Barcelona vs. Apoel Nicosia: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Luis Enrique takes charge of his first Champions League team this week as Barcelona prepare for the threat of APOEL Nicosia in the hopes of launching a successful group campaign.
The 44-year-old made 36 appearances for Barca in this competition, scoring 19 goals in six seasons, per Transfermarkt, gaining a knowledge of Europe that he'll look to imbue upon his troops.
The champions of Cyprus travel to Camp Nou with the vision of overturning Group F's favourites in any manner possible, with some of the talking points in discussion and viewing details up ahead.
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Date: Wednesday, September 17
Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK, subscription required), FoxSoccer2GO (US)
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK, red button)
Barca's European Makeover
Their domestic season so far suggests that Barcelona's new legions are ready to pick up where previous Camp Nou stars have left off, propelling the club to top spot in La Liga.
However, Europe may be found as a new test entirely for some among their ranks, with summer signings and academy graduates alike coming into the senior side both with and without Champions League credentials.
One of those fallen out of favour lately is Gerard Pique, who Rik Sharma of the Daily Mail supposes will retain his spot on the bench if Jeremy Mathieu continues to impress alongside Javier Mascherano:
It will also be of some intrigue to see how much faith Enrique places in the likes of Munir El Haddadi and Rafinha, despite their surprising surge to prominence in the league already.
Ivan Rakitic might also be expected to shine, having won the Europa League with Sevilla last season and looking to make that pivotal step up this term. As a result several players in the side boast somewhat unknown quantities.
The Magnitude of Messi
Although some things change in Catalan country, one thing which has remained is the ongoing impact of Lionel Messi and the role he plays in this squad.
Will the Barca talisman be able to live up to the expectations of previous seasons? His two goals in three games this season would appear to suggest he can, and Enrique is quoted by the Daily Mail's Anthony Hay in hailing the talents of his star man:
"He does things in training that I have not even seen on the PlayStation. Messi is the best not only because of his goals but also for his assists. It is a pleasure and a privilege to have him in the team."
APOEL present a group-stage opener that would see Barca have a host of attacking opportunities, and one can expect Messi to thrive as a result, coming into the fixture with strong form at his back.
APOEL's El Clasico Chip
The last time APOEL Nicosia competed in the group stage of the Champions League, they surprised many by not only topping a pool consisting of Zenit St. Petersburg, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk but managing to make it to the 2011-12 quarter-finals.
It was Real Madrid who would prove to be their eventual superiors, however, dishing out an 8-2 aggregate mauling, which gives Wednesday's meeting with Barcelona the faintest hint of an El Clasico context.
Having already been defeated by one half of that Spanish derby, the Cypriots will hope to fare better against the other combatants Barca, who will no doubt treat the tie with as much severity as if it were Real themselves.
As far as APOEL are concerned, all six of their group fixtures will be taken as the final itself, but the hope of turning the tide against the Blaugrana may not hold too much promise.
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