LA LIGA PREVIEW: VALENCIA VS BARCELONA

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona travel to Mestalla for their next big La Liga adventure in what promises to be an enthralling contest.

It's not been a great October for FC Barcelona. Succumbing to their first League loss against their arch rivals, falling out of the Champions League group stages for the second year in a row with 1 victory out of 5, it's been a month to forget for the club.

Domestically however, they've been impressive. With back to back convincing wins last week, the Catalans will now face a somewhat valiant Valencia away from home.

Gennaro Gattuso has had mixed results with Valencia since his appointment, with 4 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws in his first 11 games. They were on a five game unbeaten streak before that ended against Mallorca on home turf. They'll be the fresher of the two sides as they have no European commitments, and will want to get a statement win against the Catalan giants.

INTERESTING STATS 

- Barcelona have won 9 of their last 10 La Liga games.

- While they have been shoddy at the back in Europe, Barcelona’s defensive unit remains the best in the domestic circuit, having kept a clean sheet in 8 of their last 9 La Liga matches.

- Barcelona are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 away matches against Valencia in all competitions.

- Having suffered a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Mallorca last time out, Valencia could endure back-to-back home defeats for the first time since October 2016.

- There have been over 2.5 goals involved in 7 of Valencia’s last 8 La Liga games, while 13 of the last 14 league meetings between these two have seen both teams find the back of the net. So, goals could well be on the cards.

- Valencia have only won three of their last 30 league meetings with Barça, and their 2-0 win in 2020 was their first at home to the Catalans since 2007. The other two victories were both at Camp Nou, 3-2 in 2014 and 2-1 in 2016

LAST FIVE MEETINGS

20/02/22 Valencia 1-4 Barça 

17/9/21   Barça 3-1 Valencia 

2/5/21     Valencia 2-3 Barça 

19/12/20 Barça 2-2 Valencia 

25/1/20    Valencia 2-0 Barça

TEAM NEWS.

Valencia

 Los Che have a fair share of injuries and will be missing some key players for this clash. 

Samu Castillejo, Jaume Domenech, Mouctar Diakhaby and Ilaix Moriba are all set to miss out. Yunus Musah is serving a one match suspension on Saturday. Due to contract logistics, Nico Gonzalez will not be playing against Barcelona.

Edison Cavani will likely lead the attack along with Justin Kluivert and Samuel Lino. Foulquierand Almeida will anchor the midfield with Guillamon, While Gaya, Cormet, Paulista and Correia will form the defense in front of Mamardashvili.

Barcelona

La Blaugrana remain without Araujo, Christensen, Depay and Roberto. After negative performances the last time out, Xavi will look to reshuffle the defense and midfield. Alonso, Busquets and Kessie are at risk of dropping out of the starting lineup. 

TerStegen will continue between the sticks. Balde has been imperious as Left back and will once again start, with Kounde, Garcia and Bellerin completing the defense. Gavi will likely start in Midfield alongside Pedri and DeJong. Robert Lewandowski will start of course. Dembele has made a strong argument to start at Right wing, with Fati likely to start at the left. 

Where And when  are Valencia vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Valencia, Spain

Stadium: Estadio Mestalla

Date: Saturday 29 October

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST

VAR: Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva

Referee: Ricardo De Burgo Bengoetxea

CONCLUSION

Los Che have an effective attack that could cause a somewhat shaky Barça defense a few problems. One of the most aggressive teams in the league in terms of press, they'll be the fresher of the two sides and are roaring to get back to winning ways. 

Barcelona remain impressive in La Liga and are also looking for a big win after enduring another disappointing Champions League outing. It's going to be an eye catching game in which Barcelona look superior on paper and will want to make that count on the pitch.

UCL PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS BAYERN MUNICH

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona welcome the German giants to the Camp Nou for the penultimate game of the Champions League group stages.

