though, they are third, eight points behind leaders and rivals Real Madrid.

With both sides struggling domestically, Napoli and Barcelona will look to get the better of each other in the Champions League.

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Team News

Napoli missed Victor Osimhen in their last game due to his personal reasons but he is expected to return in time to face Barcelona.

The Blaugrana, meanwhile, are missing Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Ferran Torres, Joao Felix, Marcos Alonso, and Sergi Roberto due to their respective injuries.

Predicted Lineups

Napoli:

Goalkeeper: Alex Meret
Defenders: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Leo Ostigard, Pasquale Mazzocchi
Midfielders: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Hamed Traore
Attackers: Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, Khivcha Kvaratskhelia

Barcelona:

Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Defenders: Jules Kounde, Ronaldo Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo
Midfielders: Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong
Attackers: Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Vitor Roque

Head-to-Head

Napoli and Barcelona have faced off eight times in the past, with the Spanish giants winning five times. Napoli have beaten Barca just once with two encounters ending in a draw.

Last five results:

Napoli 2-4 Barcelona – UEFA Europa League Round of 32 – February 25, 2022

Barcelona 1-1 Napoli – UEFA Europa League Round of 32 – February 17, 2022

Barcelona 3-1 Napoli – UEFA Champions League Round of 16 – August 9, 2020

Napoli 1-1 Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Round of 16 – February 26, 2020

Barcelona 4-0 Napoli – Club Friendlies – August 11, 2019

Prediction

Both sides have had disappointing seasons so far but Napoli have been in a terrible run of form as well. They have won just one of their last five games across competitions. They played out a 1-1 draw against Genoa at home in their last game.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have won three and drawn one of their last four games. They narrowly beat Celta Vigo away in La Liga in their last game.

Napoli will be boosted by the return of their star man Victor Osimhen. With Barcelona’s fragile defense and the Italian side’s home advantage, the Gli Azzuri should be able to take an advantage in the first leg.

Predicted Score: Napoli 3-1 Barcelona

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Odds (subject to change)

Napoli win – 2.75

Barcelona win – 2.76

Draw – 3.62

Odds source – Oddspedia.com

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 1.61
• Draw no bet: Napoli – 1.96

Where to Watch

• India – Sony Ten network/ Sony Liv
• UK – TNT Sports
• US – CBS Sports Golazo