Barcelona's Champions League mission in Prague: No margin for error
Flick's men look to bounce back from Real Sociedad setback against struggling Slavia Prague while battling freezing conditions in the Czech capital.
Barcelona face a must-win Champions League clash as they look to recover from Sunday’s disappointing La Liga defeat to Real Sociedad that ended their eleven-match winning streak.
Pressure mounting in Europe
The Catalan giants arrive in Prague with 10 points from their Champions League campaign so far, desperately needing a victory to secure their position in the top 8 that would guarantee direct passage to the next round. Their away form in Europe has been proper dodgy lately - just one win in their last five continental road trips, stretching back to last season.
That solitary away victory came at Newcastle, while they’ve managed only a draw at Club Brugge and suffered defeats at Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Chelsea. Not exactly the away record of European heavyweights, is it?
Team news and selection headaches
Flick has some significant selection issues to deal with:
- Lamine Yamal is suspended, with Fermín likely to fill in on the right wing
- Dani Olmo expected to return to the starting lineup in the number 10 role
- Raphinha should reclaim his place in the first XI
- Lewandowski will lead the line with Ferran Torres sidelined through injury
The Polish striker will be desperate to break his Champions League duck this season, having failed to find the net in his five European appearances so far - a drought that’s becoming a right pain in the Barnet Fair for the usually prolific frontman.
Favorable opposition
Slavia Prague appear to be the perfect opponents for Barcelona to get back on track. The Czech side:
- Remain winless in this Champions League campaign (3 draws, 3 defeats)
- Could be mathematically eliminated with a negative result
- Haven’t played competitive football since mid-December due to their league’s winter break
- Last faced Barça in the 2019-20 season, when the Catalans won in Prague and drew at Camp Nou
Battling the elements
Beyond the football challenge, Barcelona will need to contend with the bitter Prague winter. The Barça contingent landed yesterday in temperatures of -2°C, with conditions expected to be similarly frigid at kickoff time.
While the visitors should have enough quality to secure three vital points, the combination of their patchy away form, key absences, and the challenging conditions could make this a trickier fixture than it appears on paper.