Naples held off FC Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, thus confirming its ambitions in the competition. The Italian club, despite a difficult period in the league, was able to show itself solid against the reigning Spanish champion.
From the start of the match, Barça exerted strong pressure on Naples, but the Italian team was able to react and regain confidence as the game progressed. It was Victor Osimhen, returning from the African Cup of Nations, who gave hope to Neapolitan supporters by scoring a crucial goal.
The match had twists and turns with alternating domination between the two teams. If Barça took the advantage thanks to Robert Lewandowski, Osimhen was able to respond and equalize for Naples. The Italian team finished the match strong, even missing a great opportunity to win.
For its part, FC Porto created a surprise by winning against Arsenal thanks to a goal in added time. The Portuguese, led by Pepe, showed great defensive solidity and formidable efficiency in attack, enough to disrupt the plans of the English team.
In the end, these two matches offered spectacle and emotion to the supporters, suggesting intense return confrontations. With such hotly contested matches, the Champions League still has some nice surprises in store for its fans.