Barça is looking for a good drink in Pilsen in its goodbye to the ‘Champions’
The Europa League awaits the unexpected victim of the ‘group of death’
BARCELONA, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona says goodbye to the Champions League on Tuesday when they visit Viktoria Plzen (9:00 pm), in the sixth and last game of the group stage, with the intention of having a good farewell drink and going to the Europa League with a victory and a somewhat improved spirit, against some Czechs who, last, will look for their first points.
There is nothing at stake, just those three sterile points. Whatever happens at the Doosan Arena, Barça will be third to go to the second continental competition and Viktoria Plzen will be the ‘red lantern’ of this ‘group of death’ with an unexpected Blaugrana victim.
It will be hard to jump onto the pitch for those chosen by Xavi Hernández, knowing that a bad group stage leads them for the second consecutive year to have to deal with the Europa League. Competition that, that is, is still presented as the only continental absent in the Blaugrana museum.
The European title is still at stake, although it is not the desired one. For now, he has to say goodbye to the ‘Champions’ and he is forced to do so with a win against Viktoria. With a good drink in a city known for its beer and with a team that is increasingly present in the elite, but that has not yet been able to score points in this edition.
Gobbled up by Barça, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, this duel against the ‘culés’ is the last chance for the Czech champions to know what it means to add. Without a doubt, achieving it would be celebrated by his fans as a conquest. Barça, on the other hand, cannot allow it.
Without their great star, a Robert Lewandowski who with back discomfort will finally rest at the start of the season, in which he has been Barça’s great scoring asset, the Blaugranas come with their ‘B side’ to try to solve the ballot. Above all, with a box defense that will be unprecedented.
In the list of 21 summoned, defenders Ronald Araújo, Jules Koundé, Sergi Roberto, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are not injured, as is striker Memphis Depay. Captain Sergio Busquets, sanctioned, will also be absent.
Thus, Ilias Akhomach, Álex Valle, Marc Casadó, Álvaro Sanz and Arnau Tenas, from the subsidiary, will accompany the most usual Alejandro Balde and Pablo Torre in the expedition to Pilsen to look for another victory against Viktoria, like the 5-1 of a promising first day with a hat-trick from the now absent Lewandowski.
It will be the first duel between the two teams at Viktoria Plzen, since in the group stage of the 2011/12 edition, when faces were already seen, the game in the Czech Republic was in its capital, Prague, with 0 -4 for the Catalans.
Beyond the honor of Barça and linking the transfer to the Europa League with victory, Viktoria Plzen has something at stake; avoid joining the list of 22 clubs that have lost all six games in the group stage in the ‘Champions’, something that has not happened since the ‘feat’ of AEK Athens in the 2018/19 campaign.
VIKTORIA PLZEN: Stanek; Jemelka, Pernica, Hejda, Havel; Ducha, Kalvach, Vlkanova; Pilar, Jirka y Chory.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Bellerin, Piqué, Mark Alonso, Bucket; Busquets, Kessie, Paul Tower; Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Dembélé.
— ARBITRATOR: Radu Petrescu (RUM).
–ESTADIUM: Stadium of the city of Pilsen.
–TIME: 21.00/Movistar Champions League.
