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Horse Racing Napoli vs Barcelona Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview
After Lazio’s historic success last week other two Italian teams are in action in the Champions League and our Italian football expert, Daniele Fisichella, has taken care of Napoli vs Barcelona prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview.
Our Napoli vs Barcelona prediction is for Barcelona to win the match 2-1.
Napoli vs Barcelona Prediction, Team News, Standings and Lineups Preview
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 1: Barcelona Asian Handicap 0.0
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 2: Robert Lewandowski Anytime Goalscorer
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 3: Match Result: Barcelona Or Draw And Over 2.5 Goals
In this article:
- Napoli vs Barcelona Team News and Possible Lineups
- Napoli vs Barcelona Match Stats
- Napoli Fixtures
- Barcelona Fixtures
- Safer Gambling
Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 1: A last chance saloon to save the season
Champions League, Round of 16, 1st leg, Wednesday, February 21st, 20:00 (UK)
Champions League football might represent a lifeline for both clubs, whose domestic campaigns have been deeply disappointing.
In May 2023, both Napoli and Barcelona were crowned champions after dominating their respective leagues.
The Azzurri were a flamboyant side whose intricate yet effective attacking moves had enthused fans across the globe; Barça looked impenetrable, having conceded only 20 goals in La Liga.
Fast forward eight months, and Napoli find themselves in ninth place, 27 points behind leaders Inter, after another disappointing home performance at the weekend.
The Catalans are slightly better in terms of league position (third and unbeaten in the last four), but their campaign so far has been as tumultuous as Napoli’s.
Neither of these two clubs knows who will be the new manager in June and whether some of their big players (Victor Osimhen, above all) will stay at the club.
Given their recent form, it’s hard to pick a favourite in this match, which a piece of individual brilliance might resolve.
In this respect, Barça, despite all their absentees, might have something more than Walter Mazzarri’s side.
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 1: Barcelona Asian Handicap 0.0 (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.98
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 7/10
Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 2: Lewa might deliver again
Napoli, as said, have been very poor at Maradona this season: they’ve lost six games in all competitions and kept just three clean sheets (against Sassuolo, Braga and Monza).
Based on their home form, last year’s champions would be 12th in Serie A, and once again last weekend, they needed a late goal.
It’s now three consecutive domestic games that Napoli scored late in Serie A (against Salernitana, Verona and Genoa) as the team continues to lack confidence.
Mazzari’s constant change of system also don’t seem to help. The former Watford manager seemed keen on playing with three centre-backs (which worked last month against Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio) but reverted to the 4-3-3 formation with which Napoli won the Scudetto hoping to stop the goal drought.
Napoli have only scored nine goals in the last 11 games, ten of which were played without Victor Osimhen, who should be fit to start on Wednesday.
Napoli fans hope the Nigerian will be able to affect the game despite his long absence.
Despite Barça’s average season, Lewandowski has netted 17 times and often left his mark when the Blaugrana won.
The Pole has not scored in any of the last four Champions League matches. This is the longest open streak in the competition since 2018 (five matches without scoring between March and May 2018).
But the striker has recently hit form: he has found the net four times in the last three league games, including a brace away at Celta Vigo at the weekend.
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 2: Robert Lewandowski Anytime Goalscorer (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 2.75
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 5/10
Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 3: hosts have ‘fell to earth’ after a great season
Like Napoli, the visitors also tend to leave it late. Barcelona have gained 19 points in the last 10 minutes of matches. On five occasions, they have scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Without those late strikes, Barça would be ninth in La Liga, behind Valencia and Las Palmas.
Xavi’s team have been well below par this campaign, but their away record in La Liga remains impressive: no defeats and 24 goals scored (best attack).
What’s more concerning is their inability to manage games, which makes them look very vulnerable: this season, Barcelona have already been beaten by two goals or more on four occasions and recently conceded three at home against second-from-bottom Granada.
For Barça, it almost looks like the next heavy defeat is around the corner, but such a downbeat and confused Napoli might not be able to take advantage of the Catalans’ problems.
Napoli have only won two (2-1 against Atalanta and 3-0 against Fiorentina) of the twelve games they’ve played so far against top sides both in Italy and the Champions League.
The biggest mistake from President De Laurentis was to think that anybody could have managed the side that won the Scudetto in such a spectacular fashion.
It turned out he was wrong. As soon as Luciano Spalletti left the club, Napoli fell down to earth.
- Napoli vs Barcelona Tip 3: Match Result: Barcelona Or Draw And Over 2 Goals (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 2.80
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 5/10
Napoli vs Barcelona Prediction odds via bet365 as at 11:00, February 19th, 2024. Odds may now differ.
Napoli vs Barcelona Team News and Possible Lineups: will Osimhen be fit to start?
There are rumours Walter Mazzarri might lose his job before Wednesday’s game against Barcelona, with Francesco Calzona, the current Slovakia coach, tipped to become Napoli’s third manager of the season.
In the meantime, Napoli hopes Osimhen will be fit to play. “We can only hope he can be ready, but his presence is not certain,” said Mazzarri after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Genoa.
“According to him and the medical staff, he’s nowhere near fully fit. He has some muscular issues.”
After their stoppage-time win in Vigo, Xavi confirmed Ronald Araujo is ok to play after the defender was subbed off at half-time.
“There are no injuries. We’re fine. We’ll take three points, and we’ll have to think about Napoli,” said the Barcelona boss.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Mazzocchi; Anguissa, Lobotka, Traorè; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araújo, Iñigo Martínez, João Cancelo; De Jong, Christensen, Gündoğan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Pedri
Match Stats: Napoli will try to break their bad record
- Napoli have never won a match in a European competition against Barcelona (D2 L2). The last precedent in the Champions League between these two teams dates back to the double meeting in the 2019-20 Champions League Round of 16, in which the Neapolitans lost 4-2 overall.
- Barcelona won 2-4 in the last match played at the Maradona in the 2021-22 Europa League play-offs.
- Barcelona have not won in their last three UEFA Champions League matches against Italian rivals (D1 L2), as many defeats as in their previous 19 matches against Italian teams (W11 D6 L2).
- Barcelona have won only one of their last 10 away games in the Champions League knockout phase (D4 L5), a victory gained against Manchester United in April 2019 (0-1).
Napoli Fixtures: Back-to-back trips
- Vs Cagliari (A)
- Vs Sassuolo (A)
- Vs Juventus (H)
- Vs Torino (H)
- Vs Barcelona (H)
Barcelona Fixtures: Two tough matches on the road
- Vs Getafe (H)
- Vs Athletic Bilbao (A)
- Vs Mallorca (H)
- Vs Napoli (H)
- Vs Atletico Madrid (A)
SAFER GAMBLING
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