Barcelona have continued their good form in La Liga with convincing wins over Villarreal and Athletic Club. Their Champions League form however, has been anything but desirable. While the last minute equalizer against Inter left a bit of hope, the Catalan giants steer into the real possibility that they'll be going to the Europa League for the second consecutive year, the second time in their history such a thing has happened. With a huge probability that their fate will be sealed before kick off, Barcelona may have nothing but pride to play for. 

Bayern Munich however, have had an illustrious champions league campaigns so far, scoring 13 and conceding 2 over 4 games. They'll be declared group winners with a positive result from this clash, and that's what they'll go for. They've also picked up their domestic form recently, looking poised to retake the number one spot any moment. 

INTERESTING STATS 

• Bayern are unbeaten in their last 32 Champions League group games (W29, D3)—a current competition record.
• Bayern have won 8 of their last 9 matches versus Barcelona in all competitions, and have won three of their five away games against them.
• Barcelona have lost their past five UEFA Champions League meetings against Bayern Munich, with scores of 3-2 (home), 8-2 (neutral ground), 3-0(away), 3-0 (home), and 2-0 (home)—their worst record against a particular opponent in the competition.
• If Barcelona loses this game, they will be eliminated from the UEFA Champions League group stage in back-to-back seasons for only the second time in their history.
• The Bavarians have not lost in four of their last five away games against Spanish opponents but did lose their previous such game against Villarreal in the quarter-finals last year.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Xavi will remain without Araujo, Christensen, Depay and Roberto, who dislocated his shoulder in the game against Athletic Club. Gavi, who had to be subbed off in the first half against the Basques has been deemed fit to partake in this clash. Xavi will have no option than to field a strong lineup for this one, regardless of what happens in Milan.

The formation he will use however, is up for debate. We saw him deploy a 4-4-2 over the weekend after using a 4-3-3 against the Yellow Submarines. At this point, only Xavi knows what he'll do. Regardless of the tactics, certain players are sure to play key roles: Lewandowski, Dembele, Pedri, Frenkie, Gavi, and Kounde and TerStegen. Balde might've also gotten himself into the starting lineup after a brilliant display against Athletic Club. With Roberto out, Bellerin could fill in at Right back. Ferran Torres has been improving greatly and will likely feature at some point, along with Ansu Fati.

Bayern Munich

The German giants arrive in Spain without Bouna Sarr, Lucas Hernandez, Leroy Sane and Manuel Neuer.

Everyone else is fit for this contest. Sadio Mane is expect to start after being benched against Hoffenheim, to be supported behind by Coman, Musiala and Gnabry. Chuopo-Moting might have to settle for a bench role, despite scoring 4 in his last 3 games. Kimmich and Goretska will form the double Pivots. Davies has recovered from the head injury sustained in Der Klassiker in time and is expected to start. Upamecano, Delight and possibly Pavard will complete the Backline, with Ulreich deputizing for Neuer.

Where and when are Barcelona vs Bayern Munich playing?

• Location: Barcelona, Spain
• Stadium: Camp Nou
• Date: Wednesday 26 October
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST
• VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
• Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG)

CONCLUSION.

  With their qualification already secured, Bayern Munich will play this game with no pressure but will full determination to win. Barcelona however, will either have a chance to save their campaign or be condemned to third prior to kick off. Either way, they have to play their hearts out. If this is to be the end, they might as well go out on style. No better way to do it than against who has become a real thorn for them recently.

LA LIGA PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS ATHLETIC CLUB

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona look for for their next league win as they welcome Athletic Bilbao, along with a familiar face, to Camp Nou.

Barcelona were able to shake off last week's disappointments when they sunk the Yellow Submarines in the first 45 minutes. Goals from Lewandowski( x2) and Fati were enough to secure a 3-0 victory against Unai Emery's men. Now they face another stern, if not sterner test against Athletic Club. 

