After the setback of dropping two important points at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday, attention now returns to the Champions League where 1-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg earlier this month meant that Barça still have work to do if they are to be among the sixteen teams competing in the knockout stages of the competition.
Portuguese side Porto are the opposition in a 9pm CET kick-off on Tuesday at the Estadi Olímpic. At least on paper the premise is simple. Win the game and Barça are through, and most probably as Group H winners although that would not be certain.
Even a draw should be enough, barring a series of freak results in the remaining matches, including the one between Shakhtar and Antwerp in one of Tuesday’s earlier fixtures. And although defeat would be a major blow, Barça would still be very likely to qualify should they win in Belgium on the final day.
The situation is a good one, but Barça would clearly rather get the job done sooner rather than later to count out any possibility of a nasty shock on December 13. After missing out on qualification in the last two seasons, they are in no mood to take any chances.
Porto form guide
But beating Porto, winners of this competition in both 1987 and 2004, is easier said than done. Back in October, the ‘dragons’ thoroughly put the Catalans to the test and will have felt they deserved more out of a game decided by a solitary goal from Ferran Torres just before half-time. They have won all three of their other matches in the group, and were also in a very strong position in their domestic championship until they suffered a shock defeat at home to Estoril that leaves them third behind Benfica and Sporting.
The Primeira Liga took a break last weekend for cup matches, where Porto had little difficulty seeing off third tier Montalegre 4-0.
Team news
Captain Sergi Roberto has been training as normal this week and is at last back in the squad. However, goalkeeper Ter Stegen sat out the game with Rayo with back trouble, and is still not ready to play, meaning that Iñaki Peña’s services will be required once again. And Gavi is still out after picking up a long-term injury while playing for the Spanish national side.
Meanwhile, Porto are likely to come into this game without the suspended David Carmo, Spaniard Iván Jaime, Brazilian defender Wendell, his young compatriot Gabriel Veron and reserve goalkeeper Samuel Portugal, but despite those absences it’s a very strong squad Porto that they are bringing to the Catalan capital.
Did you know?
The Porto squad includes Nico González, the Galician starlet who Barça sold to Porto last July.
This is the fifth meeting between Barça and Porto in this competition, and so far the Catalans have won them all. In the last three games, Porto have failed to score a single goal.
Barça have never lost at home to a Portuguese side in the Champions League, although Benfica have managed a couple of draws.
What they’re saying
Barça coach Xavi spoke of the need for another ‘magical night’ in Europe and to perform like what he called ‘a competitive beast’.
There were also pre-match words from Joao Cancelo, for whom it is always a special occasion to play against a fellow Portuguese club. However, although the full back admits that, being a Benfica man, the rivalry with Porto is a motivating factor, he isn’t really thinking of the game under those terms.
