Barcelona are back under the Champions League lights on Tuesday night as Hansi Flick’s side welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to Camp Nou, a clash loaded with history after their fiery Europa League meeting three years ago. Barça sit four points clear in La Liga but was humbled 3–0 at Chelsea last time out in Europe, leaving them 18th in the league-phase table and still with plenty of graft to do.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, arrive battered and a bit shaken. Dino Toppmöller’s men was thumped 6–0 by RB Leipzig on Saturday, a defeat that’s piled more pressure on a manager who started brightly but is now feeling the heat. They’re seventh in the Bundesliga and clinging to hopes of squeezing into the knockout playoff round.
The last time these two met, the Germans walked away with one of the great European shocks, winning 4–3 on aggregate in 2022 after ripping Barça apart in that wild first half in Catalonia. Camp Nou hasn’t forgotten that night. Flick won’t need to remind his players.
Barcelona do at least have Marc André ter Stegen fit again, though he’ll play back up to Joan García as he edges back from another back issue. Ronald Araújo stays sidelined, Dani Olmo won’t play again this year, and Gavi remains a long term absentee. The good news is Fermín López is back, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong should pair up in midfield, and Robert Lewandowski is tipped to return to the XI after Ferran Torres’ weekend hat trick. Raphinha, rested at Betis, is likely to start as well.
Frankfurt’s problems are mostly up top. Jonathan Burkardt is still out with a calf injury, Michy Batshuayi picked one up at Leipzig and missed training on Monday, and Timothy Chandler is doubtful too. With no recognised striker available, Toppmöller may have to chuck Ansgar Knauff further forward to trouble Barça’s high line. Mario Götze, who’s been in and out this season, could also be recalled.
Form is firmly with Barça, three straight league wins, most of them comfortable while Frankfurt have lost three of their last four. But the Bundesliga side know how to make this fixture ugly, and they’ve already spoiled the party once in this stadium.
Still, Flick’s men need the points badly. An automatic spot in the round of 16 isn’t guaranteed, and another slip would leave them with a nervy finish to the league phase. For Frankfurt, anything here keeps their European hopes alive heading into the final stretch.
Prediction? Barcelona should have too much at home, but anyone expecting a stroll hasn’t watched Frankfurt’s counter attacking nights in Europe. A cagey Barça win feels the likely script, though Camp Nou will remember exactly what happened the last time these two met.
