Pre-Season Friendlies
Aug 8, 2019 12.30am
1
2
HT : 1 1
FT
  • Samuel Umtiti 42' goal
  • Arkadiusz Milik 70' yellowcard
  • Elseid Hysaj 82' yellowcard
  • goal Sergio Busquets 39'
  • yellowcard Moussa Wague 47'
  • yellowcard Junior Firpo 77'
  • goal Ivan Rakitic 79'

Live Commentary: Napoli 1-2 Barcelona - as it happened

Napoli 1-2 Barcelona - as it happened

Ivan Rakitic scored the winner as Barcelona recorded a 2-1 victory over Napoli in Wednesday night's entertaining pre-season clash at the Hard Rock Stadium.

An own goal from Samuel Umtiti had seen Napoli level after Sergio Busquets made the breakthrough, but Rakitic came up with a brilliant finish in the 79th minute to decide the contest.

Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live coverage of the action below.

2.32amThat is just about it from me tonight, but I shall leave you with the match report from what was a very entertaining game of football at the Hard Rock Stadium. See you soon!

2.28amSo there we have it - the referee brings the second period to a close with Barca running out 2-1 winners over Napoli in Miami. The two teams will do it all again on Saturday night!

FULL TIME:  

90+3 minNAPOLI 1-2 BARCELONA

SAVE!  

90+2 minMeres has to keep out an attempt from Ruiz after the Barca youngster had regained the ball in a dangerous position before attempting to pick out the back of the net.

SHOT!  

90+1 minDembele curls one just wide of the Napoli post as another chance comes and goes in the latter stages of this match. There will be two minutes of stoppage time here.

89 minEnd-to-end football here as both teams continue to search for more goals. It must be said that this has been a quite brilliant pre-season match - so entertaining and full of life.

SHOT!  

87 minInsigne fires a low Callejon cross wide of the post as Napoli pass up a big chance to level the scores in the latter stages. Hardly time to take a breath at the moment here.

SHOT!  

85 minDembele fires into the stands as Barca again threaten on the break. It would not be a surprise to see at least one more goal arrive in the latter stages of this match.

SAVE!  

83 minAnother smart save from Neto to keep out a strike from Milik, who will be wondering how he has not managed to score in the second half of this pre-season clash.

YELLOW CARD!  

81 minHysaj (Napoli) is incredibly fortunate to stay on the field as he pulls Dembele back but picks up just a yellow card. The Barca attacker was through on goal there!

GOAL!  

79 minBarca score their second in the 79th minute as Rakitic finds the bottom corner of the net with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box. Stunning finish from the Croatian!

GOAL!  

79 minNAPOLI 1-2 BARCELONA (RAKITIC)

79 minNAPOLI SUB! Hysaj has replaced Di Lorenzo for Napoli here.

YELLOW CARD!  

77 minJunior Firpo (Barcelona) is booked for a late tackle on Verdi.

CHANCE!  

76 minHuge chance for Napoli to score as Milik meet a cross from Ghoulam, but the centre-forward chests the ball over the crossbar. Not sure what he had in mind there!

74 minBack underway in Miami... is there going to be a winner in the final 15 minutes? Just a reminder that these two teams will meet once again in Michigan on Saturday night.

72 minTime for another drinks break, which is not a surprise. The tempo of this match has been absolutely incredible. Nothing pre-season about this game tonight, that is for sure.

YELLOW CARD!  

71 minMilik (Napoli) picks up a yellow card for an elbow on Umtiti.

SAVE!  

69 minWonderful save from Neto to keep out a powerful strike from Milik! Hardly time to take a breath at the moment as both teams continue to have openings in Miami.

OFF THE POST!  

68 minBrilliant effort from Dembele as the Frenchman works some space outside the box before having a go, only for the post to come to Napoli's rescue. Big moment.

66 minBARCELONA SUBS! De Jong, Dembele, Semedo and Pique enter the field for Wague, Todibo, Perez and Puig as Valverde indeed uses his bench.

64 minNo signs of any more Barca changes at the moment, but we are entering the stage of the match where Valverde will be thinking about alterations - Dembele might well be one.

62 minRafinha has been very bright for Barca since entering the field, with the Brazilian seemingly keen to make an impression amid the speculation surrounding his future.

60 minLittle over 30 minutes of the second period remaining and Barca are on the front foot at the moment with the Spanish champions looking to score their second goal of the match.

58 minNAPOLI SUBS! Gaetano, Verdi, Milik, Ghoulam and Luperto have replaced Mertens, Elmas, Rui, Ruiz and Manolas. Little over 30 minutes remaining here.

CLOSE!  

58 minMilik just misses the Barca post with a low strike. The attacker has entered the field as part of four changes, which I will confirm when it becomes possible. They just all piled on!

SHOT!  

57 minIvan Rakitic just misses the target with a low strike from distance.

CHANCE!  

56 minRafinha misses a big chance for Barca as the Brazilian fires over the Napoli crossbar following a mistake from Manolas. The Italians are not looking too good at the back here.

SAVE!  

