Soccer News Soccer Match Reports, Football News
The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys has already witnessed some great games this season.
The stadium was unveiled as Barcelona’s temporary home ground for the season during the Joan Gamper Trophy clash against Tottenham Hotspur where the hosts mounted a sensational comeback win.
Barcelona’s first home game of the season then saw Cadiz pay a visit to Montjuic. The 2-0 scoreline on the night reflected a scrappy, yet promising win. Earlier this week, the team put five past a helpless Real Betis at the venue.
On Tuesday night, Estadi Lluis Companys will play host to its first UEFA Champions League game of the season as Barcelona take on Royal Antwerp.
The game will be the first of six group-stage matches for the Catalans as they hope to make it to the knockout for the first time in three years.
Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Royal Antwerp.
The real hunting ground
The UEFA Champions League has not harboured fancy memories for Barcelona or its supporters in recent seasons.
After the horrific nights in Rome, Anfield, and Lisbon, the Catalans hit a new low two years ago when they failed to make it out of the group stages. Drawn alongside Bayern Munich and Benfica, the Azulgrana dished out horror shows to lose three of their six group-stage games.
Last season was not much better. Xavi Hernandez’s men may have been crowned the champions of Spain, but their display in Europe was beyond horrific.
For the second time in as many years, they lost half their group-stage games and finished third behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
Barcelona’s group in the 2023/24 iteration of the competition appears far easier. Yet, history is a testament that no opposition is small in the Champions League.
The Blaugranas are now well into Xavi’s system and methodology. Their squad is now one of the best in the world, and the academy players only sharpen their bleeding edge.
There are thus no excuses for Barcelona heading into the Champions…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/three-talking-points-ahead-of-barcelona-vs-royal-antwerp-uefa-champions-league/
Author : Adithya Eshwarla
Publish date : 2023-09-18 15:15:37
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
