Napoli vs. Barcelona live score, updates, highlights from Europa League Round of 16

By | February 24, 2022

Napoli take on Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round playoffs after the first game ended 1-1 at the Nou Camp in Spain a week ago.

A penalty kick by new Barcelona signing Ferran Torres on the hour mark cancelled out Piotr Zielinski’s first-half opener for Napoli to leave the series perfectly poised heading into the decisive leg in Italy.

Since the last showdown, Barcelona claimed an emphatic 4-1 victory of Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netting a hat-trick and Frenkie De Jong also finding the back of the net.

The Italian side has two fewer days of rest, after featuring on Monday night in a disappointing 1-1 league draw away to Cagliari.

The two sides faced each other for the first time in Europe in the 2019-20 Champions League Round of 16 with Barcelona advancing 4-2 on aggregate over two legs. A lot has changed for both clubs since that series and these two historic European clubs will both be eager to regain continental glory in this competition. 

MORE: Has Champions League final been moved from Russia?

Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Napoli vs. Barcelona live score

  1H 2H Final
Napoli 1 0
Barcelona 3 1

Goals: Jordi Alba (9′) De Jong (13′) Insigne (23′ Pen) Pique (45′) Aubameyang (59′)

Aggregate Score: Napoli 2-5 Barcelona
 

(All times Eastern)

Napoli vs. Barcelona live updates

69th min: Goal Ruled OUT for Offside! Insigne’s volley is ruled out following a good move.

67th min: Napoli frustrations grow as Barcelona have taken over possession and are dominating proceedings. It’s simply been one of Barcelona’s best performances for a long time.

62nd min: Wonderkid Gavi (who’s still 17 years old by the way!) comes on for Sergio Busquets.

59th min: A brilliant passing move from Barcelona saw Traore cross low, which was left by De Jong and Aubameyang fired brilliantly into the top corner. A top quality goal from former Arsenal striker!

59th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! AUBAMEYANG MAKES IT 4-1!

57th minYellow Card for Zielinski! The Polish midfielder brings down Aubameyang cynically to stop the counter attack and is the first player to go into the book so far.

55th min: Chance for Barcelona! Traore’s deep cross was parried by Meret out to De Jong, who’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Rrahmani to stop Barca getting a fourth goal!

52nd min: Pitor Zielinski and Insigne link up to get into Barcelona’s area but the shot is blocked well by Pedri but the corner comes to nothing. Still a high pace to the game early in the second half.

46th min: Second half underway! Napoli make one change with Matteo Politano coming on for Demme as Napoli need 2 goals to force extra time!

HALF-TIME: Barcelona are in the driving seat going into the second half, and Napoli have it all to do in the second half. Expect more goals in the second half, what a game it’s been so far!

HALF-TIME: Jordi Alba has rolled back the years on a big European Night for Barcelona, scoring the opening goal and it was his deflected cross that led to the Pique goal too. What a player!

HALF-TIME: Barcelona have been in fine goal scoring recently, and it’s carried on here tonight! 

HALF-TIME: Napoli 1-3 Barcelona

45th min: Pique finishes with his left foot following another Alba cross, the Spaniard finishing like a striker!

45th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! GERARD PIQUE MAKES IT 3-1!

43rd min: More brilliant play from De Jong as he powers past a few challenges before setting through Traore, who wins another corner.

37th min: Barcelona break again with Traore who got in behind the Napoli defence again, but was dispossessed when cutting inside by Diego Demme. 

27th min: HUGE chance for Aubameyang, as more Barcelona pressure led to a corner which was flicked onto the back post where he was unmarked, but somehow fired wide! All action here at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

25th min: GOAL FOR NAPOLI! Insigne makes no mistake as he emphatically scores from the spot. 

24th min: PENALTY TO NAPOLI! Osihem was brought down by a reckless Ter-Stegen 

23rd min: VAR CHECK FOR NAPOLI PENALTY

17th min: Frenkie De Jong bends a curling effort from outside the box into the top corner to double Barcelona’s lead. What a goal!

16th min.: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! DE JONG DOUBLES THE LEAD!

11th min: A fast counter-attack lead by Adama Traore, in typical fashion, powered through to set up Jordi Alba, who slotted past Meret to open the scoring! Napoli 0-1 Barcelona.

10th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA!

5th min: Following a quiet opening few minutes, Barcelona have settled into a rhythm, with some good possession early on.

1st min: And we are underway in Naples! 

2:56 p.m.: Key news for Napoli is that Lorenzo Insigne returns after missing the league game against Cagliari, as key players Victor Osimhen, Fabian Ruiz and Kalidou Koulibaly all start in Naples.

2:52 p.m.: Key team news for Barcelona is: Gerard Pique returns and Ferran Torres joins Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the front three.

2:15 p.m.: No Lionel Messi on the field this time, but the matchup is a good excuse to surface one of his best goals for the Blaugrana.

Napoli vs. Barcelona lineups

Napoli projected lineup (4-2-3-1): 1-Meret (GK) — 22-Di Lorenzo, 26-Koulibaly, 13-Rrahmani, 6-Mario Rui — 4-Demme, 8-Fabian Ruiz — 7-Elmas, 20-Zielinski, 24-Insigne — 9-Osimhen.

Napoli subs (10): Ospina (GK), Idasiak (GK), Juan Jesus, Ghoulam, Zanoli, Mertens, Ounas, Petagna, Politano

Barcelona lineup (4-3-3): 1-Ter Stegen — 2-Dest, 3-Pique, 4-Araujo, 18-Alba — 21-De Jong, 5-Busquets, 16-Pedri — 11-Traore, 25-Aubameyang, 19-Torres.

Barcelona subs (10): Neto (GK), Arnau Tenas (GK), Mingueza, Eric Garcia, Riqui Puig, Nico, Gavi, Dembele, Braithwaite, De Jong

MORE: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 results & highlights

 

Source