Barcelona will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against Royal Antwerp in the final group stage match.
Royal Antwerp have suffered defeat in each of their five Champions League group matches, and they will be fighting for pride when they host Barcelona, who are currently first and could finish as the group winners if they manage to avoid defeat.
The Belgian club have not had the best of times in the UEFA Champions League group stage. They have suffered defeat in all five of their matches and have conceded 15 goals in the process. Royal Antwerp have found the back of the net only on three occasions and will look to add it when they host Barcelona.
They might be struggling in the Champions League, but Royal Antwerp are doing a decent job in the Belgian Pro League. They are currently fourth on the points table. The home team are on a three-match winning streak post their defeat to FC Shakhtar Donetsk, and they will look to carry on a similar fashion against the Spanish club.
Barcelona are atop the group with 12 points out of their five matches. They have won four times and suffered a defeat once. The Catalan giants have already booked their place in the knockout stage but they need to avoid defeat here to ensure they finish top of their group.
Xavi’s team will be confident of getting the desired result, but they are not heading into this fixture on the back of the best possible result. The reigning La Liga champions have just suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Girona.
It was an important game in the race for the title in La Liga, and the defeat hasn’t helped their cause. However, they will look to return to winning ways against Royal Antwerp. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Royal Antwerp
The home team will be without the services of Anthony Valencia, Jacob Ondrejka, Bjorn Engels and Jelle Bataille. Meanwhile, Arbnor Muja and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp are both serving a ban and won’t be available for this fixture.
Royal Antwerp will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1, where Jean Butez will be in goal. Ritchie De Laet and Owen Wijndal will start out wide on the flanks as the full-backs. They will look to provide support to the central defenders.
Toby Alderweireld and Soumaila Coulibaly will feature in the heart of the defence. The back four will try their best to keep a clean sheet against one of the best teams in the world. In the centre of the park, Barcelona target Arthur Vermeeren will pair up with Alhassan Yusuf. They will form the double pivot in the midfield and will look to help out the back four.
Gyrano Kerk and Chidera Ejuke will feature on the flanks as the wingers. The duo will provide width to their attack and will look to cut inside whenever possible. Michel-Ange Balikwisha will be the attacking midfielder and he will feature just behind their number nine, Vincent Janssen.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; De Laet, Alderweireld, Coulibaly, Wijndal; Yusuf, Vermeeren; Kerk, Balikwisha, Ejuke; Janssen
Barcelona
The visitors will be without the services of Gavi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Inigo Martinez, and Marcos Alonso for this fixture. Barcelona will make a few changes to their regular XI, and they will look to rest a few players.
Ronald Araujo and Joao Felix are just one yellow card away from missing the first leg of the Round of 16. As a result, the duo is unlikely to play a part in this fixture. They will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Inaki Pena in goal.
Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs, with the latter eager to make his mark. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence, Jules Kounde will likely feature alongside Andreas Christensen.
Oriol Romeu will be the holding midfielder, and he will have the support of Fermin Lopez and Ilkay Gundogan in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dominate the ball and dictate the pace of the game. Lamine Yamal is expected to start on the right flank, while Ferran Torres will take charge on the left. Finally, Robert Lewandowski will continue as the number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Lopez, Romeu, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Torres
Key Stats
- Barcelona and Royal Antwerp have faced each other on three occasions. The Catalan giants have won twice while the Belgian club has come out on top once.
- Royal Antwerp are yet to register a point in their UEFA Champions League group, and they have lost each of their five games.
- Xavi’s team have suffered two defeats in their last six outings in all competitions.
- The Belgian club have conceded 15 goals in five matches while they have only scored thrice.
- The Catalan giants have already booked their spot in the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and avoiding defeat here will be enough to finish top of the group.
Player to Watch
Lamine Yamal
At the age of just 16, Yamal is already an important first-team player at Barcelona. He has featured in 21 matches in the ongoing season and has racked up close to 1,000 minutes. The teenage sensation has even contributed towards four goals.
He started the season in sensational form but a lot has changed since. The 16-year-old has not contributed towards a goal since their 2-2 draw against Granada back in October. He is expected to start in this fixture and will be eager to get his game on the scoresheet once again.
Prediction
Royal Antwerp 0-3 Barcelona
Royal Antwerp might be doing a decent job in their domestic league. But they have struggled in the Champions League and that struggle might continue when they square up against Barcelona for the reverse fixture having lost the first 5-0.
The Blaugrana might be heading into this fixture on the back of defeat at the hands of Girona, but they will still be confident about their chances. They have way too much quality in their ranks to go down against the Belgian club. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the visitors.
