Barcelona look to proceed its Champions League streak with a 3rd consecutive win as they journey to Serbia to face Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday.
La Blaugrana are on a roll, searching for their third right away victory with out conceding, whereas Red Star enters this conflict having gained solely as soon as of their final six residence Champions League outings.
So far this season, Barcelona has been almost flawless.
Aside from a slim 2-1 defeat to Monaco within the Champions League and a 4-2 La Liga stumble in opposition to Osasuna, Hansi Flick’s squad has swept via 13 different matches.
Riding a six-game successful streak, the Catalans have tallied a formidable 24 targets.
Notably, they dominated Young Boys 5-0 and dismantled Bayern Munich 4-1, climbing to tenth within the Champions League standings, simply three factors off the highest.
Domestically, following a 4-0 El Clasico victory over Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu, they defeated Espanyol 3-1, due to Dani Olmo’s brace and Raphinha’s in-form strike.
Nine factors clear atop La Liga, they now flip again to European ambitions, assembly Red Star for the primary time since a 4-2 combination victory within the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Barcelona’s scoring prowess may make historical past if they web 4 or extra targets in three consecutive Champions League video games – a feat final achieved in 1959-60.
On the opposite hand, Red Star Belgrade have struggled within the Champions League.
They stay winless and pointless of their first three video games, sharing the event’s worst defensive file with 11 targets conceded alongside Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb.
Losses to Benfica (2-1), Inter Milan (4-0) and Monaco (5-1) have saved Vladan Milojevic’s group languishing in thirty third place within the standings.
Though solely three factors from a last-16 playoff spot, daunting clashes in opposition to Barcelona, Stuttgart, and AC Milan lie forward.
While European success has been elusive, Red Star are dominating domestically.
The Serbian TremendousLiga leaders have gained 12 of 13 video games, scoring 43 targets and conceding simply eight.
Last weekend, they downed Vojvodina 3-0 after routing Tekstilac Odzaci 7-0 within the Serbian Cup.
Historically, Red Star have claimed solely two wins over Barcelona, each within the Nineteen Sixties Fairs Cup.
They now purpose to keep away from an undesirable file, hoping to not change into the primary group since Benfica in 2018 to lose eight consecutive Champions League matches.
Red Star might be with out Winger Peter Olayinka who’s sidelined with an Achilles damage, whereas Nemanja Radonjic’s standing is unsure after an early exit of their final home match.
Goalkeeper Omri Glazer and defender Ognjen Mimovic have additionally been affected by accidents, with their availability unsure.
Striker Cherif Ndiaye, Red Star’s high scorer with 10 targets this season, is predicted to steer the assault alongside Bruno Duarte, who has six targets.
Midfield will doubtless characteristic ex-AC Milan participant Rade Krunic, Timi Max Elsnik, and promising 17-year-old Andrija Maksimovic.
Barcelona face their very own damage considerations as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, defenders Marc Bernal, Ronald Araujo, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are all unavailable.
Jules Kounde might begin at right-back, and midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Gavi may make their approach again to the beginning lineup.
Raphinha, a vital drive for Barcelona this season, has been concerned in 20 targets (11 targets, 9 assists) underneath Flick.
The Brazilian winger, contemporary off a hat trick in opposition to Bayern, is ready to companion with Robert Lewandowski and younger expertise Lamine Yamal in an assault poised to check Red Star’s protection.
Source: www.dailysabah.com