After two straight wins over Feyenoord and Galatasaray, Barcelona’s Champions League campaign suffered an unwanted setback against PSG. The defending champions literally schooled the Catalan club at the Parc Des Princes, handing them a 4-2 loss. Now, Barca is en route to vengeance in their next fixture against Aston Villa on November 3 (Tuesday).
The Spanish giants currently sit eighth in the Champions League table, having accumulated six points in three games. Meanwhile, Aston Villa has been in a league of their own under Unai Emery and has won each of their three games in the competition so far. The Premier League side are currently second in the league, just behind PSG, and are in red-hot form.
Both teams have shown ample glimpses of their brilliance in the season, but it will be interesting to see who breaks the first sweat under the bright Champions League lights. For Barca, it’s a crucial competition to solidify their position for a direct playoffs spot, while for Aston Villa, it’s an opportunity to stamp their authority yet again in this competition this season.
Last Few Games In UCL
Barcelona tipped off their UCL campaign quite strongly with a 5-1 win at Camp Nou over Feyenoord. Led by Raphinha’s two goals, the Catalan club absolutely dismantled the Dutch club to earn their first points on the board. Next up, Barca faced a stronger challenge in an away contest against Galatasaray.
The five-time UCL champions navigated it perfectly with a stellar 4-1 away win against the Turkish side to pave their dominance. Barca’s winning streak snapped last month in the very next game against PSG, where their defense crumbled under pressure against one of the best teams in Europe currently.
On the other hand, Aston Villa’s record has been flawless so far in the UCL. First up, they clinched a tight 3-2 win against Club Brugge, and followed it up with a 6-0 humiliation against Fenerbahce. The Premier League side made it three straight by winning against Viking as well. However, they haven’t faced an European giant like Barca so far and thus the game on Tuesday will be a true litmus test of their form in the competition.
Barcelona: 8th
- Win: 5-1 vs Feyenoord
- Win: 4-1 vs Galatasaray
- Loss: 4-2 vs PSG
Aston Villa: 2nd
- Win: 3-2 vs Club Brugge
- Win: 6-0 vs Fenerbahce
- Win: 3-1 vs Viking
Team News
Barcelona’s camp will see an array of absentees for their clash against Aston Villa. Their entire defensive lineup has been crippled due to injuries and is expected to remain the same on Tuesday as well. Barca will miss the likes of Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, and Xavi Espart for this clash, which will force Hansi Flick to showcase his trust in Alejandro Balde yet again.
Andreas Christensen has resumed his training, but reports suggest that Flick will not risk him for the game against Villa while Dani Olmo remains out after his injury against PSG.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s team doesn’t have that many caveats coming into Camp Nou. While they have no new injuries piling up, three of their players: Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggari, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will remain absent for this important Champions League fixture.
Possible Lineups
Barcelona:
Joan Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Alex Balde, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon, Raphinha
Aston Villa:
Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash, Victor Nilsson Lindelof, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen, Joao Gomes, Ross Barkley, Alysson Edward, John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, Nicolas Jackson
Head-to-Head
FC Barcelona and Aston Villa have met four times in the history of European competitions. The Spanish club has had the better of Villa so far, with two wins in those four meetups. The Premier League club has recorded one win, while one appearance between these two clubs has resulted in a draw.
Their last meeting in official competitions came way back in the 1982-83 season during the UEFA Super Cup Final. The first leg of the fixture was won by Barca, courtesy of Marcos Alonso’s goal in the 52nd minute of the game. However, Aston Villa came back strongly in the second leg, thrashing the Catalan giants by a margin of 3-0 to win the final.
Since then, these two clubs haven’t faced each other in an official European competition, and the game on Tuesday will be a bid for them to stamp their authority in this modern era of football.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
In most of the games this season, Barcelona has clinched victories solely on their offensive might. Even in their latest game against Alaves, the Catalan club scored six goals, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal scoring twice. Both of them have been the most instrumental figures for the club in the final third and also lead the scoring charts for the team.
They have combined for 29 goals for the Catalan side, and will undoubtedly be the players who will decide Barca’s fate in this game. Besides these two forwards, Pedri will be another name whose prowess in the midfield will dictate the pace of the game, while Pau Cubarsi will be tasked with stopping the Aston Villa offense.
For Aston Villa, their forward Nicolas Jackson has been in stellar form this season. In 12 games across all competitions, Jackson has scored 8 times and will be vital against Barca as well. John McGinn, the team captain, has been formidable in the midfield for Villa and will have to be on his toes in the game while coming up against the midfield of Pedri and Rodri. Pau Torres is another player to watch for Villa, whose defensive prowess will be crucial for the Premier League side in this game.
Prediction
Barcelona’s recent run of form hasn’t been quite convincing. They have dropped games against big teams like PSG and Real Madrid, and their defense has folded in either of those games. With the injuries piling up, the pressure is immense on Hansi Flick and the Catalan club. They need to prove themselves against a big team this season, and this game against Aston Villa at Camp Nou will present a great opportunity for them.
Barca have been quite phenomenal at their den and have lost just one game in Camp Nou so far. Besides their shaky defense, Barcelona boasts one of the most formidable offenses in Europe this season. On the other hand, Aston Villa hasn’t been too convincing with their defense themselves as well and has rarely recorded clean sheets this season. Thus, it will be very difficult for them to stop Barca’s attacking prowess in the final third.
Our Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Aston Villa
Odds
- Barcelona win: 1/4
- Draw: 13/2
- Aston Villa win: 19/2
Sources from Oddschecker.com show that Barcelona are outright favorites for the game on Tuesday. The Spanish club has a 71% chance of coming out of the matchup with three points, while Aston Villa has just 14%, which means Barca is the safer side to bet on for this game. Meanwhile, chances of a draw remain at 15% in the game.
Kickoff Time
The Barcelona-Aston Villa clash will tip off at 8:00 PM GMT in Camp Nou on Tuesday. Davide Messa from Italy will be the referee for this matchup, while Bastian Dankert from Germany will take over the official VAR duty.
