Barcelona welcome Copenhagen to Camp Nou on Wednesday night knowing that victory is essential if they are to stand any chance of finishing inside the Champions League’s top eight and avoiding the knockout round playoff.
The Catalan side head into the final matchday sitting ninth in the league-phase table on 13 points, level with several teams above them, while Copenhagen are down in 26th and require a result to keep their European campaign alive beyond this stage.
Barcelona arrive into the contest buoyed by a 3-0 domestic victory over Real Oviedo at the weekend, a result that lifted them back to the top of the La Liga table and restored some momentum after an uneven run.
Copenhagen, meanwhile, have exceeded expectations in recent weeks to keep their slim hopes alive. Jacob Neestrup’s side have taken seven points from their last three Champions League matches, beating Kairat and Villarreal before earning a credible 1-1 draw away to Napoli.
Those results have lifted the Danish champions onto eight points, leaving them within touching distance of the playoff positions. A win in Barcelona would give them a chance, although they would still need favourable outcomes elsewhere.
Team news for Barcelona v Copenhagen
Barcelona are dealing with several notable absentees, with Ferran Torres, Gavi, Pedri and Andreas Christensen all ruled out through injury.
Frenkie de Jong is also unavailable after picking up a suspension in the previous matchday, which could allow Marc Casado to retain his place in midfield alongside Eric Garcia.
At the back, Gerard Martin is expected to continue alongside Pau Cubarsi, while further forward, Robert Lewandowski is set to lead the line.
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Fermin Lopez are likely to operate in support, with Dani Olmo potentially starting on the bench as Flick manages his options.
Copenhagen will be without experienced midfielder Thomas Delaney, who is suspended following his red card against Napoli.
Rodrigo Huescas and Magnus Mattsson are sidelined with injuries, but the rest of the squad is available, with Jordan Larsson expected to feature after contributing heavily in all competitions this season.
Expected line-ups for Barcelona v Copenhagen
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; E Garcia, Casado; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Copenhagen: Kotarski; Meling, Gabriel, Suzuki, Lopez; Elyounoussi, Madsen, Claesson, Larsson; Cornelius, Dadason
How to watch Barcelona v Copenhagen: TV channel, online stream
Barcelona v Copenhagen will take place on Wednesday night, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm (UK time).
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports, with coverage available on discovery+.
The stats for Barcelona v Copenhagen
- Barcelona have scored 18 goals in seven Champions League matches
- The Catalan side have conceded 13 goals in the league phase
- Copenhagen have taken seven points from their last three European fixtures
- Barcelona are level on points with several teams above them heading into the final matchday
- Copenhagen require a win to have any chance of reaching the playoff round
Prediction
Barcelona
3
–
1
Copenhagen
Copenhagen have shown enough resilience to suggest they can pose problems, particularly if Barcelona’s defensive issues resurface.
However, with qualification on the line and attacking quality across the front line, Barcelona should have too much for the visitors and do enough to secure a victory that keeps their top-eight hopes alive.
Bet Here
Source link