The folks from Basque country are under the tutelage of former Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde, someone who knows the Camp Nou quite well. They began their season well enough, scoring freely and hardly conceding, although a few mixed results have followed, slowing their momentum a bit. They will however come to Barcelona with the notion that they can cause an upset, regardless of what previous statistics say.

INTERESTING STATS 

In the last three years, Athletic have knocked Barça out of the Copa del Rey twice and also the Spanish Super Cup once. But despite those slips in cup competitions, the Catalans have remained solid in the league, losing just one of their last 17 meetings with the Basques.

Last five La Liga meetings

27/02/22: Barça 4-0 Athletic

21/08/21: Athletic 1-1 Barça

31/01/21: Barça 2-1 Athletic

06/01/21: Athletic 2-3 Barça

23/06/20: Barça 1-0 Athletic

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona 

The injury list is being trimmed gradually, only Araujo, Christensen and Depay remaining sidelined, although the Dane and the Dutch are much closer to being back in action than the Uruguayan. Everyone else is fit for this game.

Even though Xavi's rotation last time out yielded dividends, he claimed that more changes will be seen in this game.

Points of interest will be Kounde's partner at Centre Back, along with the Left Back. Keeping the Williams' brothers in mind, Xavi can't afford to get this wrong. Whether or not Busquets, Raphinha and Dembele come back to the XI is eagerly debated by fans.  One thing's for sure: whoever plays has to be on top of their game.

Athletic Club

Ander Capa and Jon Morcillo will be on the sidelines for Athletic Club due to their respective injuries. Valverde has on otherwise fit squad for this clash.

The Williams brothers are sure to start in attack, alongside possibly Munain, who can drop to midfield in a 442 formation. Sancet, Berengeur, Hererra round up the midfield.

Barça target Inigo Martinez will surely start in CB position. Who partners up with him remains to be seen. Lekue and Dimarcos will be  the FBs. National Team keeper Unai Simon will start between the sticks.

Where and when are Barcelona vs Athletic playing?

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou

Date: Sunday 23 October

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST

VAR: Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez

Referee: Juan Martinez Munuera

CONCLUSION

Athletic Club have had their best start to the season in years and have the artillery to cause their hosts a number of problems. Ernesto Valverde surely will have an agenda in mind as he visits the place he once called home. 

Barcelona however, have the superior quality on paper, and while that might not be enough sometimes, the Catalans will know the essence of all 3 points and will not want to lose such a game in front of their fans. If they replicate their hunger against Villarreal, they should be able to see off the Basque side with ease.

LA LIGA PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS VILLARREAL

INTRODUCTION

  Barcelona look to get back to winning ways as they embark on 3 successive games at the Camp Nou in SIX days, starting with the Yellow Submarines.

  Last week was nothing but a nightmare for Xavi's men; their fantastic La Liga run ended with an unceremonious defeat at the Estádio Santiago Bernabeu. The consequences of the injuries sustained by the defensive line during the international break have come to the fore, and Xavi will want to steady the ship as soon as possible to avoid dropping more points.

  Villarreal have had an inconsistent start to the season, but having qualified for the Knockouts in the UECL, they can now shift their primary focus to improving their standings in La Liga. No sterner test than the visit to the Camp Nou, even though they won on the same ground in the last game of the previous season. Barcelona had already achieved the minimum objectives by then. This time, circumstances differ.

INTERESTING STATS

  Barça went on an incredible spree of 27 games without defeat to the ‘Yellow Submarine’ in all competitions.

  That run came to an end in May of this year when Villarreal beat the Catalans in the last game of the 2021/22 season.

- Barcelona have won their last three home matches in La Liga.

- Villarreal have failed to score in their last four away matches in La Liga.

- Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four home matches in La Liga.

- Barcelona have scored 15 goals in their last six meetings against Villarreal.

