?Barcelona will be aiming to maintain at least a three-point lead at the top of their Champions League group on Tuesday when they take on Slavia Prague at Camp Nou.
Ernesto Valverde’s side will need to shake off their 3-1 defeat to Levante on Saturday, a result which was somehow enough to keep the Catalan side top of La Liga due to Real Madrid’s goalless draw with Real Betis.
However, pressure is continually rising on this current Barca side, with the Champions League potentially a nice distraction from their strange domestic form.
Slavia Prague performed admirably in their 2-1 defeat to Tuesday’s opponents back in October, but the Czech side will know that a trip to Catalonia is a much harder proposition.
Where to Watch
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| ?When Is Kick Off? | Tuesday 5 November? |
| ?What Time Is Kick Off? | ?17:55 (BST) |
| ?Where Is It Played? | ?Camp Nou |
| ?TV Channel/Live Stream? | ?BT Sport 1 |
| ?Referee? | ?Michael Oliver |
Team News
?Barcelona are without? the services of ?Luis Suarez who sustained a calf injury against Levante. They also remain without Samuel Umtiti, but the likes of ?Ousmane Dembele, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets could all return having missed out at the weekend.
Slavia Prague are still without long-term absentee David Hovorka, but Ibrahim Traore may be available for manager Jindrich Trpisovsky.
Predicted Lineups
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| ?Barcelona | Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, Arthur, De Jong; Messi, Griezmann, Dembele?. |
| ?Slavia Prague | ?Kolar; Coufal, Kudela, Frydrych, Boril; Sevcik, Soucek, Zeleny; Stanciu; Olayinka, Masopust. |
Head to Head Record
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This is only the second ever competitive match between the two sides, with the first coming back on 23 October this year.
Barcelona won 2-1 but were far from convincing, and the Spanish champions will be aiming for a much more assured performance and result this time around.
Recent Form
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Before their dismal 3-1 defeat last weekend, Barcelona had been in stellar form, winning their previous seven games. Valverde’s side sit top of both ?La Liga and Group F in the ?Champions League, but, with standards so high at Camp Nou, still find themselves fighting to prove their worth.
Barcelona have won all six of their home games this season and have not lost at Camp Nou in the Champions League since September 2013.
Slavia Prague are comfortably top of the Czech first division, 12 points clear, and most recently beat Banik Ostrava 4-0.
Here are the last five results for both sides.
| ?Barcelona | Slavia Prague? |
| ?Levante 3-1 Barcelona (2/11) | ?Slavia Prague 4-0 Banik Ostrava (2/11) |
| ?Barcelona 5-1 Real Valladolid (29/10) | ?Viktoria Plzen 0-1 Slavia Prague (27/10) |
| ?Slavia Prague 1-2 Barcelona (23/10) | Slavia Prague 1-2 Barcelona (23/10)? |
| ?Eibar 0-3 Barcelona (19/10) | Slavia Prague 3-1 1.FK Pribram (19/10)? |
| ?Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla (6/10) | ?Jablonec 0-2 Slavia Prague (6/10) |
Prediction
Barca go into this match as strong favourites, especially given their home form. The hosts know a victory will keep them at the summit of Group F, and with the chasing pack of ?Inter and ?Borussia Dortmund facing each other, a win would see Barcelona five points clear of their rivals come the end of the night.
??Lionel Messi will again be pivotal, as the Argentine offers Barca a swagger and grace that they struggle to find when he’s not as his peak.
However, Slavia Prague have proved to be tough to crack, holding Inter to a draw on matchday one and making life very challenging for Barcelona in the reverse fixture. Regardless, this encounter may prove a step too far for the Czechs.
Prediction: Barcelona 3-0 Slavia Prague
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