Barcelona humble Napoli, Bayern thrash Chelsea: Champions League as it happened

FULL-TIME: BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Suarez saunters off as a late substitution, earning a yellow card for his troubles. Nonetheless, Barcelona are safely through to the quarter-finals, but big ups to Napoli for never giving up. They have never made the last eight in the Champions League, but on this showing, that - and more - is not too far off. 

FULL-TIME: BAYERN 3 CHELSEA 1

Bayern Munich are in Champions League quarter-finals after a valiant if vain Chelsea attempt was quashed in Germany. Never much of a competition as all the damage was done in the first let at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard's side will be a different force next season, I am sure, but right now Bayern look formidable. 

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Into the death throes now for certainly Chelsea and probably Napoli as we have five minutes to go. Chelsea have rolled over in defeat but Napoli are at least showing some tenacty as they pepper the Barca box with attacks. Not that any are coming to fruition so far in this second half.

NO GOAL! BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Heartache as Arkadiusz Milik's header is ruled out for offside. Napoli are throwing everything at Barcelona now.

GOAL! BAYERN 4 CHELSEA 1

We said it could get ugly, and ugly it is as Bayern roar off to Lisbon with the last laugh against Chelsea. That is a hurty 7-1 on aggregate and we are not at the finish line yet. Robert Lewandowski has nabbed his brain-melting 53rd goal of the seaon in all competitions.

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Suarez utilises gravity - his favourite friend - once more in attempt to persuade the referee. No chance. but a wee bit of the classic 'I have cramp' eats up a minute. Not exactly classic Barcelona with 10 to go.

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

A bit of a midfield tussle going on now at Camp Nou as we approach the final 15 minutes. Barca looking to keep possession and kill the tie now as Napoli chase everything and seach for an opening.

GOAL! BAYERN 3 CHELSEA 1

The proverbial fat lady has sung as Bayern make it 6-1 on aggregate. Corentin Tolisso is the unlikely hero to send Lampard and Chelsea home to think what needs to be done to make them a European force. 

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Griezmann has a great chance for Barca to kill the game but his first touch lets him down when a volley was maybe the better option. Everything edging towards Barcelona's favour as time times on... 30 to go.

BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 1

More Bayern pressure now as Thiago and David Alaba both test Willy Caballero in the Chelsea goal. In all fairness, Chelsea are much-improved from their shambolic first leg, but they are still simply out-classed by German efficiency.

One thing for sure is we can have no extra-time tonight. Napoli and Chelsea need to mount their comebacks in the allotted 90 tonight, if we are to have any fairy-tale comebacks.

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

All eyes on one game now as nothing much doing in Germany. Thomas Mueller has wasted a good chand to restore the home side's five-goal advantage. Bayern have that one sown up. Insigne is in again, but a wave of Barca defenders denies him a shot. 4-2 on aggregate, but one Napoli goal will really rattle the Barca nerves. 30 mins to go. Tick-tock.

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Messi has stayed on despite that heavy knock, and he nearly gets a result as he finds Suarez in the area. Tut. The Uruguayan flumps to the ground under the slightest of pressure to waste the chance. Stay on your feet Luis and you could be one of the best...

BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Again Napoli threaten as skipper Insigne fires straight at keeper Ter Stegen. The chances are coming, can Napoli make them count? 

BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 1

Mason Mount is causing trouble up front now as Chelsea look to salvage some pride. Bayern already easing off the gas a little.

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BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

As expected, Napoli have come out flying, hoping to catch Barca cold at after the restart, but Koulibaly heads a free-kick harmlessly wide.

Back under way. What has the second half in Spain and Germany got to offer after that whirlwind first 45? Napoli ring the changes to go on the attack against Barcelona. Stanislav Lobotka is on for Diego Demme. More goals guaranteed (he hopes).

Barcelona's Messi was still limping as he went off at half-time. Shall he re-emerge for the second period? Let's see. Napoli need two goals to progress, while Chelsea need a miracle. Otherwise it is Bayern and Barcelona in the final eight.

HALF-TIME
BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 1
BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

So seven goals, two ruled out, penalties aplenty and VAR controversy. It's just like a normal Saturday of Premier League footy rather than just two belated Champions League matches. We aint complaining though. Still 45 minutes to go. More of the same please.

