Napoli has officially announced the readiness of their key players to confront Barcelona in the pivotal Champions League Round of 16 encounter. In their previous meeting last month, Napoli held Barcelona to a tense 1-1 draw in the Campania capital, with Roberto Lewandowski opening the scoring for Barcelona before Victor Osimhen equalized for Napoli 15 minutes later.
This season, Napoli has an additional motivation to progress in the Champions League, as they are vying with Juventus for the final Italian berth in next year’s Club World Cup. To surpass Juventus, Napoli must advance to the semi-finals of the current competition.
Today’s confirmation reveals that coach Francesco Calzona has summoned a star-studded Napoli squad for the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash with Barcelona, featuring notable players such as Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
Meanwhile, Barcelona faces a series of injuries ahead of the match, with Ferran Torres, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Alejandro Balde, and Gavi unavailable. Although Jens Cajuste has been called up, he is unlikely to participate for Napoli due to a hamstring strain.