Royal Antwerp will go in search of their first Champions League point of the campaign when Barcelona visit the Bosuilstadion on Wednesday.
With one match remaining, Antwerp find themselves rock bottom of Group H – nine points behind Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto.
Next-up: @ChampionsLeague vs @FCBarcelona ! 👊🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/3UTQFsvgUK— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) December 11, 2023
Next-up: @ChampionsLeague vs @FCBarcelona ! 👊🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/3UTQFsvgUK
At the opposite end of the standings, Barcelona sit three points clear at the summit after winning four of their opening five games.
It would not be unfair to say that Royal Antwerp have endured a dismal Champions League campaign up to now, failing to pick up a single point.
Not only have the Belgians conceded 15 goals – giving them the worst defensive record in the competition – but they have also scored just three in reply.
It is worth noting, however, that Antwerp head into Wednesday’s clash on a three-game winning streak, having enjoyed plenty of domestic success in recent weeks.
Holding an unbeaten run of four wins and one draw in the league, Antwerp will be hopeful of carrying their domestic form onto the European stage.
By contrast, Barcelona have enjoyed a trouble-free group-stage campaign, winning four of their five matches to cruise into the last 16.
After kicking off their campaign with three straight wins, Barca suffered a 1-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk before returning to winning ways against Porto.
That said, Xavi’s men endured a 4-2 thrashing at the hands of Girona on Sunday, despite racking up a whopping 31 shots against La Liga’s surprise frontrunners.
Still, Barcelona have only lost three of their 21 matches across all competitions this term, picking up 14 victories in the process.
Head-to-head: Barcelona thrashed Royal Antwerp 5-0 in the reverse fixture back in September, registering 70% possession and 22 shots.
The two clubs also met during the 1965-66 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, with both sides picking up a victory that season.
Team news: Barcelona are currently without the injured quartet of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, Inigo Martinez and Marcos Alonso.
Antwerp have several injury absentees of their own, with Bjorn Engels, Jacob Ondrejka, Anthony Valencia and Davino Verhulst on the sidelines.
When you couple the result of the reverse fixture with Antwerp’s woeful Champions League record this season, all the signs point towards an easy away win.
Forebet predicts that Barcelona will cruise to victory on Wednesday, scoring over 2.5 goals while keeping a clean sheet.