Last five games (all La Liga)

22/05/22 Barça 0-2 Villarreal

27/11/21 Villarreal 1-3 Barça

25/04/21 Villarreal 1-2 Barça

27/09/20 Barça 4-0 Villarreal

05/07/20 Villarreal 1-4 Barça

TEAM NEWS 

Barcelona

Long-term absentees Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Memphis Depay remain unavailable to Xavi. Hector Bellerin makes an auspicious return to the squad, although he's not expected to start. After seeing what's transpired in their last 3 games, Xavi is expected to make changes here, especially in midfield and attack. Jules Kounde will certainly start this one, who starts alongside him is up for debate. Frank Kessie and Frenkie DeJong are both tipped to be heavily involved in this clash, with Busquets probably taking a back seat. Pedri will need a deserved rest  for what's to come and so might sit this one out as well.

Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati both had good cameos over the weekend and could start alongside Robert Lewandowski over Raphinha and Dembele.

Villarreal

 The Yellow Submarines are nursing their fair share of injuries in the form of Foyth, Moreno and Coquelin.  Femenia and Lo Celso are also doubts. That being said, they have capable deputies for these players and as such, their absence might not be felt so much.

 Arnaut Danjuma was the target man against Osasuna and will likely feature alongside Pino and Jackson in front. So much pace that Barcelona's defense must be prepared to handle. El Commandante is yet to be fully utilized by Emery in La Liga, but given his favorable record against the Catalans, it should be no surprise to see him in the starting line up. Parejo will certainly dictate things in Midfield.

Rulli has been quite exceptional so far and will guard the post behind, Albiol and Torres. Pedraza and Mandi will hold the FB positions.

Where and When are Barcelona vs Villarreal playing?

• Location: Barcelona, Spain
• Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
• Date: Thursday 20 October
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST
• VAR: TBC
• Referee: TBC

CONCLUSION

Villarreal currently boast the best defense in the league at this stage of the season and are capable of causing Barcelona problems on their best day, but Barcelona will want to roar back to winning ways and this kind of game is the perfect opportunity to display their superiority and mute doubts. 

LA LIGA PREVIEW: REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA (El CLASICO)

INTRODUCTION

Can Barcelona put their european disappointments behind them and continue their imperious La Liga form?

The Catalan giants travel to the spanish capital for the first major test in La Liga. They visit the revisioned enemy ground of their opponents, with whom they're currently tied at the top spot in the league. Both come into this clash as the only remaining undefeated teams in Spain, although that's likely to change soon. 

Real Madrid enter into this mouth watering clash on the back of a 1-1 draw in the Champions League to Shaktar Donetsk, disappointing by their own standards, which prevented Ancelotti from moving past Sir Alex Ferguson as the coach with the most UCL wins. It was enough to seal their qualification for the Knockouts though. Other than the 1-1 draw against Osasuna, they have also been quite imperious in La Liga, behind Barcelona only because of goal difference. They'll want to change that.

Barcelona however, are at the other end of the spectrum. Their Champions League campaign looks to have ended after the energy zapping 3-3 draw with Inter. It's been a disappointing european campaign, but their domestic run has been on point so far. Boasting the best attack and defense in the league (ironically at this point), they have reason to be confident, knowing that two out of the three possible outcomes of the El Clasico will favour them. They'll be focused on the win though, just like the last time they visited the Estádio Santiago Bernabeu.

INTERESTING STATS

Barça were on an extraordinary run against Real, which included an unprecedented four consecutive league victories at the Bernabéu, and saw them finally match the all-whites for wins in official Clásico meetings.

However, that brilliant was interrupted in recent years, with Madrid winning four league Clásicos in a row and also beating Barça in the Super Cup in Riyadh.

 Barça then enjoyed yet another massive Win in the Madrid, 4-0 with goals from Aubameyang (2), Araujo and Torres.

Real Madrid now lead the all-time count 100-96. Although, if non-official matches are also counted, Barça lead the all-time series.

Barça also won the most recent meeting between the sides in a preseason friendly in Las Vegas, Raphinha scoring the only goal of the match. 

