Published 17:22 IST, February 26th 2020
Napoli 'will buy helmets and armour' for second leg against Barcelona: Gennaro Gattuso
Lionel Messi's side have an away goal advantage but Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso believes that his side will be prepared for nothing less than war.
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Napoli halted Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the San Paolo stadium in the first leg of Champions League 2019-20. Napoli's manager Gennaro Gattuso is all set to face Barcelona away from home in the second leg. Lionel Messi's side have an away goal advantage but Gattuso believes that his side will be prepared for nothing less than war. The 42-year-old Italian, in a post-match presser, stated, "We know the difficulties we are going through. We will buy helmets and armour." His statement clearly indicates Napoli's mindset to proceed in the competition.
Gennaro Gattuso is ready for a battle
Gennaro Gattuso is optimistic about Napoli's chances in the game. The former Italian midfielder said that nothing is over for them. Gennaro Gattuso jokingly said that they will get all the necessary tools for the next game. He further added, "I am disappointed because we made a mistake defensively and they hit us. For sure, we could do better."
🗣 Gennaro Gattuso - Napoli coach: "I'm worried about Barcelona, with Setién they're getting back the ball more quickly compared to Valverde's time."
— Barça Watch (@BarcaWatch) February 25, 2020
Gattuso:"Messi is the best, he's an amazing player and a living example for all children." pic.twitter.com/HOM4IDhQHh
Napoli vs Barcelona highlights
Napoli entered the match with three back-to-back Serie A wins. It included a 1-0 win over Inter Milan. Both the managers had their tactics on point as Napoli were focusing majorly on counter-attacking. Meanwhile, Quique Setién's boys played the classic tiki-taka football. Napoli drew first blood in the match with Dries Mertens' elite finish in the 30th minute. With the goal, Mertens became the joint record goalscorer for Napoli. Antoine Griezmann levelled the score with his 57th minute goal. It was also the last goal of the match. Arturo Vidal picked up a red card in the 89th minute.
Champions League second leg schedule
The match will take place on March 18, 2020 (March 19, 2020, 1:30 AM IST) at the Camp Nou stadium.
17:22 IST, February 26th 2020