One of the standout fixtures in the round of 16 in the Champions League will see the reigning champions of Italy and Spain collide. There will be pressure on both Napoli and Barcelona in this first leg, as neither look set to retain their top flight titles this term.
Before Betting On Napoli vs Barcelona
Napoli will have home field advantage for this opening leg in the round of 16 this week, but their chances could be negatively impacted based on the fact that they have never landed a major European success against Barcelona in four previous attempts. The sides last clashed at this stage of the competition in 2019-20, with the Spanish giants progressing with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Barcelona also claimed victory in their last European showdown with Napoli after overcoming their Italian rivals in the playoff round of the Europa League in 2021-22. The Spanish giants netted four goals in that tie, which is the most recorded by a travelling team to Italy in European history.
However, Barcelona are now winless in their last three away matches against Italian sides in the Champions League, losing on two occasions over that period. That is as many defeats as they had suffered in their last 19 matches against sides from Serie A.
Barcelona’s away form in the knockout stages of the competition also leaves something to be desired. The Spanish side have landed just a single victory in their last ten on the road, with that success coming against Man United at Old Trafford in April 2019. Meanwhile, they’ve only scored four goals over that period, and they have failed to score on six occasions.
Napoli vs Barcelona Offshore Odds & Pick
This should be an interesting clash between these sides in the Champions League, but it appears hard to separate the teams. Therefore, we could see a score draw being the most likely outcome in Naples.
