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A Lionel Messi masterclass handed Barcelona a crucial 3-1 victory against an impressive Napoli side at the Camp Nou earlier today. Napoli dominated large periods of the game but Barcelona's cutting edge in the first half sent Gennaro Gattuso's side out of the Champions League.
Barcelona will now face an immensely formidable Bayern Munich outfit in the quarterfinals and will have to put in a much better performance to stand a chance against the mighty Bavarians. Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong stood out for Barcelona today and will have to build on this performance if Barcelona has to win the Champions League.
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Barcelona's stars hold their own in an impressive Napoli performance
Napoli surprisingly enjoyed plenty of possession at the Camp Nou and Dries Mertens could have scored as early as the second minute but scuffed his volley from close range. Barcelona opened the scoring against the run of play with an excellent header and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso was furious after a VAR review allowed the goal to stand despite the French defender's perceived foul.
Lionel Messi's indomitable magic stunned the away side minutes after the opening goal as the Argentine genius dribbled past a host of Napoli's defenders to score a magical goal. The Barcelona captain's second goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review revealed the slightest of handballs in the build-up.
Barcelona won a penalty towards the end of the first-half after Lionel Messi was fouled by Kalidou Koulibaly. With the Barcelona captain nursing his left ankle, Luis Suarez stepped up to give the Catalans a 3-0 lead. Napoli won a penalty almost immediately at the other end and Lorenzo Insigne scored his side's away goal to hand Napoli a much-needed lifeline.
Napoli dominated the first 15 minutes of the second half and ruffled a few Barcelona feathers with its fluid passing. The Catalans did well to weather the storm and eventually started to take control of the ball. Frenkie de Jong started to dictate the play in Barcelona's midfield as Napoli's players started to grow weary.
Gennaro Gattuso's excellent substitutions handed his side the impetus yet again and Napoli bombarded Barcelona's penalty area in the final 15 minutes. Lorenzo Insigne and Arek Milik came within inches of scoring for the away side but Barcelona showed plenty of grit and determination to see out an important 3-1 victory.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6.5/10
While Napoli enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the game, Barcelona's German shot-stopper did not have much to do and was a spectator for most of the game. Ter Stegen could not do much for the penalty and will need to maintain his lofty standards against Bayern Munich.
Gerard Pique - 7.5/10
Gerard Pique was Barcelona's best defender on the night and repelled a series of assaults from Napoli in the second half. The Catalan veteran was troubled by Dries Mertens on a few occasions but held his own against the Italian side's lethal attack.
Clement Lenglet - 7.5/10
Clement Lenglet scored the crucial opening goal for Barcelona in the first half and put in a solid performance alongside the impressive Gerard Pique. The French defender did have a few nervy moments in the second half but was largely reliable on the ball.
Jordi Alba - 6/10
Jordi Alba did not have the best of performances today and was often caught out of position by Napoli's pointed counter-attacks. The Barcelona left-back did have a few good moments in the first half but his crosses often failed to find the desired target.
Nelson Semedo - 6.5/10
Barcelona's Portuguese right-back was troubled by the impressive Lorenzo Insigne on a number of occasions but used his pace well to stay out of trouble. Semedo also found himself in good positions in the final third but will have to work on his final product.
Frenkie de Jong - 7.5/10
Frenkie de Jong was engaged in an intriguing battle with Fabian Ruiz and Piotr Zielinski and held his own against Napoli's skilled technicians. The Dutch midfielder had an excellent second half and was one of Barcelona's best players on the pitch.
Ivan Rakitic - 5.5/10
Ivan Rakitic did manage to keep the ball well in Barcelona's midfield but was not comfortable against Napoli's dynamic playing style. The Croatian midfielder gave away a needless penalty at the end of the first half and is likely to be replaced by Sergio Busquets against Bayern Munich.
Sergi Roberto - 6/10
Apart from a few characteristics forward forays with the ball, Barcelona's utility man Sergi Roberto was unable to impact the match. The Catalan midfielder will have to do a lot better against a brilliant Bayern Munich outfit.
