Barcelona welcome Serie A side Napoli to the Camp Nou tonight with both sides enduring a frustrating European campaign in 2021-22.
Xavi’s side dropped out of the Champions League at the group stages for the first time since 2001 after finishing in third place in Group B.
The Catalans now face a two-legged knockout round playoff against Napoli for the chance to advance to the Europa League Round of 16.
Napoli finished second in Europa League Group C, behind Spartak Moscow, but they are in third place in Italy’s Serie A and Luciano Spalletti’s men will put up a major battle to progress into the last 16 proper.
MORE: Why is Barcelona playing the in the Europa League in 2022?
Sporting News will be following the match live and providing live score updates and commentary.
Barcelona vs. Napoli live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Barcelona | – | – | |
| Napoli | 1 | – | – |
Goals: Zielinski 28
(All times Eastern)
Barcelona vs. Napoli live updates
49th Min: Pedri loses the ball in midfield but Napoli cannot make it count as Ter Stegen restarts for the home side.
46th Min: We are back in action in Barcelona. No changes for either side at the break.
HALF TIME: Barcelona have created chances, but they are lacking a cutting edge in attack, with a compact Napoli edging in front at the break via Zielinski’s close range finish.
40th Min: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa catches Nico in midfield and joins Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the referee’s notebook for Napoli.
38th Min: Some nice interplay on the edge of the Napoli tees up Torres but he steers wide of Meret’s post again.
32nd Min: Barcelona try and launch an instant response but Koulibaly is on hand to snuff out the danger.
28th: FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER AND NAPOLI LEAD 1-0
HUGE chance for Barcelona as Aubameyang capitalises on an error at the back from Napoli to slip in Ferran Torres but the former Manchester City man blazes wide!!!
Napoli react and storm up the other end – Zielinksi tests Ter Stegen – but with the Barcelona defence sleeping, he reacts quickest to bury the loose ball.
PIOTR ZIELINSKI. OFF THE REBOUND. 🔥
NAPOLI TAKE THE LEAD OVER BARCA AT THE CAMP NOU. 😳 @UEL pic.twitter.com/Ecv4T7EQjq
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2022
22nd Min: First chance of the night for Napoli as Zielinski slips Osimhen in behind but Marc-Andre Ter Stegen uses his body to block his effort.
Ter Stegen launches Barcelona on the attack from the ensuing corner but Kalidou Koulibaly slides in to make the block and Aubameyang’s chipped effort is saved by Meret before the offside flag goes up.
18th Min: Barcelona creating the better chances here as Nico’s scuffed effort is held by Alex Meret and Aubameyang eases forward and curls wide.
7th Min: CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang forces an error from Napoli, and Nico Gonzalez slips in Pedri, but the Spanish star lashes one over the top.
5th Min: Even start from both sides with Adama Traore and Victor Osimhen looking to use their pace with early runs in behind at both ends.
1st Min: KICK OFF!!
We are underway at the Camp Nou as Piotr Zielinski kicks us off!!
12:30am.: Plenty has changed at Barcelona since the one and only time these two sides faced each other in Champions League last 16 in 2019/20.
Barcelona won 4-2 on aggregate to progress to the quarter finals but all four of their goal scorers will not feature against Napoli tonight.
Defender Lenglet is injured, with Lionel Messi moving on to PSG and Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann now plying their trade at Atletico Madrid.
12:15am.: SPALLETTI MATCHES XAVI WITH LINE UP CHANGES
Napoli boss Spalletti has adopted a similar approach to Xavi with three starting changes after his side drew with defending Serie A champions Inter Milan at the weekend.
📃 StartingXI: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Juan Jesus, Anguissa, Fabian, Elmas, Zielinski, Insigne, Osimhen.#UEL #BarçaNapoli
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/oEySB00zMq
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) February 17, 2022
Juan Jesus comes in for Mario Rui in defence with a new-look midfield as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Elif Elmas replace Stanislav Lobotka and Matteo Politano.
12:10 a.m.: FOUR CHANGES FOR XAVI AS AUBA STARTS
Barcelona boss Xavi makes four changes to his starting XI for their Europa League last 16 play off first leg against Napoli.
La Blaugrana drew 2-2 away at neighbours Espanyol last weekend and the former Spanish international has rang the changes for their return to European action.
Barça XI#BarçaNapoli pic.twitter.com/bNJGPxo6Ok
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 17, 2022
Oscar Mingueza and Eric Garcia comes into defence in place of Sergino Dest and the injured Ronald Araujo with Nico Gonzalez in for the rested Sergio Busquets.
However, the big news for Xavi is a first club start for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gabonese forward comes in for Gavi in attack.
11:30 a.m.: Barcelona vs. Napoli is always a good excuse to dust off highlights of Diego Armando Maradona:
Barcelona face Napoli today in #UEL
As Xavi echoed, it’s the Diego Maradona derby.
First, here he is in 1983 for Barça earning a standing ovation at the Bernabéu pic.twitter.com/Fub8YNn8oV
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) February 17, 2022
Next came Napoli. If you haven’t seen @asifkapadia’s Maradona, first of all, what’s wrong with you.
Second. WATCH IT! pic.twitter.com/xkX7wB4Vug
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) February 17, 2022
Barcelona vs. Napoli lineups
Xavi is without defensive duo Clement Lenglet and Ronald Araujo for this tie but Gerard Pique is available despite a domestic suspension. American Sergino Dest does not get the start for Barcelona.
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Ter Stegen (GK) — 18-Alba, 24-Garcia, 3-Pique, 22-Mingueza — 16-Pedri, 21-De Jong, 28-Nico — 19-Torres, 25-Aubameyang, 11-Traore
Barcelona subs (9): Neto (GK), Arnau Tenas (GK), Dest, Sergio, Riqui Puig, Gavi, Dembele, Braithwaite, De Jong
There was a question whether Victor Osimhen would line up because of pain in his knee, but he makes the start anyway. Juan Jesus looks to be the left back ahead of Faouzi Ghoulam and Mario Rui.
Napoli starting lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1-Meret (GK) — 22-Di Lorenzo, 26-Koulibaly, 13-Rrahmani, 5-Juan Jesus — 99-Anguissa, 8-Ruiz — 7-Elmas, 20-Zielinski, 24-Insigne — 9-Osimhen
Napoli subs (10): Ospina (GK), Idasiak (GK), Ghoulam, Malcuit, Mario Rui, Zanoli, Demme, Mertens, Ounas, Petagna
How to watch Barcelona vs. Napoli
- Date: Thu, Feb. 17
- Time: 12:45 p.m. ET
- USA TV channel: UniMas, TUDN
- USA streaming: fuboTV, Paramount+
- Canada streaming: DAZN
Thursday’s first leg match between Barcelona and Napoli from the Camp Nou will be carried by UniMas and TUDN (Spanish) in the USA and both channels are streamed on fuboTV, which is available on a free trial for new users.
The match will also be streamed in the USA on CBS-owned platform Paramount+ for subscribers.
In Canada, the Europa League is streamed exclusively on DAZN.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism