Barcelona reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League after beating Napoli

Barcelona beat Napoli 3-1 in the return leg of the Champions League 1/8 final to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Goals were scored by Fermín López, João Cancelo and Sergi Roberto. Read on to discover the highlights that led the team to victory.

The course of the match

The game was tense from the start. In the first minute alone, there were several attacks from both sides. Soon after, Fermín López scored Napoli's first goal after a good combination. This was followed by a second goal from João Cancelo. It was a counter-attack from their own goal, the player making a dash from the penalty area. Barcelona scored 2 goals in just 3 minutes. After that, however, the team relaxed and conceded a goal. The next 10 minutes belonged to Napoli, who continued to possess the ball and create chances for the Barcelona captain. A telling moment came towards the end of the first half when right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo fired wide after being played in by the left-back. At the start of the second half, it was clear that a win was going to take some effort. In the 65th minute, Barcelona took control of the game. Raphael Dias and İlkay Gündoğan both shot wide, Robert Lewandowski also tried his luck and one of his efforts resulted in Lamine Yamal scoring, but the youngster was offside. Sergi Roberto scored the third and decisive goal.

Some additional facts

As well as a description of how the match was played, we have prepared a selection of interesting facts about the match.

• Xavier Hernández Creus is leaving the club at the end of the season, but the coach is looking to the future by giving young talent a chance. Barcelona became the first team in history to start two under-18s in the Champions League play-offs, 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsí and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. In the first minute, Cubarsí dispossessed Osimhen of the ball in his own penalty area, before Yamal fired the first truly dangerous shot;
• The match featured two of Europe's greatest attacking talents, with Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen back on the same pitch after both scoring in the 1-1 first-leg draw;
• Napoli are seventh in Serie A, 28 points off the pace, and have appointed their third coach of the season in Francesco Calzona;
• Barcelona's third goal started with a touch, with João Cancelo, Sergi Roberto, Ilkay Gündogan and Robert Lewandowski all involved. They had a similar style of play and with good reason, having all worked with Spanish coach Pep Guardiola. You can see that in the goal combination.

Who is in the Champions League quarter-finals?

The Champions League quarter-finals will see the next teams meet: Arsenal (England), Barcelona (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Manchester City (England), Paris St-Germain (France) and Real Madrid (Spain).

Predictions

No big event is complete without betting. Bookmakers such as 1xBet, BetWinner and 22bet offer you the chance to back the UEFA Champions League matches with increased odds. This includes a Barcelona win. Click on your favourite bookmaker to read a full review.

Conclusion

The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will take place on 15 March. As we mentioned earlier, you can check out the list of best bookmakers on our website and use the betting guide.