5 talking points as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fires Barcelona into Europa League last-16

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on target for Barcelona yet again as they blew away Napoli to reach the Round of 16 in the Europa League.

Aubameyang – a January arrival from Arsenal as a free agent – netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory at Valencia on Sunday and swept in the fourth for Barca in a convincing win in Naples.

The outcome of the game was rarely in doubt after Jordi Alba gave Barca an eighth minute lead following a swift counter-attack.

Five minutes later, Frenkie de Jong – who enjoyed one of his best performances in a Blaugrana shirt – fired home a stunning second for Xavi Hernandez’s side, to give them a 3-1 aggregate advantage.

Napoli were given hope midway through the first half as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen felled Victor Osimhen in the area, allowing Lorenzo Insigne to convert from the penalty spot.

Yet Gerard Pique restored Barca’s two-goal advantage minutes before the break with a left-footed finish and Aubameyang grabbed a fourth for the visitors on the hour mark to put the result beyond doubt.

Substitute Matteo Politano scored a consolation goal with four minutes of regulation time remaining, but Barca had more than enough to hold on and progress.

Mirror Football takes a look at the five main talking points on an impressive evening for the Catalan giants.

It was a busy transfer window for Barcelona with four players added to the first-team squad.

In fact, such was the influx of new arrivals in Xavi’s first transfer window that Dani Alves, one of those incomings, could not be registered for their European campaign due to UEFA’s rules.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted a hat-trick on Sunday as Barca beat Valencia 4-1 and found the net again in this victory, with Adama Traore providing two assists and Ferran