Barça News
Official: Barcelona starting XI against Napoli is out
FC Barcelona announced the starting line-up against Napoli in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 matches.
Barcelona is starting with the classic Messi, Suarez, Griezmann trident in front. In the midfield, Rakitic, De Jong, and Roberto are lined up, followed by Alba, Lenglet, Piqué, and Semedo in the defense. The goal is secured by Ter Stegen, as usual.
#Culers, your starting XI!#BarçaNapoli | @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/wxuEXA6YXe
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 8, 2020
De Jong will start after several months of being out due to injury. The Dutchman is expected to lead Barça in the midfield.
Messi, Semedo, and Griezmann are on the edge of suspension. If they want to feature in the quarterfinals (most likely against Bayern Münich), they should avoid a yellow card today against Napoli.
It is worth to mention that Barcelona has not lost a single Champions League game at the Camp Nou since 2013. Also, Lionel Messi has a total of 67 goals and 22 assists in 66 home games for Barcelona in the Champions League. Combining these two statistics, we could say that Napoli will have a hard time – but as always, the ball is round, and we know that Barcelona can struggle from time to time.
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Inter Milan announced the signing of Arturo Vidal who will join the Italian club after his medical tests. Barcelona heavy-weights Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez shared a message to the Chilean:
Lionel Messi: “I knew you from facing each other, and you always seemed like a phenomenon, but then I was lucky enough to meet you personally and you surprised me even more. It was two years of sharing a lot of things and you noticed a lot, the locker room will miss you. I wish you all the best in this new phase at your new club. Our paths will cross again for sure.”
Luis Suarez: “Having you as a rival was unbearable because of how great you are as a player, but having you as a teammate, friend, and knowing you as a person is even bigger! A pleasure to have been with a star player like you. I wish you all the best.”
Vidal played a total of 96 games for Barcelona, scoring 11 goals and making 10 assists during the two seasons he spent at the Catalan club.
Stats: Transfermarkt
