Barcelona begin their surprise Europa League journey against Serie A side Napoli in the tournament's knockout round playoffs on Thursday night.
Xavi's side dropped out of the Champions League group stages after finishing third in Group E behind Bayern Munich and Benfica. But the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League Round of 16 is the consolation prize.
It's a tournament that offers the winner a ticket to next season's Champions League and the Catalan giants won't be taking it lightly since they face a real battle to earn a berth from their domestic league. Barca are currently fourth in Spain's La Liga and they need to secure a top-four finish to qualify to the Champions League and successfully hold off the three other teams on their heels.
Napoli look to be in a stronger position to seal a return to the Champions League for the 2022-23 campaign as they sit in third place, seven points clear. They're also in a title chase, trailing Serie A leaders AC Milan by just two points.
MORE: Europa League knockout playoff schedule
Barcelona and Napoli last faced off in the COVID-19 disrupted knockout stages of the 2019-20 Champions League with Barcelona winning 3-1 at the Camp Nou after a 1-1 draw in Naples.
How to watch Barcelona vs. Napoli in USA
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 17
- Time: 12.45 p.m. ET
- TV Channels: UniMas, TUDN
- Streaming: fuboTV, Paramount+
Thursday's first leg match between Barcelona and Napoli from the Camp Nou will be carried by UniMas and TUDN (Spanish) and both channels are streamed on fuboTV, which is available on a free trial for new users.
The match will also be streamed on CBS-owned platform Paramount+ for subscribers.
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Barcelona vs. Napoli projected lineups
Xavi has a string of defensive concerns to worry about ahead of this tie with center backs Ronald Araujo and Clement Lenglet both ruled out alongside long-term absentee attackers Ansu Fati and Memphis Depay.
Barcelona projected lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen (GK) — Dest, Pique, Garcia, Alba — Busquets, Pedri, De Jong — Traore, Aubameyang, Torres
Right knee pain could keep star forward Victor Osimhen out for Napoli, after he missed training on Wednesday. Weekend injuries picked up by Matteo Politano and Stanislav Lobotka have them joining influential Mexican winger Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano on the unavailable list.
Napoli projected lineup (4-2-3-1): Meret (GK) — Di Lorenzo, Koulibaly, Rrahmani, Ghoulam — Anguissa, Ruiz — Elmas, Zielinski, Insigne — Osimhen
MORE: When's the quarterfinal draw for the UEFA Champions League
Barcelona vs. Napoli betting odds, pick and prediction
Odds courtesy of DraftKings
Barcelona are yet to enjoy the anticipated bounce effect of Xavi's return to the club with the Catalan side continuing to struggle with inconsistency in domestic action.
The late January arrivals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore will be under the spotlight in the coming weeks, with the latter already making a positive start on his return to the Camp Nou.
Despite Barcelona's attacking reinforcements, Napoli have a potent attacking lineup at their disposal, with Belgian star Dries Mertens netting three goals in his last seven outings.
Barcelona's record of two wins from six Champions League group games does not inspire confidence ahead of this crucial encounter. However, Napoli only fared slightly better, with three wins from six in the Europa League group stage. A tight draw is a real option in this first game.
Pick: Draw and Dries Mertens to score
- Moneyline: Barcelona +105 / Draw +240 / Napoli +285
- Spread: Barcelona -0.5 (+105) / Napoli +0.5 (-120)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -125 / Under +100
- Both Teams To Score: Yes -160 / No +125
