In this champions’ duel, Napoli, the Italian champions, and Barcelona, the Spanish champions, face each other this Wednesday for the first encounter of two crucial decisions as they aim for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Napoli will host the match at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, scheduled to kick off at 3:00 pm (ET). Here on this page, we will provide betting tips based on odds that we believe hold value in the betting market.
Napoli
In this Champions League season, Napoli finished second in Group C with 10 points, trailing behind group leaders Real Madrid with 18 points. The group also featured Braga and Union Berlin. Throughout the group stage, Napoli suffered defeats in both matches against Real Madrid but won three games against other competing teams, securing their spot in the Round of 16 through confrontations.
Despite winning the Italian league title last season, the departure of then-manager Luciano Spalletti, who led the team to victory, disrupted the team’s tactical structure, resulting in a considerable drop in performance this season. Recently, they have announced their third manager for the season. This has left the team in 9th position in the current Serie A season, falling short of their objective to compete in European competitions next season. Napoli enters the match against Barcelona following a 1-1 draw against Genoa, preceded by a 1-0 loss to Milan.
Recent Results – Napoli
- Napoli 0 – 1 Inter
- Lazio 0 – 0 Napoli
- Napoli 2 – 1 Verona
- Milan 1 – 0 Napoli
- Napoli 1 – 1 Genoa
Napoli has a clean injury report for this match, with no absences in the squad.
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Barcelona
Barcelona returns to the knockout phase of the Champions League for the first time in 3 years, having topped their Group H with 12 points from 6 matches. They maintained a record of 4 wins and 2 losses in the group stage, where Group H consisted of Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Royal Antwerp.
In their away matches in the group stage, Barcelona defeated Antwerp 5-0 and then secured victories against Porto and Shakhtar. However, they suffered defeats in 2 of their remaining 3 matches, but their accumulated points were sufficient to secure the top spot.
Overall, Barcelona has had a season well below expectations, marked by inconsistency in their games. This led manager Xavi to announce his departure at the end offseason. It’s worth noting that currently in LaLiga, Barcelona sits in 3rd place in the standings, behind leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Girona. Barcelona last played on February 17, winning 2-1 away against Celta Vigo.
Recent Results – Barcelona
- Barcelona 3 – 5 Villarreal
- Barcelona 1 – 0 Osasuna
- Alavés 1 – 3 Barcelona
- Barcelona 3 – 3 Granada
- Celta Vigo 1 – 2 Barcelona
Barcelona has several players listed on the injury report, including Balde, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto, and Ferran Torres, who is ruled out due to injury.
Napoli vs Barcelona: Predictions and Betting Tips
We have a match between two teams experiencing a lot of inconsistency in their respective seasons. Despite several injuries in the Spanish squad, it’s difficult to favor Napoli, who are struggling with poor management at the moment. The bookmakers offer an alternative line in favor of Barcelona with significant value on the Asian handicap line 0.0 with odds -118 at the bet365 sportsbook.
- Prediction: Barcelona Asian Handicap 0.0 -118
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