Napoli vs Barcelona Predictions and Betting Tips

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Napoli and Barcelona renew acquaintances this Thursday for the second leg of their Europa League playoff round tie at the Estadio Armando Maradona. Read on for our expert tips and predictions.

With the game perfectly poised at 1-1, both sides are still in it but you feel the hosts do have a slight advantage with away goals rule shrugged off. Nonetheless, we're expecting a top-quality football game in Naples.

The Maradona Derby on show once again

Piotr Zielinski's opener was exactly what the doctor ordered for Luciano Spalletti's troops who took an early lead at the Nou Camp. 14 minutes into the second half, there was a slight lapse in concentration from the Napoli rearguard as Juan Jesus handled Adama Traore's cross, thus, allowing the hosts to put the ball in the net from the spot. Both sides couldn't be separated from this point onwards which means that we must arrive at an eventual winner in Italy, setting this up for a mouth-watering clash. Napoli would've been disappointed in their performance in the race for the Scudetto as they passed up the chance to jump into the summit of the standings. The 1-1 draw away at Cagliari, however, did stretch their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games and it is then left to see whether this unbeaten run would stand after 90, or 120, minutes in Naples.

Ferran Torres did equalize from the spot for FC Barcelona but hosts were left to rue their missed chances with the former Man City man failing to convert a couple of clear cut chances. The Catalans weren't profligate against Valencia over the weekend, however, as they put four past their opponents in a resounding 4-1 victory. Former Dortmund and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went home with the match-ball at the Mestalla, becoming the first player to score a hattrick in the Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Premier League and the LaLiga. The Europa League doesn't represent a chance of silverware for the Catalans given their situation in the Spanish top-flight but they would have to get past the challenge of a Napoli side who have been tough to beat recently.

Barcelona vs Napoli Team News

Napoli possible starting XI:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Jesus; Ruiz, Demme; Elmas, Zielinski, Mertens; Osimhen

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

Ter Stegen; Dest, Araujo, Pique, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; Traore, Aubameyang, Torres

Barcelona vs Napoli Prediction: 1-2

Barcelona's profligacy was their major setback in the first leg and although they had the support of the home crowd, they showed that they could create big chances on any pitch given their performance last weekend. Napoli, on the flip side, would be without a couple of players this Thursday and although they still have the players to trouble this shaky Barcelona defence, we're backing the Catalans' newly-discovered firepower to overpower their opponents.