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Sunday, August 09, 2020, 11:35
Barca beat Napoli to meet Bayern in league quarters
By Xinhua
Sunday, August 09, 2020, 11:35 By Xinhua

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi is congratulated by Napoli's Italian forward Matteo Politano at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between FC Barcelona and Napoli at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on August 8, 2020. (LLUIS GENE / AFP)

MADRID / BERLIN - FC Barcelona booked their place in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 win over Napoli at the Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday night.

Barca went into the game with the advantage of a 1-1 away draw in the first leg, but with question marks over their form in the last 11 weeks of Spain's domestic season.

To further complicate matters, Barca coach Quique Setien was without midfielders Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal through suspension, although Frenkie De Jong returned after injury.

Napoli sounded a warning in the second minute of the game when Dreis Mertens hit the outside of the post, but Barca took the lead in the 15th minute after Clement Lenglet powered home a header from Ivan Rakitic's corner.

The disappointment didn't last long as Messi's quick thinking saw him nip in behind Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibali who accidently kicked him on the Achilles heel to concede a penalty

It was 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Leo Messi's persistence took him through three challenges before curling a left foot shot past David Ospina into the corner of the Napoli goal.

Messi thought he had added a third in the 30th minute, but his goal was ruled out by VAR after the ball had brushed his arm after he'd controlled it on his chest.

The disappointment didn't last long as Messi's quick thinking saw him nip in behind Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibali who accidently kicked him on the Achilles heel to concede a penalty.

READ MORE: Tests rule out serious injury for Barca defender Lenglet

With Messi receiving treatment, Luis Suarez stepped up to send Ospina the wrong way from the spot.

There was still time for more drama in the first half when Rakitic's careless challenge gave Napoli a penalty, which Lorenzo Insigne dispatched with ease.

The Italians looked to take the game to Barca in the second half with a lot of pressure, which was higher up the field, but they failed to create enough clear chances, with Hirving Lozano having the best of their second half efforts.

Bayern knockout Chelsea 4-1

In an earlier competition, Robert Lewandowski's brace smoothed the way to the quarterfinals as Bayern beat Chelsea 4-1 (7-1 on aggregate) in the second-leg in the round of last 16 on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski's brace smoothed the way to the quarterfinals as Bayern beat Chelsea 4-1 (7-1 on aggregate) in the second-leg in the round of last 16 on Saturday

The German champions' progression was never in danger as they sealed the deal within first 45 minutes after establishing a two-goal lead against their visitors.

ALSO READ: Napoli decider make or break for Setien's haphazard Barca

From the kick-off, Bayern controlled the proceedings on the pitch and needed only ten minutes to break the deadlock as onrushing Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero felled Lewandowski inside the box. The Poland international made no mistake and converted the subsequent penalty into the top right corner with ten minutes played.

Chelsea wobbled whereas Bayern gained momentum and extended the lead in the 24th minute when Lewandowski teed up for Ivan Persic, who made it 2-0 from inside the box.

The "Blues" were now in need of five goals without a reply and they thought they had reduced the arrears out of the blue as Callum Hudson-Odoi caught Bayern custodian Manuel Neuer flat-footed. The goal however was ruled offside at the half hour mark.

The hosts remained on the front foot but Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry squandered promising opportunities before the break while Chelsea eventually halved the deficit through Tammy Abraham, who tapped home a loose ball from Neuer in the 44th minute.

After the restart, Bayern retracted behind the ball with the lead while the visitors from London lacked in penetration.

Hansi Flick reacted on Bayern's passive performance and fielded Philippe Coutinho and Corentin Tolisso at the hour mark.

Flick's substitution paid off as Coutinho passed into the path of Lewandowski, whose cross into the bow allowed Tolisso to restore Bayern's two goal lead in the 76th minute.

Lewandowski remained in the thick of things as he rounded off the win with his 13th goal of the season after heading home Alvaro Odriozola's pinpoint cross with six minutes to the final whistle.

With the result, Bayern Munich will face Barcelona in the quarterfinal in Lisbon on Friday. 


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