Barcelona has a slight advantage in its Champions League round of 16 tie with Napoli after going to the San Paolo on Tuesday and earning a 1-1 draw. But there are a lot of questions ahead of the March 18 second leg at the Camp Nou with Barca's midfield set to be tested after two key players were suspended.
It's a result that isn't all that bad for either team, all things considered. Getting a draw away from home in the first leg while scoring is a plus, but Napoli will probably take that result considering Barca regularly scores multiple goals a game. This result still gives Napoli a fighter's chance in the second leg though the health of their star scorer remains in doubt.
In the early going, Barca looked well on its way to creating a bunch of chances and controlled possession. In the first 45 minutes, however, the visitors didn't even get a shot on target.
On the other end, Napoli's Dries Mertens only needed one chance to open the scoring. His strike froze Marc-Andre Ter Stegen 30 minutes in. Take a look:
Napoli had the lead for nearly a half an hour of action, but Barca continued to dominate possession and it felt like only a matter of time before the Spanish side found the back of the net. Quique Setien's team finished with just two shots on goal, both in the second half, but one of them found its way in with Sergio Busquets playing Nelson Semedo through before Antoine Griezmann finished with little trouble 57 minutes in:
Napoli's Jose Callejon had the best chance the rest of the way but was denied by Ter Stegen after being played alone into the box, and the teams had to settle for the draw. The result gives Barca an edge but big questions surround both teams. Arturo Vidal was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle and losing his cool, meaning he's suspended for the return leg. Busquets is also suspended due to yellow card accumulation. That means Setien will likely play with a midfield of Ivan Rakitic, Arthur and Frenkie de Jong which is much more attacking than having Busquets and Vidal.
Napoli lost Mertens in the second half due to injury, and he's a player to watch for the second leg. If he can't go, it's hard to see Napoli having much of a chance of getting through.
Champions League action continues on Wednesday with Real Madrid facing Manchester City and Lyon hosting Juventus.
Napoli 1, Barcelona 1 (FT)
⚽ Napoli - Mertens (30')
⚽ Barcelona - Griezmann (57')
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February 26, 2020 at 05:26AM
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Barcelona vs. Napoli score: Barca gets key Champions League away goal; Busquets, Vidal will miss second leg - CBSSports.com
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