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#3 VAR comes to Barcelona's rescue
Barcelona continued their poor goal-scoring form in European competitions this season against Napoli. They had 21 shots on goal with only five on target. They failed to score from open play and only got the penalty after the match official was advised by VAR on a potential handball call.
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Traore played a part in a third goal involvement in his third appearance for the La Liga club as his attempted cross hit Juan Jesus at the fingertips going in.
They have just three goals to their name in European competitions this season and this game only further exposed their flaws in the final third.
#2 Kalidou Koulibaly stood out for Napoli in a tense game
Kalidou Koulibaly provided much-needed solidity at the back for his team in this game. The Senegalese defender led in terms of clearances in the game as he cleared off the danger 11 times against Barcelona.
He also won eight out of his 10 duels in the game and made three successful tackles. The Italian side narrowly avoided defeat. While Barca's wastefulness was one of the main reasons for the outcome, Koulibaly's contributions at the back should not be ignored.
The visiting side were lucky not to have conceded a second goal. They will have to work upon improving their defensive game for the second leg.
#1 Barcelona's new-look front three struggled in their first outing together
Xavi started his three January signings in the final third here, with Traore and Torres flanking Aubameyang on either flank. The lack of solidarity between the three players was there for everyone to see.
Traore was isolated on the left flank for the majority of the game while Aubameyang disappointed in the first half. They missed several chances to take the lead in the game.
Aubameyang and Traore were substituted in the second half. Their replacements, Luuk de Jong and Ousmane Dembele, missed another host of chances. Barcelona bombarded the Serie A side with attempt after attempt in the final minutes of the game without any result.
It is good to see Xavi displaying faith in his new signings. They might be able to link up and play well by the time the club travels to Naples for the second leg next week.
