Our prediction for this Europa League match:
All eyes will be on Camp Nou when Barcelona and Napoli go head to head in the Europa League last 32, first leg. Barca head into the match following a 2-2 draw with Espanyol in the Catalan derby where Luuk de Jong scored a late equalizer. January signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should be recalled to the starting XI, while Dani Alves is back from a domestic ban. Napoli target Memphis Depay is a major doubt, and he will be assessed ahead of the kick-off.
Yet another new signing Ferran Torres should continue to lead the line for the Catalan outfit. The Neapolitans, on the other hand, played out a 1-1 draw with Inter in the Serie A derby. Napoli’s main goal is to win Scudetto, and seeing that Barca reinforce the squad in the January transfer window, home win should be considered. Both Lozano and Tuanzebe are injured for the visiting team. Both Lozano and Tuanzebe are sidelined for the Partenopei.
Highlighted Player (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang):
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the most famous Gabonese player and he is the first footballer from Gabon to appear in Bundesliga. Aubameyang played for the likes of Dijon, Lille, Monaco and St. Etienne in the past before joining Borussia Dortmund on July, 2013. The pacey attacker signed a five-year contract with the Millionaires and he has been producing outstanding performances with the Signal-Iduna-Park outfit ever since.
Aubameyang impressed in the 2015–16 Bundesliga, scoring 25 goals in 31 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, but that did not help Thomas Tuchel’s men win the domestic trophy. Speaking of his international career, the 187-cm-tall striker made his Gabon debut on 25 March, 2009 and he scored his first goal for the national team in a 3-2 win over Morocco.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Gabon make it to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. It has to be noted, though, that he played for France U-21 team in the past. Aubameyang was born in Laval, France on 18 June, 1989.
Highlighted Team (Napoli):
SSC Napoli is an Italian football club from the city of Naples which is playing currently in the Serie A. The club was founded officially in 1926 but the history from Napoli reaches back to 1904 with the club Naples Foot-Ball & Cricket Club that fused with Internazionale Napoli and was called FBC Internaples.
After 4 seasons the club changed its name to SSC Napoli (Societa Sportiva Calcio).
In the end of the eighties Napoli had the biggest success in the club history with the Argentinian legend Diego Maradona. Diego Maradona was able to win the league title twice, the national cup and the UEFA cup. The moment Maradona left the club Napoli got into big financial trouble.
In 2004 the local club was bankrupt. Despite the help of financial investors the club got regulated to the Serie C. After 6 years of playing in lower divisions Napoli managed to get back in the Serie A in season 2007/2008. Famous players that played for the club from Naples are: Maradona, Zola, Cavani, Blanc, Di Canio, Cannavaro.