Napoli vs. Barcelona Result, highlights from Europa League as Barca power past Napoli

George Priestman

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Napoli vs. Barcelona Result, highlights from Europa League as Barca power past Napoli image

Barcelona confirmed their place in the second knockout round of the Europa League following a brilliant attacking first half display to beat Napoli 4-2. 

Goals from Jordi Alba, Frenkie De Jong, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gerard Pique were enough to earn a 5-3 aggregate win on the night. 

In a frantic first half, Barcelona were at their clinical best on the counter attack thanks to their new signing Adama Traore, who's settled in brilliantly at the club. 

He laid on his first of two assists, playing in Alba to finish superbly past Meret.

Barca doubled their lead soon after thanks to a dazzling long range attempt from De Jong, who excelled in the first half. 

Napoli pulled a goal back from the penalty spot thanks to Victor Osimhem's persistence as he was brought down just inside the box by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Lorenzo Insigne converted from the spot, in what is likely to be his final European match for Napoli.

Any hope of a comeback was squashed by Gerard Pique who scored his first Europa League goal of the season after good work from Alba.

In the second half, Barca scored their fourth goal 15 minutes after half-time, thanks to a brilliant passing move in typical Barcelona fashion.

Traore fired in a low cross which De Jong left brilliantly for Aubameyang to finish into the top corner to make it four goals in two games for the former Arsenal striker. 

Napoli pulled a late goal back thanks to Matteo Politano but it was simply too little, too late for the side from Naples. 

Barcelona played some of their best attacking football for a long time, and Xavi will be a happy manager as his side march on into the next round.

 

MORE: Has Champions League final been moved from Russia?

 

Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

 

Napoli vs. Barcelona Result

Napoli 2


Insigne 23' (Pen)
Politano 87'
 

Barcelona 4

Alba 9'
De Jong 13'
Pique 45'
Aubameyang 59'

 

(Barcelona win 5-3 on Aggregate)

(All times Eastern)

 

Napoli vs. Barcelona - As It Happened

 

FULL-TIME!: Barcelona win 4-2 on the night and advance to the second knockout stages!

 

87th min: Pique and Nico were caught trying to play out from the back and the Napoli forward punished Barcelona with a brilliant finish.

87th min: GOAL FOR NAPOLI! POLITANO MAKES IT 4-2!

81st min: Substitution for Napoli; Andrea Petagna replaces Insigne, in what is his last European game as a Napoli player. 

Barca also replace Torres with another young starlet in Riqui Puig.

74th min: A triple change for both sides here! With Dries Mertens, Adam Ounas and Faouzi Ghoulam coming on for Zielinski, Rui and Osimhen.

For Barca, Nico, Luuk de Jong and Ousmane Dembele replace Pedri, Aubameyang and Traore as we enter the last 15 minutes!

69th min: Goal Ruled OUT for Offside! Insigne's volley is ruled out following a good move.

67th min: Napoli frustrations grow as Barcelona have taken over possession and are dominating proceedings. It's simply been one of Barcelona's best performances for a long time.

 

62nd min: Wonderkid Gavi (who's still 17 years old by the way!) comes on for Sergio Busquets.

59th min: A brilliant passing move from Barcelona saw Traore cross low, which was left by De Jong and Aubameyang fired brilliantly into the top corner. A top quality goal from former Arsenal striker!

 

59th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! AUBAMEYANG MAKES IT 4-1!

57th min: Yellow Card for Zielinski! The Polish midfielder brings down Aubameyang cynically to stop the counter attack and is the first player to go into the book so far.

55th min: Chance for Barcelona! Traore's deep cross was parried by Meret out to De Jong, who's shot was brilliantly blocked by Rrahmani to stop Barca getting a fourth goal!

52nd min: Pitor Zielinski and Insigne link up to get into Barcelona's area but the shot is blocked well by Pedri but the corner comes to nothing. Still a high pace to the game early in the second half.

46th min: Second half underway! Napoli make one change with Matteo Politano coming on for Demme as Napoli need 2 goals to force extra time!

HALF-TIME: Barcelona are in the driving seat going into the second half, and Napoli have it all to do in the second half. Expect more goals in the second half, what a game it's been so far!

HALF-TIME: Jordi Alba has rolled back the years on a big European Night for Barcelona, scoring the opening goal and it was his deflected cross that led to the Pique goal too. What a player!

 

HALF-TIME: Barcelona have been in fine goal scoring recently, and it's carried on here tonight! 

 

HALF-TIME: Napoli 1-3 Barcelona

45th min: Pique finishes with his left foot following another Alba cross, the Spaniard finishing like a striker!

 

45th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! GERARD PIQUE MAKES IT 3-1!

43rd min: More brilliant play from De Jong as he powers past a few challenges before setting through Traore, who wins another corner.

37th min: Barcelona break again with Traore who got in behind the Napoli defence again, but was dispossessed when cutting inside by Diego Demme. 

27th min: HUGE chance for Aubameyang, as more Barcelona pressure led to a corner which was flicked onto the back post where he was unmarked, but somehow fired wide! All action here at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

25th min: GOAL FOR NAPOLI! Insigne makes no mistake as he emphatically scores from the spot. 

24th min: PENALTY TO NAPOLI! Osihem was brought down by a reckless Ter-Stegen 

23rd min: VAR CHECK FOR NAPOLI PENALTY

17th min: Frenkie De Jong bends a curling effort from outside the box into the top corner to double Barcelona's lead. What a goal!

16th min.: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! DE JONG DOUBLES THE LEAD!

11th min: A fast counter-attack lead by Adama Traore, in typical fashion, powered through to set up Jordi Alba, who slotted past Meret to open the scoring! Napoli 0-1 Barcelona.

10th min: GOAL FOR BARCELONA!

5th min: Following a quiet opening few minutes, Barcelona have settled into a rhythm, with some good possession early on.

1st min: And we are underway in Naples! 

2:56 p.m.: Key news for Napoli is that Lorenzo Insigne returns after missing the league game against Cagliari, as key players Victor Osimhen, Fabian Ruiz and Kalidou Koulibaly all start in Naples.

2:52 p.m.: Key team news for Barcelona is: Gerard Pique returns and Ferran Torres joins Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the front three.

 

2:15 p.m.: No Lionel Messi on the field this time, but the matchup is a good excuse to surface one of his best goals for the Blaugrana.

 

 

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