Napoli vs Barcelona is the most interesting clash of the Europa League playoffs. As their first game finished in a draw, the winner of Thursday’s game will advance to the next stage of the competition. Last week, it was 1-1 on Barca’s turf; this time, the two meet at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples.
Napoli vs Barcelona Odds (Champions League, 2022)
All odds are per FanDuel as of February 23.
1X2
Napoli+170Draw+240Barcelona+160
Over/Under
Over 2.5-114Under 2.5-106
Where and When to WatchDate: Thursday, February 24Time: 3:00 PM EDTLocation: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, ItalyWatch: Paramount+Napoli’s Home Turf Advantage
Although Napoli haven’t been too impressive at home this season, it’s a fact that they will be pumped up to grab a win in front of their own crowd. In their past ten games played at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the Sky Blues lost four times.
The good news for them is that their most recent home game saw them play 1-1 with the reigning champion of the Italian Serie A, Inter Milan. Further, Napoli is usually great at home when playing in Europe. For instance, Napoli’s most recent home game in the Europa League saw the Sky Blues win against Leicester 3-2.
Another advantage for the hosts is that several of their key men are returning after injury. In fact, the only Napoli player who will definitely miss the game is Lorenzo Insigne. Meanwhile, Barca is going to miss at least four players.
High-Scoring Barca to Miss a Few Regulars
T 7BALL here are at least four players in the Barcelona squad who are out with an injury – Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Samuel Umtiti, Alejandro Balde.
On the bright side, those guys have been out for a while now, but Barca still managed to do well over the past couple of weeks. In fact, this team is without a loss in the previous five games, winning three along the way.
The most impressive fact about Barca’s recent run is that this team’s offense has been fantastic. These guys scored 11 goals in the previous four games. Four of those happened last week when Barca destroyed Valencia on the road.
Knowing all this, it’s only logical to assume Barca will score again. The question is can this team score enough to defeat Napoli? It’s not going to be easy, as Napoli tends to play very well at home, especially when facing Spanish teams.
Picks: Napoli and Barcelona to Draw; Over 2.5 Goals
