They got out of the trap very nicely. Abused at Camp Nou a week earlier by Naples (1-1), the Barcelonans woke up brilliantly on Thursday February 24 at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. The Blaugranas win four goals to two against the Neapolitans who are overwhelmed in almost all aspects of the game. Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty and Politano’s late reduction of the score will not have been enough for the Italians because, opposite, Jordi Alba, Frenkie De Jong, Gerard Pique and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found their way to the nets… and to qualification.
With this success on Italian soil, Xavi’s players qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League and give themselves a new opportunity to make up for a complicated season.
The Catalans were in levitation throughout the game, but especially during the first 45 minutes. At least, at a level that they have rarely offered in this complicated season. The Catalans simply overpowered their opponents throughout the first half. With Frenkie De Jong and Adama Traoré on their legs as well as a solid defense, Barcelona forged their qualification in the first 45 minutes.
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It is that at three goals to one after the two whistles, the Spaniards were able to take advantage of a good lead. All thanks to the opening of the score of Jordi Alba, at first, then by a masterpiece signed Frenkie de Jong who, with a flat foot, came to clean the opposite right window of the doorman of Naples, Alex Meret.
FRENKIE DE JONG WITH A BEAUTY. pic.twitter.com/TmGtdtRXwN
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2022
Also, if we could, for a time, think of an awakening of the men in blue thanks to the penalty converted by the emblematic Lorenzo Insigne, it was not. Just before half-time, Barcelona captain Gerard Pique even worsened the score with an attacking sequence in the area.
In the second act of the meeting, Barcelona only had to manage the too weak phases of danger proposed by their transalpine adversaries. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang even undertook to drive the point home by scoring a fourth goal, thus sealing the victory and the pursuit of his team in the competition.
Elsewhere, in Europe, the surprises did not run the streets. If Dortmund’s elimination was confirmed with a 2-2 draw (2-4 in the first leg) against Glasgow Rangers, Sevilla FC validated their qualification, with forceps, against a valiant Dinamo team. Zagreb. Zénit Saint-Petersburg will not know the round of 16 after its goalless draw at Betis Sevilla (2-3 in the first leg).
FC Porto de Conceiçao qualified for the next round after their draw on the lawn of Lazio Rome (2-2, 3-4 final score) while RB Leipzig cracked Real Sociedad at home and the wins 1-3 after the draw (2-2) in the first leg. Finally, Atalanta Bergamo, little worried, continues its way with a big victory over Olympiakos (0-3, 1-5 final score).