Barcelona vs Napoli Predictions

• Barcelona are unbeaten in eight matches, winning five in that run and keeping a clean sheet in their last three outings
• Napoli have lost five of their last eight away games
• Barca are unbeaten in all five of their meetings with the Partenopei, winning twice in that run

Barca bound for the quarter-finals?

Barcelona will be feeling confident ahead of this second leg for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, they held Napoli to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, which is a good result in Naples where their hosts had won three of their previous five games before that tie.

Secondly, Xavi’s men are in the midst of an eight-match unbeaten run which has included five wins and has seen Barca keep a clean sheet in each of their last three matches.

Thirdly, when La Blaugrana have avoided defeat in a Champions League first-leg tie away from home, they have progressed to the next round on 20 of those 21 occasions.

And lastly, Barcelona are unbeaten in their five previous meetings with Napoli, winning 3-1 and 4-2 in convincing victories during that sequence.

Napoli need to improve to get a result

That would suggest the ball is very much in Barca’s court for this second-leg clash, and the Partenopei will need to put in a much better performance this time around.

Napoli were outshot 12-6 in the first leg and, in reality, should have lost in Naples. Their latest result saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Torino on Friday and they will need to improve markedly if they wish to reach the quarter-finals for the second year running.

Both teams have scored in all five previous meetings between the pair and the visitors have scored nine goals in their last three, so expect an exciting affair in Barcelona.

However, the Partenopei have been eliminated each of the 11 times they have failed to win a home first-leg tie in a European competition and have also lost five of their last eight away games, suggesting this could be the end of the road for Francesco Calzona’s side.