Last five competitive meetings
20/03/22 (LIGA) Real Madrid 0-4 Barça
12/01/22 (SUPER CUP) Barça 2-3 Real Madrid
24/10/21 (LIGA) Barça 1-2 Real Madrid
10/04/21 (LIGA) Real Madrid 2-1 Barça
24/10/20 (LIGA) Barça 1-3 Real Madrid

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Los Blancos will be without their number one, Thibault Courtois. This is definitely a massive blow for the whites, who have the Belgian to thank for their impermeability in defense throughout much of last season. Dani Ceballos is also out. Antonio Rudiger, despite suffering a head injury against Shaktar Donetsk, is deemed fit, but is unlikely to start, with Alaba and Militao likely to get the nod in central defense. Everyone else is fit for this clash.

Barcelona

Barcelona will be pleased to have Koundé return to the squad in time for this game, but his level of fitness will be assessed on the job. Gerard Pique will likely make way. Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Memphis Depay and Hector Bellerin are still unavailable through injuries. TerStegen has conceded only one goal so far in La Liga, a stark contrast to his stats in europe, through no fault of his for the most part anyways. Frenkie DeJong is also available to start in Midfield, along with Frank Kessie. Xavi will also have to make some changes in front, with Fati likely to get the nod alongside Dembele/Raphinha and Lewandowski.

Where and when are Real Madrid vs Barcelona playing?

• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Stadium: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
• Date: Sunday 16 October
• Kick-off Time: 15:15 BST / 10:15 EST / 07:15 PST
• VAR: Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez
• Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez

CONCLUSION

It's the El Clasico. It can go any way. That being said, it's important to note that both teams have stumbled a bit in form heading into this clash, each also have reasons to be confident against the other. Barcelona will always be capable of springing up a surprise, but Real Madrid will want to inflict more pain to the Catalans in what has been a vastly disappointing week.

UCL PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS INTER

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona aim to save their UCL credentials as they welcome Inter to the Spotify Camp Nou.

It's a really crucial week for FC Barcelona, as they look to salvage their chances of UCL qualification after failing to win at the San Siro in a game riddled with controversies. Save for their opening victory against Viktoria Plzen, they have lost their other two games, and anything other than a win here will spell doom for the Catalans. 

Domestically, Barcelona has faced little problems, even though their last outing saw them escape with a narrow win (and another clean sheet) against Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou. Their record domestically remains impeccable, and they'll hope it translates to tomorrow's Champions League game and continues with the El Clasico looming next weekend.

Their opponents, Inter, are hardly a great team themselves, evidenced by their struggles in Serie A, but they followed their controversial win over Barcelona last week with a 2-1 win over Sassuolo during the weekend, courtesy of an Edin Dzeko double. A draw is enough to put them in a strong position to qualify, and they'll be well aware of how to frustrate their Spanish opponents to ensure at least that.

INTERESTING STATS

- Xavi Hernandez’s side are on a run of four successive wins at home.

- Barça have won their last 6 home matches against Inter in all competitions, and have scored at least two goals in 5 of those encounters.

- The hosts’ defeat to Inter on Matchday 3 was only their second defeat against them in 11 UEFA Champions League games (W6 D3 L2).

-Barcelona have only lost once in the last 17 games they have hosted an Italian side in the UEFA Champions League (W13 D3).

- Inter’s last UEFA Champions League away win over a Spanish team came in October 2004, when they won 5-1 at Valencia. Since then, they have lost seven of their previous eight such games (D1).

Last Five meetings 

4/10/22 Inter 1-0 Barcelona

10/12/20 Inter 1-2 Barcelona

2/10/20 Barcelona 2-1 Inter

6/11/18 Inter 1-1 Barcelona

24/10/18 Barcelona 2-0 Inter

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Franck Kessie and Frenkie DeJong have recovered in time for this game, giving Xavi more options and profiles in midfield, depending on the state of the match. Jules Kounde was thought to have recovered in time but was subsequently left out. Araujo, Bellerín, Christensen and Depay remain sidelined.

