Slavia Prague vs Barcelona Prediction
🔊 With two rounds remaining in the Champions League group stage, Slavia still have a theoretical shot at reaching the playoff matches. However, their final game in Cyprus might turn into a mere formality unless they manage to defeat Barcelona on Tuesday. Can the Czech champions pull off one of the biggest upsets of the round? Let's delve into the head-to-head statistics and club news to provide an insightful prediction for the Champions League clash on January 21.
Head-to-Head
📊 Slavia and Barcelona faced off twice during the group stage of the 2019/20 Champions League season. The encounter at the Fortuna Arena in Prague ended with a home defeat (1-2), with one of the goals scored by Lionel Messi. In the return match in Catalonia, Slavia managed to hold Barcelona to a goalless draw (0-0), without registering a single shot on target against the Blaugrana.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Slavia Prague Team Overview
The Czechs have been out of official action for over a month due to the national league break. During their winter training camp, Slavia played three friendly matches with mixed results: they defeated Norwegian side Brann (2-1), drew with German club Karlsruher (1-1), and lost to Swiss team Basel (3-4).
In the overall Champions League standings, the Prague outfit sit in 33rd place. Jindřich Trpišovský's squad has yet to secure a win, managing to score in only one of their six matches. Slavia managed to take points from Atalanta (0-0), Athletic (0-0), and Bodø/Glimt (2-2), but fell to top clubs-Arsenal, Inter, and Tottenham-all with the same scoreline of 0-3.
Match Results: Slavia Prague
Barcelona Team Overview
Over the weekend, the Catalans saw their 11-match winning streak across all competitions come to an end as they fell to Real Sociedad (1-2) in La Liga. The Spanish champions had gone more than a month and a half without a loss, securing the country's Super Cup along the way. However, if we take a look at their schedule, Hans-Dieter Flick's side have a solid opportunity to kickstart another impressive winning run.
Considering their upcoming matches against Slavia and Copenhagen, Barcelona, despite currently sitting in 15th place in the overall stage standings, have strong chances of advancing to the Champions League playoffs. Based on last season's experience, 16 points (the maximum available for Barcelona now) should be sufficient to secure direct qualification to the Round of 16, avoiding the nerve-wracking playoff round.
Match Results: Barcelona
Latest news
Slavia Prague
📉 The top scorer of the Czech championship, forward Tomáš Chorý, who netted 9 goals during the summer-autumn phase of the tournament, has yet to make an impact in the January friendlies. Meanwhile, Slavia have found their scoring touch, with six different players finding the back of the net in their three warm-up matches.
❌ In their home game against Barcelona, several players might be absent for the Prague side. The injury list includes midfielder Alexander Bužek, who returned from a loan at Karviná, defender Dominik Javorček, and forward Filip Gorski.
Barcelona
❌ In Prague, the Catalans will be without two of their key attacking players. While it was known in advance that Lamine Yamal (2 goals and 3 assists in five Champions League matches this season) would miss out due to an accumulation of yellow cards, Ferran Torres' hamstring injury sustained against Real Sociedad came as an unwelcome surprise for the Blaugrana coaching staff.
✅ On the brighter side, Raphinha will travel to Prague, having missed the La Liga clash against Sociedad. The Catalan club has confirmed that the Brazilian is fit for the away match. For the winger, the game in the Czech Republic presents a good opportunity to register his first goal contributions in this European campaign, as his current 0+0 tally this season is a stark contrast to his 13 goals and 9 assists last season.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The match at Fortuna Arena will be officiated by Chris Kavanagh. The Englishman has overseen three Champions League games this season, issuing seven yellow cards, averaging 2.3 per game. In his last ten matches across all competitions, the 40-year-old Manchester native has shown 39 yellow cards, averaging 3.9 per game.
Slavia and Barcelona rank among the top five most aggressive teams in this year's Champions League. The Czech side has received 15 warnings in six matches (2.5 per game), while the Spanish team has accumulated 16 (2.7 per game). Considering this is Slavia's last chance to secure a playoff spot at home, four yellow cards between the two teams seem plausible. We suggest betting on over 3.5 yellow cards in this match.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Barcelona, excluding their Spanish Super Cup matches, have failed to score more than two goals in their last five away games. This includes matches against lower-tier Spanish teams like Racing (2-0) and Guadalajara (2-0). Therefore, we recommend a bet on under 2.5 goals for the visitors.
🚩 Corner Prediction
The last home stand for Slavia against one of Europe's most decorated clubs is a perfect opportunity to fight until the end, clear the ball at every chance, and make crucial saves-something Czech goalkeepers Jindřich Staněk and Jakub Markovič have done plenty of, with Slavia ranking sixth in the Champions League with 32 saves.
After a league defeat, Barcelona will be eager to score more (don't forget the importance of goal difference in case of a tie on points). Our editorial team finds it reasonable to bet on Barcelona's individual total corners over 4.5-the Catalans have earned five or more corners in their last 12 matches.
Editor's Prediction
In Prague, it seems like an unstoppable force will meet an immovable object-Slavia need a win against Barcelona, but the Czech side might not be ready to take the initiative from the start. They'll look to capitalize on any opportunities that come their way, but until then, they'll have to hold firm and defend resolutely.
Flick’s team is undoubtedly aiming to secure all six points in the remaining matches, advance to the Round of 16, and boost morale after a setback in La Liga. Slavia struggle to find the net and have ended all their encounters against top teams with identical losses (0-3).
Facing Barcelona will likely be challenging, but don't expect a goal fest or an upset-total under 3.5 goals in this match seems likely. We predict a tough victory for the visitors with a scoreline of 2-0.
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Betting Tips: Slavia Prague - Barcelona
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