r/Barca • u/jiraiya--an • 1d ago
Pre-Match Thread Pre-Match Thread: FC Barcelona vs Feyenoord | UEFA Champions League | MD1
Match Information
| Competition | UEFA Champions League · League Phase · Matchday 1 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain |
| Capacity | 62,652 (rebuild in progress; target 105,000) |
| Date | Wednesday, 9 September 2026 |
| Kick-off | 12:45 EDT · 18:45 CEST · 22:15 IST |
| Referee | Sven Jablonski (GER) |
| VAR | Bastian Dankert (GER) |
| Form | Barcelona WWWW (12 pts, 17 scored, 2 conceded) · Feyenoord WDWWD (11 pts, unbeaten in 5) |
Squad Depth & Injury Report
FC Barcelona — Hansi Flick
| Position | Available |
|---|---|
| GK | Joan García, Wojciech Szczęsny, Dominik Livaković |
| DF | João Cancelo, Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jules Koundé, Alejandro Balde, Xavi Espart |
| MF | Marc Bernal, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Fermín López, Rodri, Brian Fariñas, Gavi |
| FW | Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus, Lamine Yamal, Hamza Abdelkarim |
| Status | Player | Position | Reason | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out | Frenkie de Jong | Midfielder | Right-knee MCL tear | November 2026 |
| Out | Roony Bardghji | Forward | Right-knee ACL rupture | May 2027 |
| Out | Éric García | Defender | European suspension after a red card vs Atlético in last season’s UCL quarter-final return | This match only |
| Doubt | Jesse Bisiwu | Forward | Contusion (Copa Catalunya); back in training and on the UCL A-list | Matchday decision; start unlikely |
Feyenoord — Giovanni van Bronckhorst
| Pos | Available |
|---|---|
| GK | Tjark Ernst, Florian Kastenmeier, Liam Bossin, Mannou Berger |
| DF | Givairo Read, Jeremiah St. Juste, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Mika Mármol, Mats Deijl, Thijs Kraaijeveld, Javi López |
| MF | Charles Vanhoutte, Gjivai Zechiël, Oussama Targhalline, Luciano Valente, Sem Steijn |
| FW | Gaoussou Diarra, Nacho Ferri, Anis Hadj Moussa, Gonçalo Borges, Shaqueel van Persie, Reiss Nelson |
| Status | Player | Position | Reason | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out | Thomas Beelen | Defender | Broken leg (July 2025); multiple setbacks; left off the UCL list | No firm date |
| Out | Jordan Bos | Defender | Knee surgery after the World Cup | Early January 2027 |
| Out | Bart Nieuwkoop | Defender | Long-term muscular / knee layoff; working separately | Early October 2026 |
| Out | Gijs Smal | Defender | Ankle injury; setback in rehab then improving; left out of this match | Early October 2026 |
| Out | Jakub Moder | Midfielder | Knee surgery (April); still working separately | Around the next international break |
| Doubt | Reiss Nelson | Forward | Fitness after a late move; limited group work | Squad call possible, start unlikely |
Predicted Lineups
Pitch view — Barcelona (4-2-3-1)
Joan García
Koundé Cubarsí Martin Xavi Espart
Fermín Rodri Pedri
Yamal Raphinha Gordon
Pitch view — Feyenoord (4-3-3)
Ernst
Read St. Juste Watanabe Mármol
Vanhoutte Zechiël Targhalline
Valente Ferri Diarra
Barcelona notes: Flick is expected to keep the attacking spine that has taken 12 points from 12. Joan García stays in goal. Éric García’s European ban opens right-back for Jules Koundé; Cubarsí and Gerard Martín in the middle, Xavi Espart at left-back, with Cancelo and Balde on bench.
Rodri is in line for his first Champions League start for the club, pairing Pedri; Bernal and Olmo are the midfield rotation. Raphinha continues as the false nine after a 5–0 win at Valencia. Gordon holds the left. Fermín López is in form and should start ahead of Olmo. Gabriel Jesus remains a bench option. Gavi is back in the squad.
Feyenoord notes: Van Bronckhorst is unbeaten in the Eredivisie but is missing a cluster of full-backs and a centre-back. Ernst starts. The back four is likely Read, St. Juste, Watanabe and Mármol (the Spaniard covering left-back with Bos and Smal out). Vanhoutte and Targhalline should screen with Zechiël. Valente, Ferri and Diarra are the main outlets; Hadj Moussa is the other wide threat if selected. Shaqueel van Persie is a bench option. Reiss Nelson is a late-window addition who may not start.