54 minTwo excellent saves from Meret to keep out two attempts from Ruiz, who had met a low cross from Perez before attempting to score off the rebound. Good all round there!

SHOT!  

53 minInsigne chips one over the Barca crossbar as Napoli threaten again.

53 minRuiz and Rafinha have been bright for Barca since entering, but Napoli have again just been on the break and Neto had to be quick off his line to clear ahead of Insigne.

51 minJunior Firpo shows excellent pace to burst clear for Barca before finding Perez, who delivers a dangerous cross towards Ruiz, only for Manolas to make an excellent clearance.

49 minJust a reminder that these two teams will meet again in Michigan on Saturday night. Will there be any more goals in the second period? The fans in attendance certainly hope so.

YELLOW CARD!  

47 minWague (Barca) picks up a yellow card for another poor tackle on Rui.

47 minBARCELONA SUBS! Two changes for Barca at the interval as Griezmann and Luis Suarez ar replaced by Rafinha and Abel Ruiz. Looks to be same again for Napoli, though.

47 min... no sign of any changes from Barca at the interval, which is not too much of a surprise. Just waiting to confirm whether Napoli have made any alterations at the half-time break.

KICKOFF:  

46 minBarca resume the action here...

1.34amJunior Firpo has certainly shown some positive signs for Barca tonight. The defender will be looking to put pressure on Jordi Alba for the left-back position during the 2019-20 campaign.

1.31amThe pair will meet again in Michigan on Saturday night in what will be the final pre-season match for both teams. Indeed, Barca open their 2019-20 La Liga campaign away to Athletic Bilbao on August 16, while Napoli's Serie A season starts away to Fiorentina on August 24.

1.28amBENCH WATCH! As for Barca, the likes of Lenglet, Roberto, Pique and Alba could all come on in defence, while Rafinha, Dembele, De Jong, Alena and Arthur will be hoping to feature further up the field. Messi, as mentioned, is not available tonight due to a calf problem.

1.25amBENCH WATCH! Both managers will obviously use their benches tonight, and the likes of Ospina, Milik, Allan, Ghoulam and Verdi should feature for Napoli. It will also be interesting to see whether Hysaj - strongly linked with Tottenham - plays in the second half here.

1.22amSo there we have it - the referee brings the first period to a close with the two teams level at 1-1. Barca took the lead in the 38th minute courtesy of a fine effort from Sergio Busquets. Napoli were only behind for four minutes, though, and levelled the scores when a low attempt from Jose Callejon was deflected into the back of the Barca net by Samuel Umtiti.

HALF TIME:  

45+2 minNAPOLI 1-1 BARCELONA

45+1 minJust the one additional minute at the end of the first half here.

SAVE!  

45 minDecent save from Neto to keep out an attempt from Ruiz after a mix-up inside the Barca box. Some of the defending from the Spanish champions has been questionable at best.

44 minIt is almost going to be a shame when the first half ends as it has been so entertaining. Both managers would well make wholesale changes at the half-time interval here.

GOAL!  

42 minNapoli level the scores as Callejon shows excellent feet inside the Barca box to move away from Junior, before firing into the back of the net off the boot of Umtiti. There were suggestions that it could be an own goal but Callejon will have a right to claim it.

GOAL!  

42 minNAPOLI 1-1 BARCELONA (CALLEJON)

41 minExcellent piece of defensive work from Umtiti to block an attempt from Mertens, who had broken clear of Wague. Quite how Napoli have not scored tonight is a mystery!

GOAL!  

39 minBarca make the breakthrough in the 39th minute as Busquets finds a yard of space inside the Napoli box before passing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. It is a brilliant finish from the Spain international, who simply slotted the ball out of the reach of the Napoli goalkeeper.

GOAL!  

39 minNAPOLI 0-1 BARCELONA (BUSQUETS)

SHOT!  

39 minDecent work from Wague as the right-back drives into a shooting position before firing the ball just wide of the Napoli post. Bright stuff from the youngster there.

39 minNapoli's front three continue to cause a lot of problems with their pace and movement in the final third. Barca's defence have been fortunate not to concede in the first 39 minutes.

37 minLittle over five minutes of the first period remaining and it has been a brilliant half of action in Miami. No goals thus far, but there have been a number of positive moments here.

CHANCE!  

35 minAnother big chance for Napoli as Callejon finds Mertens once again, but the Belgian's effort is over the Barca crossbar. Napoli's front three have been so, so dangerous here.

34 minLuis Suarez looks to break into a shooting position for Barca, only for the flag to come to Napoli's rescue. Somehow still goalless despite the number of attacking moments here.

CHANCE!  

32 minHuge chance - easily the best of the match - as Mertens meets a low cross from Callejon. The attacker, though, somehow sends the ball wide from close range! Some miss!

31 minJunior Firpo is making his debut for Barca tonight and the left-back has been bright for the Spanish champions thus far. Jordi Alba will be looking over his shoulder this season, that is for sure. We have reached the 30-minute mark and are still waiting for the first goal here.

SAVE!  

