Europa League: Barcelona fight back to draw Napoli
FC Barcelona came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Napoli in their Europa League knockout round playoff first leg at the Camp Nou on Thursday.
The hosts dominated possession in the opening 30 minutes and had several good chances to take the lead, but it was Napoli that scored first.
This was when Piotr Zielinski smashed the rebound from his own shot into the roof of the net following an incisive counter-attack.
FC Barcelona drew level shortly before the hour mark when VAR ruled that Napoli’s Juan Jesus hit an Adama Traore cross with his hand in the area.
Ferran Torres dispatched his penalty kick to make it 1-1.
The hosts were on the front foot throughout with their brand new attacking trident formed by new signings Torres, Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But they missed several goalscoring chances to take the lead.
Napoli held on as they were bombarded in the last 10 minutes, with Torres and substitutes Luuk de Jong and Ousmane Dembele missing chance after chance in front of Alex Meret’s goal.
The two teams will meet again in Naples on Thursday for the decisive second leg.
(Reuters/NAN)
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