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Barcelona produced one of their finest performances of the season to secure their place in the Round of 16 of the Europa League on Thursday night. Goals from Jordi Alba, Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Pique, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang handed Barca a 2-4 (3-5 aggregate) win in the return leg at Napoli.
Following last week’s disappointing 1-1 draw in the first leg of their play-off at the Camp Nou, Xavi's men needed a convincing performance in Naples. All the stars aligned for the La Liga giants and they found themselves 2-0 up after just 13 minutes of play. The Blaugrana’s industrious left-back Alba applied a right-footed finish to open the scoring in the eighth minute before De Jong doubled Barca’s advantage five minutes later.
The hosts earned a lifeline 10 minutes later when Lorenzo Insigne converted from the spot, but Napoli failed to build on it. Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique applied a sumptuous finish from close range to restore his side’s two-goal cushion just before the half-time whistle.
Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then latched on to an Adama Traore pass to put Barca three goals to the good in the 59th minute. The Italian giants got another back through Matteo Politano in the 87th minute, but it was merely a consolation at that point. In the end, it was a comfortable win for the Blaugrana, one that they completely deserved.
Here are five Barca players who stood out in their Europa League knockout win over Napoli on Thursday night:
#5 Pedri
La Masia graduate Pedri produced another convincing performance on Thursday, showing why he is rated as one of the best young midfielders around.
The 19-year-old was a ball of pure energy and made life difficult for Napoli defenders with his relentless pressing.
The Spaniard effortlessly moved around the pitch, helping his teammates get into the game.
Against the Italians, Pedri made 41 passes, achieving 87.2 percent accuracy, won three duels, and made a key pass. He also registered an interception and attempted a tackle to help out his mates at the back.
#4 Jordi Alba
As per rumors, Barcelona are looking to bring in a promising left-back in the summer.
The club’s current first-choice left-back, Jordi Alba, seems to have taken the rumors personally and is determined to make himself irreplaceable.
The Spanish international played a key role in two of the Blaugrana’s four goals on Thursday night. In the eighth minute, he opened the scoring with a composed right-footed finish to put his side ahead. Then, just before half-time, he dispatched a cross towards Pique. It took a fortunate deflection and fell nicely for the centre-back, who made no mistake turning it home from close range.
#3 Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang
Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang extended his purple patch with another excellent display on Thursday night. Coming into the match on the back of his hat-trick against Valencia, Aubameyang was full of vigor and confidence. He worked tirelessly all night long, not offering Napoli defenders a moment’s peace.
In the eighth minute, Aubameyang started the counter-attack, which eventually led to Jordi Alba’s opener. He misdirected a header from close range in the first half, but made amends with his work rate and hold-up play.
His moment finally came in the 59th minute, when he was played through on goal by a meaty Adama Traore delivery. The former Arsenal skipper thumped it home, finding the top-right corner of Napoli’s goal.
#2 Adama Traore
Eyebrows were raised when Barcelona brought their academy graduate Adama Traore on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the winter transfer window.
Known for his unabashed physicality, Traore is not someone who fits the Barca mold perfectly. Yet, over the last few weeks, he has proven himself to be a perfect fit in Xavi’s system, regularly popping up with decisive contributions.
In the second leg of Barca’s Europa League play-off against Napoli, the former Wolves man registered two assists. The first came in the eighth minute when Traore found himself at the heart of a lightning-quick counter-attack. The winger, who has often been criticized for his decision-making, picked out Alba inside the box and the left-back slotted it home in style.
Traore’s second assist came in the second half when he pulled the ball back from the right side of the area for Aubameyang to convert. The Gabonese striker put his foot through and found the back of the net.
#1 Frenkie de Jong
Central midfielder Frenkie de Jong was the standout performer for Barcelona at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Thursday night. The former Ajax star, who was unplayable at times, not only scored an absolute stunner, but also played a part in Barca’s fourth goal.
Pressing relentlessly, De Jong did not allow the Napoli midfielders to settle on the ball. After winning the ball, he either looked for an attacking outlet or carried the ball himself. On Thursday, he played like a man possessed.
In the 13th minute, Ferran Torres found De Jong with a cheeky backheel about 30 yards out from Napoli’s goal. The Dutchman positioned himself and dispatched an unstoppable curler, slotting it into the top-right corner to put Barcelona 2-0 up.
For Aubameyang’s second-half goal, De Jong cleverly stepped over Traore’s pull-back, opening up space for the Gabonese to shoot. The 32-year-old made no mistake rippling the netting.
Apart from the goal and the dummy, De Jong registered three key passes, won four duels, and completed 71 passes with 93.4 percent accuracy. A magical display by the 24-year-old.
