Barcelona will be aiming to record their fourth Champions League victory of the campaign when they welcome French outfit Brest to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday night.
Hansi Flick's side are sixth in the Champions League table, boasting nine points from their four matches in this season's competition, while Brest are fourth, picking up 10 points from their opening four games in 2024-25.
Match preview
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Barcelona were stunned in La Liga on Saturday night, with the Catalan giants conceding twice in the final stages of their clash with Celta Vigo to draw 2-2, making it just one point from their last two league matches.
Flick's side remain top of the La Liga table, but they are now only five points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid on the same number of matches and seven clear of third-placed Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.
Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Monaco in their Champions League opener on September 19, but they have won their last three in the competition against Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade, scoring 14 times in the process.
The Catalan side have won nine of their previous 14 home matches against French clubs in Europe, but they have only been victorious in eight of their last 19 European games in front of their own supporters.
Barcelona have already been beaten by Ligue 1 opposition this season and will certainly be wary of the threat that a talented Brest outfit could provide, but it would be a surprise if Flick's side did not return to winning ways on Tuesday night.
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To suggest that Brest have performed above expectations in the Champions League this season would be an understatement, with the French outfit excelling in their first-ever European campaign.
Les Pirates are one of five clubs making their debut in the competition this term, the other four being Bologna, Aston Villa, Girona and Slovan Bratislava, and they have been the best-performing newcomer thus far.
Indeed, a record of three wins and one draw from four matches has brought them 10 points, enough for fourth in the table, only two points behind the leaders Liverpool - the only team with a 100% record in this season's competition.
Eric Roy's side have beaten Sturm Graz, Red Bull Salzburg and Sparta Prague in the competition this season, in addition to holding Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw, but they have struggled in Ligue 1 this term.
Brest have actually lost each of their last three Ligue 1 games, including a 3-2 reverse at Monaco on Friday night, and they currently sit down in 12th spot in the Ligue 1 table, already 10 points behind third-placed Marseille.
Team News
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Lamine Yamal has not yet been officially ruled out of this match for Barcelona, but it is highly unlikely that the forward will be involved, as he continues to battle an ankle problem.
Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres are in the latter stages of their injury recoveries and have slight chances of making the squad, but Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Andreas Christensen, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are all unavailable.
Head coach Flick could make a couple of changes to the side that started against Celta, with Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde potentially coming into the XI in place of Gavi and Gerard Martin.
As for Brest, Pierre Lees-Melou faces a late fitness test on the leg injury which forced him off against Monaco, while Massadio Haidara (muscle), Romain Faivre (ankle) and Soumaila Coulibaly (pelvis) are all likely to miss out here.
Bradley Locko is a long-term absentee for the French outfit, having suffered a ruptured Achilles in August.
Abdallah Sima could also be missing on Tuesday due to a muscular problem, but Ludovic Ajorque is fit, and there will be a start for the 30-year-old, who has scored three times and registered four assists in 15 appearances during the 2024-25 campaign.
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Casado; Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Amavi; Camara, Lees-Melou, Fernandes; Balde, Ajorque, Doumbia
We say: Barcelona 2-0 Brest
Brest have surprised many with their excellent performances in the competition this season, but this will be a step-up in class for them, and we are finding it difficult to predict anything other than a Barcelona win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
