Napoli are out of the Champions League with regrets, as they wasted a golden opportunity to equalise and had penalty appeals rejected in the 3-1 defeat to Barcelona.
The first leg ended 1-1 on coach Francesco Calzona’s debut and he was unbeaten since then, earning two wins and three draws, but coming off Friday’s disappointing 1-1 result with Torino. Piotr Zielinski was cup-tied, with Amir Rrahmani returning from injury, but the Blaugrana missed Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Marcos Alonso, Gavi and Alejandro Balde.
As Camp Nou is undergoing renovations, this game was played at the Estadi Olimpico Lluis Companys, or the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Pau Cubarsi floated a ball over the top for Fermin Lopez to spring the offside trap, but the midfielder could not keep his lob down.
It was only a warning, as Fermin Lopez was able to sweep in with the inside of the right boot undisturbed from 12 yards after Robert Lewandowski’s dummy let the Raphinha pull-back through from the by-line.
Fermin fires Barca into the lead over Napoli! 🔵🔴#UCL pic.twitter.com/SUDxvHx8Cq
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2024
Napoli tried to react with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, but were caught on the counter-attack sparked by Lamine Yamal, as first Raphina cut inside Giovanni Di Lorenzo for a curler thumping the far post, then Joao Cancelo turned in the rebound for 2-0.
Joao Cancelo doubles Barca's advantage! 🤩#UCL pic.twitter.com/oJKZ2ife3O
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2024
Napoli got themselves back into it with a very similar goal to the Blaugrana’s first, as Matteo Politano pulled back from the right by-line beyond Victor Osimhen for Amir Rrahmani to side-foot home from 12 yards.
Napoli pull one back! ⚽️
It's game on! 🤩#UCL pic.twitter.com/JYx8kNwB4X
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2024
It was very nearly 2-2 just five minutes later, as Marc-Andre ter Stegen flew to fingertip the Di Lorenzo looping header out from under the bar on a Mario Rui cross.
Straight after the restart, Kvaratskhelia turned and curled just wide from outside the D, while Politano had a shot charged down by Cubarsi in the box. Osimhen had strong penalty appeals rejected when Cubarsi seemed to tread on the Napoli striker’s foot.
Alex Meret parried a Raphina effort from 12 yards and Ter Stegen had to be alert on a deflected Politano assist before Osimhen could pounce, while a crucial header prevented the Politano cross finding the Nigerian.
Barcelona had the ball in the net after a corner when Meret got behind the Lewandowski header, but Lamine Yamal was in an offside position as he bundled the rebound over the line.
Meret got down to push a ferocious Ilkay Gundogan strike out of the near bottom corner, while Lamine Yamal bent a finish just wide of the far post.
Napoli really should’ve equalised at the 80th minute when a cross from the left found Jesper Lindstrom unmarked, but incredibly the free header went wide of the far stick.
It proved incredibly costly, because Barcelona scored moments later. Sergi Roberto completed a smart give and go with Gundogan to burst into the box and rolled it across for Lewandowski to poke home from six yards.
Barcelona make it 3⃣
They have their eyes firmly set on a spot in the quarter-finals! 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/2oGkRi7yWO
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2024
The Partenopei were unlucky too, as in the final minute Mathias Olivera’s cross-shot thumped the crossbar, then Kvaratskhelia drilled inches wide.
Barcelona 3-1 Napoli (4-2 agg)
Fermin Lopez 15 (B), Joao Cancelo 17 (B), Rrahmani 30 (N), Lewandowski 83 (B)
Player statistic
| Fermín López (Assist: Raphinha) |
 |
15' | ||
| João Cancelo | |
17' | ||
| Andreas Christensen |  |
19' | ||
| 30' | |
Amir Rrahmani (Assist: Matteo Politano) | ||
| Lamine Yamal | |
44' | ||
| 45+2' | |
Juan Jesus |
| 63' | |
Hamed Junior Traorè | ||
| 67' | |
Mathías Olivera | ||
| Robert Lewandowski (Assist: Sergi Roberto) |
|
83' |
Match statistic
Game of fine margins. Lindstrom had a free and relatively easy head, and yet he didn’t even hit the target. Duly punished a few minutes later. Barcelona were the better side, but miles off being contenders.
And this is what you get when you don’t invest in the team after winning scudetto, 3 coaches and a shadow of the team of last season .