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FC Barcelona welcome PSV Eindhoven to Camp Nou as they look to begin their UEFA Champions League campaign on a winning note. They were battered by AS Roma last season after having picked up a 4-1 win in the first leg of the quarter-final.
The La Liga champions have started their season perfectly with maximum points from four games, but Ernesto Valverde will be aiming for a better European season this time around.
Barcelona v PSV: Kickoff information
Date: 18 September
Kickoff: 18:55 (local time), 22:25 (IST)
Venue: Camp Nou
Barcelona v PSV: Team news
Barcelona: Denis Suarez and Sergi Samper are still on the sidelines. Coutinho and Busquets, who made substitute appearances against La Real, will mostly occupy the three-man midfield alongside Ivan Rakitic.
PSV: Apart from the injuries of Ryan Thomas and Dante Rigo, van Bommel has a full squad to choose from. He will mostly pick the same XI that took ADO Den Haag to the cleaners.
Barcelona v PSV: Probable line-ups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Coutinho; Messi, Suarez, Dembele
PSV (4-3-3): Zoet; Dumfries, Schwaab, Viergever, Angelino; Rosario, Pereiro, Hendrix; Lozano, de Jong, Bergwijn
Barcelona v PSV: Form guide
Last 5 matches (in all competitions)
Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W
PSV: W-W-W-W-W
Barcelona v PSV: Head-to-head
Barcelona wins: 2
PSV wins: 1
Draws: 3
Barcelona v PSV: Key players
Barcelona:
Sergi Roberto will enter this game on a fresh note, having been rested in the previous match versus Real Sociedad. Hence, his energy levels will be sharp and high. He will charge up and down the pitch and is expected to enjoy lots of possession high up the right flank.
With a fantastic delivery and crossing ability, Roberto could create a handful of clear-cut opportunities for his side. And as we all know, a handful of opportunities are more than sufficient for Messi and co.
PSV:
No prizes for guessing, Hirving Lozano is the player to watch out for. The Mexican has carried his impeccable World Cup form to the Eredivisie as he already has four goals and an assist in five games so far. The 23-year-old has a knack of stepping up from goal-scoring positions and converting his chances. A moment is all he needs. Ultimately, that is what matters when you're up against Barcelona.
Barcelona v PSV: Prediction
Although PSV has endured a stunning start to their season with five wins out of five, Barcelona at the Nou Camp is a different ball game altogether. One can expect them to fancy a couple of good chances on goal, but the home side should see out this one rather comfortably in the end. Barcelona's front three and Coutinho will prove to be too powerful for the Dutch outfit.
Predicted score: Barcelona 2-0 PSV