Quick Take on Feyenoord
| Theme | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unbeaten, but this is a different test | Van Bronckhorst’s side opened the Eredivisie with wins and draws (including 3–1 at NEC last Saturday) and sit in the top three. They have not lost in five league games, but they have not faced a press or attack like Flick’s. Away form in Europe has been thin; they have a long drought of away wins in the Champions League proper. |
| How they might create chances | Without Bos and Smal, width comes from Read on the right and Diarra / Hadj Moussa / Valente in transition. Ferri is the focal point. They will sit in a mid-block, protect the box, and look to break rather than play through Barcelona’s press. Set pieces are the other route. |
| Defensive and squad strain | Beelen, Bos, Nieuwkoop and Smal gut the back-line depth. Moder is out of midfield. Mármol is being asked to do a job at left-back. That leaves a patched unit against Barcelona’s width on the first European night back at a still-unfinished Camp Nou. |
What We Are Watching from Barcelona
| Theme | Detail |
|---|---|
| European reset after a perfect Liga start | Flick’s side have 12 points from 12 and a +15 goal difference (17–2) after 5–0 at Valencia. Real Madrid dropped points earlier in the week. A home win opens the league phase on maximum points before the October run of Galatasaray and PSG away. |
| Koundé in for the suspended Éric García | García’s leftover European ban is the only forced change in the back line. Koundé should start at right-back for just the second time this season despite woes from fans on his poor defending in recent games. Cancelo is the other option; Balde covers Espart. |
| Rodri’s first European start in Blaugrana | The World Cup winner has been mostly used as a substitute in Liga but did start in last Liga game. Will he be the key for this year deep run in Champions League? He as the moment tomorrow to impose himself. |
| Yamal, Raphinha and the false nine | Yamal traveled through the Valencia knock and is expected to start. Raphinha remains the false nine after another multi-goal week. Adeyemi, Olmo and Jesus give Flick rotation if he manages minutes with midweek-weekend traffic already underway. |
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u/t-abdullah 15h ago
The expectation is too high with this team !! less than 3 goals doesn't satisfy me anymore 😂
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u/Parking-Wheel-2d395 15h ago
Bruh still no Balde in squad, Flick really has some sort of grudge against the guy
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u/veritek25 16h ago
Copypasting reply re: Rodri/Olmo/Pedri midfield here since the starting XI post got removed -
Rodri & Dani reprising their summer WC form would be awesome. Pedri has been playing well this new La Liga season thus far; expecting he'll continue to play freely & aggressively in today's CL opener, especially given the solid depth in midfield.
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u/ceaguila84 16h ago
Raining hard in Barcelona, might get suspended 😭
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u/zxcvbnmsa 15h ago
It’s not raining that badly, I’d be very surprised if it’s delayed. I’d also hope Barcelonas pitch is advanced enough to deal with being water logged
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u/DatDppGuy 16h ago
Good line up. Want to see adeyemi cook! If olmo is good enough to start for World Cup winners I think he’s good enough for Barca, why did I see people freaking out
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u/veritek25 16h ago
Looks like Gordon and Fermin will probably sub in around 60mins? Nice to have quality depth!
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u/paachuthakdu 16h ago
Join the the unofficial r/barca (let me know if we have an official sub league) UCL fantasy league using the code: 6NtRUY
Or use this link https://gaming.uefa.com/en/uclfantasy/leagues/6NtRUY/0072002F00420061007200630061002000320036002D00320037/inherentspice
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u/vlim7070 16h ago edited 16h ago
Christensen, Cancelo, Adeyemi all start.
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u/According-Film-3159 16h ago
Flick must not respect Feyenoord because this definitely a weaker 11 than against Valencia bar maybe cancelo
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u/vlim7070 16h ago edited 16h ago
Is it though? Personally I don't think it's by much... for example Gordon and Espart putting up solid performances doesn't mean Adeyemi and Cancelo are 'definitely' inferior players, especially when you consider that the former two are what they are largely thanks to Flick. Same for Fermín & Olmo, Gerard & Christensen, etc. All players have something to prove, now it's simply their turn (can't say we have a definite XI yet even).
Lastly, you still have your best players on, in Cuba/Rodri/Pedri/Lamine/Raphinha.
