Barcelona are in fine form going into their Champions League clash with Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday evening, but will be given a raucous welcome at the Marakana. While on paper it is one of their easier European ties, it could be a tricky outing in a hostile atmosphere.
All the same, Frenkie de Jong will no doubt be desperate to get on the pitch from the outset, and Sport say that the Dutchman will finally make his first start since returning from injury a month ago. He had missed over five months with a recurring ankle ligament issue, but looked excellent during El Clasico.
Flick: "I don't know how many points we need in this new Champions League format. We have to focus on winning. The goal is to be among the top 8 classified."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 5, 2024
If de Jong does return, then it will likely mean a rest for one of Pedri or Marc Casado, both of who have been in excellent form. Pedri could be moved forward to play behind Robert Lewandowski, but Dani Olmo also looks likely to get more minutes under his belt. Casado has been the more defensive of the two, and previous attempts at a midfield pairing with Pedri have not gone to plan.
