Barcelona will be looking to secure their fourth Champions League win of the season when they host French side Brest at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday night.
Hansi Flick’s team currently sit sixth in the Champions League standings, with nine points from their first four matches. Brest, on the other hand, are fourth, having earned 10 points from their opening four games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Barcelona suffered a surprising setback in La Liga on Saturday, conceding twice in the final stages to draw 2-2 with Celta Vigo. This result leaves them with just one point from their last two league matches.
While Barcelona remain at the top of the La Liga table, their lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid is now down to five points, with both teams having played the same number of games. Real Madrid, who have two games in hand, are seven points behind.
In the Champions League, Barcelona bounced back from a 2-1 loss to Monaco in their opener to win their last three matches—against Young Boys, Bayern Munich, and Red Star Belgrade scoring 14 goals in the process.
They have a strong home record against French clubs, winning nine of their last 14 European encounters at home, though they’ve been less consistent recently, winning only eight of their last 19 home games in the competition.
Barcelona will be cautious, having already been beaten by Ligue 1 opposition this season, but it would be a surprise if they don’t return to winning ways on Tuesday night.
Brest, meanwhile, have far exceeded expectations in their debut Champions League campaign. The French side, one of five clubs making their competition debut this year, have been the best-performing newcomer, earning 10 points from four games with three wins and a draw. They are just two points behind leaders Liverpool, who are the only team with a perfect record so far.
Under coach Eric Roy, Brest have beaten Sturm Graz, Red Bull Salzburg, and Sparta Prague, in addition to drawing 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen. However, their domestic form has been less impressive, as they’ve lost their last three Ligue 1 matches, including a 3-2 defeat at Monaco on Friday. Brest currently sit 12th in Ligue 1, already 10 points behind third-placed Marseille.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Lamine Yamal has not been officially ruled out for Barcelona's match, but it seems unlikely he will feature as he continues to recover from an ankle issue.
Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres are both nearing the end of their injury recoveries and have a slim chance of being included in the squad. However, Barcelona will be without Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Andreas Christensen, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal for the game.
Head coach Hansi Flick may make a few changes to the lineup that started against Celta, with Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde likely to replace Gavi and Gerard Martin in the starting XI.
For Brest, Pierre Lees-Melou is a doubt and will undergo a late fitness test for the leg injury that forced him off against Monaco. Massadio Haidara (muscle), Romain Faivre (ankle), and Soumaila Coulibaly (pelvis) are all expected to miss out.
Brest will also be without Bradley Locko, who is sidelined long-term after rupturing his Achilles in August. Abdallah Sima is another potential absentee due to a muscle issue, but Ludovic Ajorque is fit and will start. Ajorque has been in good form this season, with three goals and four assists in 15 appearances.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Casado; Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Amavi; Camara, Lees-Melou, Fernandes; Balde, Ajorque, Doumbia
EXPERT PREDICTION
Barcelona 3-1 Brest
Brest have impressed many with their strong performances in the competition this season, but this match represents a significant step up in class for them. It’s hard to see anything other than a Barcelona win here.
