Barcelona aim to keep European charge alive against Club Brugge
Barcelona look to keep their Champions League campaign on track when they face Club Brugge on Wednesday night. The Catalan giants sit ninth in the overall table with six points from three matches, while the Belgian side are 20th with three points.
Match preview
Club Brugge enter this game in good domestic form after beating Dender 2-1, a result that keeps them second in the Belgian Pro League, three points behind Union SG. Nicky Hayden’s team are on a three-match winning streak across all competitions, but their last European outing ended in a 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
Blauw-Zwart began their Champions League campaign with a 4-1 home win over Monaco but have since suffered back-to-back defeats to Atalanta and Bayern. With three points so far, they will be targeting a strong home performance to stay in the hunt for a playoff place.
Barcelona, meanwhile, come into this match full of confidence after a 3-1 win over Elche moved them up to second in La Liga. Hansi Flick’s side were semi-finalists in last season’s Champions League and are among the favourites again this year. Their European form has been mixed, however, with two wins and one defeat from their first three matches — the loss coming against holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The Catalan side will face Chelsea next in Europe, followed by ties with Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, and Copenhagen, but first they must navigate a tricky trip to Brugge.
Team news
Club Brugge will be without Bjorn Meijer, Simon Mignolet, Ludovit Reis, and Raphael Onyedika through injury. Nordin Jackers is set to continue in goal, while Christos Tzolis — who has eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances this season — will be a key threat. Nicolo Tresoldi is expected to lead the line, supported by Tzolis from the flank.
For Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo returned from injury against Elche and will again be in the squad. Joan Garcia remains sidelined, while Andreas Christensen is unlikely to feature as he continues his recovery from a calf issue. Lamine Yamal should start despite a minor groin concern, but Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Raphinha, and Pedri are still unavailable.
Young defender Pau Cubarsi is expected to return to the starting lineup after being rested at the weekend.
Prediction
Club Brugge 1–2 Barcelona
Club Brugge’s strong home record suggests this will be a close match, but Barcelona’s superior attacking quality should see them edge a narrow victory on Wednesday night.
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