Barcelona would probably have taken a draw from the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie with Napoli if it was offered pre-match, but there’s no doubt that there is major disappointment from the Catalan side at having drawn 1-1 in Naples, given the way that the 90 minutes played out.
Barcelona were the better team on the night, and they could have easily been 2-0/3-0 up at half time. In the end, it was goalless, although Robert Lewandowski’s goal did give them the breakthrough. However, they could not hold the lead, and Victor Osimhen ensured a share of the spoils for Napoli.
Head coach Xavi Hernandez is well aware that it was a missed opportunity for his side to establish a lead going into the second leg in Catalonia, as per Sport.
“We deserved the victory. We just needed to calm down the game after scoring, while playing on the opposite half, that’s what I missed. But it’s the Champions League, they scored from the one chance they had.”
Although their disappointment is understandable, Barcelona are still in a very good position to progress into the quarter-finals. They will fancy their chances in the home leg, which takes place in three weeks’ time.
