Barcelona is in good shape going into their Champions League face Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday night, but will be given a raucous welcome at the Marakana. While on paper it is one of their easiest European ties, it could be a tricky exit in a hostile atmosphere.
all the same, Frenkie de Jong will undoubtedly be desperate to put in the camp from the beginning, and Sport say the Dutchman will finally make his first start since returning from injury a month ago. He had missed more than five months with a recurring ankle ligament problem but looked excellent during the Clasico.
Flick: “I don't know how many points we need in this new format of the Champions League. We have to focus on winning. The objective is to be among the top 8 ranked.”
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 5, 2024
If de Jong returns, then it will probably mean a rest for one of Pedri or Marc Casado, both of whom have been in excellent form. Pedri could be moved up to play behind Robert Lewandowski, but Dani Olmo also looks likely to get more minutes under his belt. Casado was the more defensive of the two, and previous attempts at a midfield pairing with Pedri did not go to plan.
