Champions League

Monaco vs Barça: A victory to start the search for the sixth Champions League on the right foot

Published:18/09/2024 - 06:15h

Updated:19/09/2024 - 20:18h

Barça debuts in the Champions League next Thursday, September 19, against AS Monaco. Hansi Flick's men hope to maintain the spectacular run of this start of the season and get a victory to start the search for the 'sixth' on the right foot

The countdown is about to come to an end. FC Barcelona will once again be the protagonist of a 'magical' Champions League night next Thursday, September 19 at the Luis II Stadium, when the team managed by Hansi Flick faces AS Monaco in the match corresponding to the first day of the new edition of the continental tournament, which debuts a new format this season. The ball will start rolling at 9:00 p.m., in what will be the debut of the German's new project in European competitions.

The Barça squad arrives in a 'sweet' moment for the first clash of the Champions League. Under the orders of the German coach, the Catalans have established themselves as the best team of the moment, adding 15 points out of 15 possible in LaLiga with five wins in the first five matches of the Spanish championship. Therefore, they will seek to take advantage of the 'momentum' to 'get revenge' on the Monegasques after the thrashing received in the Joan Gamper Trophy (0-3).

However, it will not be an easy task, as 'Adi' Hütter's men are also 'packed' for Thursday's match. The team from the Principality are also unbeaten so far this season, recording three wins against Saint-Étienne, Lyon and Auxerre and a single draw against Lens. These results place them in second place in the Ligue 1 standings, tied on 10 points with Marseille and just 2 behind PSG, the league leader.

Injuries continue to 'punish' Barça

The midfield of the Barça squad is quite 'depleted' for the European debut, as the absences of Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal have been added to those of Dani Olmo and Fermín López. The player from Egar was injured in Girona and will be absent, in principle, for five weeks, while the Andalusian, who was facing the final stretch of his recovery from the muscle injury in his left thigh, suffered another physical mishap, this time in his right leg, which will keep him off the pitch for three weeks.

For this reason, Hansi Flick will be forced to introduce some changes to his starting eleven, which is beginning to consolidate with the available pieces while waiting for the recovery of all the injured players. In this sense, Raphinha would be in charge of replacing Olmo in the middle of the field, a position in which he already played at the beginning of the current season, and Ferran Torres would occupy the left wing of the forward line, with the return of Ansu Fati as a possible substitute from the bench.

A special match for Barça

The match will have a special 'flavour' for the Blaugrana squad, which will celebrate 70 consecutive seasons competing in Europe against the French, being the only club to take part in all the Old Continent's tournaments, which began in the 1955-1956 season with the Fairs Cup. To date, the Catalans have 29 consecutive participations in the Champions League, and after Thursday's match they will have 30.

In addition, the Blaugranas are looking for their own 'revenge' against Monaco, whose thrashing in the Joan Gamper Trophy (0-3) still stings in a sector of Barcelona fans. In the only two clashes that both clubs have played against each other in European competitions, the Catalans took home 2-0 wins and 0-1 away wins. On Thursday they will have a new chance to repeat history.