La Liga holders Barcelona will welcome reigning Italian champions Napoli to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 clash on Tuesday night (March 12). Continue reading to learn all the key information about the fascinating return leg.
UEFA Champions League Round-of-16: Barcelona vs. Napoli – Where To Watch In US
The UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 second leg between Barcelona and Napoli is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m PT on Tuesday. Fans in the United States can catch the game on TUDN USA, Univision, and FutoTV. They can also stream it via Paramount+, ViX, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, and TUDN App. DAZN will carry the game in Canada.
Barcelona vs. Napoli: Preview
What Happened In The First Leg
Barcelona and Napoli played out a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 first leg in Napoli three weeks back.
In the 60th minute, Barca attacker Robert Lewandowski latched on to a pass from Pedri, kept Napoli defenders at bay, and found the back of the net with a low strike. Fifteen minutes later, Napoli were back on level terms, courtesy of a fine strike from Victor Osimhen. Receiving the ball from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, the Nigerian rolled it past Inigo Martinez before beating Marc Andre ter Stegen from close range.
Team News
Barcelona will be without first-leg’s star performer Pedri on Tuesday, with the central midfielder missing the second-leg clash due to a muscle injury. Frenkie de Jong (ankle) will also miss out while Ferran Torres (hamstring) is a major doubt for the game. Gavi and Alejandro Balde will also play no part, as they are both out for the season.
Napoli, meanwhile, will not have Jens Cajuste manning the midfield on Tuesday. Cyril Ngonge and Amir Rahmani are also minor doubts for the Champions League Round-of-16 second leg.
Barcelona vs. Napoli: Prediction
The 1-1 draw in the first leg was an enjoyable watch for neutrals. However, for Barca fans, it only brought frustration. The visitors were the better team in Italy and would have had an advantage heading into the second leg had they been a little more clinical. With Pedri and De Jong ruled out for Tuesday’s return leg, the rest of Xavi’s XI must pull up their socks to proceed to the quarter-finals.
We expect a tight game in Catalonia, but Barcelona’s home advantage may just give them the edge. We predict the Blaugrana to secure a 2-1 victory (3-2 on aggregate) over the Partenopei in the Champions League Round-of-16 second leg.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