Xavi's team selection against Celta Vigo showed that he had this game in mind. Eric Garcia, Sergi Roberto and Dembele all came from the bench against the team from Balaidos, so we should expect them in the starting lineup. Regarding the two forwards who will star beside Robert Lewandowski, your guess is as good as mine.

Inter

Inzaghi will be remain without Marcelo Brozovic, Joaquin Correa, Dalbert, Alex Cordaz, and Gabriel Brazao. Romelu Lukaku is not expected to start but could feature sometime during the game. This means Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez will partner up in front of a 5 man midfield and 3 man defense, just like last time out.

Andre Onana is expected to be the shot stopper once again for this one, returning to the home of his former employers.

Where and when are Barcelona vs Inter playing?

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou

Date: Wednesday 12 October

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST

VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

CONCLUSION

  It's all or nothing for Barcelona, who must win in order to stand a chance at qualification. Even though they've been hurt defensively through injuries, the overall quality is still there, and provided they're clinical enough, without much controversy from the referees, they should be able to get over the line against a stubborn Nerazzuri who are sure to be ultra defensive for most of this game.

LA LIGA PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS CELTA VIGO

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona will look to return back to winning ways as they host Celta Vigo at the Spotify Camp Nou.

It was a disappointing European outing once again for the Catalans, and they'll be primed for revenge on Wednesday, but they have to first deal with what's in front of them in the form of Celta and more importantly, Iago Aspas, who has proved to be their Archilles' heel time and again.

 While it's been a largely disappointing european campaign, The Catalans have got their domestic campaign off to a flying start, and they have only kept soaring. A win over Celta will take them back to the top of the pile. Celta have however, had mixed results so far this season, but they boast enough quality to cause Barcelona a few problems.

INTERESTING STATS 

• Barcelona have won their last six La Liga matches and have kept a clean sheet in their last five league games in a row.
• The hosts are undefeated in 18 of their last 20 home games against Celta Vigo in all competitions.
• However, Barça would be foolish to overlook their opponents this weekend, as they have only won two of their past five meetings with Celta (D2, L1).
• Barcelona haven’t won back-to-back matches against Celta since doing the double over them in the 2013/14 campaign when Xavi was still in the playing squad.
• The visitors have lost three of the last four away matches.

Last five meetings (all La Liga)
10/05/22 Barça 3-1 Celta
06/11/21 Celta 3-3 Barça
16/05/21 Barça 1-2 Celta
01/10/20 Celta 0-3 Barça
27/06/20 Celta 2-2 Barça

TEAM NEWS.

Barcelona lost Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie to injuries this week, but Frenkie DeJong has been welcomed back into the squad after being declared match fit. The growing list of injuries has also forced Xavi to call up a few players from the B squad, like central defender Chadi Riad, Right back Marc Casadó and Midfielder Pablo Torre. With the crucial contest against Inter later in the week, Xavi will look to share the minutes appropriately. 

Celta Vigo will do without Francisco Cervi due to suspension, otherwise they have no absentees for this clash. Barcelona bogey man Iago Aspas had to deal with a stomach bug last weekend but he should be fit enough for this. Two former Barcelona players who recently joined Celta, Carles Perez and Oscar Mingueza, will hope to get minutes as they come back to their former home.

Where and when are Barcelona vs Celta Vigo playing?

• Location: Barcelona, Spain
• Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
• Date: Sunday 9 October
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST
• VAR: Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez
• Referee: Jose Luis Munera Montero

CONCLUSION

Celta Vigo have proved capable of causing Barcelona problems in the past and will want to do so here again. Their hosts however, are roaring to put the mid-week defeat behind them with a big statement and will be fired up to return to the summit of La Liga with a victory here. Based on quality and overall form, Barcelona should be able to take all 3 points from this game.

