Napoli 1-1 Barcelona: Xavi's side held to draw as Lewandowski & Osimhen score
Game is over and the final score is Napoli 1-1 Barcelona. Here is the match report.
Victor Osimhen cancels out Robert Lewandowski's well-taken opener as the struggling Italian champions come from behind to claim a draw... with all to play for ahead of second leg at the Nou Camp
Robert Lewandowski is back, but so is Victor Osimhen and that means crisis clubs Barcelona and Napoli will have to settle their last-16 Champions League tie in three weeks time in the second leg.
Lewandowski made it four consecutive games scoring with his 12th goal of 2024 to put Barcelona ahead on 61 minutes and it was no more than they deserved after dominating the first hour.
But it woke Napoli up, and, starting his first game of the year for the Italian champions, Osimhen majestically spun Iñigo Martinez 15 minutes from time and buried his shot past Marc Andre ter Stegen to level on the night.
It was difficult to know who was happier. Barça had the away draw but had played so poorly for most of the game Napoli had maybe taken away more than they deserved.
In the weeks leading up to the game these two teams have been competing to see whose season could implode more spectacularly but in the first half hour Barcelona played with a confidence belying their situation on an off the pitch.
Lewandowski should have scored on 21 minutes when Joao Cancelo pulled the ball back from byline to him but Meret saved it. Ilkay Gundogan followed it up with a thundering shot which Meret saved again.
The German was hugely influential in midfield as Barcelona dominated. Napoli were playing like the away team with Osimhen well policed by Martinez, while a much sharper Jules Kounde and a dominant Ronald Araujo kept Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet. The only negative for the
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