HALF-TIME
BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 1
BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Napoli almost grab another just on the first-half final whistle but Ter Stegen keeps out the last-gasp effort. That was 45 minutes (and a half - sorry!). Mental stuff in Spain, while Chelsea have got the faintest of chances in Germany. 

GOAL! BARCA 3 NAPOLI 1

Game on! Insigne makes if a perfect eight from eight this season from the spot for Napoli to give the visitors a vital lifeline just before the break. 4-2 Barca on aggregate. 

PENALTY TO NAPOLI

Gimme a chance. It is happening all over the place tonight and the referee has now given a penalty to Napoli as Mertens is bundled down in the area. 

GOAL! BARCA 3 NAPOLI 0

Penalty given by those busy VAR guys, and Luis Suarez converts to put Barcelona in the driveer's seat and on the plane to Lisbon.

GOAL! BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 1

Surely not! Chelsea grab a goal back as Tammy Abraham nips in to score. Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer deserves the assist as he palmed the ball to Abraham to tap home. 

BARCA 2 NAPOLI 0

Yowch! Messi takes an inadvertent clobber to the ankle from Koulibaly, who was teeing up a clearance as the wee man nicked in to steal the ball. The Napoli defender took Messi's leg instead inside the box and it looks like a real sore one. VAR checking for a penalty, but the focus is on the injured Messi. 

Man of the matches so far has to be VAR. Penalty given: Check. Dodgy goal stands: Check. Unlikely comeback denied: Check. Tiny handball chalks off great goal: Check. Consistency is everything, eh?  

NO GOAL! BARCA 2 NAPOLI 0

The ball touched Messi's arm as he controlled it and VAR correctly, by the letter of the law, throws Napoli a lifeline. It is harsh, but thems the rules! Napoli still need to find two goals with 60 mins to go.

GOAL! BARCA 3 NAPOLI 0

This is silky from Barcelona now, and they are looking like their old selves. Ospina makes a great save in the Napoli goal but Barca keep it alive and the ball finds its way to Messi. The maestro cushions it down with his chest and delivers a lovely dink over keeper Ospina. Writing on the wall here now.

BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 0

Oof! Salt in the wounds. Chelsea have the ball in the net but Callum Hudson-Odoi's effort is ruled out.

GOAL! BAYERN 2 CHELSEA 0

While I was waxing lyrical about Messi, Ivan Perisic has put the final nail in Chelsea's coffin. Final nail, box in the ground, thrown away the shovel. No coming back for 5-0 on aggregate for Frank Lampard's men. If anything, it could get pretty ugly(er) for the men in blue. 

GOAL! BARCA 2 NAPOLI 0

And that is why he is the best player in the world. Lionel Messi picks up the ball out wide, beats three challenges, is fouled, gets up, beats two more defenders and curls home a finish only he can do. That was sublime, sensational, staggering. Napoli in big trouble now. 

BAYERN 1 CHELSEA 1

Bayern are now content to play the ball around. They will have one eye on the next round now as the games will come thick and fast. Barring the biggest comeback in the history of ever, they play the winner of the Barca v Napoli clash in Lisbon next. 

BARCA 1 NAPOLI 1

So as it stands, Napoli must score (same drill as before kick-off, really) to take the game to extra-time now. Mertens still looking lively and, if you ask me, are they to muster a goal, it will come through him. 

GOAL! BARCA 1 NAPOLI 0

Clement Lenglet heads it into the net but VAR is checking on a push by the Barca man... Goal given. That is odd. It looked like a blatant push by Lenglet to make space for his header. VAR said not enough in it to give a foul. That will really rile Napoli, who had been on top until that point.

GOAL! BAYERN 1 CHELSEA 0

Over in Germany, still goalless but the home side are dominating proceedings. Oh, and as I type, they open the scoring. Robert Lewandowski, despite his age, shows why he is the hottest goalscoring machine in Germany as he bangs it in from the penalty spot to shatter any remaining Chelsea hopes. Lewandowski was bundeled over to win the kick, which was given by VAR.

BARCA 0 NAPOLI 0

Napoli are at it again in a cavernous but empty Camp Nou. Mertens and Jose Callejon almost find the target and then some pinball in the box before Barcelona clear. Napoli are defo up for this.

BARCA 0 NAPOLI 0

Holy moly, Dries Mertens doesn't know why he hasn't scored as he finds himself behind the Barca defence but he sclaffs his shot with only the keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to beat. It comes off the outside of the upright and Mertens is holding his head in his hands. How costly will that be? A real statement of intent from Napoli.

