Summary: Milan - Napoli 0:1/Sport1
Perhaps the most intriguing game in the round of 16 of the Champions League will bring together two champions in crisis on Wednesday when Napoli host Barcelona.
It will be Xavi's first game as a coach in the knockout stage of the Champions League, when the coach will, as you remember, say goodbye to the club he grew up in at the end of the season and will try to do it with success in a factory where Barca has failed regularly in recent years and last year did not even make it to the group stage.
But on the other hand, a team presents itself in no better condition and even in a worse condition.
Napoli come into this game after a shake-up in the coaching position, when Walter Mazzarri was fired and replaced by Francesco Calzona, coach of the Slovakian national team who will make his debut in this fateful match.
The good news for Calzone comes from Victor Osiman.
The Nigerian striker who led the team to the championship last season and started all of Nigeria's games in the African Championship, was absent from the squad in the last game against Genoa with a minor injury, but according to reports he will return to the Napoli lineup, although he is not fully fit and is not expected to play 90 minutes.
Debut in the most important game of the season.
Calzone/GettyImages, MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP
On the other hand, Xavi will miss the permanently injured - Alejandro Balda, Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto and Fran Torres, while Vitor Rocca may make his debut in the Champions League.
The two teams met not long ago, two years ago in the knockout stage of the Europa League, when Barcelona won 2:4 in Naples.
Frankie de Jong spoke at the press conference and criticized the reporters present following the proliferation of rumors about his future: "I am quite angry because of what is being written about me, there are many incorrect things and it is upsetting. They write a lot of lies about my salary and what is written is very far from what I earn, they made up stories, some The journalists have no shame. I am very happy in Barcelona, it is the club of my dreams and I hope to continue here for many more years."
Before the game itself, the Dutchman said: "Napoli is very high quality, it's been a few years since we were in this position and we are excited.
Habicha Kabazdalia is a high-level player, makes a difference and we have to take him into account tomorrow."
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De Jong/Reuters
Estimated line-up, Napoli:
Alex Mert, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rahmani, Juan Jesus, Mario Roy, Andre-Frank Zambo Angisa, Stanislav Lobotka, Jasper Lindstrom, Matteo Politano, Habica Cabrezadalia, Victor Osiman.
Estimated line-up, Barcelona:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jules Conde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Joao Cancelo, Frankie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Lamin Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Vitor Rocca.
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