Barcelona look to make it two wins in a row in all competitions and remain in contention for the League Phase Top 8 when they travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge in Champions League action.
The Blaugrana weren’t at their best but picked up three important points in La Liga with a win over Elche at the weekend, and look for a big European win on the road to continue their chase for an automatic spot in the Round of 16.
Here’s how we think Hansi Flick will line up his troops for Wednesday’s battle:
Defense
The injury situation is a little less horrible than it was a week ago with Andreas Christensen back in training and Joan Garcia very close to returning, leaving only Raphinha, Pedri, Marc-André ter Stegen and Gavi as the current long-term injury absentees.
But the likes of Christensen, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski don’t have a ton of match fitness under their belt, so we don’t think Flick will make many changes, if at all, to the team that beat Elche. We are expecting one alteration at the back, however, with Pau Cubarsí replacing Ronald Araujo at center-back alongside Eric Garcia, with Jules Kounde — who badly needs a rest but probably won’t get it because reasons — and Alejandro Balde retaining their full-back spots.
Midfield
The midfield trio of Marc Casadó, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López will likely be Flick’s preferred combination in the middle until Pedri comes back, and since Olmo has only just returned and is always a doubt due to his injury history and inconsistent play, we expect the three starters from the weekend to remain in the team for this one.
Attack
Robert Lewandowski returned to the pitch on Sunday but probably isn’t ready to start yet, so Ferran Torres will likely retain his spot up top. He scored at the weekend along with Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal, who will start on the wings hoping to stay hot in front of goal to help Barça get a big continental victory.
Possible XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric, Balde; Casadó, De Jong; Yamal, Fermín, Rashford; Ferran (4-2-3-1)
How do you think Barcelona should line up against Brugge? Let us know your thoughts, predictions and teams in the comments below!
