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Barcelona turns its focus to the Champions League as it hosts Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli outfit at the Camp Nou tonight. The Catalan giants have the away-goal advantage going into this fixture and will want to exorcise their Champions League nightmares against Napoli.
The first leg in Italy ended in a 1-1 stalemate after a crucial goal from Antoine Griezmann levelled the scores for Barcelona. The Blaugrana will have the French striker back for this fixture and has to be its best to defeat a well-drilled Napoli side.
Barcelona faces a must-win Champions League clash against Napoli
Barcelona has endured a miserable season so far and has had to deal with a number of controversies both on and off the pitch. The Catalans desperately need a shot in the arm and tonight's game presents the perfect opportunity.
Barcelona needs a trophy more than it ever has at the moment and will have to present a united front in the Champions League. The absence of a second leg in this edition of the competition may well be a blessing in disguise for a Barcelona side that has often bottled significant leads in the Champions League in the past.
While Napoli is an excellent side in its own right and can be lethal in the final third, Barcelona's impressive squad depth and experience in the competition may tip the scales in the Catalans' favour.
Barcelona should be able to get past Napoli tonight and will be thoroughly disappointed if it fails one of the biggest tests of its season. Here, we look at five reasons why Barcelona has the upper hand against Napoli in this fixture.
#5 The time factor
Both Barcelona and Napoli have had gruelling and hectic schedules since the restart of European football and have played an astonishing number of games. The Catalans have finally found some rest after the conclusion of a disappointing La Liga season and will approach this game with a fresh mindset.
Barcelona played its last game on the 19th of July and have enjoyed two more weeks of rest than Napoli. The Italians played their last Serie A fixture only a week ago but the fact that they thrashed an impressive Lazio side by a 3-1 margin will be a source of worry for Barcelona.
The Blaugrana has spent the last two weeks preparing for this fixture and the team's press conferences have reflected positive and energetic vibes from the squad for arguably the first time this season. Barcelona has a massive few weeks coming up and has had plenty of time to prepare for what will arguably be a crucial Champions League campaign.
#4 La Masia
Napoli will have specific plans in place for most of Barcelona's superstars and may well be able to stifle the Catalans' attacking prowess as they did in the first leg earlier this year. Barcelona, however, has improved certain aspects of its squad since February and Quique Setien does have some aces up his sleeve going into this game.
Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati have been the brightest spots in an otherwise miserable season for Barcelona and have all but guaranteed their long-term tenures at the club with some breakthrough performances. Napoli got a taste of Ansu Fati in the first leg but has not seen enough of Riqui Puig and Barcelona could spring several surprises tonight.
In the young La Masia prospects, Quique Setien has two potent wild cards in his squad and can use them to create an impact at the Camp Nou. Barcelona has always depended on La Masia to guarantee its long-term success and Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati could personify Barcelona's driving force on the pitch today.
Also Read: Top 5 Barcelona performances in the Champions League
#3 Quique Setien's machinations
Quique Setien has had plenty of time to prepare for this fixture and his tactical nous will be thoroughly tested in this fixture. The Barcelona manager was brought in to improve the side's style of play and his credentials will be put to the test tonight against Napoli.
The Cantabrian manager is yet to fully imprint his ideas on an experienced Barcelona team and tonight's game presents him with the perfect opportunity. Quique Setien has shown that he is prepared to tweak Barcelona's traditional 4-3-3 formations and his technical decisions will have to be perfect against the Italian outfit.
The Barcelona manager has conducted a few training sessions behind closed doors and may decide to implement a 3-5-2 formation in tonight's game. Barcelona's front three also experienced extraordinary success against Villarreal with a 4-3-1-2 formation earlier this season and Quique Setien's decisions are likely to heavily influence this fixture.
#2 Antoine Griezmann's X-factor
Antoine Griezmann has not had the best of seasons at Barcelona and has struggled to establish a potent relationship with the stars in the squad. The French striker has shown signs of improvement since the La Liga restart and has successfully recovered from an injury that has kept him out of action for nearly a month.
The French striker scored a crucial away goal at the Stadio San Paolo in the first leg and brings an element of unpredictability to a Barcelona side that has often been static and dull this season. Antoine Griezmann is world-class at his best and can be the key to Barcelona's success in the Champions League.
Antoine Griezmann has had plenty of time to build an understanding with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. The trio clicked into gear against Villarreal last month and Griezmann was the star of the show and scored an otherworldly chipped goal. Barcelona will need the French forward to be at his absolute best against Napoli.
#1 The GOAT
Irrespective of current form or opposition, Barcelona will likely never be an underdog till a certain Lionel Messi stays at the club. The Argentine genius can turn a match on its head singlehandedly and is literally unstoppable when he is in the mood.
Lionel Messi was rightfully furious with Barcelona's dismal La Liga campaign and defenders of the league will be more than happy to tell you that the Argentine is at his most dangerous when he is angry. The Barcelona captain has had his leadership credentials questioned this season and will want to prove a point in the Champions League.
Lionel Messi has not lost a Champions League game at the Camp Nou since 2009 and is his side's best player by a country mile. As is usually the norm, the Argentine maestro is instrumental to Barcelona's success and has to ensure that he is at his best if the Catalans are to win the Champions League trophy.
Also Read: Barcelona vs Napoli prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Champions League 2019-2020
