Barcelona hosts Napoli

Barcelona hosts Napoli at the Camp Nou in a second leg from the Champions League 1/8-finals on Saturday. After a 1-1 draw in the first game this tie is still wide open. Let’s preview it in our football expert betting tips.

How we already mentioned it was a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Naples. Dries Mertens scored the first one for Napoli, but after the break Antoine Griezmann equalised for Barca after a good assist from Nelson Semedo. This result gives the Catalans a slight advantage, but the tie is far from over. Napoli are not a team which will just give up in the second leg.

Barcelona’s manager Quique Setien has some interesting thoughts about this game. It’s rumoured that he’s going to change the team’s formation from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2. Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal are suspended for this game, which means that the youngster Riqui Puig could start for the hosts. Most likely Antoine Griezmann will start from the bench, while Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will keep their partnership in attack.

Napoli have nothing to lose at the Camp Nou. The Azzurri already won the Coppa Italia, so it’s a successful season for them, but eliminating Barcelona would be one of their greatest European achievements. The manager Gennaro Gattuso and his players are aware that it’s not Barcelona’s best season, so it’s a perfect time to hurt the Catalan giant.

Most likely Gattuso will field Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne upfront. These three players started in the last game in the Serie A against Lazio.

That’s our football expert betting tips for the Barcelona – Napoli fixture from the 1/8-finals of the Champions League. We believe that Barca’s advantage here is very fragile, so it won’t mean much. This game is set to be decided in the second leg.