The enforced break due to the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed Luis Suarez (right) to regain fitness ahead of the second leg of Barca’s UCL round-of-16 tie with Napoli. Photo By @FCBarcelona (Twitter)
- On Saturday, August 8, it’s the second-leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 between Barca and Napoli
- Barca start as favorites but have recently suffered a disappointing end to their La Liga season
- We’ll preview the game, look at the odds, some stats, and offer a pick
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) resumes at the weekend when, among others, Barcelona and Napoli conclude their round-of-16 matchup, the first leg of which was played before the coronavirus lockdown. It will be an empty Camp Nou that hosts this game on Saturday, August 8, KO 4:00 pm EST, but the prize remains the same. With the first leg ending 1-1, it’s still all to play for.
We’ll preview the game, list the odds, compare some stats, and offer a pick.
Barcelona vs Napoli Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | -1 (+160) | -160 | Ov 2.5 (-150) |
| Napoli | +1 (+130) | +440 | Un 2.5 (+124) |
| Draw | -1 (+250) | +310 | N/A |
Odds taken Aug 6
Empty Camp Nou Awaits
It’s been a long wait, but finally, Barca and Napoli get to conclude their UCL round-of-16 tie and decide who earns that place in the competition’s last eight. It couldn’t be more evenly balanced, with Barcelona coming from behind in the Stadio San Paolo to draw 1-1, when an early Dries Mertens strike from the edge of the box gave Napoli the lead before Antoine Griezmann equalized for Barca on 57 minutes.
For the Catalan giants, a Champions League win is very much on the agenda, with manager Quique Setien under huge pressure after missing out on the La Liga title to Real Madrid, and, in many ways, a defeat or even a high-scoring draw (that would see them eliminated) is out of the question for Barca.
Suarez Good to Go?
It’ll not be straightforward though, especially with an empty Camp Nou – always worth an extra man for Barca – but also because of injuries and suspensions in their squad. For starters, both Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal will miss the game through suspension, while Frankie De Jong and Luis Suarez are both touch-and-go after only recently recovering from serious injuries. If both are available it will be a huge boost for Setien.
For Napoli, Fernando Llorente will miss out through injury, while Amin Younes and Faouzi Ghoulam are both ineligible.
Barcelona vs Napoli UCL 2019/20 Head-to-Head Stats
| 7 / 4 | Games played / Wins | 7 / 3 |
| 0 | Defeats | 0 |
| 3 | Draws | 4 |
| 10 | Goals scored | 12 |
| 5 | Goals conceded | 5 |
| 88% | Passing accuracy | 83% |
| 89 | Goal attempts | 95 |
| 3-1 vs BVB (h) | Biggest win in 2019/20 UCL | 4-0 vs Genk (h) |
History on the Side of the Catalans
From the table above, it’s worth noting that Napoli has scored more goals than Barca in this season’s UCL and have also had more goal attempts – a sure sign that this is not a vintage Barcelona team – but the Catalans do have history on their side. They have drawn away in the first leg of a European tie 26 times, and in 21 of those they went on to progress through to the next round of the competition – an ominous sign for Napoli.
The Catalans’ form though has been indifferent since the restart – at least by their very high standards – and it was the dropping of points in four of their 11 games that ultimately led to Real Madrid winning the league by five points. Particularly costly was a 2-1 home defeat by Osasuna and a couple of 2-2 draws – against Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo – which brought home problems ongoing problems with Setien’s midfield and defense.
They will be hoping that they can instead rediscover their pre-lockdown form, where they had Camp Nou, UCL successes against Inter Milan (2-1) and Borussia Dortmund (3-1).
Napoli Poor Travelers
Like Barca, Napoli is unbeaten in this season’s Champions League and, most notably, took four points off the current holders Liverpool in the group stages but they are notoriously poor travelers, not just in Europe but also on the road this season in Serie A.
🐐 Leo #Messi 🔝
1️⃣9️⃣ goals
1️⃣4️⃣ appearances in Last 16 second legs of the @ChampionsLeague— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 6, 2020
Despite Gennaro Gattuso enjoying a honeymoon period when taking over early in the season from the experienced Carlo Ancelotti – now at Everton – his team struggled for consistency in Serie A and eventually finished seventh. It was a poor result by the Neapolitans’ recent standards – not helped by three defeats and just one win in their final five league games – but they will point to a win in the Coppa Italia final, where they beat Juventus on penalties, as a degree of success.
But it’s a big ask that awaits Napoli, especially with them having recently lost the La Liga title in such disappointing fashion, and with the chances of Lionel Messi winning one more Champions League running out, Barca will throw everything at this one.
Pick: Barca to win 2-0 (+800)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/barcelona-vs-napoli-champions-league-round-of-16-leg-2-odds-picks-betting-preview/
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