Barcelona Look to Rebound Against Young Boys in Champions League Clash
Barcelona will aim to recover from their first La Liga defeat of the season as they host Swiss side Young Boys at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night in the Champions League. After losing their opening group-stage match to Monaco, Barcelona need a win to stay in contention, while Young Boys are also searching for their first points after a 3-0 home loss to Aston Villa.
Match Preview
Barcelona had a flawless start to their La Liga campaign, winning seven straight games, but their unbeaten run came to an end with a surprising 4-2 loss to Osasuna on Saturday. This defeat followed a 2-1 Champions League setback against Monaco, in which Eric Garcia was sent off, adding to Barcelona’s mounting problems.
Despite an injury crisis that has sidelined several key players, including Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Marc-André ter Stegen, manager Hansi Flick has managed an impressive start to the season. The pressure is on for Barcelona to bounce back in Europe, where they haven't reached the semi-finals since 2018-19 and haven’t lifted the trophy since 2014-15.
Young Boys, meanwhile, endured a tough opening to their Champions League campaign, losing 3-0 to Aston Villa at home. Their domestic form has also been poor, with a 1-0 defeat to Grasshoppers on Saturday leaving them in 11th place in the Swiss league.
The reigning Swiss champions have never progressed beyond the group stage in the Champions League and face an uphill task against Barcelona, especially with a challenging fixture against Inter Milan on the horizon. However, Young Boys will take heart from Barcelona’s injury woes and their own victories over Galatasaray in the playoff round earlier this season.
Team News
Barcelona are dealing with a significant injury list, with Eric Garcia suspended after his red card against Monaco, and seven others out injured, including Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and ter Stegen. Frenkie de Jong could make his first appearance of the season, but it’s uncertain. Hansi Flick is expected to make several changes, with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Inigo Martinez likely to come into the starting lineup.
For Young Boys, Saidy Janko, Patric Pfeiffer, and Facinet Conte are out injured, but they otherwise have a full squad. Joel Monteiro, who has been in sensational form this season with five goals and seven assists, will be a key player. Silvere Ganvoula, with four goals this season, could lead the line.
Possible Lineups
Barcelona: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; Casado, Torre, Pedri; Lamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Young Boys: Van Ballmoos; Athekame, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam; Niasse, Lauper; Monteiro, Ugrinic, Colley; Ganvoula
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