Barca face biggest game of the season against Napoli, says Xavi
Barcelona’s Champions League last-16 second leg tie at home to Napoli is considered their most important game of the season by manager Xavi Hernandez. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, giving Barcelona a chance to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2020. Barcelona last won a Champions League knockout game in 2020 with a 3-1 home win over Napoli. Currently, Barcelona is third in LaLiga, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid, making Europe their priority. Napoli, the 2023 Scudetto champions, are seventh in Serie A, 31 points behind leaders Inter Milan. Napoli’s current coach, Francesco Calzona, took over in February and has remained undefeated in five games since. Barcelona has been dealing with injuries, with Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Ferran Torres among those unavailable. Torres has missed the last seven games due to a hamstring problem and is not expected to return for the Napoli game.