UCL PREVIEW: INTER VS BARCELONA

INTRODUCTION

Barcelona travel to the San Siro for their next UCL adventure, crossing swords with the blue side of Milan.

Save for the somewhat undeserved loss in Germany, Barcelona have been in scintillating form this season, currently on top of La Liga, leading every stat. They had to grind out a victory at Mallorca, but given that Barcelona usually struggle after the international break, the result was a welcome one, regardless of how it was gotten.

The Blaugrana might be flying high, but the same can't be said of their Italian hosts. They currently sit 9th at the Serie A table, struggling with form and fitness all season. Lukaku's return has not yielded the expected results so far, and despite the quality they possess, they haven't been able to get their engines running. Today's game gives them a chance to change their fortunes.

INTERESTING STATS

- Barcelona have an impressive record against Inter Milan on the European stage and have won eight out of the 14 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Inter Milan's two victories.

- This fixture carries a special significance for Barcelona forward Ansu Fati, who became the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history with his goal against Inter Milan at the San Siro in 2019.

- Barcelona's away victories against Inter Milan have been separated by a period of 60 years, with their previous two such place taking place in 2019 and 1959.

- Inter Milan have lost six matches against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League - the most against a single opponent in the competition.

- Barcelona have suffered defeat in three of their last four UEFA Champions League matches away from home in the group stage - as many defeats as they had suffered in the 25 such games preceding this run.

- Inter Milan have suffered defeat in their last two home games in the UEFA Champions League and have suffered three such defeats in a row on only one occasion in the past in the competition.

- Inter have let in at least 2 goals in 4 of their last 7 games.

- Barcelona have lost just once in their nine outings this season.

Last Five meetings 

10/12/20 Inter 1-2 Barcelona

2/10/20   Barcelona 2-1 Inter

6/11/18   Inter 1-1 Barcelona

24/10/18 Barcelona 2-0 Inter

28/4/10   Barcelona 1-0 Inter

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Inzaghi will be without the services of their midfield Lynchpin, Marcelo Brozovic, who sustained a hamstring injury during the break. Romelu Lukaku is also working his way back to fitness but is unlikely to be available for this game. The degree to which Lautaro Martinez will play a part in this remains to be seen, as he sustained some discomfort following their defeat to Roma. La Masia product Andre Onana is expected to replace Handanovic between the sticks.

Inter will likely line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Dimarco and Dumfries joining in the midfield to help out Calhanoglu and Barella. It's crucial they they don't get overrun by Barcelona in midfield, which is a real possibility. Skriniar, Acerbi and Bastoni will guard Onana. Edin Dzeko will be supported by either Martinez or Joaquin Correa.

Barcelona

 Just like his counterpart, Xavi will have to do with some absentees in the form of Araujo, Kounde, Depay, Bellerín and DeJong, who was initially thought to be on his way to be fit enough to make the trip to Italy.

Their makeshift backline worked fairly well against Mallorca, so Xavi still has quality options to call upon. Eric Garcia is expected to return to the lineup, replacing Pique. It remains to be seen who starts at Left back between Balde and Alonso, if Roberto doesn't start at RB. 

Who ever controls the midfield in this game will likely control proceedings, as such, The midfield trio of Busquets, Pedri and Gavi are expected to start. Robert Lewandowski, a man on a mission, will likely be flanked by Dembele and Raphinha in a classic 4-3-3 formation.

Where and when are Inter vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Milan, Inter

Stadium: San Siro

Date: Tuesday 4 October

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 EST / 12:00 PST

VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)

Referee: Slavko Vincic (SVN)

CONCLUSION

The Nerazzuri will be desperate to put their woes behind them by winning this game, but that'll be an uphill climb with the highest of difficulties as they need to get past an in form Barcelona, who are expected to control proceedings and go back to Spain with all 3 points.