Two clubs looking to return to form will do battle today in a friendly between Napoli and Barcelona. The match scheduled for 2 p.m. ET will be held at the Stade de Geneve on Wednesday and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
A new campaign for FC Barcelona brings new challenges for the club—challenges Lionel Messi is more than willing to accept. The four-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner made it clear on his personal Facebook page that excitement was abound. Erasing the trophy-less pain of 2014 is the driving force behind it.
"It was great to reunite with my teammates today in Barcelona," Messi said (via Goal). "The first training session of the season and we're already thinking about the exciting challenges we have ahead of us."
Unfortunately for the club, the main challenge is improving a central defense that leaked untimely goals at the tail end of last season. Legend has it, Marc Bartra is still in pursuit of Gareth Bale. As talented and excited as Messi is, it's the responsibility of manager Luis Enrique to put his best player in a position to recapture glory. The first step comes with building solidarity in his back four.
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: One of the newly acquired faces looking to make an impact for Napoli this season is Swansea City's former point man, Michu. The 28-year-old joined the Italian side during the summer transfer window after a disappointing Premier League campaign. He'll look to improve on his two-goal form with his new club.
Napoli's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Andújar; Ghoulam, Henrique, Britos, Koulibaly; Inler, Hamsik, Jorginho; Callejon, Michu, Pandev
Barcelona's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Bravo; Alba, Mathieu, Bartra, Montoya; Iniesta, Busquets, Rakitic; Deulofeu, Rafinha, Pedro
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