Amadeu García Barcelona
Barcelona
Updated Tuesday, March 12, 2024-23:02
Direct This is how we live it
Barça did not have it easy.
But, finally,
four years later
, they will be in
the Champions League quarterfinals
again .
Xavi
's men
promised them very happily with an early 2-0 win, born from the boots of
Fermín
and
Cancelo
.
But, half an hour into the duel, they found themselves with a 2-1 score that spurred the desire of a
Naples team
more than willing to make their evening miserable.
Above all, in a second half in which the Italians harassed
Ter Stegen
and even asked for a possible penalty from
Cubarsí
to Osimhen, which was ultimately not awarded by the referee.
Lewandowski
, in the final stretch of the match, would be in charge of materializing a 3-1 that ended any type of suspense.
The move to the quarterfinals gives a little more air to a team used to chaining blow after blow in
Europe
in the last four seasons.
The last time he did it, curiously, also at the expense of
Naples
in a
2019-20
season marked by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, but it ended up being a poisoned candy.
Bayern
,
in a single-game quarterfinal in
Lisbon
, erased their dreams with a stroke of the pen with a cruel and humiliating 2-8 that, in the end, caused an earthquake with
Messi and ended up costing
Josep Maria Bartomeu
the presidency
.
On an economic level, in addition, the pass means for the battered Barcelona coffers to earn a not inconsiderable
10.3 million euros
, to which another four million would be added in terms of box office for one of the quarterfinal duels, and also fulfill , with a budget that contemplated getting into, at least, this round of the top European competition.
The night when Barça was playing to be or not to be in the Champions League,
Xavi
made a big bet on the youngsters.
Pau Cubarsí
, who
stayed on the bench in
Italy , formed a partnership in the center of defense with Araujo and thus signed, at the
age of 17
last January, his debut in the top continental competition.
Fermín
, for his part, also entered the eleven after having been a starting substitute last Friday against
Mallorca
and
Lamine Yamal
, essential for his team to win against the island team, maintained his starting position at the top.
And to tell the truth, the bet paid off quite well.
As soon as it started,
Cubarsí won the game without breaking a sweat against Osimhen
inside the Barça area and Barça showed promising ambition in pressing, even though the visitors threatened to cause some scare.
The locals, however, were the first to open fire.
Fermín
, after a good combination between Cancelo, Raphinha and Lewandowski, the latter showing intelligence to let the ball pass, made it 1-0 when the first 15 minutes of the duel had barely been played.
Things would also get even better when the Portuguese defender, taking advantage of a shot by Raphinha after an assist from Yamal that hit the post,
brought the score to 2-0 just two minutes later
.
The Blaugrana promised them very happy.
Until
Rrahmani
, around the half hour mark, put a damper on their party with a 2-1 score that put Napoli back in the game, in an offensive action by the Italians in which Araujo was not fine when looking for offside.
There, the duel was equal.
So much so that Ter Stegen, with a changed hand, shortly afterwards avoided the tie after a header from
Di Lorenzo
.
Barça, despite the scare, would still manage to have some option to get the score back on track before the break.
Barça, as cyclothymic as usual, once again showed its worst version at the start of the second half in which
Kvaratskhelia
sent a hard shot from the edge of the area just wide and Napoli in full protested
Cubarsi's action on Osimhen as a penalty
.
Neither the referee nor the VAR considered that he was punishable.
The Italians, little by little, began harassing Ter Stegen's area more and more.
After eight minutes of tension, the Blaugrana retaliated with a shot from
Raphinha to
Meret
's body
that seemed to restore their serenity.
At least, in part, because the Neapolitans would soon resume their siege.
The direction that the game was taking did not invite optimism for a Barça that only struggled in fits and starts.
Lurches that, yes, at least managed to test Meret's concentration.
Napoli, at least, were also unable to find a goal that could allow them to force at least extra time.
Until
Lewandowski
, after an assist from
Sergi Roberto
who left the goal practically done, put an end to the suspense with a 3-1 that left the tie in sight.