Barcelona seek to rebound from their first La Liga loss of the season as they kick off their Champions League campaign at home against Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday.
The Catalan giants fell 2-1 to Monaco in their opening match of the competition earlier this month, while Young Boys suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Premier League club Aston Villa.
Barcelona surged out of the gate in their 2024-25 La Liga campaign, winning seven consecutive matches, but their perfect record came crashing down on Saturday night with a 4-2 defeat to Osasuna.
This marked the second loss of the season for Hansi Flick's squad, following a 2-1 setback against Monaco in their Champions League opener, where they played with 10 men after Eric Garcia's first-half red card.
As pressure mounts for Barcelona to rebound on Tuesday, a significant injury crisis will see them missing several key players.
Despite these challenges, Flick deserves commendation for the impressive start he has orchestrated under such difficult circumstances.
The La Liga side advanced to the quarterfinals of last season's Champions League, but their European fortunes have been less favorable, with early exits in the group stages during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Barcelona haven't reached a European Cup semifinal since the 2018-19 campaign, and their last triumph in the competition dates back to the 2014-15 season – far too long for a club of their stature.
As the Catalan team prepares for a potentially challenging La Liga match against Alaves next weekend, they cannot afford to lose sight of their Champions League ambitions.
Young Boys faced a tough challenge in their competition opener against Aston Villa on Sept. 17, suffering a 3-0 defeat, and now must tackle an even more daunting away match against Barcelona.
The reigning Swiss champions come into this matchup after a 1-0 loss to Grasshoppers on Saturday, leaving them in 11th place in the domestic league with just six points from eight matches. It’s undeniable that their season has gotten off to a rocky start.
Last season, Young Boys also competed in the group stage of the Champions League, finishing third in their group and subsequently dropping into the Europa League knockout round playoffs, where they were eliminated by Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon with a 4-2 aggregate score.
The Swiss side has yet to advance beyond the group stage of the Champions League, making it a daunting challenge for them to leave a significant mark in this year’s competition – especially with a tough upcoming match against Italian giants Inter Milan.
However, Patrick Rahmen's squad can draw confidence from Barcelona's injury woes and their impressive performance this season, having secured two significant victories against Galatasaray both home and away in the playoff round.
Barcelona's injury woes continue to mount, with Eric Garcia now joining the ranks of the absent after receiving a red card in their last Champions League match against Monaco.
In total, seven additional players are sidelined due to injury, including Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Marc-André ter Stegen.
Frenkie de Jong, who has yet to make an appearance this season due to an ankle issue, could have a slight chance of returning to the squad for this match.
Expect significant changes to the lineup that faced Osasuna, with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Iñigo Martínez likely to be included.
For Young Boys, Saidy Janko, Patric Pfeiffer, and Facinet Conte will miss the match, but the Swiss side is otherwise in solid shape for this European clash.
Joel Monteiro has been the standout performer this season, netting five goals and providing seven assists in 13 appearances across all competitions, making him a guaranteed starter for the visitors.
Silvere Ganvoula, who has scored four goals in the 2024-25 season, could once again lead the attack, while Cedric Itten, despite contributing five goals this season, may be held in reserve.