FC Barcelona have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the 13th time in a row. After the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Naples, the Catalans won 3-1 (3-1) at home against SSC Napoli. Clément Lenglet (10th minute), Lionel Messi (23rd) and Luis Suárez (45th + 1, foul penalty) scored for Barça, the goal for Naples was scored by Lorenzo Insigne (45th + 5, foul penalty.)
After the first leg it was clear: Napoli would have to score in Barcelona to have a chance to advance. Accordingly, the guests opened the game actively and almost took the lead after 90 seconds: Dries Mertens, goalscorer from the first leg, shot the ball from the left-hand position against the post. A source of encouragement for Gennaro Gattuso’s team, who let the ball and opponents run and were the stronger team in the early stages. The turning point in the game brought a standard situation: A corner from Ivan Rakitic landed at Lenglet, who headed in from a few meters (10th).
The 2-0 win was then a matter for the boss: Messi did not let himself be stopped by six opponents, even a fall did not disturb him – with his left he shot the ball wonderfully into the left corner (23rd). Previously, all of Barcelona’s eleven players had touched the ball in the build-up without a player from Naples intervening. It was also Messi who was fouled with a penalty just before the break. Suárez made it 3-0 (45th + 1). But there was also a penalty on the other side in the first half, which Insigne safely converted (45th + 5).
The SSC needed two goals in the second half and looked for their chance. With Stanislav Lobotka for former Leipzig Diego Demme, the guests played firmly in the opposing half and scored four shots on goal in the first seven minutes of the second half alone. Naples fought to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, but Barcelona coach Quique Setién didn’t have to worry too much. His players kept the opponent far away from their own goal, even they rarely looked for the direct route to goal when attacking, but let the seventh of the table of Serie A run after them with many passes. The 2015 Champions League winners routinely made it 3-1 over time.
After their 36th home game in a row without defeat in the Champions League, FC Barcelona now face FC Bayern Munich. The two teams will face each other next Friday (9 p.m., TV: Sky, live ticker: SPIEGEL.de). The winner of this duel awaits the winner of the Manchester City vs. Olympique Lyon.
