Barcelona have not qualified for the next round of the Champions League, but they can do so with a win over Celtic on Wednesday. So far, Barcelona have been brilliant in the elite club competition of Europe, with three wins and one draw despite being in the same group as Manchester City.
The Spanish giants, without a shadow of doubt, will be huge favourites for the clash against Brendan Rodgers' side, which lost 0-7 in their last head-to-head encounter. Barcelona will hope for a similar high-intensity performance, while Celtic will hope to stun Barca and clinch their first three points of the competition.
Barcelona is expected to have their star player Lionel Messi match-fit after missing their last La Liga match against Malaga. He missed the match due to sickness. Luis Suarez also missed the game due to suspension, and their goalless draw against Malaga showed the importance of the duo in Barca's line-up.
Both the players will be keen to reclaim their roles in the starting eleven, and it will come as a huge boost for manager Luis Enrique as his side could not score a single goal against Malaga. That goalless draw against Malaga might be bad news for Celtic, as Barcelona will come with intent in this Champions League fixture. With players like Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, they are always going to be tough to beat, whether the Spanish champions are playing home or away.
It is not only their trio, which catches the eye, but also their fluid passing style of football, which makes the game spectacular to watch. They are a team, which build upon passes, and one has seen them score some beautiful team goals that received applause from the crowd.
Celtic were completely outplayed by Barcelona in the last encounter, but they will hope that the same does not happen in front of their home fans. Celtic have been amazing in their domestic competition, staying top of the table with 11 wins and one draw, but they know Champions League is a completely different affair.
Celtic might not have the big names like Barcelona, but they will definitely look for their star youngster Moussa Dembele to deliver on Wednesday.
Celtic vs Barcelona schedule
Date: 22 November
Time: 7:45 GMT (1:15 am IST, 2:45 pm ET)
Venue: Celtic Park
TV listings: India :Ten 1. UK: BT Sport. US: Fox Sports. Spain, Australia, Middle East: Bein Sports. Canada: TSN 1. China: LeTV, PPTV Sport China. African countries: Super Sport.
