Napoli vs Barcelona Prediction & Tips
Napoli returns to the pitch to take on Barcelona on Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the first leg of the round of 16 of Europe’s top competition, and will do so after the second bench earthquake of the year. In fact, Walter Mazzari leaves his place to Calzona, former collaborator of Spalletti and Sarri right in Campania and current coach of Slovakia with whom he qualified for the European Championship. He is therefore the third coach of the unsuccessful post-Scudetto season, and the debut will be a thrilling one because it will decide a good part of the Azzurri’s path between now and May. In fact, at the Maradona comes the Barcelona of Xavi, destined to leave the blaugrana at the end of the season, but back on the road at a high pace this February.
Napoli is in the midst of a crisis, the draw with Genoa at home with the 1-1 goal coming only in the final, costing Mazzarri his bench, who is also fresh from the defeat to Milan. In total in the last five games only one success with Verona, two defeats and two draws. Much better off is Barcelona, which comes to the challenge after a 2-1 success over Celta Vigo, its fourth consecutive useful result with three wins, the others with Alaves and Osasuna, and a draw, with Granada. In the Champions League, the blaugrana passed the group as first without too much difficulty and easily distancing Porto, Shakhtar and Antwerp. Napoli went from second behind Real Madrid and ahead of Union Berlin and Braga.
Calzona’s “first” will be with Osimhen on the field; the Nigerian is back from the African Cup of Nations and missed Genoa as a precaution. Now, however, it is his time and he will lead a Napoli side likely deployed with a 4-3-3 in which the only absentees should be Demme and Cajuste. The trident will see Politano on one side and Kvaratskhelia on the other, the Georgian failing to have the stats of last year, but he is the only one who in the last period has tried to save the salvage. In defense Juan Jesus returns in place of Ostigard and Natan, who are coming off two bad performances with the Gryphon. In midfield Lobotka, Anguissa and one of Traorè and Zielinski.
Double recovery for Barcelona, which rejoins Romeu and Sergi Roberto, in doubt instead Ferran Torres and Jaoa Felix, who will try to recover but may not make it. Should that be the case, the trident could be formed by Lewandowski, a double in the last match, and the jewels Yamal and Vitor Roque, with the former in great form and the latter still having to settle in after his January transfer. In the midfield, Gundogan returns as a starter with De Jong and Pedri; out of the picture is the long-serving Gavi along with Balde and Marcos Alonso.
Napoli – Barcelona FREE TIPS
OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 2.25
