The Spanish giants and former champions will be slim favorites to defeat the reigning Italian champions in two games
Barcelona coach Xavier “Xavi” Hernández fired the first shot against Napoli after the two clubs met in the first round of the UEFA Champions League on Monday, Soccernet.ng reported.
The match was between two champions, with Barcelona winning Spain’s La Liga title and Napoli winning their first Scudetto in 33 years, and two teams notorious for their aggressive approach to football. It is expected that there will be a battle.
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Xavis Barça were the second highest scoring team in the league last season with 70 goals. In comparison, Napoli scored his 77 goals, more than any team in Italian Serie A.
African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen contributed significantly to this total, scoring 26 goals and ranking first in the scoring list.
Despite Napoli’s struggles this season, the parthenogenic army has scored 28 goals in 16 games, which compares favorably with Barcelona’s 31 goals in 17 games.
However, Xavi was harshly critical of Napoli, suggesting the Italian champions had become a more defensive team under new manager Walter Mazzarri.
The former Spain midfielder also told Osimhen and his Napoli teammates that they should be prepared to withdraw from the Champions League as Barcelona’s only goal is to reach the quarter-finals.
“They are the current Italian champion team. According to Tutto Napoli, they haven’t won a title since the days of Maradona,” Xavi said.
“They are in a similar situation to us, even if they don’t have the coach from last year and now they have Mazzarri, who is more defensive. There are still two months left, but we want to get to the quarter-finals. “
The first leg of the Round of 16 between Napoli and Barcelona will be held at the Diego Maradona Stadium on February 21, 10 days after the end of the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
Even if Nigeria reach the final, Osimhen will have enough time to recover before leading Napoli to a historic clash with Barcelona.
The Super Eagles striker scored six goals last season, helping Napoli reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.
