Barcelona are all set to host Royal Antwerp in their first group-stage match of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season.
Royal Antwerp will hit the road to square up against Barcelona on Matchday 1 of the new UEFA Champions League season. The Belgian club will look to build on their performance in the play-off round, while the Catalan giants will look to get off to a perfect start in the new campaign.
Barcelona had a disappointing run in the Champions League last time out as they failed to go past the group stage. They will look to put up a much better show for their fans this term, starting with a positive result at home against Royal Antwerp.
The Catalan giants are heading into this encounter on the back of an impressive 5-0 win over Real Betis, and they will look for a similar performance when they host the Belgian club. Meanwhile, the visitors have made it to the group stage of the Champions League after an impressive 3-1 win over AEK Athens. And, they will be eager to put up a fight against one of the biggest clubs in world football.
They are heading into their encounter on the back of a 3-0 win over Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League. They were clinical in all departments and are hoping to cause an upset against the Catalan giants.
Royal Antwerp have made a decent start to the new season, and a positive result against Barcelona will surely give them a lot of confidence moving ahead. But, it won’t be an easy task as Xavi’s men will go hard for all three points. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
The hosts will remain without the services of Ronald Araujo and Pedri due to their respective injuries. Meanwhile, Fermin Lopez is back in the mix after serving a league suspension.
🎙 Xavi: "We open @ChampionsLeague play at home and we need the fans." #BarçaAntwerp pic.twitter.com/X6TTmnZx6k
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 18, 2023
Xavi has the majority of his players fit and he is expected to field a strong XI. He will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal.
Loanee Joao Cancelo and youth product Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs. The duo is expected to move up the pitch and make life difficult for the opposition’s wide players. In the heart of the defence, Jules Kounde will pair up with Andreas Christensen.
Ilkay Gundogan came off the bench in their last outing despite concerns over his availability. The former Manchester City skipper is expected to start in the Champions League opener and he will have the support of Gavi and Frenkie de Jong.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is expected to feature on the right flank, while Joao Felix is likely to continue on the left after an impressive full debut. Ace striker Robert Lewandowski will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Gavi, De Jong, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix
Royal Antwerp
The visitors will be without the services of Ortwin De Wolf, Davino Verhulst, Bjorn Engels, Sam Vines and Kobe Corbanie for this fixture against Barcelona.
#AntwerpOnTour started! ✅🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/oW43UsfEUj
— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) September 18, 2023
Royal Antwerp have quite a few injuries to deal with, but they still have some quality players in their ranks that can make a difference. They will start with the 4-3-3 formation and in goal will be Jean Butez.
The back four will comprise Jelle Bataille, Zeno Van Den Bosch, Soumaila Coulibaly and Ritchie De Laet. Bataille and De Laet will start out wide. The duo will have a tough job at their hands as they will look to keep the pacey Barcelona winger quiet.
In the centre of the park, Mandela Keita will star alongside Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Barcelona target Arthur Vermeeren. The trio is unlikely to dictate the pace of this game. They will have a lot of defensive duties and will look to initiate counter-attacks at every possible opportunity.
Meanwhile, in attack, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Arbnor Muja will start on the flanks. While they will look to stretch the opposition’s defence, the duo are expected to help out their full-backs by doubling up on the opposition. Their leading goal scorer of the new season, Vincent Janssen will be leading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Butez; Bataille, Van den Bosch, Coulibaly, De Laet; Keita, Ekkelenkamp, Vermeeren; Balikwisha, Janssen, Muja
Key Stats
- Barcelona and Royal Antwerp have only squared up against each other twice. Those meetings took place in the erstwhile Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the 1965-66 season. Both teams won their home games but the Catalan giants progressed on aggregate.
- Barcelona are unbeaten in the league with four wins in their five outings.
- The Catalan giants have scored seven goals in their two home matches this season and they are yet to concede.
- The Belgian club have only lost one match in all competitions this season. Their only defeat came against Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League.
- Barcelona have won just two out of their last eight Champions League games. They have lost on four of those occasions.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski was the man for Barcelona last season after joining from Bayern Munich. He was amongst the highest goalscorers in Europe and even won the Pichichi in La Liga. The 35-year-old has carried his performance into the 2023/24 season.
He has featured in five matches and has contributed towards six goals. Lewandowski will now look to get going in the Champions League with an impressive performance against Royal Antwerp. The Polish striker is amongst the best in the world and given his recent form, he is expected to get his name on the scoresheet.
Prediction
Barcelona 4-1 Royal Antwerp
The difference between the quality of the two teams is quite visible when we look at the players both the teams have. While the recent form suggests the Belgian side could put up a fight against the Catalan giants, the reality is that they might not stand a chance.
Xavi’s men will be eager to get off to a perfect start after failing to make it out of the group last season. As a result, they are expected to go all out. The Hard Tackle believes the home team will end up winning 4-1 on the night.
