Barcelona will book their place in the Champions League knockout stages if they beat BATE Borisov at Camp Nou on Wednesday, providing Bayer Leverkusen avoid defeat away at AS Roma. Barça have bounced back from a draw away at the Italian outfit in the opening matchday with two straight wins, and would at the very least be within touching distance of the next round if they add a third.
Barcelona vs. BATE 2015: Time, TV schedule, team news for Champions League matchday 4
A win over BATE Borisov on Wednesday could allow Barcelona to book their place in the Champions League knockouts with two matches to spare.
The Catalans will certainly be heading into the match expecting a victory, with BATE one of the true minnows of this year's Champions League. They pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far by beating Roma in their second match, but were comfortably brushed aside in a 2-0 defeat at home to Barça on the last European matchday. They'll doubtless head into the game with a very defensive gameplan, but stopping the most talented attack in world football -- even without the injured Lionel Messi -- is easier said than done.
Key player: Neymar (Barcelona)
In the absence of Messi, who continues to recover from a knee injury, it has been Brazilian attacker Neymar who has shouldered the creative burden. He’s scarcely been in better form since making the move to Europe from Santos a couple of years ago, and has scored eight goals in his last nine games in all competitions. Whether he’s darting inside off the flank to shoot, or picking the perfect pass for a teammate, he’s a nightmare for opposition defenders and a joy for the neutral observer.
Recent history
If you thought Barcelona’s pretty comfortable 2-0 win away in Belarus in the reverse fixture was comfortable, it was nothing on the two previous meetings between these sides. That’s because they scored five on their only previous visit to Minsk in the 2011 Champions League group stages, with an own goal opening the scoring before Pedro, David Villa and Messi (twice) compounded BATE’s misery. When they met in Barcelona three months later, the hosts were scarcely less impressive in a 4-0 win.
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Rafinha, Lionel Messi (knee); Douglas (foot). In doubt: None.
BATE Borisov injuries and suspensions
Out: Aleksandr Hleb, Vitali Rodionov (knee); Maksim Zhavnerchik (foot). In doubt: None.
Barcelona's latest injury blow is to full-back Douglas, though that's unlikely to cause too much concern for coach Luis Enrique. The Brazilian joins Rafinha and Messi on the sidelines.
BATE, meanwhile, will still be without former Arsenal midfielder Hleb, as well as defender Zhavnerchik and striker Rodionov.
Match date/time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV: Fox Sports 2 (US); beIN Sports (Canada); BT Sport Extra (UK)
Online: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go (US); beIN Sports Connect (Canada); BT Sport Live Streaming (UK)
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