Napoli vs. Barcelona Predictions

Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for Inter Napoli vs. Barcelona at UEFA Champions League

Where: Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Naples, Italy
When: Thursday, February 22, 04:00 AM

Maradona is what these two teams have in common, and no doubt, it is what makes this match even more special than it is. The former Argentinian magician played for both units, reaching fantastic successes, carving his name in glory while wearing their jerseys. Napoli and Barcelona meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 this Wednesday, in what appears to be a very close matchup. Both teams experience trouble, and for many, this is a 50-50 situation.

Napoli vs. Barcelona Preview

Napoli

The Partenopei lost to Milan two weeks ago in a game that meant very much. This 1-0 defeat shows that the still-reigning Italian champs are in a deep hole without an idea of how to sort things out. A switch at the head coaching position didn’t do much, with the team still struggling under Walter Mazzarri.

Napoli had more or less solid results at Maradona Stadium, losing only once in the past six appearances, which was a shocking defeat to Frosinone 0-4. In four wins they had throughout that span, the boys in blue netted at least two goals in each.

We need to say that the chemistry on the field is nowhere near last year’s and that Luciano Spaletti’s departure ruined everything. Napoli owners apparently made a terrible mistake when deciding to move on from the experienced manager.

Barcelona

Despite more or less solid results, Barcelona is sinking. Their game doesn’t look good, the players are obviously demotivated, and the fans are slowly starting to realize the limitations of this unit, which is why they, too, look deflated.

They played 3-3 against terrible Granada ten days ago, which is the ultimate proof that the team from Camp Nou isn’t in a good place. Injuries are one of the reasons, with Gabi and Pedri being the key to success for Blaugrana last year, while both of them missing so many matches this season.

If nothing, Barca’s games are nothing short of exciting, with seven of the past eight ending with four or more hits. In all these matches, both teams have scored.

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Napoli and Barcelona Possible Lineups

Napoli: Meret; Ostigard, Rrahmani, Jesus; Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, Lobotka, Rui; Osimhen, Simeone, Kvaratskhelia

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, I Martinez, Cancelo; F de Jong, Gundogan, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha

* at the time of writing these lineups were relevant

Napoli vs Barcelona Head to Head

Two seasons ago, these two units met at the same stage, only of the Europa League competition. After playing 1-1 in Barcelona, Blaugrana triumphed 2-4 in Naples to advance to the next stage. Two years prior, in 2020, they were in the knockout stage of the Champions League, where Barca eliminated Napoli once again, 1-1 in Italy, 3-1 at home.

Napoli vs. Barcelona Predictions

Napoli will be offensive-minded, and we really believe that the hosts can defeat struggling and pale Barca solely because of the home-court edge. In some cases, Barcelona is one-dimensional this season, oriented towards defense, without a solution for scoring a goal. Napoli, meanwhile, is solid at home and gets carried by the atmosphere, which could be the difference-maker here.

Our pick: Napoli wins