Big Match Feature: Barcelona v Napoli

There is nothing between Barcelona and Napoli as they meet at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the concluding leg of their Uefa Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

Catch the action live on SuperSport at 10pm CAT.

🔥 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬! 🔥#BarçaNapoli | @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/inKi6KoXub

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 12, 2024

The reigning champions of Italy and Spain drew 1-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona – the stadium that bears the name of a player who represented both clubs with distinction – on 21 February, Robert Lewandowski's 60th-minute opener for the visitors cancelled out 15 minutes from time by Victor Osimhen.

This is the clubs' third knockout tie in Uefa competition in the last five seasons.

Barcelona are bidding to reach a first quarterfinal since 2019/20 – their 13th successive last-eight appearance – while Napoli progressed beyond the first knockout round for the first time in 2022/23.

Barcelona are in the round of 16 for the first time in three campaigns and finished first in Group H, edging out Porto on head-to-head record after the teams had finished level on 12 points. Napoli were second in Group B behind Barça's great rivals Real Madrid.

MATCH FACTS

Barcelona remain unbeaten in their five meetings with Napoli in all competitions, alternating between a draw (3) and a win (2) each time.

Both teams have scored in all five of the previous meetings between Barcelona and Napoli in all competitions, with Barcelona winning 4-2 and 3-1, as well as three 1-1 draws.

When Barcelona have avoided defeat away from home in the first leg of a Uefa Champions League knockout stage tie, they’ve progressed to the next round on 20 out of 21 occasions. The only exception was in their first such instance, drawing 1-1 at Juventus in the 2002-03 quarterfinal before losing 2-1 at home (in extra time).

Napoli have been eliminated on each of the previous 11 occasions they’ve failed to win the first leg of a major European competition knockout stage tie at home. The most recent such instance was against Barcelona in the 2019-20 Uefa Champions League, drawing 1-1 at home before losing 3-1 away.

Barcelona have failed to win any of their last four Uefa Champions League knockout stage matches (D2 L2), since beating Napoli 3-1 in the second leg of the 2019-20 round of 16. They’ve never gone five without a win in the knockout rounds of the competition before.

Napoli have won five of their eight Uefa Champions League away games since the start of last season (L3), as many as they had in their previous 21 on the road in the competition (D6 L10).

Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski has been involved in 18 goals in his last 12 appearances in the knockout rounds of the Uefa Champions League, scoring 12 and assisting six. He’s also had a hand in 11 goals in his last 10 games against Italian sides in the competition (7 goals, 4 assists).

Victor Osimhen’s equaliser for Napoli in the first leg against Barcelona was his ninth Uefa Champions League goal, the joint-most by a Nigerian player in the history of the competition (level with Obafemi Martins).

In the first leg against Napoli, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal became the youngest ever player to appear in a knockout stage game in the Uefa Champions League (16y 223d). Should he appear in this match, he could also become the first ever 16-year-old to score a goal in the competition.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has completed 61 dribbles in 16 appearances for Napoli in the Uefa Champions League, already the most by any player of the Italian side in their history in the competition. His per 90 average of 4.3 completed dribbles is more than twice as many as any other Napoli player to have played 900+ minutes in the competition (1.9 – Lorenzo Insigne).