Reigning European champions Real Madrid will continue the defence of their crown when they take on Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 clash at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday.
Madrid go into the game with a 3-1 aggregate lead following their victory at the Bernabeu three weeks ago and will be looking to complete the job and reach the quarter-finals for a seventh successive year.
Napoli
© Getty Images
When it comes to European pedigree, there is only one winner in this tie, with Napoli a distant second to Madrid in terms of experience at this stage of the Champions League.
It is just their second appearance in the last 16 of this competition and they are bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, but the odds are stacked against them following their 3-1 defeat in the Spanish capital three weeks ago.
The hosts may, however, be encouraged by their only previous Champions League knockout experience as they look to inflict the same fate on Madrid as Chelsea did to Walter Mazzarri's Napoli side at this stage of the 2011-12 campaign.
On that occasion, Napoli won the home first leg 3-1 to put themselves in control of the tie, only for Chelsea to dramatically overturn the deficit at Stamford Bridge with a 4-1 triumph after extra time that put them through to the quarter-finals en route to their one and only Champions League title.
Napoli themselves have past experience of recovering from a two-goal first-leg deficit having beaten Bangor City in the 1962-63 Cup Winners' Cup and Juventus in the 1988-89 UEFA Cup quarter-finals after losing the away first leg 2-0 on both occasions.
In all, they have progressed from just three of the 11 European ties in which they have lost the first leg away from home, though, including each of the last four.
The Neapolitans have also lost their last two two-legged ties against Spanish opposition, although they are unbeaten in their six previous home matches against La Liga clubs.
Napoli's form has dropped of late, with the club having lost three of their last five outings after a run of 18 matches without defeat heading into the first leg of this tie.
Victory over fellow Serie A title hopefuls Roma on Saturday saw them return to winning ways, though, and it is worth noting that Napoli, rather than Madrid, were the team to win their Champions League group from this tie.
It may not have been the most competitive of groups, but Napoli also boast a good home record in this competition having won seven and lost just one of their previous 10 Champions League games at the Stadio San Paolo.
Maurizio Sarri's side may also be buoyed by the fact that the last three teams to have lost the away first leg of a knockout tie 3-1 have gone on to progress, but the hosts will be in no doubt that it will take a famous performance for them to create a slice of club history by reaching the quarter-finals.
Recent form: WLDDWL
Recent form (all competitions): WLWLLW
Real Madrid
© Getty Images
Zinedine Zidane's managerial career may still be in its early stages, but already he has one Champions League trophy to his name and has lost just one of his 14 matches in this competition.
Indeed, Madrid travel to Naples on an 11-game European unbeaten run, and should they avoid defeat on Tuesday night then they would set a new club record for Europe's premier competition - a notable landmark given their dominance of the tournament in its earliest years.
It is now 27 years since any team successfully retained the trophy - a feat never achieved in the Champions League era - but for a club more synonymous with the competition than any other, that will be an enticing challenge this season.
Madrid have not won back-to-back Champions League games since this stage of the previous campaign, when they also eliminated Italian opposition in the shape of Roma, winning both legs 2-0 in what were the first European games since Zidane took over.
That win at the Stadio Olimpico is their only triumph in their last nine Champions League visits to Italy, though, having previously lost eight consecutive two-legged ties against Serie A opposition. Indeed, Madrid's overall record in Italy is surprisingly poor for a team of their stature, with just five wins and 18 defeats from 31 previous matches on Italian soil.
Of course, Zidane's side do not necessarily need a win to progress on Tuesday night, which will be a relief considering that they have only triumphed in one of their last five Champions League away games.
Madrid have, however, progressed from each of their last eight knockout ties in which they have won the first leg and have also gone through in 44 of the 57 European ties in which they have gone into an away second leg with an advantage.
A 3-1 cushion has proven to be a dangerous one for the 11-time winners of this competition in the past, though, having been eliminated on four of eight occasions when they have taken that advantage into an away second leg.
An away goal would make things a lot more comfortable for Los Blancos, and they go into the match having scored at least once in each of their last 46 outings in all competitions - an all-time record for Spanish clubs.
Madrid continue to fight on two fronts this season and have work to do in La Liga having surrendered the lead to Barcelona in recent weeks, but the title is still theirs to lose courtesy of their game in hand over their perennial rivals.
Recent form: DWDWDW
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWDW
Team News
© Getty Images
Neither Cristiano Ronaldo - the all-time top-scorer in this competition - nor Gareth Bale were risked in the victory over Eibar on Saturday so both should return to the starting lineup for this match.
Karim Benzema did start at the weekend and scored twice to help Madrid to a 4-1 win, which could be enough for him to hold off the challenge of Alvaro Morata as the French striker looks to score in five consecutive Champions League games for the first time in his career.
Raphael Varane is the only major absentee for the visitors, who are expected to recall the likes of Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo.
Napoli, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of top-scorer Dries Mertens, who has scored three hat-tricks since mid-December but is struggling with a calf injury for this match.
Allan is also a doubt for the hosts, but Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon are both available to face their former club.
Marek Hamsik continues to chase down Napoli legend Diego Maradona in the club's scoring charts, now sitting just six goals behind the record holder.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Reina; Hysaj, Koulibaly, Albiol, Ghoulam; Zielinski, Diawara, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Head To Head
These two sides had only met twice before they were drawn together in this season's competition, with Madrid progressing from their 1987-88 European Cup first-round tie with a 3-1 aggregate win.
Madrid also won the first leg by two goals on that occasion as strikes from Michel and Miguel Tendillo built a 2-0 advantage before a 1-1 draw against Maradona's Napoli in the return leg - Real's only previous visit to the Stadio San Paolo.
The first leg of this tie saw Napoli take the lead through Lorenzo Insigne, only for Benzema, Kroos and Casemiro to respond in a 3-1 win for the Spaniards.
We say: Napoli 1-2 Real Madrid
Napoli have the players to hurt Real Madrid if the visitors are below their best, but they will have no choice but to attack Zidane's side, which will suit the likes of Bale and Ronaldo nicely. It will not be a walk in the park for Madrid, but they should have enough quality to progress into the quarter-finals yet again.
Barney Corkhill
