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Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez believes his side are on the right track after their victory against Napoli on Thursday, February 24.
The Catalans picked up a fantastic 4-2 victory at the Diego Maradona Stadium to progress into the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League. The result gave them a 5-3 aggregate success against the Serie A outfit after the first leg ended 1-1 at the Camp Nou.
Speaking after the match, Xavi praised his side and told UEFA (as quoted by Barca Blaugranes):
“Perhaps this was the most complete performance of our season. We wanted to dominate and we did. I’m happy about the effort we put in and with the football we played. The result is fair. I am very happy for the players and this is the way forward. We are on the right road.”
The Spaniard added that his side outplayed Napoli with their energy and pressing, stating:
“We pressed well, high up, whenever we lost the ball…just like we did at home. Napoli pressed high up and spaces were available in behind them. From defending a corner we made a textbook counterattack. We took advantage of our fast players. We understood how to create and use a ‘free man’. I’m very happy for the team.”
Barcelona rout Napoli to extend unbeaten run
The Blaugrana were on top in Naples right from the start and got their reward just eight minutes into the game. A quick counter attack saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang find Adama Traore, who charged forward with the ball. Traore laid it off for Jordi Alba, who finished well to put his side ahead.
Barcelona were two goals to the good just five minutes later when Frenkie de Jong curled a beauty into the top-right corner from outside the box. However, Napoli were handed a lifeline shortly after when Lorenzo Insigne converted from the spot following Marc-Andre ter Stegen's foul on Victor Osimhen.
Xavi's side responded well and scored again at the stroke of half-time through a neat Gerard Pique finish following a deflected cross from Alba. They extended their lead close to the hour-mark when Aubameyang blasted a shot into the top-corner from Traore's cross.
Napoli got another goal back late on following Nico Gonzalez's error in the box, but it proved to be a mere consolation as Barcelona saw off the win.
They have now extended their unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions (four wins and two draws). The Blaugrana finally seem to be hitting their stride under Xavi as they look to end a tumultuous season on a high.
