UEFA Champions League Match Between FC Barcelona VS Napoli ends in a Draw
(Photo By Francesco Pecoraro/ Getty Images)
After a scoreless first half at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Napoli, Italy, each team was able to convert one goal, going home with one point a piece.
Apart from FC Barcelona competing in the Spanish League of La Liga, they are also one of thirty-two teams who compete in the UEFA Champions League. This tournament takes place all over Europe, where the top European clubs of the continent face one another to be crowned the champions of Europe. There are a total of eight groups. Group A all the way through Group H, with four teams in every group.
Spanish side FC Barcelona faced Italian side Napoli in their sixth match of the Champions League Tournament. The final score of the match was a 1-1 draw with Barcelona scoring in the 60th minute of the second half and Napoli scoring the equalizer, fifteen minutes later in the 75th minute of playing time.
So far, each team is doing fairly well in their respective groups. Napoli is in second place of Group C with ten points and a record of (3W- 2L-1D). FC Barcelona are currently sitting at the top of their group. In Group H, they are at a total of twelve points with a record of (4W-2L-0D). When it comes down to their individual series records, FC Barcelona has won five Champions Leagues, while Napoli has yet to win a single one for their history books.
Some key plays to note are that Barcelona midfielder, Ilkay Gundogan, called for a handball after shooting a hard free kick. The referee responded by saying it was cleared with the defender’s face, not his hands. Then, in the 90th and final minute of the match, Gundogan fired a shot on net, but it was slightly too wide and was not enough for the win.
The two goalscorers for this match were Robert Lewandowski for Barcelona, and Victor Osimhen for Napoli. Both players scored their second goal in this tournament. Lewandowski has had 13 goal attempts this tournament with a 77% pass accuracy. Osimhen has had 15 goal attempts with a 78% pass accuracy. These two players have been super neck to neck in their stats.
Both team coaches had lots to stay post-match.
"I'm sad, because we should have won this match. I have nothing to reproach my team,” said head Barcelona coach Xaxi, "I saw a team which defended well and attacked well.”
Napoli head coach, Francesco Calzona also had an afterthought once the final whistle blew.
He stated, "I congratulated my players, because they reacted well and they finished strong. Until the end, they believed they could win this match, their state of mind against a very strong opponent pleased me a lot."
This just goes to show that one coach was content enough with the result because of the level of competition they were facing, but the other felt they were too good and anything less than a win, wasn’t enough.