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Barcelona are back in UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday against Stade Brestois 29, the visitors of Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The Catalan giants sit sixth in the League Phase standings with nine points from twelve, while the Brittany minnows sit fourth with 10 points and remain unbeaten in four UCL matches so far this season.
Hansi Flick’s men were stunned by Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, with two late goals putting them back in a 2-2 draw for one point from a possible six on home soil. Barcelona sit top of the Spanish table but are now just four points ahead of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand after cutting into the Blaugrana’s lead of late.
Brest are performing extremely well in the UCL and could have already booked their place in the knockout round, along with AS Monaco, who already defeated Barca this edition. Eric Roy’s UEFA debutants have lost their last three Championnat appearances and enter this one after a defeat to Les Monegasques last week left them hovering just above the relegation fight.
Here are our storylines, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday November 26 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Watch: Biggest+
- Chances: Barca -650; Sign +700; Brest +1800
League stage so far
Barca went down 2-1 to Monaco in their Champions League opener, but have since won three consecutive games against Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade. The Catalans have recorded nine wins from 14 against French opponents in Europe, but have won just eight of their last 19 continental home games.
Brest are one of five clubs making their UCL debut this year, alongside Bologna, Aston Villa, Girona and Slovan Bratislava, with the French team performing the best so far. With three wins and a draw, the 10-point barrier could have already secured a place in the knockout stages. Undefeated, having defeated Sturm Graz, Red Bull Salzburg and Sparta Prague, Roy’s side also drew against Bayer Leverkusen.
Team news
Barca: Lamine Yamal is a major doubt, while Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres are distancing themselves from their recovery. Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Andreas Christensen, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are all out. Flick could bring Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde to the starting line-up, ahead of Gavi and Gerard Martin.
Possible Barça XI: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Casado; Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Brest: Pierre Lees-Melou is expected to be absent for a while and Massadio Haidara, Romain Faivre and Soumaila Coulibaly are all expected to be missing. Bradley Locko is a long-term miss, while Abdallah Sima is also likely to drop out, but Ludovic Ajorque is at least fit in attack.
Possible Brest XI: Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Amavi; Camara, Lees-Melou, Fernandes; Balde, Ajorque, Doumbia.
Prediction
While Brest will try to put up a fight as best they can, Barca should pick them out and deliver fairly comfortable winners here. Choose: Barca 3, Brest 1.