Barcelona's fate in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League has already been sealed after their victory over Ajax two weeks ago. However, their entry into the next round won't stop Lionel Messi and company from racking up more goals against APOEL on Tuesday at NEO GP Stadium.
Fresh from becoming the all-time leading goal-scorer in Spanish La Liga history, Messi will try to add more feathers to his cap by leading Barca to another dominant win.
With three wins and one loss after four Group Stage games, Barca is already assured of a spot in the round-of-16. Nevertheless, the game against APOEL Nicosia (0-1-3) remains a must-win for the Catalonian ball-club in order for them to be in position to snatch the top seed in Group F from Paris Saint-Germain (4-1-0) at the end of this stage.
However, Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique is still expecting the same intensity from this rugged APOEL team, which is desperately searching for their first win of the Champions League.
"We expect a similar game to that which was played in the opening round of matches," said the Barca coach on the club's website via ESPN FC. "I expect them to behave defensively as they did before, giving away very little space which always creates problems.
"One of their strengths is that they concede so few goals. They are very good in defence and that will make things very difficult to get a clear shot on goal."
Predicted Starting Lineup:
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Montoya, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquetes, Xavi; Luis Suarez, Leo Messi, Neymar
APOEL: Pardo; Mario Sergio, Guilherme, Carlao, Loannou; Gomes, Nuno Morais, Vincius, Efrem; Djebour, Manduca
Live Stream, TV Schedule & Scores Results for UEFA Champions League:
Barcelona vs. APOEL game will start at 2:45 US (Eastern Time) and 7:45 p.m UK Time. Sky Sports (UK) and FOX Sports Soccer Go will provide live streaming coverage, while ESPN FC gives stats, gamecast and updates of the match. The match can also be watched on Sports Stream TV. The latest UEFA Champions League scores & development can be found on ESPN FC Scoreboard.
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