Three questions and three answers from Barcelona 3-1 Napoli

Barcelona are in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. A wait of four long years came to an end last night when the men in garnet and blue took apart Napoli at home, but it is safe to say that it was far from a simple task.

Francesco Calzona has changed Napoli’s fortunes since his appointment last month, and the game last night is a testament to the same. Barcelona may have got an early two-goal lead, but the Italians fought valiantly until the end of the game and were close to equalising on multiple occasions.

In the end, goals from Fermin Lopez, Joao Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski helped the Catalans secure a 3-1 win (4-2 on aggregate) and advance to the final eight.

Barça Universal brings you three answers and three questions that last night’s clash left fans with.

Three answers

1. How would Xavi compensate for the midfield deficit?

Heading into the knockout clash against Napoli, Xavi was without both Frenkie de Jong and Pedri who made a bigger difference in the first leg. The fact that they are the team’s creators-in-chief made the situation worse for the manager.

In the end, Xavi opted to deploy a pure 4-3-3 with a natural winger on the left flank. Raphinha took the place of the extra-midfielder, reducing the burden on the understaffed department.

Of the three places in midfield, Ilkay Gundogan and Andreas Christensen were bonafide starters and the manager opted to provide young Fermin Lopez with the final place in the department. The youngster’s energetic and proactive display stole the show in the first half, as he scored the team’s opener and constantly generated a threat in Napoli’s box.

2. Youth or experience in central defence?

Pau Cubarsi or Inigo Martinez – that was the question that plagued Xavi heading into last night’s clash. Last time around, he opted for the veteran’s experience only to see him directly err for Napoli’s equaliser, and this time, gave Cubarsi the start.

90 minutes later, the 17-year-old walked…

Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/three-questions-and-three-answers-from-barcelona-3-1-napoli/

Author : Adithya Eshwarla

Publish date : 2024-03-13 10:16:29

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