Under Adi Hutter, Monaco seems to be moving in the right direction after narrowly missing out on the Ligue 1 title to Paris Saint-Germain. Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, gearing up for their 21st consecutive season in Europe’s elite competition, will aim to make it three wins from three. However, given the stature of the club, they’ll be looking to improve on recent underwhelming performances in the tournament.
Since winning the Champions League in 2015, Barcelona has only advanced beyond the quarter-finals once and suffered two group-stage exits in 2021 and 2022—a stark contrast to their golden era when they reached the semi-finals 10 times in 15 seasons from 1999 to 2015.
Monaco might not be an easy opening opponent, especially considering Barcelona has won just twice in their last nine visits to France. One of those victories came at PSG last season, but Barca still lost that quarter-final tie.
That said, Barcelona tends to start strong in the Champions League. In recent years, they’ve thrashed teams like Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, and Antwerp on opening matchdays. Their impressive league form this season—highlighted by a 4-1 victory over Girona, where rising star Lamine Yamal netted two goals—will give Barcelona fans plenty of confidence heading into this match.
Monaco also extended their unbeaten start to four games with a 3-0 win over Auxerre, allowing Hutter to rest players ahead of this big Champions League fixture. But Thursday's game will be a much tougher challenge than their domestic opponents, putting that unbeaten run at risk.
With a challenging group that includes Barcelona, Benfica, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Arsenal, Monaco faces a tough road ahead. However, their strong record against Spanish teams—winning seven of their last nine encounters—offers some hope.
Despite this, Monaco's poor recent home form in the competition is concerning. They’ve lost seven consecutive Champions League games at Stade Louis II, and no team has ever lost eight in a row at home in the tournament's history. Hutter will hope to change that mindset, as Monaco returns to the competition for the first time since 2018, when they suffered back-to-back group-stage exits.
Historically, Monaco has performed well in the Champions League, reaching one final, three semi-finals, and a quarter-final in just nine appearances. They’ve only faced Barcelona once before, in 1993, when the Catalans won both matches without conceding a goal.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Monaco is set to welcome back midfielder Lamine Camara, who has been cleared from concussion protocols after being stretchered off with a neck injury in the win against Auxerre. However, Edan Diop and backup goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki are still out and won’t be available until at least next month.Ahead of the match, Hutter made eight changes in the Lens game before the international break but returned to his regular lineup for the Auxerre match. With a deep squad at his disposal, more changes could be on the way for the Barcelona clash.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will be without Dani Olmo, who is out until after the October international break due to a hamstring injury sustained against Girona. This adds to Flick’s midfield woes, with Fermin Lopez, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Andreas Christensen also sidelined.
Defender Ronald Araujo is nursing a hamstring injury as well, though he would have missed the match regardless due to suspension from his red card in last season’s quarter-final against PSG.
On the bright side, Robert Lewandowski, who has scored eight Champions League goals since joining Barcelona, will be eyeing his 100th goal in the competition, aiming to become only the third player to reach that milestone during this group stage.
POSSIBLE LINE UPS
Monaco possible starting lineup:Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa Elebi, Caio Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Balde; Eric Garcia, Pedri, Casado; Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
EXPERT PREDICTION
Monaco1-2 Barcelona
Monaco could set an unwanted record for the most consecutive home losses if they fall short here, and Barcelona's form doesn’t make things easier for them, despite their injury troubles.
Flick's Barca have been dominant, winning all five of their matches so far. If Yamal continues his incredible form, another victory seems likely.
