The positives to take from Barcelona's dispiriting draw with Napoli
The positives to take from Barcelona's dispiriting draw with Napoli
Napoli 1-1 Barcelona - Champions League
In a vintage 2023/24 performance, Barcelona dominated most of their match against Napoli, didn’t take enough of their chances, and were made to suffer when a defensive error gifted their opponent a goal.
The vibes coming off this game are, well, they’re not bad. But they’re not good either. A 1-1 away draw in Europe ain’t worth what it used to be given the away goals rule has been abolished, and it’s doubly bad because Barcelona really should have won the game anyway given how they dominated.
Napoli are undoubtedly a talented team, they’re defending Serie A champions after all, but they’re at a spectactularly low ebb right now — even moreso than Barcelona — and they just hired Francesco Calzona as their third coach of the season. And yet Barcelona failed to beat them. Not just that, but even though they dominated the game and had 12 shots (twice as many as the hosts), they had just 0.72 xG, their lowest total in a single game this season.
Look, everyone is going to be negative and pessimistic right now. 97 Passes is instead going to focus on some positives for Barcelona. Because there were some! And things are getting better, albeit very slowly.
1. Lewangoalski strikes again!
One of the big reasons Barcelona flopped out of the Europa League last season was that Robert Lewandowski, who started the season on fire, ended it in middling form.
This season the Polish striker’s profligacy may well have cost Barcelona a spot in La Liga’s title race — he is the only player among the top 12 scorers in the Spanish top flight to undershoot his xG and he’s doing so by quite a margin scoring just 12 times from a league-high xG of 14.6 — but he appears to have finally found some form.
Lewandowski came into the game with four goals in three games, and he’s now made that five in four after a superb strike to slam Barcelona into a lead (incidentally this is the first time he’s scored in four straight games for Barcelona since September!)
The finish, including a sumptuous nutmeg on the defender, was more classic Lewandowski and, more impressively, part of an actually impressive performance. The Polish striker made positive runs, held the ball up well, and showed leadership.
If Lewandowski can finish the season in the kind of dangerous goalscoring form he’s in right now, then even with all their other issues they just might stand a chance of winning some silverware.
2. Ronald Araujo is a colossus (so is Jules Kounde)
Facing a Napoli attack that, while underperforming this season is nevertheless loaded with talent, was always going to require some impressive defending from Barcelona.
And they got just what they asked for from Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan was injured in last season’s group stage, having to watch from the sidelines as his team-mates gave it away and got the side eliminated in the groups.
But he’s been (mostly) fit this season, and despite being subbed off as a precaution at the weekend he was in fabulous form last night, shutting down Napoli whenever they dared venture into the Barcelona box. Yes, Napoli scored by targeting Iñigo Martinez’s overzealous nature in the second, but that was their only real chance during the game and they didn’t get a shot at all in the first-half.
“We are a little sad about the result. We played very well the first 30 minutes. It is true that in the last fifteen minutes they had possession, but that's how the Champions League is.” — Ronald Araujo
As Iñigo (and Marc-André Ter Stegen behind him) rebuild their fitness having just returned from injury, then Araujo will have less space to cover and less work to do, allowing him to be even more dominant and effective.
Especially if Jules Kounde can keep playing at the level he showed in Naples last night. The Frenchman started the season in unreal form but hasn’t looked the same since a knee injury in Autumn, well, until last night anyway.
Faced the task of marking the in-form wing wizard Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kounde showed none of the physical decline he’s displayed through the rest of the season. Moreover he was a powerful presence defensively and confident playing out through Napoli’s press, albeit his final ball as a full-back is still lacking.
With Kounde and especially Araujo playing like this, Barcelona have half a world-class defensive unit again. This is essential if they want to progress in Europe.
