Lots of people like to go to Prague these days, but that’s mostly for recreational purposes. FC Barcelona are going there for business, as the Catalan club is looking to pick up a win at Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will have to do it without the services of his top talisman, Lamine Yamal.
The talented youngster is suspended here, having picked up that critical yellow card in Barca’s last outing in this competition, against Eintracht Frankfurt.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 7
FC Barcelona at Slavia Praha
Kickoff: Wed Jan 21, 8pm, Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
UEFA Champions League Standings, Form: FC Barcelona 15th, 10 pts LWDLW Slavia Praha 33rd, 3 pts LDLDL
Google Result Probability: FC Barcelona Win 72% Draw 16% Slavia Praha 12%
Barcelona Team News at Slavia Praha
In addition to Lamine Yamal, another galactico, Raphinha, could miss out here as he’s dealing with a thigh problem. The issue was severe enough to keep him out of action on the weekend, against Real Sociedad. So he’ll need to pass a late fitness test in order to make the squad in midweek here.
Otherwise the injury/fitness situation remains the same with Gavi and Andreas Christensen remaining sidelined.
Barca Predicted First Team at Slavia Praha
Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Frenkie De Jong; Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford; Ferran Torres
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.