Barcelona will have a mountain to climb at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night, when they take on Juventus in the second leg of their quarter-finals tie of the UEFA Champions League.
The Catalans were condemned to a 3-0 defeat in the first-leg of the tie back in Turin last week, with Juve striker Paulo Dybala tearing their defence apart. However, having made a tremendous comeback from a similar situation in their Round-of-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, manager Luis Enrique and his men will believe they can pull off another historic turnaround. Barcelona come into the game on the back of a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad over the weekend in La Liga and will hope to carry the momentum into the game.
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Sergio Busquets is back into the fold, after missing out on the first leg due to suspension, while Javier Mascherano is likely to miss out due to an injury he picked up in the last encounter. Arda Turan returned to training last week and may well be in line for a return to the matchday squad, whereas Rafinha, Alcantara and Aleix Vidal remain long-term absentees. Neymar was unavailable for the weekend La Liga clash due to suspension but should be in the fold for this mega clash.
Here is how Barcelona could line-up against Juventus:
Probable Barcelona Line-Up Against Juventus
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Luis Enrique
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK)
The German shot-stopper will need to be at the top of his game if Barcelona are to avoid conceding another goal in the tie and allow Juventus an easy passage through.
Sergi Roberto (RB)
Had a good game at right-back at the weekend. His surging runs down the right-flank could prove to be vital for the Catalans.
Gerard Pique (CB)
The Spanish international will have his hands full dealing with Gonzalo Higuain, but will need to come out on top against the striker, if his team are to stand a chance.
Samuel Umtiti (CB)
Has been the Catalans’ best defender in recent weeks. He is an absolute starter in the backline without a doubt.
Jordi Alba (LB)
His marauding runs down the left-flank is something that Barcelona have missed in recent weeks in their 3-4-3 setup. Including Alba in the line-up adds an extra dimension to the attack.
Sergio Busquets (DM)
Was sorely missed in the previous leg with Barcelona struggling to win anything in the middle of the park. His return will be a big boost.
Ivan Rakitic (CM)
The Croatian has been underwhelming in the past few games but remains one of the best in the Blaugrana squad. And they will need their best players on the field if they are to mount a comeback.
Andres Iniesta (CM)
Another crucial member of the squad, Iniesta’s creativity, and link-up play will be the key in unlocking the Juventus defence.
Lionel Messi (RW)
The little magician had a wonderful game against Sociedad in the weekend. If he is in a similar form, Juve will have a tough task at their hands.
Luis Suarez (ST)
The Uruguayan missed a few chances in the weekend fixture against Sociedad. He will need to be at his clinical best if Barcelona are to go through.
Neymar (LW)
The 24-year old missed the weekend game, but will definitely return to the starting XI against Juventus. He was the spark for Barcelona in the comeback against PSG and will be hoping to make a similar impact this time around as well.