29 minAnother decent save from Meret to keep out a strike from Perez, who burst into action as soon as I said that he was quiet. The number 27 did well to create the space to shoot.

28 minJust a reminder that Barca are without Messi tonight due to a calf problem. It would have been very special to see Messi alongside Griezmann and Luis Suarez in the final third. To be honest, we have not seen too much from Perez in the opening 28 minutes here.

26 minBack underway in Miami. Both managers took the chance to offer some words of encouragement to their teams - will the breakthrough arrive before the interval here?

25 minTime for a hydration break, which is not much of a surprise when considering the temperature and indeed humidity inside the stadium. It has been a really good game thus far.

23 minPossession football for Napoli at the moment as the Italian side look to find space in the final third. Carlo Ancelotti's side are making the pitch extremely big at the moment.

SAVE!  

21 minAnother save for Neto - this time more routine - as the stopper keeps out a low attempt from Mertens. Plenty happening with 21 minutes on the clock as both teams threaten.

SAVE!  

20 minExcellent save from Barca goalkeeper Neto this time as the summer arrival keeps out a close-range attempt from Insigne. Wonderful work from the experienced stopper!

SHOT!  

19 minLuis Suarez fires over the Napoli crossbar from just inside the box. Might have done better from that position and it is a let-off for the Italian side here.

19 minLuis Suarez looks to find Griezmann with a long pass as Barca break again, but the ball just runs away from the France international. Still goalless with 19 minutes on the clock here.

17 minElmas, who is a new arrival at Napoli, has been bright for Napoli in the first 17 minutes. There has been a lot of talk about the midfielder, who certainly looks a big talent.

15 minNo goals to report in the first 15 minutes despite the fact that it has been a very open game of football. Both managers can be pleased with what they have seen thus far tonight.

13 minReally poor challenge from Wague on Rui, and the Barca defender is fortunate to escape a yellow card. Rui looks to be fine but that could have been a really bad one for the number six.

SAVE!  

12 minReally smart save from Meret to keep out a low strike from Griezmann. As mentioned, the France international is looking very dangerous for the Spanish champions here.

12 minGriezmann looks very dangerous for Barca as the attacker continues to collect the ball just outside the Napoli box. Meanwhile, Puig has also been bright in the first 12 minutes.

10 minDecent stop from Neto to keep out a strike from Mertens, but the flag was raised. Just a few signs that both teams are starting to warm up as the tempo increases here.

CHANCE!  

9 minBig chance for Griezmann as an attempt from Luis Suarez falls kindly for the Frenchman inside the Napoli box. However, the Frenchman can only fire wide of the post!

9 minGriezmann has the chance to burst clear for Barca before sliding a pass into Junior, but the left-back's cross is blocked. First real sign of Griezmann getting involved there.

8 minNapoli continue to enjoy a lot of the ball here with Elmas and Zielinksi using it well. Mertens is very, very lively in the final third, meanwhile, as he plays on Umtiti's shoulder here.

6 minNapoli have started the better in this match; the Italian side already making most of the early running. We have not seen too much from Barca's front three thus far - it is still very early days, though. No Lionel Messi tonight as the Argentina international has a calf problem.

4 minUmtiti takes a little bit of a chance at the back under pressure from Mertens but the Frenchman gets away from it. Napoli are pressing high up the field, which was also the case when I last watched them against Liverpool last month; they were terrific in that game.

2 min... it must be said that there is a wonderful atmosphere inside the stadium here. The fans will be hoping to see some goals and a good game, therefore it might well be a dull 0-0.

KICKOFF:  

0 minNapoli kick things off here...

12.35amRight, the pre-match handshakes have been undertaken and the flags have been exchanged. A little late with kickoff but that is absolutely fine. Here's to a good game!

12.33amKickoff was due to take place at 12.30am UK time but that is obviously going to be delayed a touch. It will be very interesting to see how both of these teams perform as they just start to make their way onto the field of play in Miami, Florida. Not too long now.

12.31amAs for Barcelona, Lionel Messi's absence is due to a calf problem, meaning that 21-year-old Carles Perez has another chance to impress in the final third. Junior Firpo will make his debut for the club following a move from Real Betis, while Moussa Wague starts at right-back having been promoted to the first team for the 2019-20 campaign.

12.29amNapoli have four summer signings in their XI tonight with Konstantinos Manolas, Alex Meret, Eljif Elmas and Giovanni Di Lorenzo all named in the starting side. There is a familiar look to their front three, though, with Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon all featuring in the final third. There is also a spot for talented Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

12.27amTEAMS! NAPOLI: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Maksimovic, Rui; Ruiz, Zielinski, Elmas; Insigne, Mertens, Callejon BARCA: Neto; Wague, Todibo, Umtiti, Junior; Busquets, Rakitic, Puig; Griezmann, Suarez, Perez

12.25amGood morning and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the pre-season clash between Napoli and Barcelona from Miami, Florida. These two teams will lock horns on two occasions over the next three days with the second fixture due to take place in Michigan on Saturday. Stay tuned!
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