Barcelona 'are coming back' as they ease into Europa League last 16

Barcelona eased into the last 16 of the Europa League after a comfortable 4-2 away win against Napoli on Thursday.

Jordi Alba gave Barca the lead in the eighth minute of the knockout stage playoff second leg with a rare strike on his right foot and Frenkie de Jong put the Catalans further ahead with a curling shot after being teed up by a sumptuous backheel from Ferran Torres.

New signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted again for Barcelona, who had been held 1-1 at home in the first leg.

Aubameyang scored for the fourth time in two games after registering a hat-trick at Valencia in LaLiga on Sunday. Matteo Politano reduced the deficit to two goals in the 87th.

Gerard Pique, who also scored, was delighted with his side's performance after what was perhaps their best display since Xavi Hernandez took over as manager in November.

"For a while the team have not been competing at the level a club like Barca should but we have returned to our roots, to the way we should always play, the way we perhaps had stopped playing," he said.

"This performance is a message for us and for everyone else. Little by little, we're coming back."

The Spanish giants have struggled in their first season since the departure of Lionel Messi and were demoted to the Europa League after failing to advance to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2004.

"We dominated we for 90 minutes and that's the first time we've done that since I became coach," manager Xavi said.

"It's a win over a team which I repeat is a Champions League-level team, one which does not concede many goals and is fighting for the league title."

Politano pulled one back in the dying minutes but it was a stroll for Barca into Friday's draw for the last 16,