Napoli 1-1 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points | UEFA Champions League 2019-20 

SSC Napoli v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg
SSC Napoli v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg

#3 Sergio Busquets suspended for the second leg

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SSC Napoli v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg
SSC Napoli v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg

Coming into this fixture, Sergio Busquets was one of the players who were a yellow card away from suspension and one would have expected the Spanish international to thread on cautious waters but that was far from the case.

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He escaped punishment for a number of rash tackles in the first half, with referee Felix Brych electing to give him warnings, much to the chagrin of the Napoli players and coaching staff.

However, the referee's warnings fell on deaf ears and just four minutes into the second half, he had to issue a yellow card to the midfielder for a studded stamp on Dries Mertens, ruling him out of the return fixture in Catalonia.

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The 31-year-old is an integral part of the Barcelona team and his class once again shone through in Naples - his six interceptions more than anyone managed in the match, while he also instigated the attack that led to Barcelona's goal - and his absence in the second leg is a big blow for Quique Setien.

Beyond the midfielder, the LaLiga champions would also be sweating on the fitness of defender Gerard Pique who twisted his left ankle after landing awkwardly, while Napoli also saw goalscorer and star striker Dries Mertens substituted after failing to recover from the Busquets challenge.

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Edited by Kaushik Das
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