Already two goals down after 13 ‘(Jordi Alba and de Jong), the Azzurri deceive themselves with the penalty converted by Insigne, but at the end of the period Piqué silences the stadium. In the second half Aubameyang’s fourth goal, Politano then makes the defeat less bitter
Napoli goes down. At Maradona Barcelona passes a thunderous 4-2 with a hard game lesson and qualifies for the knockout stages of the Europa League. Already at 13 ‘Xavi’s team is at 2-0 and the Azzurri feel lost. Insigne’s goal from a penalty is a perfidious illusion. Then two more goals by the Catalans close the accounts of a match that seemed in balance only for the opening seven minutes. The 1-1 draw a week ago at the Camp Nou quickly became a memory. Before the match, photos of the twenty-two players all together with a “No war” banner, thinking about what is happening in Ukraine. Having broken through the wall of forty thousand spectators, Maradona had prepared himself among many emotions in the challenge between the club teams that fueled the legend of Diego.
Barcelona in the chair
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Spalletti relies on 4-2-3-1. Compared to the initial formation in Cagliari, he can count on the returns of Fabian Ruiz, Insigne and Osimhen. Between the posts there is Meret in the sign of alternating with Ospina between the championship and the Europa League. Three news in Barcelona in reference to the starting eleven at Camp Nou. Dest and Araujo enter the defense, while Busquets is back in the direction. It looks like a study start on both sides. But the game starts immediately. At 8 ‘from a corner of Insigne misdirected the restart of Barcelona is triggered. Traoré is an arrow, the Napoli defense fails to contain him, opening on the right for Jordi Alba who puts Meret on. Naples frozen. Spalletti’s team is casually distracted in the 13th minute and de Jong finds himself free to invent from a distance a parable that gives Meret no escape and leads Barcelona to 2-0. Napoli reels in comparison with Xavi’s team. The race seems prematurely with no way back for the Azzurri. Barcelona are hammering on the offensive front. At 23 ‘Osimhen slips forward and is mowed down by goalkeeper Ter Stegen. Penalty. From the disc Insigne with an angled execution shortens the distances. However, the Spanish pressing continues to make a difference. Insigne starts a restart but aims for the net instead of serving Osimhen who complains while Maradona rumbles. At 44 ‘a shot from Piqué finds the opening to hit the post and end up in the bag. At half-time, with 3-1 for Barcelona.
Without escape
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In the second half, Napoli restarts with Politano in place of Demme: Elmas moves back to the median. Barcelona slows down the pace and pressure, Spalletti’s team finds some momentum. But at 15 ‘Traorè makes his way, de Jong veil and Aubameyang scores the fourth goal. The game has no more history. Spalletti brings in Ounas, Mertens and Ghoulam for Fabian Ruiz, Osimhan and Zielinski. And at 80 it is up to Insigne to come out amid the whistles of Maradona while he gives way to Petagna. Politano at 42 ‘wins a ball in the area and with a lash marks the 4-2. Which becomes the final result. The greeting of the forty thousand Napoli fans is among the boos. But the blue banners had been withdrawn from the Curva already in the first half when the news of the death of an ultra leader arrived. The night of party planned for Napoli at Maradona was not exactly this.
February 24, 2022 (change February 24, 2022 | 23:01)
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