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Playmaker's Connor Whelan runs the rule over tonight's Champions League ties - highlighting three players who are almost guaranteed to deliver.
The Champions League is officially back. This week sees the second half of the Round of 16 ties, with four more mouth-watering match ups over the next two days.
In the two ties tonight, La Liga leaders Barcelona face Napoli for the first time in Champions League history, and Frank Lampard’s Chelsea host Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. Here are our three players to watch out for tonight:
Lewandowski is the fifth top goalscorer in European Cup football history, yet he has never won the top- scorer award in the tournament. However, this season looks like it could finally be his time, with the 31-year-old in unbelievable form that shows no signs of stopping any time soon.
The Polish international is currently the top scorer in Europe, as well as this season's Champions League, with 35 goals in just 28 games in all competitions. Heading into his sides match away to Chelsea, Lewandowski has scored six goals in six games in 2020 and has scored in each of Bayern’s last four away
matches.
He is not just a finisher though, as he provides a key attacking outlet for the German champions. An average of two key passes, two dribbles and two aerial duels won per game show how he is a focal point in the centre of Bayern’s lethal attack.
Chelsea have only kept one clean sheet in their last ten league matches, which perhaps spells trouble, as they come up against the best striker in the world on current form - Lewandowski scoring in every one of his Champions League games so far this season.
Lewandowski to score may be the safest bet you could make in this tournament.
Napoli have struggled in Serie A so far this season. Despite four wins in their last five, the perennial league contenders disappointingly sit outside the Italian title race in sixth.
However, they remain undefeated in the Champions League and only lost out on top spot in their group to Liverpool by a point, despite beating the defending champions in the opening game.
Napoli’s best performing player in Europe this season has been Dries Mertens. Though he may not fit the typical goalscorer mould like a Lewandowski, the short and devastatingly quick Mertens has constantly proven himself to be a key part of his team.
The Belgian has scored five and assisted one in his five Champions League starts. He has taken at least three or more shots in eight out of his last nine games, providing the cutting edge that his side needs.
Creatively Mertens makes two key passes per game, with him achieving an average pass success rate of 82.4% in his last eight home games.
Another key area of the 32-year-old’s playing style is his tremendous work rate. Defensively he has made 13 tackles and two interceptions in his last four Champions League games, an unusually high number for an attacker that shows once more the integral part he plays in this Napoli team.
Mertens' work rate and pace will definitely make him a handful for a Barcelona side with an ageing defensive core and, as underdogs, Napoli could surprise many at the Stadio San Paolo.
Putting Lionel Messi on a list of ones to watch feels like the biggest waste of time, especially as there is not much that has not already been said about him. However, there is some method to our madness.
We justify the Argentinian's inclusion on the list, as he has actually never scored a goal against an Italian club in Italy before...so it'll be interesting to see if he can conquer yet another stat this evening.
The 2019 Ballon d’Or winner scored four against Eibar last time out in La Liga, so he's back among the goals in a big way and his attacking numbers in general match his goal stats this season: Messi averaging five shots, three key passes and eight dribbles per game. He has also recorded 37 dribbles in just four Champions League starts.
Barcelona have only won one of their last four away games, but if there is one man who can win a match single-handedly, it is Lionel Messi.
Just imagine ... pic.twitter.com/WJ1B9gKwZB
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 25, 2020
