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Determined to get their season back on track, Barcelona hosted Napoli in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off on Thursday night.
Playing in the competition for the first time in 18 years, Xavi’s men were eager to get a winning start. Unfortunately, their lackluster performance in front of goal ultimately restricted them to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou.
The two teams exchanged blows in the first half, with neither being able to land a knockout punch. Just before the half-hour mark, the Blaugrana had their most prominent chance of the half when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang released Ferran Torres on goal. But the former Manchester City player failed to keep his effort on target.
Rejuvenated by Barca’s missed opportunity, Napoli conjured an attack of their own and silenced the Camp Nou faithful with the opener a minute later. Piotr Zielinski’s first effort was saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the keeper could not keep out the Polish midfielder’s rebound.
Barcelona’s reply finally came minutes before the hour mark, after VAR penalized Napoli for a handball inside the area. Ferran Torres stepped up to take the spot-kick and dispatched it with confidence to level the score.
The goal gave the hosts a much-needed injection of confidence and propelled them to throw everything at Napoli. Once again, it was their sub-par finishing that allowed the Italian outfit to walk away with a respectable 1-1 scoreline at the end.
All in all, it was a mixed bag for the Catalan giants on Thursday. While they played well and created plenty of chances, their forwards could not apply the finishing touches when required.
Here are three Barca players who performed and two who underperformed in their stalemate with Napoli in the Europa League:
Performed: Nico Gonzalez
20-year-old Nico Gonzalez held his own against Napoli’s dogged defenders.
He was quick to move the ball, kept the game flowing, and even had a go at goal when the opportunity presented itself.
Before being subbed off for Gavi, Nico registered a couple of shots on target, made one key pass and won five duels.
An encouraging display by Xavi’s prized possession.
Underperformed: Jordi Alba
Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba was not at his best against Napoli on Thursday night.
Offensively, he was decent as always, making threatening runs and combining well with Ferran Torres. Defensively, however, he was in sixes and sevens.
He lost possession 17 times, attempted only one tackle, and was turned inside out by Eljif Elmas for Napoli’s opener.
Had Alba been able to stick with the North Macedonian, Zielinski would not have had such a clear sight of Barca’s goal.
A disappointing shift by one of the club's captains.
Performed: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Barcelona signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a free agent in the January transfer window. He made his full debut at the Camp Nou last night, and there were plenty of encouraging signs.
Spearheading Barca’s attack against Napoli, Aubameyang regularly drifted into dangerous areas and always tried to find the best-positioned player.
He also dropped deep when needed to help the midfielders out, which must have pleased Xavi greatly. Aubameyang created one big chance and won three of his five duels
The Gabon international’s only weak point last night was his shooting. He often took too much time to position himself, which allowed Luciano Spalletti’s side to reorganize themselves.
If the former Arsenal man sorts out this little discrepancy, he could turn out to be an invaluable asset for Xavi in the coming months.
Underperformed: Ferran Torres
Signed for €55million from Manchester City in January, Ferran Torres has easily been Barcelona’s most high-profile transfer this season.
The Spaniard, who has been hailed as one of the most promising young forwards around, has all the qualities to help his new employers this season.
Unfortunately, his traits did not shine through in the Blaugrana’s disappointing draw with Napoli on Thursday night.
Torres’s first big chance came in the 28th minute when Aubameyang sent him through on Napoli’s goal. The winger fluffed his shot and failed to hit the target.
Four minutes later, the former City man once again found himself in a favorable position. Sadly, he was no match for Kalidou Koulibaly’s inch-perfect tackle.
The Spain international scuffed another attempt in the 45th minute, misplacing his header from close range.
Just before the hour-mark, he pulled Barcelona level by converting a penalty, but it was not going to make amends for his lackluster showing.
He missed another glit-edged chance to win the match for the hosts in the 88th minute, courtesy of a sweet backheel by Pedri. The 21-year-old once again failed to hit the target, skying his effort over the bar. A miserable night for the young forward.
Torres registered only one shot on target from an overall whopping nine attempts on goal.
Performed: Pedri
While his compatriot wasted one opportunity after another, Barca midfielder Pedri calmly pulled the strings from the middle of the park.
Still only 19 years of age, Pedri commands the midfield like no other. He is never hurried, never dumbfounded, and never runs himself into trouble. The Spain international personifies every quality La Masia holds so very dearly.
On a night marred by the Blaugrana’s lackluster end product, Pedri showed that there is hope for them after all. With him in charge, the Catalan giants moved the ball with authority, carving open one opportunity after another.
Over the course of the 90, he made five key passes, provided six accurate long balls, and attempted three dribbles.
He did fail to keep one of his efforts on target, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the shift he put in.
