Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic says it was hard for his side to attack Napoli because it's hard "when a team defends with 11 men" following their 1-1 draw last night.
Napoli took the lead through Dries Mertens in the first half, before Antoine Griezmann equalised for the Catalan side in the second half.
Barca struggled to create any real goal scoring opportunities, and Rakitic explains why.
“We knew it would be a difficult game. Napoli closed the game down,” Rakitic told Calciomercato.com
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic says it was hard for his side to attack Napoli because it's hard "when a team defends with 11 men" following their 1-1 draw last night.
Napoli took the lead through Dries Mertens in the first half, before Antoine Griezmann equalised for the Catalan side in the second half.
Barca struggled to create any real goal scoring opportunities, and Rakitic explains why.
“We knew it would be a difficult game. Napoli closed the game down,” Rakitic told Calciomercato.com
“We made a mistake and they scored. It’s difficult to attack against a team that defends with 11 men.
“We must be very confident and prepare well for the second leg. I am convinced that we will produce a great performance in Barcelona.”
The second leg takes place at the Camp Nou on March 18.