Barcelona 3-1 Napoli (agg 4-2): Champions League last 16, second ...

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Here is Sid Lowe’s report from Barcelona.

The lad himself.

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It was a very tight game but Barcelona did just enough to see off Napoli. Reaching the quarter finals should be the minimum requirement for a team of Barcelona’s standing but they are a long way from their peak, that’s for sure.

90+2 mins: Gundogan battles to keep hold of the ball to ensure Barcelona tick down the clock.

Romeu bizarrely passes the ball straight to Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the box, allowing him a great chance to score but he drives his shot inches wide.

90 mins: Four minutes added on.

89 mins: Olivera pings a shot against the bar!

88 mins: Barcelona enjoy a few corners in succession. Needless to say, they are taking their time over them.

86 mins: Napoli seem to have accepted their fate. All the energy has gone – they know this is over.

85 mins: Lamine Yamal is taken down by Olivera near the touchline. The defender has already been booked but the referee is lenient on this occasion.

84 mins: Xavi really enjoyed that goal. He must be very relieved.

83 mins: Game over! Sergi Roberto makes a great run into the box and lays it on a plate to Lewandowski to tap into an empty net.

Great from Sergi Roberto and Lewandowski does the rest.

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82 mins: Joao Felix is on for Raphinha. I am really good at coming up with subs.

His first action is chasing a pass down the left. The Portuguese forward thinks he’s kept it in but the assistant has a different opinion and flags.

80 mins: Barcelona are two-on-two with the Napoli defence but Lewandowski runs offside because he and Raphinha are not on the same wavelength.

SO CLOSE FOR NAPOLI! Lindstrom should do a lot better as he sends a header from six yards wide of the post.

78 mins: Raphinha picks up the ball in the final third and drives forward before thwacking a shot but Meret does well to save. Barcelona are now looking the more likely to score another. Napoli seem a little short of ideas.

Yamine Lamal should do better after a smart lay-off from Gundogan but his shot flies wide.

Traore off Raspadori on.

76 mins: Kounde pings the ball clear and catches Kvaratskhelia with the follow through, leaving the Georgian in pain but is is not deliberate.

74 mins: Gundogan does better moments later, whacking a first-time shot on the turn that is bouncing towards the bottom corner but Meret gets down just in time.

The resulting corner is decent but Lewandowski bundles it wide at the back post.

72 mins: I would suggest Joao Felix for Raphinha as a sub soon because there is not much else on the Barca bench.

Gundogan tries to do a clever free-kick but he whips it straight into Meret’s arms.

70 mins: Barcelona will happily use any extra space offered by Napoli as they look for an equaliser. Lamine Yamal can certainly make the most of it.

68 mins: Olivera is on and in the book after cleaning out Lamine Yamal. Welcome to the party. Raphinha pings the resulting free-kicking towards the bottom corner but Meret gets down well and palms behind.

The corner ends up with the ball in the back of the net after Lamine Yamal taps home but he is well offside.

66 mins: If Barcelona do hold on, I do not think anyone will fear them in the next round. There is very little about them.

64 mins: Politano goes down the left and chips a pass towards the six-yard boxwhich is flicked away from danger by Cubarsi. The ball reaches Cancelo who, inexplicably, heads it back into danger and Barcelona have to put bodies on the line to get it away.

Traore is booked for a challenge on Cancelo.

Oliveira on for Marco Rui and Lindstrom on for Politano.

62 mins: Gundogan finds Lamine Yamal on the right, he cuts in and looks for the German again but his pass is intercepted.

Napoli are readying changes, too.

60 mins: Xavi accepts control is needed in the middle and calls for Romeu and Sergi Roberto. Goalscorer Lopez and Christensen exit.

59 mins: Colum Fordham emails: “Rahmani’s goal has given Napoli a whiff of a chance. Kvara (who was sensational on Friday night against Torino) and Osimhen have the skill and power to enable their team claw their way back into this match.

”I remember a friend inviting my wife and I to a birthday party (not a wedding) in a stunning location on the Amalfi coast on the night of a World Cup match between England and Italy and no initial arrangements for viewing the match. In the end, a screen was made available and I watched with 50 Italians (I was the single England fan) and had to swallow humble pie when Italy won 2-1.”

57 mins: Barcelona are trying to bring some control but they cannot keep the ball long enough for it come together.

Napoli whip in a couple of dangerous crosses in quick succession but they both go over Osimhen’s head. Barcelona are living a little dangerously.

55 mins: Politano whips in a free-kick under Ter Stegen nose but the goalkeeper is more than happy to claim.

Down the other end … Cancelo does what he does best out on the wing, cutting inside to reach the box; it looks like he is about to shoot but he sets the ball for Raphinha, only to see the Brazilian’s shot repelled by Meret.

53 mins: It’s been all Napoli in the opening stages of this half. Barcelona really need to up their work ethic here or they risk conceding.

Politano goes down after being caught by Cancelo out on the right. I fear for Cancelo in this half.

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51 mins: Osimhen goes in agony inside the box after contact from Cubarsi. There is a little contact but it is not a penalty and I have no idea why the striker thinks he is injured.

Napoli do get a corner which Di Lorenzo flicks well wide of the far post.

49 mins: Politano makes Cancelo look like a pub player by drifting him past him inside the box but his shot is blocked. The left-back is not the best defensively and it could be a source of success for Napoli.

47 mins: Napoli have started in a lively manner, pinging the ball around and putting Barcelona under pressure. Kvaratskhelia gets the ball 20 yards from goal, gets it out of his feet and flashes it past the post.

Here we go again!

Look forward to the new sillier Champions League.

Barcelona will be upset they have let Napoli back into the tie after an impressive start looked like it had put things to bed. An intriguing second half ahead.

45+1 mins: Napoli try to break from a Barcelona corner but Gundogan catches up with Anguissa and stops the attack near the halfway line.

45 mins: Three minutes added on.

Tim Smith emails: “Just saw Ter Stegen make that excellent save with his “wrong” hand pushing the ball over the bar. I saw Pickford do it at the weekend and it appears to be the preferred technique. This must be trained as it neither appears natural or happened historically. I’m guessing the goalie gets to cover a greater area and can use the leading hand for the far corner and other hand for anything more central. Any goalie coaches know?”

I can’t say I am a goalkeeper coach.

44 mins: Osimhen offside again! Come on, mate.

“Further to Mr Amirault’s comments pre game on putting kids out through necessity, I also have an impression, which may not be entirely justified, that it is also something an outgoing manager often does to burnish their legacy,” says Michael Hunt. “Yes they didn’t reach the heights of whatever was expected of them, but by throwing a load of kids on then in ten years they can say that they gave whoever it is their debut. Noticed it especially with Van Gaal at Man U, and it’s just a pity that Liverpool aren’t doing terribly right now as that would have really supported my theory.”

42 mins: Kvaratskhelia sends a pass into Traore near the penalty spot but his touch is a poor one and the ball is whacked clear by a defender.

40 mins: Lewandowski is pummelled in the back by Juan Jesus and earns a free-kick near the halfway.

The striker gets his first chance of the match soon after. That man Lamine Yamal creates it, slipping a pass into the box – Lewandowski spins and shoots but it goes well wide.

38 mins: Napoli are looking the more dangerous going forward at the moment. The hosts really need to bring back some control.

36 mins: Barcelona break forward in numbers and the ball is sent to Lopez on the edge of the box but his first touch is poor, ensuring the shot that follows is even worse.