Barcelona leaves Napoli with a sloppy but significant Champions League draw (video)

Barcelona was well aware — probably too aware — of the challenge it posed to Napoli in the Champions League round of 16, but still left Italy with a 1-1 draw and an advantage heading into the second leg, however slight.

Antoine Griezmann canceled out Dries Mertens’ sparkling opener and gave Barcelona an all-important away goal. In the late stages, however, Arturo Vidal was sent off and Gerard Piqué pulled up lame with an apparent leg injury.

Sergio Busquets also picked up a yellow card, which means both he and Vidal will miss the return leg on March 18. Busquets was carrying a yellow from a win over Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, and his gorgeous ball to Nélson Semedo down the right helped set up the first goal.

Semedo met Griezmann with a first-time cross and left Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina in no man’s land (via Turner Sports):

For a majority of the match, Barcelona broke on Napoli like water on rock, with the hosts content to stay in their shape, cut out passes and and not get too adventurous.

During one of Napoli’s few pushes forward, Mertens froze Barca keeper Marc-André ter Stegen with a terrific finish at the half-hour mark:

That was always going to be the recipe for Gennaro Gattuso’s underwhelming Serie A outfit, which has failed to meet expectations this season. Gattuso himself only got the job the day after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked in December, which was also the same day Ancelotti guided Napoli to the Champions League knockout stage.

Since Napoli was built to play more openly and challenge for the Serie A crown, however, it’s fair to question whether the players could truly pack it in against Barcelona over two legs and come out victorious. Mertens had to come off injured Tuesday, too, after the challenge that saw Busquets earn his yellow.

Despite a spate of injuries and issues off the pitch, from the sacking of Ernesto Valverde to reports of truly absurd administrative discord, Barcelona has only dropped points at home twice all season, once in the Champions League vs. Slavia Prague and also a scoreless Clásico against Real Madrid.

That’s the challenge Napoli faces at the Nou Camp. It’s steep. But unless Barcelona sharpens up, it’s not impossible.

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