It’s truly a battle for the top of UCL Group H on Tuesday night as FC Barcelona host FC Porto. If that is not already motivation enough for the Catalan club, they’ll enter this match looking for redemption having suffered defeat the last time out in this competition.
They could have clinched a place in the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League had they managed to best Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month, but instead they suffered a 1-0 defeat.
FC Barcelona at FC Porto FYIs
Kickoff: Tue. Nov. 28, 8pm, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
Competition: UEFA Champions League Group H, Matchday 5 of 6
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
UCL Form, Standing: Barcelona 1st, 9 pts, LWWW FC Porto 2nd, 9 pts, WWLW
Google Result Probability: Barcelona 66% Draw 20% FC Porto 14%
Now the current reigning La Liga champions will enter their next European affair with something to prove and plenty to accomplish. Let’s take a look at what kind of first team lineup Xavi could throw out there, at the Olympic Stadium, in the hopes of doing just that.
FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction vs Porto (Champions League)
Inaki Pena; Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Ronaldo Araujo, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.