Barcelona begin their 2024/25 Champions League campaign with an away fixture at Monaco on Thursday.
It has been nearly a decade since the Blaugrana last won the tournament, but they remain one of the favourites to win again due to the talent at the disposal of head coach Hansi Flick.
They face a Monaco side that finished second in Ligue 1 behind PSG last season.
Match Preview
Monaco have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new campaign in France, winning three out of their opening four games against Saint-Etienne, Lyon and Auxerre. They drew with Lens at the start of September.
Midfielder Lamine Camara was taken off with a suspected concussion at the weekend but reports suggest he only suffered a minor injury. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be well enough to feature against Barca.
Edan Diop and Radoslaw Majecki are out until October.
Here’s how Monaco lined up against Auxerre.
Barcelona have been pretty sensational so far under Flick as they have won all five matches in La Liga so far against Valencia, Athletic Club, Rayo, Real Valladolid and Girona.
In those five games, they have scored no less than 17 goals.
Barca’s performances have came despite a long list of injuries, particularly in midfield area, as Fermin Lopez, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen are still out, while Dani Olmo will not return until after the October international break due to a hamstring problem suffered against Girona.
Ronald Araujo also has a hamstring injury, but he would have missed the game anyway due to suspension.
Here’s how Barcelona lined up against Girona.
Monaco – Player To Watch
The performances of Denis Zakaria were a major reason why Monaco finished second in Ligue 1 last season and he has impressed in 2024/25 so far. He’s even his team’s top scorer in the league with two.
Lamine Yamal was one of the best players at the European Championships and has continued that form into the new campaign with a superb return of three goals and four assists already. Two of those goals…
Author : [email protected] (Martin Macdonald)
Publish date : 2024-09-18 14:00:44
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The post Monaco vs Barcelona Champions League Prediction first appeared on Soccer News.
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Author : soccernews
Publish date : 2024-09-18 14:08:29
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.