FC Barcelona continues with its firm objective of becoming champion of the Champions League and this Tuesday Xavi Hernández’s team gave a demonstration of forcefulness that allowed them to secure their ticket to the quarterfinals of the competition that they have not won since the 2014-2015 edition.
The Catalans were a steamroller against Naples, whom they left behind with a clear 3-1 in the second leg of the round of 16 at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium. Previously, both teams had tied (1-1) in the first leg disputed February 21 in Italian territory.
This Tuesday, FC Barcelona began to get on track early after taking the lead thanks to the goals scored by Fermín López (m.15) and Joao Cancelo (m.17). The Italians reacted after half an hour of play with a goal from Amir Rrahmani, to give excitement to the duel.
“After scoring the goal the feeling is indescribable because this is the club I have dreamed of playing for since I was little. “I am very happy for the team.”commented after the game the scorer of the Catalan team’s first goal that ended up putting definitive figures to the game in the final stretch.
The manager was the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski (m.83) who received a pass from Sergi Roberto to finish between the two Napoli defenders in front of the Italian goal. The goal ended up drowning out any possibility of reaction from the current Serie A champions.
“It has been an incredible night. After four years without being where we deserve, today (Tuesday) the club is back where it needs to be. “We are very happy and we have to enjoy this moment”commented Sergi Roberto, who wore the captain’s sash of the Barça team.
With this classification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League FC Barcelona is once again among the eight best teams in Europe for the first time in the last four seasons. The last time they had achieved it was in the 2019-2020 edition when they ended up losing to Bayern Munich (8-2).
On that occasion they had also beaten Naples in the round of 16, which this year with their elimination gives Juventus qualification for the next edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, being the tenth European team to ensure its presence in the tournament to be held next year.
FC Barcelona keeps alive its chances of fighting for the double this season, which will mark the farewell of Xavi Hernández from the culé bench. The Catalans continue to fight in the Champions League while in LaLiga they are third, eight points behind the championship leader, Real Madrid.
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