Serie A holders Napoli will square off with defending La Liga champions Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season. Continue reading to learn all the key details about this week’s first leg.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Napoli Vs. Barcelona – Date, Time, Venue & Where To Watch In US
Italian powerhouse Napoli will welcome Spanish giants Barcelona to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. The game will kick off at 9:00 PM CEST / 8:00 PM GMT / 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT on Wednesday night (February 21).
Fans in the United States can catch the game by tuning in to CBS and TUDN Deportes. One can also stream the game via Fubo, but they will have to sign up for a free trial or pay the membership fee. DAZN will carry the game in Canada.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Napoli Vs. Barcelona – Preview
Team Form
After a historic 2022-23 campaign, which saw them reclaim the league title after 33 years, Napoli have completely lost their way this season. They have leaked goals, failed to find the back of the net consistently, and have seldom dominated the middle of the park.
Having picked up only 36 points from 24 games (10 W, 6 D, 8 L), they are toiling in the ninth place in the Serie A rankings. They have dropped points in three (2 D, 1 L) of their last four matches and are coming into Wednesday’s game on the back of a 1-1 draw with Genoa.
Barcelona have also been below par this season. They have not been able to play with the trademark Barca flamboyance and were sometimes fortunate to land on the right side of the scoreline. Seeing his boyhood club lose their identity, coach Xavi has decided to step down at the end of his tenure.
The Blaugrana have amassed 54 points from 25 matches and are sitting eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid. The Catalans, however, are on a four-game unbeaten streak in La Liga, with them securing a 2-1 comeback win over Celta Vigo in their last outing.
Head-To-Head
Napoli and Barcelona have crossed paths four times in the UEFA Champions League so far. The Blaugrana have won twice and played out two draws with the Neapolitans, winning both their ties.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Napoli Vs. Barcelona – Prediction
Neither Napoli nor Barcelona have lived up to expectations this season, but the Serie A outfit have been in markedly worse shape. They could put up a fight in front of their fans at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but we do not expect them to overpower the visitors.
We are backing Barcelona to bring back a 2-1 lead from their trip to Napoli on Wednesday.
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