Barcelona is looking to secure a vital second win in the Champions League group stage this Tuesday as they host Greek champions Olympiacos at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Meanwhile, the visitors are still desperately searching for their first victory of the main draw, having managed just one point from their opening two European fixtures.
Hansi Flick's tenure at Barcelona has already hit some choppy waters. Sitting 16th in the Champions League league standings, their narrow opening win against Newcastle United was quickly overshadowed by a 2-1 defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
That European setback was compounded by a shocking 4-1 thrashing away at Sevilla in La Liga, sending the squad into the recent international break on a very low note. However, they managed to salvage some pride in Saturday’s Catalan derby against Girona.
It looked like another frustrating draw was on the cards after Axel Witsel cancelled out Pedri's early goal. Yet, in true late-game fashion, substitute Ronald Araújo stepped up to score a dramatic 93rd-minute winner, securing a crucial three points and keeping them just two points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
With the looming shadow of El Clásico this coming Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, Barça must fight against complacency. They haven't faced Olympiacos since the 2017-18 group stage, but history is certainly on their side. The Blaugrana boast a perfect record in all their previous European home games against Greek opposition, including a 3-1 victory over Olympiacos back in October 2017. Even Flick himself has a positive history against the Greek giants, having overseen a 2-0 home win when he managed Bayern Munich during their triumphant 2019-20 Champions League campaign.
Olympiacos are making their return to the Champions League main draw for the first time since the 2020-21 season, a reward for their Greek Super League title success last year. Under the guidance of José Luis Mendilibar—the man who led them to Conference League glory in 2023-24—their league phase campaign began with a frustrating goalless draw against 10-man Pafos.
Their European struggles continued with a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. This poor start leaves them near the bottom of the league phase standings, in 29th place.
Their domestic form has been patchy too, following the Arsenal loss with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against fierce rivals PAOK. They did, however, bounce back with a much-needed 2-0 away victory against AEL Larissa on Sunday, propelled by a first-half brace from Ayoub El Kaabi, which temporarily sent them top of the Greek Super League.
El Kaabi's form will be vital for the visitors, as Olympiacos are one of only two teams in the Champions League league phase yet to find the back of the net this season. Unfortunately for the Greek side, their hopes are dampened by a grim historical record: they have lost their last 11 consecutive Champions League group stage/league phase matches.
Coach Mendilibar has a particularly tough history against Barcelona, having lost a staggering 23 of his 27 managerial encounters against the Catalan club, drawing just three and winning one. The odds are certainly stacked against them for this trip to Montjuïc.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Barcelona is currently facing a significant injury crisis that will heavily influence Hansi Flick's selection choices, especially with the crucial El Clásico against Real Madrid looming this Sunday.
The club is contending with a growing list of confirmed absentees, including goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, midfielders Gavi and Dani Olmo, and defender Joan García. Their biggest blow comes up front, where Robert Lewandowski is expected to be sidelined for about a month due to the hamstring injury he picked up while on international duty. Winger Raphinha is also a major concern, having missed the last four matches.
While Ferran Torres is working hard to recover from a hamstring issue in time for Tuesday, the coaching staff may choose not to risk him ahead of the weekend's blockbuster league match.
Given the congested schedule, Flick is likely to rotate his squad. Fermín López is strongly pushing for a starting spot in midfield after making a lively impact as a half-time substitute over the weekend. In defense, Ronald Araújo and Gerard Martín are available options if the manager decides to rest key starters like full-back Alejandro Balde and midfield maestro Pedri before the critical trip to the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Greek visitors arrive in Barcelona with a relatively shorter injury list, though they will be missing full-back Rodinei and winger Gabriel Strefezza.
A larger concern for coach José Luis Mendilibar is the group of players who were simply deemed ineligible for the Champions League league phase squad, including Nikos Botis, Rémy Cabella, Rubén Vezo, Yusuf Yazıcı, Gustavo Mancha, and Konstantinos Angelakis.
Defensively, Lorenzo Pirola is expected to step into the starting lineup to partner Panagiotis Retsos at center-back. Mendilibar might also opt to bring fresh legs into the midfield and attack, with potential recalls for Dani García and the dynamic winger Gelson Martins. The team's primary threat will undoubtedly be Moroccan striker Ayoub El Kaabi, who will continue to lead the line having already netted five goals in 10 competitive appearances this season.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martin; De Jong, Garcia, Casado; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford
Olympiacos possible starting lineup:
Tzolakis; Costinha, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Garcia, Hezze; Martins, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi
EXPERT PREDICTION
Barcelona 3-1 Olympiacos
