Barcelona and Borussia Monchengladbach will both be looking to get back to winning ways when they face each other at the Camp Nou in the final set of group stage matches in the Champions League. On paper, the outcome of this match does not really matter as Barcelona booked top spot in their group with a 2-0 win against Celtic FC.
Borussia Monchengladbach also confirmed a place in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League after they managed a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Barcelona edged past Borussia Monchengladbach after a 1-2 victory when they met in the reverse fixture.
Barcelona have not been in the best form so far, with just one win in their last five matches and a tough El Clasico match over the weekend sees them six points behind the La Liga leaders, Real Madrid. Barcelona will have to be at the top of their game if they are to get a result in this game. Luis Enrique will likely rotate his squad for this match with qualification already guaranteed.
The Blaugrana will be without Neymar and Ivan Rakitic, who are suspended, and Jeremy Mathieu, who is injured. Samuel Umtiti might get a chance to play as Gerard Pique has a slight knock, which might rule him out of this match. Andres Iniesta will definitely be a key figure for Barcelona this match, after being out injured for almost two months. The Spanish maestro made his comeback against Real Madrid over the weekend and he will be hoping to build on his fitness in the coming matches.
Luis Enrique mentioned that this match is all about "having fun".
"We can use different players, rest others, and even try something different on the field. We have been almost perfect in the group stage and so tomorrow we will go out there to enjoy it at Camp Nou," Barcelona's official website quoted the manager as saying".
Borussia Monchengladbach, on the other hand, have been in worse form than Barcelona, losing three and drawing two of their last five matches. After a heavy defeat against Borussia Dortmund over the weekend, they face an even tougher task when they travel to the Camp Nou. Andre Schubert's side have gone eight Bundesliga matches without a win and a strong performance against Barcelona will really help improve their season.
"We really need to pick up some points in the Bundesliga again, but now we want to drink in this experience," Borussia Monchengladbach's official website quoted André Hahn as saying. "We cannot wait to play there. We're not flying to Barcelona to be walked over. We want to take something from the game."
"We know it's going to be a tough game but we want to try win the match. Getting a positive experience from this would be important for our confidence. It's every child's dream to play in this stadium and now we get to fulfil that, so we have to enjoy the moment," Thorgan Hazard said.
Borussia Monchengladbach will not be able to make a lot of changes to their squad given their long list of injuries. They will be without their captain Lars Stindl who is suspended for this game. Andre Schubert's team will want a good performance at Camp Nou to get some positive news in what's been a tough start to their season.
Where to Watch Live
Barcelona vs Borussia Monchengladbachis set to begin at 8.45pm CET (7.45pm GMT, 3.45pm ET, 1.15am IST).
TV information and live streaming are given below.
India: TV: Ten 3. Live Streaming: Ten Sports live.
Spain: TV:Antena 3, TV3
Germany: TV: Sky Sports 4/HD, Sky Sports 1HD. Live Streaming: Sky Go Deutschland
UK: TV: BT Sport Extra
USA: TV: Fox Sports 2. Live Streaming: Foxsoccer2go.
Australia: TV: beIN Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
