Barcelona will look to begin their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign on a positive note when they welcome Czech Republic club Viktoria Plzeň to the Nou Camp this Wednesday.
Venue: Camp Nou (Barcelona)
Key Statistics
Barcelona have won just one of their last eight European home games (D3, L4).
The hosts have scored eleven goals in their last three league games.
They can keep three consecutive UCL home clean sheets for the first time since December 2016.
They have scored twice across their last five UCL home encounters.
Plzen are unbeaten in 34 competitive games (W25, D9).
They have lost their last four games on Spanish soil.
Robert Lewandowski has scored in five of his last six UCL season openers,
Head to head
This will be the third meeting between both sides, with Barcelona winning both games.
Latest performances in all competitions
Barcelona: W-W-D-W-D
Plzen: W-W-W-W-D
Barcelona
Barcelona’s financial issues have been well-documented, but that has not stopped them from being the most active club in the just concluded transfer window.
The Catalan Club were lacking in so many areas last season but have so far built a team capable of challenging for titles.
With the addition of stars such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, the Blaugrana fans will expect results and Xavi Hernandez will have no excuse this time out.
Since their opening day draw with Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona have not missed a single beat, winning all three of their subsequent matches, scoring 11 goals in the process and conceding just once. Such showing is what the Barcelona faithful will come to expect as Xavi’s team challenge Real Madrid for their domestic title.
Barcelona spectacularly crashed out of the Champions League group stages last season and Xavi will be keen to avoid a repeat of that this season but faces a daunting task as they will be competing with the likes of Inter Milan and Bayern Munich for the top spot in this season’s group of death, Group C.
However, Xavi’s men have been presented with a great chance to start off strong with a home game against the Group’s weakest team. The last two encounters between the two teams yielded six goals in favour of the Blaugrana, with the Czech team failing to get one past their opponents.
With the attacking wealth at his disposal, Xavi Hernandez will be confident of his boys securing all three vital points against the underdogs with a crunch tie against Bayern Munich awaiting them next week.
Possible Barcelona starting line-up
Marc Ter Stegen; Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Alex Balde; Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Viktoria Plzen
Viktoria Plzen find themselves facing a very challenging task of making it to the next round of the Champions League campaign, having been drawn in the same group as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The Czech start off their campaign with an away visit to Camp Nou as they aim to do the almost impossible task of beating the Blaugrana in their own backyard.
At the same time, head coach Mikal Bilik will be hoping that his boys can emulate the heroics of Eintracht Frankfurt last season as the Germans put on a resilient showing to stifle Xavi’s men at the Camp Nou, to show that the Spanish giants are not untouchable at home.
However, with several reinforcements having been brought in to bolster the team’s chances of winning silverware this season, the Czech tactician knows his boys face a more challenging task than the Germans last season and must therefore prepare his men to be on their A game.
Viktoria Plzen have been in an imperious form in their domestic League and come into this game with five wins in six games without defeat. Such a string of wins can only serve as a morale booster as they take on a reborn Barcelona.
Possible Plzen starting line-up
Jindrich Stanek; Ludek Pernica, Vaclav Jemelka, Milan Havel; Libor Holik, Jhon Mosquera, Jan Kopic, Lukas Kalvach; Pavel Bucha, Jan Sykora.
Injured: Cadu
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Barcelona 3-1 Viktoria Plzen