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#1 Lionel Messi subdued
Fresh from playing a five-star role in the 5-0 demolition of Eibar over the weekend, Lionel Messi came into the clash with Napoli in confident mood and had the hopes of his clubs riding on his illustrious shoulders.
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The Argentine international scored four goals on Saturday and even though Napoli's superior quality virtually ruled out another goalfest, Messi's extraterrestrial ability meant that a lot was still expected from him.
However, the Italians had other ideas and defended as a well-marshalled unit in a performance that the great Azurri sides of the past would have been proud of.
The Barcelona captain was denied time and space and even though he still managed to dribble his way out of tight situations, he was let down by uncharacteristic poor final passes and stray touches.
Camp Nou is very much Messi's fortress of solitude and while Napoli might have successfully curtailed his threat on the night, they still have to do so for another 90 minutes or more if they are to make a first ever quarterfinal appearance.
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