Approved and failed from Barcelona: Ferran only left the fair shotgun in the penalty

Ter Stegen. No blemish on the German goalkeeper, who in the goal even cleared Zielinski’s first shot with his foot, who ended up taking advantage of the rebound to score against the passivity of the defense. He had very little to do, except for a shot to the near post from Oshimen on a counterattack, which he cleared with his body. Well, as always, on the ball out.

Mingueza. Good game by the youth squad, who was very attentive in anticipation, recovering many balls. He knew how to combine very well in his band with Adama. The truth is that Insigne had very little prominence thanks to the good work of the Blaugrana. With games like this, he deserves more opportunities.

Pique. He continues in his line of good games this season. Serious and solvent behind, the marking of Oshimen was altered with Eric García. Clean at the exit of the ball, he was one of the great references of the team to start the plays. He knew how to play intelligently and avoided a yellow card that would have banned him on the return leg in Naples.

Eric. He removed the thorn from the bad game in the derby, with a prodigious performance. Concentrated, fast and very intense, his game was a nightmare for the Neapolitan striker. Closer to the level he showed before getting injured. On Sunday at Mestalla he will have another acid test, but this time his dance partner will be Araújo, since Piqué is sanctioned.

Alba. We continue to offer some gaps in the game, but the truth is that his character and commitment make up for many other deficiencies. Messi is still missing, with whom he got along wonderfully, although with Ferran he had moments of good associations.

Frenkie. He played defensive midfielder. He started out a bit shy, always making passes and avoiding risks, but after the break, his game was more vertical, breaking lines and accelerating actions. The exchange of him for Sergio Busquets created a division of opinions in the stands.

Nico. It never fails. He always brings interesting things and does not hide in critical moments. He played as a right midfielder, putting a lot of will and enduring the midfield with his physique in many moments. Always on the go, it is a solution to many problems. In addition, he always looks for goal. The first two shots between the three suits were his.

Pedri. From less to more. At first he did not quite glimpse passes between the lines before the Neapolitan ambush, but little by little he found himself and ended up offering the best version of himself, with a game as effective as solvent. He was about to score with a long shot that went just over the crossbar.

Adam. Third game and third exhibition. For now neither Atlético, nor Espanyol nor Napoli have found the formula to stop this wonder of nature. He drove his marker, Juan Jesus, crazy, beating him over and over again. A center of his ended up touching the hand of Juan Jesus and causing the penalty. He was replaced by Dembélé. He got one of the ovations of the night, Adama no Dembélé.

Aubameyang. His first game as a starter with the elastic Blaugrana and in general lines he completed a correct game, but not spectacular. He put on a false 9 and abused the shot on goal a bit, with little success. He had a great chance, with space, after a great pass from Pedri, but he ended up sending the ball wide. He sacrificed himself for the team with intense pressure that came to bear fruit on several occasions by recovering more than one ball in a dangerous zone.

Ferran. The heads and tails of the match. The face, because thanks to his penalty goal, Barcelona is still alive in the tie, but also the cross, because so many clear chances cannot be missed. At least he had three practically to shoot from close range, but all three went slightly outside. The last one in the stoppage time, after a providential heel from Pedri, was the one that the stands most regretted because he was alone before the Napoli goalkeeper. His work in defense of him is non-negotiable, always hanging down on the left wing. He finished the game disconsolate, aware that he had failed more than a fairground shotgun.

Changes

Sergio Busquets. He came out to put a bit of order and criteria in the spinal cord, and avoid rival transitions. He fulfilled the script.

Dembele. After the first general boos, his dazzling play on the right wing began to attract applause and ended with almost applause. It was a nightmare for the Italian team, with several actions that were close to scoring.

Gavi. This boy is worth a potosí. At 17 years old, he is capable of taking down anyone who crosses his path, even a rook like Koulibaly. He gave it his all on the pitch, he was intense and aggressive, as is usual with him. He revolutionized the game.

Dest. He came on in the final minutes for an exhausted Mingueza. He was not at the height of Dembélé, but he was not out of tune either.

Luke. This Dutchman right now is the closest thing to Haaland for the fans. When he jumped onto the field, in the 85th minute, the stadium was on fire. In little more than ten minutes he had up to three chances, bordering on two of the possibility of scoring, with an acrobatic snip included in one of them. And he even gave Ferran a golden assist, which he wasted in an incomprehensible way.