And away you go as they say. Bayern quickly on the attack in Germany, with Chelsea on the back foot. Proceedings a few minutes behind in Spain. 

Out come the teams in Munich and Barcelona. In 90 minutes (unless we go to extra-time), we shall have our final two quarter-finalists for this longest ever Champions League campaign. Barca? Napoli? Bayern? Chelsea (not really)? Who do you reckon? None of the six teams already through have ever won the Champions League!

So does anyone fancy Chelsea doing a 'Liverpool' and turning things around against Bayern? Not me. I reckon there is more chance of an upset in Spain as Napoli look to account for Barcelona. Real, Liverpool and Juve are already out, mind. Could we have a new name on the trophy this year? 10 mins to kick-off. 

15 minutes to go to kick-off. Nervous much? I always find I am more nervous when my team are leading, but I am pretty sure the Bayern fans are fairly confident tonight.

Speaking of which, the restart of hostilities in the Champions League has the fans coming back out of the woodwork. "I never knew we had quite so many Manchester City and Napoli fans in Dubai," says Craig Leader, manager of Crown & Lion at Byblos Barsha Heights. "We even had a Lyon fan in last night along with the usual Real and Juventus crowd. I'm sure more closet fans will creep out as we get to the next round."

BARCA v NAPOLI

Team news
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Roberto, Rakitic, De Jong, Messi Suarez, Griezmann
Napoli: Ospina, Di Lorenzo, Koulibaly, Manolas, Rui, Demme, Callejon, Ruiz, Zielinski, Insigne, Mertens

BARCA v NAPOLI

Over in Spain, unlike Bayern, Barcelona are far from home and hosed as they are locked 1-1 with a rejuvenated Napoli side who have the gnashing Gennaro Gattuso at the helm. You can guarantee this Napoli side will fight for everthing out there at the Camp Nou. They would rather that than face the wrath of growling Rino on the sidelines. 

BAYERN v CHELSEA

Team news

Bayern: Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Goretzka, Thiago Alcantara; Gnabry, Muller, Perisic; Lewandowski Subs: Ulreich, Hoffmann, Odriozola, Sule, Javi Martinez, Coutinho, Cuisance, Hernandez, Tolisso, Tillman, Musiala, Arrey-Mbi
Chelsea: Caballero; James, Zouma, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Kovacic, Barkley; Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Mount Subs: Kepa, Cumming, Rudiger, Tomori, Simeu, Maatsen, Bate, Lawrence, Giroud, Batshuayi, Broja

After that drama - who says club's are knee-jerk? - let's get back to tonight's business. How is your memory?

BAYERN v CHELSEA

First up: Frank Lampard's mob have a mountain to climb after they suffered a 3-0 Stamford Bridge reverse at the hands of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The rookie manager must have had his team watching videos of Liverpool's historic comeback against Barcelona on the way to tothe title last year.

One problem: Chelsea aren't Liverpool... OK, two, problems, Chelsea aren't Liverpool and Bayern look unbeatable. OK, a multitude problems face Chelsea, but the most important ones are how to score three away goals in Germany to even give themselves a chance... 

More on Pirlo: Former Italy and Juventus star Andrea Pirlo was Saturday named as the Italian champions' new coach, the club announced.

Pirlo, 41, replaces Maurizio Sarri who was sacked after just one season as Juventus crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 to French club Lyon on Friday.

Pirlo has signed a two-year contract.

Juventus are not hanging about as the news just in is Andrea Pirlo will replace Sarri as coach at the Turin club. That's a big gamble as the untested Juve and AC Milan legend has only got experience as Juve's Under-23 coach. 

Good evening once again. After what seems like months - six to be exact - tonight we will finally know our final eight for the 2019-20 Uefa Champions League.

Manchester City and Lyon did for European giants Real Madrid and Juventus respectively last night, not without a fair bit of drama, and it ended up costing Juve boss Maurizio Sarri his job. It may cost them a lot more in the weeks to come...

But back to tonight and we shall see who shall be joining City, Lyon, Atalanta, PSG, Leipzig and Atletico Madrid for the mini-tournament in Lisbon, Portugal. Shall Barcelona see off Napoli (1-1 after first leg)? And shall Chelsea mount a miraculous comeback to dump out Bayern Munich in their own back yard? We shall see, with kick-off in little under an hour's time.