Barcelona vs. AS Roma Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona know that just a single point from their Champions League tie against AS Roma will see them qualify as winners from Group E.
Victory will also afford Luis Enrique the luxury of being able to rest his entire first XI for a "dead-rubber" final match against Bayer Leverkusen.
Given that the Catalans have the added extra of a Club World Cup tournament to negotiate next month, the chance to rest some key players will be manna from heaven for the manager.
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Not that Rudi Garcia's side will just be turning up at the Camp Nou to make up the numbers. By bringing the Catalans straight back down to earth after a masterful performance in the Santiago Bernabeu, it would put the Italians within sight of qualification themselves.
They'll need to shut up shop at the back if they want to be in with a chance of springing a surprise, though.
In five of the last six games, Roma have conceded. Barca, by contrast, have kept clean sheets in the last five of their six matches.
Arguably, if Barca play anywhere near the levels that they have reached recently—culminating in a devastating masterclass against Real Madrid—then Roma are not going to be able to live with them.
Garcia does need to be careful not to overstretch his staff given that they currently have six players on the treatment table, at least four of whom would make the starting XI if fit.
The opening exchanges are crucial to set the tone, and if the visitors can get Marc-Andre ter Stegen wobbling again, we could be in for an exciting evening.
Date: Tuesday, 24 November
Time: 7:45 p.m. BST / 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
TV Info: BT Sport Extra 2 (UK only)/ESPNdesporte (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport app (UK only)
Form Lines
Predicted Formations
Roma have to grab the bull by the horns at some stage of this tie and go for it. There's little point in coming to the Camp Nou and trying to play a defensive game against one of the form teams in Europe.
Barcelona have been simply incredible in an attacking sense over the last few weeks, and the Blaugrana will surely find a way around a static back line, should that be any part of Roma's game plan over the 90 minutes.
Like Enrique, Garcia prefers the 4-3-3, and if he doesn't decide to change to a 4-2-3-1 to shore up his defence, then we could see an open and counter-attacking game of football from both sides.
Indeed, the Italians got more joy in the first game between the sides when they attacked Barcelona at pace and used the width of the pitch convincingly.
The Camp Nou affords the visitors the possibility of doing the same again on a pitch with a much wider expanse.
Opening up the channels and drawing Dani Alves and Jordi Alba to the flanks will give Miralem Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan the chance to penetrate or play balls into the channels and in behind the centre-backs.
Seydou Keita is sure to get another warm welcome back at the ground where he enjoyed the best period of his career, but he'll have his work cut out in the centre of the park to stop Andres Iniesta, Sergi Roberto and Neymar from running rings around him.
The Brazilian, particularly, has been expert at coming in off of the flanks and driving at the heart of the opposition defence, providing an extra conundrum for them to solve centrally while opening up the left side for Alba to race into.
It's likely to happen quite a bit during this game because the ageing Maicon, 34, is no match for Barca's very own Speedy Gonzales.
We saw those movements happening time and again in El Clasico and Real Madrid had no answer to it, despite also having two midfielders covering their defence in Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Sergi Roberto will keep his place at the expense of Ivan Rakitic. The Croatian is still working his way back to full fitness and will play some part in this game, but he won't start.
That's because young Roberto continues to develop apace. Another sterling shift against Real, which included a wonderful darting run and assist to set up Luis Suarez for the opener, will have pleased Enrique no end.
It shouldn't really come as any surprise either. Pep Guardiola famously once said per L'Esportiu (via Lee Roden of ESPN) that Roberto was: "So good he could play wherever he wants."
Ter Stegen has to continue to play his natural game of sweeper keeper and not concern himself with being caught out of position again. His status of cup keeper might not suit him presently, but at least he still has a role.
Player to Watch
It's probably a little bit of an exaggeration to suggest that Roma's chances in this game depend on Pjanic, but it isn't too wide of the mark.
With injuries to key players such as Gervinho and Mo Salah, the load will fall heavily on the shoulders of the midfielder.
Given his size and aerial prowess, Edin Dzeko should be making more of his time in Italy, and perhaps the striker can be decisive in this one if provided with the correct service. Pjanic could be the man to provide it.
Equally, if he gets a run on Dani Alves or within free-kick range, don't be surprised to see the Bosnian take on the responsibility himself.
Technically brilliant, Pjanic will enjoy the contest and where better to showcase your talents than in one of the cathedrals of European football.
If the midfielder is the architect of a famous away win, it would potentially leave the Catalans needing to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the last game for them to be assured of the progress that seems nothing more than a formality at the time of writing.
Key Battle
With Lionel Messi having proved his fitness in a half-hour cameo at the Santiago Bernabeu, Enrique will unleash him in this one.
Pjanic will want to play as forward as possible but may be forced to sit back and help left-back Lucas Digne deal with the threat that the Argentinian will bring.
Digne hasn't enjoyed the best season so far, and if Messi is in the mood, he'll be turned inside and out all game.
For his part, Messi is likely to want to get back among the goals again himself. Thanks to his injury, he almost trails Neymar by double figures in the race for the Pichichi.
Antonio Rudiger needs to be careful not to get drawn too close to Digne either because as Messi showed against Madrid, he is expert at opening up those passing lanes.
Odds
The following pre-match odds are available, per Odds Shark.
Barcelona win 2/5
AS Roma win 7/1
Draw 7/2
