‘We will buy helmets and armour’: Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso ready for Camp Nou showdown after holding Barcelona to a draw in their Champions League last-16 first-leg
- Napoli drew 1-1 against Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 first-leg
- Dries Mertens opened the scoring before Barca’s Antoine Griezmann equalised
- The Serie A side largely stifled Lionel Messi, and are very much still in the tie
- Gennaro Gattuso is adamant his team can progress to the quarter-finals
Gennaro Gattuso believes his side can pull off a shock when Napoli travel to Barcelona in three weeks’ time for their Champions League last-16 second-leg.
The Serie A side held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the San Paolo on Tuesday, with Dries Mertens giving the hosts the lead after 30 minutes before Antoine Griezmann equalised for Barca in the 57th minute.
And after midfielder Arturo Vidal was sent-off late on for the visitors, Gattuso insists Napoli can knock out Lionel Messi and Co on March 18 at the Camp Nou.
Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso believes his side can beat Barcelona in the Camp Nou
Antoine Griezmann celebrates his goal for Barcelona last night with captain Lionel Messi
‘Nothing is over for us when we’re playing the last 16 in the Champions League, not even when we play cards,’ Gattuso said after the game.
‘We know the difficulties we are going through. We will buy helmets and armour.
‘We will get all the necessary [tools] and will play the next game. Nothing is over.’
It was Gattuso’s first game in charge of Napoli in Europe – the former AC Milan midfielder took over in December after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked following the final group-stage victory against Genk.
Dries Mertens (L) celebrates his opening goal for Napoli with captain Lorenzo Insigne (R)
They return to action at home to Torino on Saturday in Serie A, before they host Inter Milan next Thursday with a 1-0 lead in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Barcelona, meanwhile, travel to the Spanish capital to face fierce rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday.
As if the game itself wasn’t significant enough, the pair are neck-and-neck in the La Liga title race, with Barca currently top by a single point.
