The ball containing Barça's name will be present in the Champions League quarter-final draw this Friday after the Catalan side beat Napoli 3-1. The blaugranes had to suffer, against a combative opponent, dangerous in lateral crosses, but they held on through the bad moments and knew how to make the best of the good ones, at the beginning and end of the game, to qualify for the Champions quarter-finals for the first time in four years - to once again be among the eight best teams in Europe. Barça were good as a unit, but individually the display of Cubarsí stood out, confident in defence facing Osimhen and delicious in his upfield delivery of the ball, until he was deservedly applauded by the more than 50,000 spectators who filled Montjuïc.
Xavi Hernández opted for a risky 11, aware that it was life or death for a team that is out of the Copa and needs close to a miracle in La Liga. And the fact is, the coach put Cubarsí, Fermín López and Lamine Yamal in the starting line-up, which meant keeping Íñigo Martínez, Joao Félix and Víctor Roque on the bench.
A great Barça start and a Neapolitan resurgence
Barça started very well, full on from the opening whistle. The team pressed high, nullifying Napoli, and with the ball very precise and electric. Before minute 1, Lamine Yamal had already had a go, with a shot that went high. With Gündogan in the engine room and a stellar Yamal, Barça left Napoli unable to get out of their area. In the 9th minute, Fermín went close, but in the 15th minute he put it away, an action started by Raphinha, who crossed well, with Lewandowski letting the ball pass so that Fermín, arriving from behind, could open the scoring. And in the midst of the Blaugrana whirlwind, the second arrived. Lamine Yamal sent a great diagonal to Raphinha, and though the Brazilian hit the post, the rebound went to the feet of Cancelo, who made it 2-0. The goal got Barça airborne, and they played some very good minutes, until the unexpected arrived.
Thus, the game took a turn after half an hour, when Brahmani, in an isolated action, made it 2-1. Without doing anything, the Italian team found themselves in the tie and took control of the game. Only three minutes later, in fact, they could have had the equaliser, with an excellent header from Di Lorenzo that Ter Stegen sent back for a corner with a great save. In the final stretch of the first half, Barça reacted and in the 40th minute had a chance for the third, in another great play by Lamine Yamal. The winger made a great pass to Lewandowski, who turned well, but shot wide
Barça takes the blows and delivers the 'coup de grace'
After the break, the Italians put themselves into a higher gear, taking risks, and Barça were intimidated. The first blaugrana move didn't arrive until the 55th minute, an action that Raphinha ended with a shot that was too loose. Barça, however, did not have the ball, and Xavi Hernández brought on Oriol Romeu and Sergi Roberto. But Barça continued to play too nervously. In the 62nd minute, it was Anguissa's turn, bouncing a shot off the Barça defence. Barça responded with a free-kick from Raphinha that deflected off Meret and a goal from Lamine Yamal that was disallowed for offside.
In the final stretch, the match went crazy. Napoli stretched out, in search of the goal that would take the tie to extra time, leaving spaces that encouraged Barça to go on the counterattack with every recovery. Little by little, Barça returned to their initial enterprising play, although with more nervousness. In the 77th minute, Yamal put a shot wide. And just when it seemed that Barça were once again in control, an unbeatable opportunity arrived for Naples, a lateral cross that Lindstrom, all alone, finished wide (80'). Finally, Barça got the goal to settle it, in a quick combination led by Sergi Roberto that Lewandowski converted into an empty net. Napoli still had one more chance, a Kvaratskhelia shot on the crossbar, but the tie was already sealed.