F.C. Barcelona welcomed S.S.C. Napoli at the Camp Nou, Barcelona.
First Half- Barca were troubled greatly in the first nine-ten minutes. After that, it was all Barcelona. Barcelona outplayed Napoli and there were glimpses of what Griezmann and Suarez could do together. Messi was phenomenal again, although our hearts skipped a beat watching him limping. Semedo, for me was the best player today, along with Frenkie De Jong. They really seemed to bring what was expected of them when they were signed. Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba were not as good as we would normally expect them to be, but they did not commit many mistakes. Ter Stegen did not have much to do, but distributed pretty fast and precisely. A good first half ended on a low though, as Napoli were awarded a penalty and Insigne tucked it away. 3-1 to Barcelona, including goals from Lenlet, Messi and Suarez(p). Another Messi goal was taken away due to slight handball which no Napoli player appealed for.
Second Half- After an eventful first half, second half started badly for Barcelona, they could not hold on to the ball, could not pass accurately, could not stop Napoli from creating chances. Napoli created chance after chance and here, Lenglet and Pique were on toes every time. Lenglet was always there to tackle and intercept balls and start a counter attack. Pique headed that balls swiftly away and made some good tackles. All in all, the first ten minutes were played in the Barcelona half. After that, the game was more open than ever, Barcelona create, Napoli stop them, create or counter, then Barcelona stop them, create or counter. This second half was even more satisfying from my perspective. Some good decisions would have meant goals galore for both sides. However, no goals were scored and Barcelona won 3-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate.
What went right-
1. De Jong can be considered a worthy heir to Busquets, the way he played was amazing, sweeping away from challenges, passing around the ball, looking for spaces, brilliant.
2. Semedo may just be the right choice. Semedo was fast, attacking, and then in a flash he was making goal saving tackles. A brilliant display from him.
3. Griezmann finally got independance. Griezmann was all over the park and bar two or three occasions, he was making the right decisions and was helping the team throughout. If we remember, David Villa, Messi and Pedro, none of them was a full winger and the trio did just fine.
4. Messi was playing, and did not get booked or injured. Messi playing good is not a question anymore. But had he been booked or injured, he would have missed the trip to Portugal or at least the game against Bayern. That would have been utter mess of a game for Barcelona.
5. There were many instances where Barca were involved in some crisp, swift movements and Suarez looked very good in the second half, before he decided to fall after every pass he received.
What went not so well-
1. The sharpness in the first ten minutes was missing in both the halves. We could have easily conceded goals. We have to be active from the start because Bayern won't refuse the opportunity to score.
2. The inability to stop Napoli's attack means Bayern's attack is out of our reach, we need to improve this. We have to have more possession than 52 against Napoli !
3. Roberto was not very involved in the game and I think this a great disadvantage for us. He is an intelligent player and would be crucial for matches to come.
Player Ratings-
Ter Stegen- 7
Nothing major to do really, but distributed exceptionally well and made some decent saves.
Jordi Alba- 5.5
He was not very imposing, not very fast and I think he should have done better.
Pique- 7.5
Was brilliant throughout, an imposing figure and distributed forward balls.
Lenglet- 7.5
Similar to Pique, had a brilliant outing and made some crucial tackles, passed the ball around with ease.
Semedo- 10
He did everything you expect from a full back, attacked well, passed well and defended well, all down the flank, and he did more, some Roberto-esque runs down the middle meant he was contributing everything to the tem.
Roberto- 6
Was a player you could depend to not lose the ball, but was not what we expected him to be, dynamic.
Rakitic- 6.5
Could have done better, but was really good throughout the match, especially in the second half, when most of the team was losing it's wheels.
De Jong- 10 (MOTM)
`The best player in the team according to me, De Jong was incredibly well poised, passed the ball with a certain edge and was always looking for gaps and players. Perfect performance.
Messi- 10
He was always there to provide a touch or two and got knocked many times, the one by Koulibaly a very severe one. He scored an outrageous goal. Scored a disallowed goal, won a penalty and was surprisingly high pressing, which is a good sign from Setien. He could have easily been the best player, but he is Messi and it was not more that usual performance.
Suarez- 8
Had a slightly off first twenty minutes and then came to life. After that, he was reaaly good, created many opportunities which Griezmann could not finish. His first touches were normally accurate and handled the pace of the game very well.
Griezmann- 7
Not a great first half for him, but in the second half, caused all kinds of problems to Napoli, with him playing his favored deeper role, he was brilliant from the off in the second half.
Setien- 7
A good tactical management, however the flaws were clearly visible, defensive solidarity, strong start were missing. And then again, the substitutions were rotting on the bench. Only two substitutions, that is not good.
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