3. Lamine Yamal sets another record
Okay so it wasn’t the record he wanted, but at 16 years and 223 days old, Lamine Yamal is now the youngest-ever player to start in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
What’s even more ridiculous is that this was no cameo appearance. The youngster started the game, played over an hour and was absolutely brilliant. He was a constant threat to Napoli’s defence, carrying the ball with genuine menace. He created chances, had shots, worked hard defensively, and alright he missed a stick-on assist to Lewandowski in the first-half… but he’s 16! What were you doing when you were 16? I bet it wasn’t as impressive as what Lamine Yamal did at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, that’s for damn sure.
“Lamine Yamal at 16 is playing like he’s at the park.” — Thierry Henry
What’s more, he still has time to break the goalscoring record. Ansu Fati is currently the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history, scoring for Barcelona when he was 17 years and 40 days old (La Masia is one hell of a thing, eh?) so any Champions League appearance Lamine Yamal makes this season will bring with it the chance of him breaking record.
Now wrap him up in cotton wool ahead of the second-leg! Raphinha is back from injury, so now you can maybe give the kid a two week spell of coming off the bench, ensuring he’s not burned out at season’s end.
4. João Felix is back
One aspect of Barcelona’s performance that will almost certainly get overlooked but that may be the most important of all is that João Felix returned from injury.
“But 97 Passes,” we hear you exclaim, “haven’t you previously said that João Felix is inconsistent??? Isn’t he a massive chancer who doesn’t really do anything????”
Sure, he may not be a paragon of consistency who often flatters to deceive, but you know what he is? A left-winger! He’s not a striker, like Vitor Roque, nor a central midfielder like Pedri.
Having João Felix fit means that, yes, Barcelona once again have access to his match-winning abilities. His ball-carrying, his inventive improvisation, all that. But it also means that Pedri and Vitor Roque can go back to playing their actual positions.
Vitor Roque, an unused sub last night, looked tremendously uncomfortable when recently asked to play left-wing. And Pedri cut a mostly frustrated figure in Naples. Playing an elegant, controlling midfielder that high up the pitch is such a waste of talent. Yes, he got the assist for Lewandowski, but that was one of the few time he was found between the lines like that because the best Barcelona player at finding team-mates between the lines… is Pedri! Well, him and Frenkie.
Anyway, having João Felix back now means Pedri can go back to midfield and for the first time since what feels like the first two games of the season, Xavi can actually rotate his creative midfielders!
Andreas Christensen is a solid if unspectacular defensive midfielder, and his presence there along with João Felix’s return to the wing means that Barça have Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri fit to fill two midfield slots. Now Xavi will be able to keep one of his creative superstars on the bench, able to come on and change the game in the second-half. This will also aid Xavi tremendously in avoiding fatigue (Gundogan in particular looked exhausted for the last 30 minutes of last night’s match and Pedri has been subbed off repeatedly as he makes his own return from injury hell) among his midfield fancy boys.
5. Barcelona didn’t lose!
The final positive may seem like a joke, but it’s the fact that Barcelona didn’t lose. They didn’t win, sure, but despite ceding momentum in the second-half, conceding an equaliser against the run of play against a home side with a roaring crowd behind them, fresh subs on the pitch and no fear left in their hearts… Barcelona didn’t lose! Xavi was way too late with his subs and yet it didn’t end in a defeat!
Given how their season has gone so far, this was exactly the kind of game where Barcelona have thrown away results this season. The first Clásico, the Girona match, the Villarreal game. All more extreme examples of the same phenomena, but none in the heat of a European knockout tie.
“We have our minds set on the Champions League now. I’m excited to see the level of commitment in the dressing room.” — Xavi
Yet Barcelona held firm. Not only did they not lose, but they even ended the game having the better chances. João Cancelo had a few good forays forward and Ilkay Gundogan flashed a great chance wide with the literal last kick of the game.
That’s big.
Not as big as winning the game, of course. But a big step forward for a side whose confidence can only be lifted by holding on to a draw and leaving themselves in a fantastic position to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2020.