Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona entertain Roger Schmidt's Bayer Leverkusen side in the second round of Champions League group fixtures.
The Germans have blown hot and cold throughout this season, winning three and losing three of their last six, and they arrive at Camp Nou on top of Group E thanks to a thumping win over expected whipping boys BATE Borisov in their opening match.
Although three and a half years have passed since the last meeting, the memories of a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of a Lionel Messi-inspired Blaugrana are likely to be fresh in the minds of the visitors.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
As luck would have it, Messi won't be playing any part this time around due to injury, but the Catalans still have more than enough to trouble their Bundesliga counterparts.
A tough La Liga away fixture at Sevilla follows this match so there is a chance that Luis Enrique could spring a surprise with his selection. Arguably, he would be foolish in doing so in what will likely be a must-win match, even at this early stage.
AS Roma will surely dispatch the Belarusians, therefore if Barca want to keep pace, a win is paramount.
Date: Tuesday, September 29
Time: 7:45 p.m. BST / 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV Info: BT Sport Extra 2 (UK only) / ESPN Deportes (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport App (UK Only)
Form Lines
| Barcelona | Bayer Leverkusen |
| W 2-1 vs. Las Palmas | W 3-0 vs. Werder Bremen |
| L 1-4 vs. Celta Vigo | W 1-0 vs. Mainz 05 |
| W 4-1 vs. Levante | L 0-3 vs. Borussia Dortmund |
| D 1-1 vs. AS Roma | W 4-1 vs. Bate Borisov |
| W 2-1 vs. Atletico Madrid | L 0-1 vs. Darmstadt |
| W 1-0 vs. Malaga | L 0-2 vs. Paderborn |
Predicted Formations
Schmidt won't divert from his usual 4-4-2 formation. The personnel might change but the system does not.
In this day and age of tactical reinvention, the 4-4-2 might be considered a little basic, but Leverkusen play it with aplomb.
As you might expect from a German side, there is very much an 'all for one, one for all' mentality that pervades throughout the side, every player working for one another.
Such togetherness will be needed against a Barca side who haven't quite hit the heights but still have an awful lot in reserve.
The loss of Messi is a huge blow but it does give Munir El-Haddadi an opportunity for an extended run in the side.
While not quite the last-chance saloon for the player, this run of games will show Luis Enrique whether the 20-year-old is worthy of a squad place or if he will be yet another thrown on to the La Masia scrapheap, destined to earn his living away from the Camp Nou.
Schmidt benefits from a great spine to his side and the Catalans could find it hard to break their opponents down centrally.
Pushing the hosts out wide will suit the visitors with Kyriakos Papadopoulos in particular able to snuff out any high balls from either flank.
Dani Alves' effervescence down the right channel can cause problems for Sebastian Boenisch, and although Jordi Alba may enjoy similar success on the opposite side, he has to rein in the desire to attack at every given opportunity and ease himself back into the set-up after injury.
We can at least be assured that the Germans will come to play football and they will surely have taken heart from the success that Celta Vigo derived from a high pressing game.
Barca's defence in particular will have to play an awful lot better than at Balaidos if they want to take the spoils in this one.
Player to Watch
Lars Bender could well have been an Arsenal player by now if Arsene Wenger had followed up alleged interest in the player, per James Orr of The Independent.
If he plays to anywhere near his best, Barca could well be hoping that the transfer had actually taken place.
A solid, dependable defensive midfielder, Bender is a ball winner par excellence and his performances could easily be compared to Sergio Busquets. Rarely grabbing the headlines, the young German goes about his business with calm authority.
Per WhoScored, six tackles and six aerial battles won plus an assist and an acceptable level of passing accuracy against Leverkusen's last opponents Werder Bremen was enough to win Bender a deserved man-of-the-match award.
Where Bender excels is in his ability to get forward and support the attack when required. A great engine means he can be relied upon to give every last drop of effort in a bid to ensure Leverkusen come out on top.
If there is a weakness to his game, however, it is in his distribution. Just 78.9 percent per WhoScored needs addressing if Bender wants to be considered as the complete midfielder.
Key Battle
If Luis Suarez wants a battle, then a battle he shall get.
Papadopoulos may only be 23 years of age but already has extensive experience of the Champions League with both Leverkusen and Schalke.
The Greek international is a combative presence at the heart of Leverkusen's back line and won't show any fear against the in-form Uruguayan.
Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian notes the words of Philipp Selldorf, Schalke correspondent for Suddeutsche Zeitung from 2013:
"He is a huge talent. Papa was only 18 when he came to Schalke but he got into the team very quickly and has done well ever since.
The supporters also love Papa because of his passion. They can see that he is always fighting for the ball, always trying to win possession.
"
If there is a question mark over Papadopoulos, it's his attitude when his team are up against it. Selldorf again:
"If Schalke are losing at half-time they find it hard to get through to Papa in the dressing room. He just sits there looking frustrated and down, and that has sometimes affected his decision making; made his tackling more wild.
"
There has been some maturity to his play since joining Leverkusen but Suarez needs to get under the youngster's skin as quickly as practicable.
Balls to feet may cause him more trouble than over the top. Against Bremen, Papadopoulos won all seven aerial battles but only managed one successful tackle on the deck, per WhoScored.
That will suit Suarez, who showed once more against Las Palmas what a difficult customer he can be when given the right service into feet or otherwise.
Odds
The following pre-match odds are available, per Odds Shark.
Barcelona win: 20/87
Bayer Leverkusen win: 209/20
Draw: 521/100
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
