FC Barcelona will seek to stop Liverpool’s march in the UEFA Champions League when the two sides meet each other at Camp Nou later tonight.
The Catalan giants recently secured their 26th La Liga title with a narrow win over Levante at the weekend and will be keen on maintaining that momentum against the Reds.
FC Barcelona team news
Rafinha will be the only injury-related absentee going into this fixture, which will surely come as a relief for coach Ernesto Valverde.
Defence
Valverde is unlikely to make any changes to his trusted back-four, despite having loads of options available in defence.
Gerard Pique is a guaranteed starter in central defence and the Spaniard will be partnered by Clement Lenglet, who is likely to get the nod ahead of Samuel Umtiti.
Nelson Semedo, on the other hand, should retain his place in the right-back slot while Jordi Alba will be deployed on the opposite flank, where he will have to deal with the majestic Mohamed Salah.
Marc Andre ter Stegen will start in goal and the German international will be keen on outshining his Brazilian counterpart Alisson this week.
Midfield
Looking at Liverpool’s midfield, coach Valverde may opt for Arturo Vidal ahead of Arthur Melo in central midfield. The Chilean’s robust nature in the middle of the park could help Barcelona become more vigilant in their pressing.
Vidal will be partnered by the industrious Ivan Rakitic, who will operate as Barcelona’s main ball carrier. The World Cup finalist will also look to bring others into the play with his sublime passing.
As for Sergio Busquets, he will be deployed in the holding midfield role, where he will be in charge of overseeing Barcelona’s transition from defence to attack. The experienced midfielder will be equally crucial in providing additional support to the backline using his excellent positional sense.
Attack
The Barcelona attack will be led by former Liverpool superstar Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan international will be keen to extend his scoring tally against his former club this midweek.
Suarez will be supported by the wide-duo of Philippe Coutinho and the mercurial Lionel Messi, who has already notched up ten goals in the Champions League this season.
Coutinho, on the other hand, will face Liverpool for the first time after leaving the Reds at the start of last year.
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