Barcelona are set to host Olympiacos at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday’s Champions League fixture, seeking to improve their position after a mixed start to the European campaign.
Barcelona vs Olympiacos – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: 21st October, Tuesday.
- Kick-off: 5:45pm BST.
- Venue: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona.
Barcelona Team News
Hansi Flick continues to contend with a long list of injuries. Marc-André ter Stegen (back), Joan Garcia (knee), Gavi (knee), Dani Olmo (calf), and Robert Lewandowski (hamstring) remain out of this fixture.
While Ferran Torres and Raphinha have made progress in training, both remain with significant doubts, with medical staff prioritising their recovery for El Clásico later in the week. Club sources confirm “the most sensible thing to do is to wait for the Clásico for [Raphinha’s] return to the squad”.
Fermin López pushes for a starting berth after a positive substitute appearance at the weekend. Defensive rotations are likely, as Flick manages player fitness ahead of the high-stakes domestic clash on Sunday.
Olympiacos Team News
Manager José Luis Mendilibar will be without Rodinei (muscle injury), and Gabriel Strefezza (illness). At the same time, Nikos Botis, Remy Cabella, Ruben Vezo, Yusuf Yazici, Gustavo Mancha, and Konstantinos Angelakis are left out of the European squad.
Lorenzo Pirola is set to partner Panagiotis Retsos in defence, with Dani Garcia and Gelson Martins likely in the starting lineup. Ayoub El Kaabi remains the key goal threat, having netted five in ten club appearances this season.
Form
Barcelona
Flick’s side ended a run of consecutive defeats with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Girona at the weekend, sealed by Ronald Araujo’s 93rd-minute winner. The Catalans had suffered disappointing losses to PSG in the Champions League (2-1) and a shocking 4-1 defeat at Sevilla in La Liga before the international break.
Their Champions League campaign began positively with a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United thanks to a Marcus Rashford brace. Still, they currently sit 16th in the league phase table with three points from two matches.
Olympiacos
Mendilibar’s men are yet to win in the Champions League this season, drawing 0-0 with Pafos in their opener before losing 2-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. However, they bounced back domestically with a comfortable 2-0 victory over AEL Larissa at the weekend, with El Kaabi scoring both goals.
The Greek champions have struggled for goals in Europe, failing to find the net in their opening two Champions League fixtures. They currently sit in 29th position in the league phase with just one point.
Predicted Lineups
Barcelona: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martin; De Jong, Garcia, Casado; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford.
Olympiacos: Tzolakis; Costinha, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Garcia, Hezze; Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi.
How to Watch Barcelona vs Olympiacos?
UK fans can watch the game on TNT Sports 1. The match will also be available on the Discovery+ app for TNT Sports subscribers.
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