BATE Borisov vs. Barcelona: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona trek to Belarus to play a Champions League tie against a BATE Borisov side who have just secured their 10th successive league title with three games to spare.
Aside from their obvious success domestically, the visitors should take note of the Belarussians' first-half performance against AS Roma earlier in the competition and pay the hosts the appropriate courtesy.
BATE coach Alyaksandr Yermakovich noted after that game, per BelTA:
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"We showed an organised and disciplined game in the first half. We produced good counter-attacks. Filip Mladenovic had one of the best games in his career. His goals are the pride of this game.
My men were confident and believed in themselves. The second half was not as smooth as we would like it to be. We performed to the top of our abilities in the game against Roma. It is great to beat a high-ranking team.
I believe we deserved the victory.
"
This match might not be the walkover many expect, the hosts only having lost one game at home since November 2014, per Soccerway. The way Barca are playing defensively, we could even see a repeat of the shock result against the Italians.
The Catalans look shot to pieces at the back at times and need a clean sheet or two to bolster confidence.
Neymar's four-goal blast against Rayo Vallecano papered over some almighty cracks last time out, and a more decisive unit than the Lightning could've had a field day.
A win here would go a long way to helping Barcelona's qualification hopes from Group E, and despite the threadbare nature of his squad, Luis Enrique really needs to be risking his strongest XI in games like this one.
Date: Tuesday, October 20
Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Borisov Arena, Borisov, Belarus
TV Info: BT Sport Extra 3 (UK only)/ESPNdeporte (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport app (UK only)
Form Lines
| BATE Borisov | Barcelona |
| W 2-0 vs. FC Vitebsk | W 5-2 vs. Rayo Vallecano |
| D 1-1 vs. Granit Mikashevichi | L 1-2 vs. Sevilla |
| W 3-2 vs. AS Roma | W 2-1 vs. Bayer Leverkusen |
| W 2-1 vs. FC Minsk | W 2-1 vs. Las Palmas |
| W 1-0 vs. Torpedo Zhodino | L 1-4 vs. Celta Vigo |
| L 1-4 vs. Bayer Leverkusen | W 4-1 vs. Levante |
Predicted Formations
Yermakovich likes his BATE side to play an expansive game and will utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation to give the hosts enough cover defensively and decent support in the attacking third.
While this isn't quite a must-win game for the Blaugrana, it is one they will be expected to take three points from, and in so doing, it will strengthen their place at the top of the table.
Jeremy Mathieu gave Luis Enrique the perfect excuse to reinstall Javier Mascherano into the back four after a poor performance against Rayo.
The Frenchman's passing was poor and against the sharp Ilya Aleksievich, Barca would be punished.
Out-numbering the hosts in the middle third of the pitch could be decisive for the Catalans.
Alexei Rios likes to inhabit the area slightly further forward than his defensive midfield colleague Nemanja Nikolic, but if Ivan Rakitic can isolate the pair, Sergi Roberto is playing with more than enough confidence to take advantage if he moves inside off the left flank.
It forces Nikolic to desert his sentry if he wants to cut off the supply line to the front three.
Roberto grows in stature with every passing game, and his emergence must surely be one of the high points of Barcelona's season so far. It has made the absence of captain Andres Iniesta a little easier to bear for the Catalans.
Lionel Messi is still roughly four weeks away from first-team duties, so Barca have to continue with a make-do-and-mend scenario in the right-wing position.
Munir El Haddadi will get the nod over Sandro Ramirez, and this is a game in which he simply has to perform. Neither he nor Ramirez have covered themselves in glory when they've had the chance this season, and they won't get a better chance to impress.
Fail to do so again, and once Messi is fit, it will be a long, hard road back into contention.
It won't be easy against a marauding Filip Mladenovic. He caused Roma all sorts of problems down that left side, scoring twice in the opening half hour.
Yermakovich noted per BelTA:
"We did not focus on left-wing attacks only. The offense should produce results at the both wings of the field. We know that Mladenovic plays more in offense than Denis Polyakov. Filip also has a good shot.
"
As ever, goalscoring duties fall to Neymar and Luis Suarez. If the latter can get at Nemanja Milunovic early, then there's every chance the BATE defender will add to his five yellow cards, diluting his defensive influence and handing the advantage to the visitors.
Player to Watch
It was an emotional moment when BATE secured their league title in the last game before this one.
Dimitri Mozolevski, out for two years with injury, not only set up the first goal of the game against FC Vitebsk but scored the second to put the game out of reach of their opponents.
It was a special moment for both player and club, and with injuries now, finally, a thing of the past, the 30-year-old will be looking to make up for lost time.
A player that is equally comfortable going left or right, he can cause Barca's defence more problems if they sit off him.
Aleksievich's movement sat slightly further forward is important for he can carve out the spaces from which the incisive Mozolevski can profit.
Sergio Busquets may have to sit quite a bit deeper than he has been used to this season in order to limit the damage in that part of the field.
Key Battle
Neymar is on fire for Barcelona at the moment and leads the scoring charts in La Liga after his hat-trick against Rayo.
In Messi's absence, the Brazilian is evidently carrying the fight to the opposition.
Standing in the way of another match-winning performance is BATE's Denis Polyakov, a 24-year-old right-back, who is continuing to make a name for himself.
Just four yellow cards in 21 appearances this season is testament to his ability to stay on his feet and time his tackles immaculately.
He's unlikely to have come up against too many opponents with the skill set of Neymar, and as Rayo found out to their cost, let the Brazilian loose anywhere near the penalty box and you will be punished.
Polyakov is rarely beaten for pace, and with that in mind, Neymar needs to be patient and not start with the histrionics if things aren't going his way in the opening exchanges.
"Neymar's touch vs. Rayo, he's too good!!, https://t.co/qHWsk3oYvM
— Leo Messi (@messi10stats) October 18, 2015"
Furthermore, showboating can take a back seat until this game is won. Neymar has certainly reined that in recently, but there's still a tendency to over-elaborate when it's not necessary, however good it may look for the cameras.
Polyakov will certainly let Neymar know he's there if there's a hint of disrespect.
Odds
The following pre-match odds are available, per Odds Shark.
Barcelona win 10/27
Rayo Vallecano win 203/25
Draw 71/20
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