Napoli will be a tricky opponent, warns Ernesto Valverde

Napoli have endured a tough season so far after falling far behind in the Serie A race as the club sits 8th with 21 points. They sacked Carlo Ancelotti last week following a 4-0 win over Genk on the last matchday in the Champions League and appointed Gennaro Gattuso as his successor. Valverde believes Barça will need to be at their sharpest if they are to progress to the quarter-finals, even though his side triumphed 4-0 in their most recent meeting in pre-season.    

“Napoli are a dangerous team. Clearly, they're not going through their best moment. They've had a change of coach and they'll have to adapt bit by bit. We'll see how they are and how everyone is heading into February, but without a doubt, we'll have to prepare for the tie really well. It'll be a strong atmosphere, with a big stadium, one of those where the fans are very close. But that's fine. In that sense, we're used to playing in front of atmospheres of this kind and it'll be beautiful to experience everything in general around Napoli as a city,” said the former Athletic Bilbao coach to AS.