A Thrilling Night Ahead at the Santiago Bernabeu

When the draw was made for the 2016/17 Champions League Round of 16, Real Madrid would have been happy enough to see Napoli come out of the pot.  Under the current format of the competition, Napoli have qualified four times and are yet to progress beyond the Round of 16 stage of the competition.  In fact, in their previous attempt, which was the 2014/15 season, the Italian club failed to make it beyond the play-off stage, being eliminated before the groups were even drawn.

So, for a club with no real history in the Champions League, why should Real Madrid have any concerns about this tie?

Firstly, Napoli are a team in great form.  They are undefeated in their last eighteen matches in all competitions and you must go back to 29th October 2016, to find the last time they lost a match, which was a 2-1 defeat at Juventus, the strongest team in Serie A.  This is a team who do not know what it is like to lose football matches and they should be relishing the opportunity to take on the current holders of the Champions League, in their own back yard.

Real Madrid meanwhile, have turned around their form recently, winning three and drawing one of their last four matches in all competitions.  The draw came at Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey, which saw them eliminated from the Spanish cup tournament.  Real Madrid lost the first leg of that tie to Celta Vigo at home and have also been defeated by Sevilla since the turn of the year, so there is plenty of encouragement for Napoli to take ahead of this game.

When you look at the two teams in Europe this season, Napoli have performed well when playing away from home, winning two and drawing one of their three group stage away matches.  However, the task of playing Real Madrid in the Champions League hits home when you look at their home record in the competition.  Los Blancos are undefeated in their last eleven home Champions League matches, winning nine of them and have lost just one of the previous thirty-three at the Santiago Bernabeu.  It is an incredible record and it would be considered a big shock if Napoli were to come away with a win from this game.

The one advantage Napoli have, is the return leg at home and Maurizio Sarri will know if his team can stay in the tie ahead of that match, they have a chance of causing an upset.  It will be interesting to see the approach of Napoli in this match.  Last season, at the same stage, Roma created several good chances at Real Madrid and if they had taken them, could have won the tie.  An away goal will be crucial and Napoli can score one, given their current form.

However, Real Madrid are a team who have a habit of getting the job done in these games and should take a lead with them over to Italy.  Real Madrid to win and both teams to score is a tempting bet for this one and if you believe Napoli can come away with something better, a high scoring draw is not out of the question. The Santiago Bernabeu can become a difficult place for Real Madrid players, when the crowd are turning and a couple of goals from Napoli could make that happen.