To the Barça fails him the pulse

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Barça had plenty of heart and lacked head to defeat Napoli.

The team refuses to lose and, however, it is difficult for them to win even though they deserve the victory, the protagonist of an epic final outburst in their banishment to the Europa League.

The fans ended up singing "Luuk, Luuk!"

in honor of the Dutchman who had been mocked so much when his Chilean shot did not end up finding the goal.

The stadium reached an unprecedented fever pitch after the enthusiasm shown by Xavi's team.

The desire and the rush to score, to succeed, to be again, to return to the Champions League, inflamed the team for the better and condemned it for the worse because they prevented it from tempering and finishing off the fainting Naples.

BCNBarcelona

1

Ter Stegen, Eric Garcia, Piqué, Óscar Mingueza (Sergiño Dest, min. 80), Alba, Pedri, Nico González (Gavi, min. 64), Frenkie De Jong (Busquets, min. 64), Aubameyang (Luuk de Jong, min. 85), Ferrán Torres and Adama Traoré (Ousmane Dembélé, min. 64)

NAP Naples

1

Alex Meret, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Di Lorenzo, Koulibaly, Elmas (Mário Rui, min. 84), Insigne (Adam Ounas, min. 71), Fabián, Zielinski (Diego Demme, min. 79), Franck Zambo (Kevin Malcuit , min. 83) and Victor Osimhen (Mertens, min. 79)

Goals

0-1 min.

28: Zielinsky.

1-1 min.

58: Ferran Torres.

Yellow cards Franck Zambo (min. 38), Fabián (min. 69), Mário Rui (min. 90) and Alex Meret (min. 90)

They do not stop parading forwards and, however, the fans evoke Luuk de Jong because there is no one who scores a goal at Barça.

The attackers were not successful, they were not forceful, they did not find the light to crown a soccer exercise as intense as it was sterile, personified in Ferran Torres.

The striker repeatedly missed the shot and instead was splendid in his movements to generate chances, only successful on the penalty at 1-1.

Although the feeling is that the Europa League will accompany Barça for as long as it lasts in the League, the Camp Nou put on the Champions League shirt.

There was a lot of noise and a remarkable liturgy before the game because a banner was unfurled that covered half a tier with the slogan "Together we are unstoppable" and the 22 players knelt on the ground as a symbol against racism, an unprecedented gesture in Barcelona.

The match gathered even more spectators than expected, 73,525, an estimable number if one takes into account that it was played at 6:45 p.m., which is not a time in Barcelona.

The logos and the line-up did not hide in any case that the Europa League was being played and that the Champions League will always be missed at the Camp Nou, not even for not being able to whistle the anthem, the moment of greatest Barcelona affirmation after the continuous football disappointments, the last against an opponent at an equally delicate moment like Benfica.

The calendar requires regularity and Xavi did not forget what Valencia is waiting for.

The coach took advantage of the day to rest Gavi and especially Busquets, so that the fans could imagine the team that will come and so many wait without Busi.

The idea was to see a good game and the game was very lively and even fast-paced, an entertaining back and forth and better resolution from the start by the Italians, outstanding in the areas due to the presence of Koulibaly and Osimhen.

The center-back was splendid in closing and helping Juan Jesús to cover Adama and the striker offered himself to the midfielders, especially Zielinski, author of the 0-1 after Ter Stegen's rejection.

Napoli were more accurate, they seemed firmer and also more lucid, surely because they are a more established and confident team than the confused and irregular Barcelona.

The azulgrana couldn't find the timing nor did they know how to finish the plays in a very balanced game.

Ferran, Aubameyang and Pedri didn't finish their arrivals after the team put pressure on them.

The ease in recovering the ball contrasted with the difficulty in putting together the last pass and finding the goal.

The game mechanics also didn't work with Frenkie de Jong.

The Barcelona players did not stop stealing and losing the ball in a meaningless game that ended up having its reason for being in a VAR penalty.

Juan Jesús stretched out his hands in a cross from Adama and the referee whistled for the maximum penalty after consulting the video.

The best defense of the calcium ended up giving in to the insistence of Barça, clumsy in the control of the leather and without spaces to run and unfailing in the search for the Napoli frame.

The tie and the changes elevated Barça and dismantled Napoli.

The match turned into an attack and goal in the Meret area when Busquets, Gavi, Luuk de Jong and Dembélé entered.

The Frenchman did not care if they whistled because he did not stop haggling and enabling Ferran, who missed two free shots, a reflection of Barça's inaccuracy.

The result was paltry with Barça's effort on their return 18 seasons later to the Europa League.

Nobody thought about the return but in Valencia.

He awaits an unpredictable second game because Barça sweats so much, plays so fast, that later his pulse fails, a sign that he does not remember Maradona, the symbol of Barça-Naples.

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