Antoine Griezmann - 6/10
Antoine Griezmann showed glimpses of brilliance on the ball but was unable to make much of an impact in the final third for Barcelona. While the French striker's work-rate was impressive, he will need to get himself on the scoresheet more often for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi - 9/10
With Lionel Messi in this kind of form, Napoli never stood a chance. The Barcelona captain eviscerated Mario Rui and Kalidou Koulibaly to score his goal and was denied his second goal after a controversial VAR decision. The Argentine genius also won Barcelona a penalty in the first half and was arguably the only difference between the two sides.
Luis Suarez - 6.5/10
Luis Suarez looked fresh today and played a few good balls to his fellow Barcelona forwards in the second half. The Barcelona striker took his penalty with aplomb to give Barcelona a buffer going into the second half.
Substitutes
Monchu - NA
Barcelona B captain Monchu was introduced late in the second half and did not have enough time to make an impact.
Ansu Fati - NA
Ansu Fati was brought on for Luis Suarez in stoppage-time as Barcelona looked to see out the game.
Napoli Player Ratings
David Ospina - 6/10
David Ospina started ahead of Alex Meret against Barcelona and was unable to prevent the flurry of Catalan goals in the first half. The Napoli shot-stopper was helpless for Barcelona's first and third goals but could have done more to prevent Lionel Messi's stunning strike.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 4.5/10
Kalidou Koulibaly had one of his worst performances in a Napoli shirt and presented the ball to Barcelona in his own half on several occasions. The centre-back conceded a needless corner in the build-up to Barcelona's crucial opener and was caught napping by Lionel Messi for Barcelona's third goal.
Kostas Manolas - 7/10
Kostas Manolas was Barcelona's nightmare two years ago and while the Greek centre-back could not replicate his heroics, he was Napoli's best defender on the night. Manolas made several crucial interceptions and prevented Barcelona from inflicting further damage in the second half.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo - 6.5/10
Giovanni Di Lorenzo played as a right-back for Napoli and kept Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann quiet for most of the game. The Italian also ventured forward on a number of occasions and had a fruitful game.
Mario Rui - 6/10
Mario Rui had the unenviable job of stopping Lionel Messi and struggled against the Barcelona captain in the first half. The full-back improved in the second half and created a few chances for Napoli in the final third.
Diego Demme - 6/10
The German midfielder did not influence the game as much as he would have liked and was taken off at half-time in favour of the more aggressive Stanislav Lobotka.
Piotr Zielinski - 7/10
Piotr Zielinski was a crucial part of Napoli's midfield and helped the away side dominate large parts of the game against Barcelona. The midfielder was replaced by Hirving Lozano in the second half as Napoli looked to make a comeback.
Fabian Ruiz - 8/10
Fabian Ruiz was also expected to hold his own against Barcelona's midfield but the Spanish maestro went a step ahead and caused Ivan Rakitic and Frenkie de Jong a number of problems. It is no surprise that the midfield prodigy has been linked with a move to Barcelona this summer.
Jose Callejon - 6/10
Jose Callejon started on the right flank for Napoli and was nowhere near as incisive as his attacking partners. The Spaniard did play his part in Napoli's link-up play against Barcelona but failed to make much of an impact.
Lorenzo Insigne - 8/10
Lorenzo Insigne was Napoli's best player on the night and caused Barcelona several problems in both halves. The Italian forward scored his penalty with ease and hit the post from a tight angle in the second half.
Dries Mertens - 7/10
Dries Mertens could have scored a massive goal for Napoli in the second minute of the game but could not get his volley on target. The Belgian striker won the penalty for his side and was a constant nuisance for Barcelona in the final third.
Substitutes
Stanislav Lobotka - 6.5/10
Stanislav Lobotka came on in the second half and gave Napoli an element of control against a Barcelona side that was starting to enjoy more possession in the midfield.
Hirving Lozano - 7/10
The speedy Mexican winger had an excellent chance to score with his first touch of the game but failed to direct his header on target. Lozano's pace gave Napoli some momentum but failed to produce a goal.
Arkadiusz Milik - 6.5/10
Arek Milik's introduction in the second half nearly paid immediate dividends but much to Barcelona's relief, the Polish striker's brilliant header was correctly ruled out for offside.
Eljif Elmas - 6.5/10
Gennaro Gattuso fielded all his attacking players in search of two late goals in the second half and Elmas justified his manager's decision by putting a few dangerous crosses into the box.
Also Read: Twitter explodes as magical Lionel Messi helps Barcelona beat Napoli 3-1
