Barcelona more aggressive and with more focussing of the course did not give Naples options, which it won 3-1 and qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League, around in which Bayern Munich of Germany awaits.
Messi scored Barcelona's second goal against Napoli for
the Champions League |
It was an atypical match. The Catalans were aggressive,
but not effective. They knew how to play their cards properly and scored two
goals in the first two approaches to Napoli's area (Lenglet and Messi),
thereby cementing their qualification.
More than five months of patience and once all the trains
have escaped, Barca only had the Champions League, the Champions League and a huge leap of faith on an empty stage, observed by the huge television peephole
and in which all emotions, like sounds, multiply like an infinite echo.
It had to be the night of Football King Leo Messi, in which
everything flowed, the day of the vindication to strike a blow or die, just
when the rival in white had fallen before the ally Guardiola, and Barcelona did
not fail, although it did so with different party management.
But that Barca of doubts, fragile and without hitting in
the final stretch of LaLiga, knew how to control the game well and was
transformed. Given the lack of creativity, play more in transitions, and take
advantage of set pieces. In the first shot over Napoli's goal, just off a
corner kick, Lenglet got rid of Demme and scored 1-0 in the 10th minute.
Napoli, who played very well in the first leg, fell into
their own trap. He was in control, but Barca was lethal. Without Busquets or
Arturo Vidal, sanctioned; Rakitic played the midfielder, De Jong read the game
very well and Sergi Roberto delivered.
In the second shot on goal, it was 2-0 for the Catalans. Leo
Messi, in an action in which he stumbled across the ball between four rivals
and ended up falling into the net in the 23rd minute.
Seven minutes later, Setien's men could have certified
the pass to the final phase in Lisbon. After some great creative action, Messi
controlled and beat Ospina, after an excellent cross from De Jong. The referee,
after consulting with the VAR, annulled the 3-0 by the hand of Barca's ten.
The VAR had to intervene again in an action by Koulibaly
on Messi. The Argentine was ahead of the defender's action, who hit the
forward's ankle. Luis Suárez made it 3-0 in a discount.
The story of the first half did not end here at all.
Another penalty, this time from Rakitic to Mertens, allowed Insigne to score
3-1 in the 49th minute and give life to the Neapolitans who were already with
few options.
In the second half, Barca played to make sure nothing unusual
occurred and they succeeded. He kept the ball, did not risk, and played with the head. Who interpreted the game to perfection was Frenkie de Jong, very well in
the game to space and to the first touch.
Twenty minutes to go, Gattuso looked towards the bench
and decided to gamble. He put Politano and the Mexican Lozano. More power to
force at least one goal.
Milik succeeded, in the 80th minute, but offside; in the
only one of the few moments in which the Italians came close on the goal of Ter
Stegen. In the end, the youth squad Manchu made his debut and Barca handled the
ball, touched and touched, and let the game die.
Messi, beaten down by the effort and in pain from the
blow suffered in the first half, was a reflection of the suffering of the
Catalans, who will be in the final phase in Lisbon, where Bayern Munich awaits
them. The quarterfinal will be played next Friday the 14th in the Lisbon
capital. (EFE)