Ferran Torres scored from the spot yet missed four clear chances as Barcelona came from behind to draw their UEFA Europa League Knockout Stage playoff match against Napoli.
As the clock trickled towards the half-hour mark, Piotr Zielinski put Napoli in front in their UEFA Europa League Knockout stage playoff against the Blaugrana. The midfielder ran onto a pass by Eljif Elmas before drawing a fine save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen with his low shot.
With the ball in the air and the Barcelona defence unaware, the Poland international latched onto the rebound and blasted into the roof of the net from close range.
With a berth in the Europa League round of 16 at stake, Barca retaliated. They mounted up the pressure on their opponents, which resulted in a 56th-minute penalty kick after Juan Jesus was adjudged to have handled the ball.
Ferran Torres hopped, skipped, and scored to restore parity. Momentum on their side, Xavi’s men piled forward in search of the second goal, which, despite their best attempts, never arrived. As a result, the two teams will resume their clash at 1-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 24.
Next week at Ibrox, meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund will attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit following a shock 4-2 loss at the hands of Rangers. The Scottish champions took the lead in the 39th minute from the spot – full-back James Tavernier with the go-ahead goal, after Dan-Axel Zagadou was adjudged to have handled the ball.
Two minutes later, Alfredo Morelos turned Joe Aribo’s flick-on from a corner in at the back post, firmly establishing his side’s superiority. Four minutes after the restart, Ryan Kent teased his marker down the wing before setting up the shot for John Lundstram. The Englishman hit the ball sweetly the first time of asking, and it nestled into the corner to give Rangers a 3-0 lead.
Jude Bellingham pulled a goal back for the Germans in the 51st minute from outside the box. But, just three minutes later, Morelos compounded Zagadou’s misery, his shot taking a big deflection off the centre-back and creeping past Gregor Kobel in the Dortmund goal.
Raphael Guerreiro ensured the deficit remained at two with a sensational, late effort. Dortmund, nonetheless, walked off to jeers from the home crowd – and have a mountain to climb next week.
