Napoli vs Barcelona Champions League round of 16 first leg preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups | UEFA Champions League

Napoli and Barcelona meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday 21 February.

Where to watch Napoli vs Barcelona on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Two of Diego Maradona’s former clubs meet at the stadium that now bears his name. The clubs have met in two previous UEFA knockout ties, in the 2019/20 Champions League round of 16 and the 2021/22 Europa League knockout round play-offs, with Barcelona progressing on both occasions.

Both sides have had complicated seasons. Walter Mazzarri replaced Rudi Garcia at the Napoli helm in November before he too departed on Monday with the club a good way off the title pace in Serie A. Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona has already been installed.

At Barcelona, Xavi Hernández announced last month that he would be leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season with his side struggling to replicate the form that made them Spanish champions in 2022/23.

Possible line-ups

Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Østigård, Rrahmani, Mazzocchi; Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Cajuste; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Misses next match if booked: None

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Iñigo Martínez, João Cancelo; De Jong, Christensen, Gündoğan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Pedri
Misses next match if booked: Ronald Araújo, Sergi Roberto, Ferran Torres, João Félix

Squad changes

Napoli
In: Pasquale Mazzocchi, Cyril Ngonge, Hamed Traorè
Out: Eljif Elmas, Gianluca Gaetano, Alessandro Zanoli, Alessio Zerbin, Piotr Zieliński

Barcelona
In: Unai Hernández, Vitor Roque, Pau Víctor
Out: none

Form guide

Napoli
Form: DLWDLW
Most recent result: Napoli 1-1 Genoa, 17/02, Italian Serie A
Italian Serie A table

Barcelona
Form: WDWWLL
Most recent result: Celta Vigo 1-2 Barcelona, 17/02, Spanish La Liga
Spanish La Liga table

Expert predictions

Vieri Capretta, Napoli reporter
There have been ups and downs this season for the Italian champions, with Monday’s departure of Walter Mazzarri meaning a third coach since the end of the title winning 2022/23 campaign in the shape of Francesco Calzona.

But the Partenopei can boast the help of amazing fans to get them past any opponent at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The quality of the likes of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia is always there, and Napoli will be a tough match for Barcelona.

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter
A torrid season has left Barça even more than ordinarily eager to progress in the Champions League, and glad to have won their group so that they can play the decisive second leg at home.

Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen returning from injury is a big plus, while the form Pedri and Lamine Yamal are showing has been crucial to an upturn in performance level.

There are new elements too, given the impact Vitor Roque has made up front since joining in January, and how impressive youth products Pau Cubarsí and Héctor Fort have been.

What the coaches say

Francesco Calzona, Napoli coach: “We start afresh, we reset everything, begin a new path. The Napoli fans are special and it’s our responsibility to make them happy with our performances and results. Barcelona are a strong team, one of the strongest in Europe. We recognise their strength, but we’re not afraid, because we are Napoli.”

Xavi Hernández, Barcelona coach: “We come here with enthusiasm and hope. It’s a strange scenario to play a big match against a Napoli team that changed coach just before the match. It’s not easy to prepare. At the end of the day, we’re up against the Italian champions.”