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Who: Club Brugge vs Barcelona
What: Champions League radical stage
Where: Jan Breydel Stadium, Brugge, Belgium
When: Wednesday astatine 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
While Barcelona are precise overmuch the favourites against Club Brugge, the hosts boast an unbeaten grounds astatine location this season, having won six and drawn 1 of their 7 games astatine Jan Breydel Stadium.
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The Belgian broadside recorded an awesome 4-1 triumph implicit Monaco earlier successful the radical signifier though defeats to Atalanta and Bayern Munich person near them with conscionable 3 points.
On the home front, Club Brugge are presently 2nd successful the Belgian Pro League, trailing league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise by 3 points, and secured a 2-1 location triumph implicit Denders astatine the weekend.
Barcelona person six points from their Champions League games truthful acold this play with victories implicit Newcastle United and Olympiacos either broadside of a 2-1 defeat to European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal scored aboriginal arsenic Barcelona rebounded from their Clasico decision by beating Elche 3-1 astatine location connected Sunday to regain 2nd place successful the Spanish league.
Barcelona bounce back
Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford besides scored for Barcelona against Elche, a week aft they mislaid 2-1 astatine Real Madrid successful the archetypal Clasico of the season.
“I saw galore things we did well, but I besides saw immoderate we didn’t bash well,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said aft the triumph implicit Elche, successful which Barca were ascendant but looked susceptible to counterattacks.
“It was a pugnacious match, but it meant the 3 points were earned. We person to improve. We are much assured with this victory. It is different step, but we person to continue. I americium happy, and we person to deliberation positively astir the games to come.”
Flick wants Rashford to beryllium much clinical
Rashford has scored six goals successful each competitions since moving to Barcelona connected indebtedness from Manchester United successful July, but Flick thinks the England planetary should person scored adjacent more.
“When you spot the chances helium has, I deliberation 1 oregon 2 goals much volition beryllium good, besides for him,” Flick told reporters.
“I cognize that helium tin play connected this level, and I americium blessed helium shows it. For the fans and for the nine and besides for the teammates, helium is simply a precise important player.”
Rashford acknowledged that helium has country to amended his decision-making.
“I conscionable effort to bash the close things connected the pitch. Even today, I could person had much assists oregon goals. Sometimes, the determination to sprout oregon walk was wrong,” the 28-year-old told Spanish media aft the triumph implicit Elche.
Marcus Rashford is experiencing a vocation resurgence astatine Barcelona successful the 2025-26 play [Quique Garcia/EPA]Hayen says Brugge can’t springiness shot distant cheaply to Barca
Club Brugge’s 45-year-old coach, Nicky Hayen, joined arsenic caretaker brag during the 2023-2024 season, and helium has since won 3 trophies – the 2023-2024 league title, the Belgian Super Cup successful 2025 and the Belgian Cup past season.
Brugge besides reached the past 16 of the Champions League past season, wherever they were knocked retired 6-1 connected aggregate by Aston Villa.
After the play triumph implicit Denders, Hayen praised his side’s “ideas and intentions” but said “the prime was not ever apical notch”, adding that the Belgian broadside volition person to rise their crippled importantly to decision Barcelona.
“We could person made it easier connected ourselves by scoring that 3rd goal. Moreover, we gave distant immoderate balls, which you should debar astatine each costs erstwhile you play Barcelona adjacent Wednesday,” helium said.
Head-to-head
Barca and Club Brugge person faced each different connected lone 2 occasions. Barcelona won some games, which were successful the radical signifier of the 2002-2003 Champions League.
Barcelona won 1-0 distant successful Bruges the past clip the sides met, courtesy of a extremity by Juan Riquelme.
Barca had triumphed 3-2 successful the erstwhile crippled astatine Camp Nou.
Club Brugge’s squad news
Ex-Liverpool and Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet has been ruled retired with a groin wounded portion midfielder Ludovit Reis is besides acceptable to miss retired owed to a enarthrosis problem.
Nigerian planetary midfielder Raphael Onyedika came disconnected the seat against Denders implicit the play aft spending 5 weeks retired injured but whitethorn inactive not beryllium acceptable capable to start.
Club Brugge’s main attacking trio of Christos Tzolis, Nicolo Tresoldi and Carlos Forbs could origin Barca immoderate issues. The young Greek planetary winger Tzolis has scored 8 goals and has 8 assists crossed each competitions this play portion striker Tresoldi has six goals and 3 assists to his name.
Tresoldi said earlier facing Barca that helium was looking guardant to facing 1 of his heroes.
“[Veteran striker Robert] Lewandowski is 1 of my idols. I’m astir looking guardant to playing against him,” helium said.
Greece planetary Christos Tzolis is enjoying his champion play arsenic a professional, starring Club Brugge successful goals and assists [File: Timothy Rogers/Getty Images]Barcelona’s squad news
Winger Raphinha remains retired with a hamstring problem, and cardinal midfielder Pedri is expected to beryllium unavailable until aft the November planetary interruption owed to a muscular problem.
Goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Joan Garcia are besides sidelined with injury, but fortunately, Barca are capable to trust connected the fantabulous Wojciech Szczesny betwixt the sticks.
Centre backmost Andreas Christensen was not successful the squad for the past 2 games owed to a calf issue, and helium remains a uncertainty for Wednesday night.
Lewandowski and playmaker Dani Olmo got immoderate minutes disconnected the seat against Elche arsenic they retrieve from injuries and are apt to again beryllium among the substitutes against Brugge.
Club Brugge’s predicted starting lineup
Jackers; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, Meijer; Stankovic; Forbs, Audoor, Vanaken, Tzolis; Tresoldi
Barcelona’s predicted starting lineup
Szczesny; Kounde, Eric Garcia, Araujo, Balde; Casado, de Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Ferran
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