With a 3-1 victory at home against Napoli, Barcelona earned a 4-2 aggregate victory and advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo scored twice in the first half of the game to put Xavi Hernandez’s team in complete control, but Barca had to weather a scare from the Italian champions in the middle of the game.
Jesper Lindstrom missed the mark late in the game with a header from point-blank range that would have tied the score, but Amir Rrahmani pulled one back before the half. Rather, it was sealed by Robert Lewandowski, who executed a brilliant team move.
Barcelona has the opportunity to close out their European campaign on a strong note, despite neither team being able to defend their national titles this season.
Barca’s win in stats
- For the first time since 2019–20, Barcelona has advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals. They also eliminated Napoli 4–2 on aggregate from the season’s final 16.
- For the first time since 2017–18, Barcelona has won all four of their home games during a competition. This season, they are the Champions League champions.
- In four of the five times Napoli has advanced to this round of the Champions League, they have been ousted in the round of sixteen.
- In his last 13 Champions League knockout games, Robert Lewandowski has scored 13 goals.
- Joao Cancelo is the only defender to have 10+ goal involvements in the tournament since the start of 2020–21 (14 – 5 goals, 9 assists).
- Barcelona became the first team in UEFA Champions League history to start two players who were 17 years of age or younger in a knockout match when they started Lamine Yamal (16 years 243 days) and Pau Cubarsi (17 years 50 days).
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