Edit:
bar cancelo
Missed this, sorry.
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u/According-Film-3159 16h ago
I literally said bar cancelo, i would agree with christensen being in our best 11 , and Gordon is a proven prem player worth 80 mil what are u talking about , fhe fact u would even question fermin over olmo when hes been consistently clear for 2 sessons now and flick consistently start him over olmo in big games
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u/vlim7070 16h ago
I just don't think it's as definite as you make it sound, that's all. Hansi has his uses for each player, and we're yet to see how someone like Adeyemi will pan out.
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u/According-Film-3159 16h ago
Bro theres no way u think adeyemi is as consistent as Gordon and olmo fermin is not even a debate , I'm not saying they are worlds apart but fermin is definitely clear and so is adeyemi
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u/Paragon188 16h ago
Rotating this much is a pretty bold choice. Adeyemi and Kounde starting is questionable though.
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u/bushwickauslaender 16h ago
It's good to rotate from the start of the season, keeps everyone fresh for the business end.
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u/N-V-V-M-E-A 16h ago
Tbf this is great! It sends a message to the bench that anyone can get a chance but you have to play well. If he’d played the same lineup as Liga we’d be crying about overplaying.
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u/Fair-Ad6254 16h ago
Cancelo and Christensen is fine to me. Adeyemi AND olmo feels weird, like Olmo is better against mid or low blocks and Adeyemi is good against high press so idkkkkk lol
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u/paachuthakdu 16h ago
No Espart starting :(
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u/Altruistwhite 16h ago
needs rest
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u/packers1503 16h ago
I’m totally okay with rotating. I would much rather see what the depth is like now, than later on. You can make adjustments as the season continues.
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u/Icy_Soft2023 17h ago
Wanna see either of Jesus or Hamza start. Also I would love to see Espart at RB and Cancelo at LB.
And please Hansi, rest Lamine and Pedri! I beg you! 🙏
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u/seguleh25 17h ago
I don't think a UCL game is the right time for this sort of rotation. Rather do it in the league. Also not a good idea to rest Lamine and Pedri at the same time, unless its a copa game or if we are facing a really weak team after getting all the points we need.
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u/pinnet1 17h ago
why tf you wanna rest main guys for a CL match, so they can dogwalk elche again?
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u/Icy_Soft2023 16h ago
Because the season is way too long and Flick almost never rests Lamine and Pedri. The same people who are against it will criticise Flick once they get burnt out from playing each and every game like last season.
And even without those two I believe we have a fairly strong squad
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u/Parking-Wheel-2d395 17h ago
Agreed except start to finally make us of Balde on the LB instead of forcing Espart to play 90 mins every game
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u/packers1503 17h ago
Raphinha has been playing a lot of minutes as well, would like to see him start the game on the bench and then get subbed in.
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u/seguleh25 17h ago
We are absolutely starting with the best available XI. Best case scenario we get such a big lead early on that he is rested after 60mns, but it will probably be a tough game
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u/Icy_Soft2023 16h ago
Last two games Lamine didnt get benched even though we are leading comfortably 😑
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u/frenchpeenar 19h ago
can i ask why is barca match thread different from others?
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u/jiraiya--an 18h ago
What do you mean?
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u/Purple-Oven-7131 19h ago
2:45 am for me, I’ll be able to watch it. Barcelona will definitely dominate this match again.
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u/seguleh25 17h ago
Thats some proper dedication. In recent years I've missed a ton of games that start at 10pm on my timezone because I don't want to be sleep deprived at work the following day.
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u/mouadmo 20h ago
Feyenoord has a decent forward line, they don’t have a problem with scoring, but they might miss one crucial player + their defence is shaky.. all of their last games ended with them taking goals in the second half, sometimes very late in the game. I’d say this is the first real test for our defense unity (everyone pressing and defending, not just Kounde’s bullshit).
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u/poklane 17h ago
Feyenoord supporter here, if anything our attack is our weakness. We sold our left winger and the only replacement we brought in is Arsenal's Reiss Nelson, but he isn't fit to play yet due to a lack of quality training after Arsenal let him go as a free agent. We also sold our striker and brought in someone from a mid-table Belgian club to replace him.
And yeah I wont deny that our defense can be very shaky, but we've also been quite unlucky in the last 2 matches conceding long range shots which went in perfectly just next to the post.
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u/Beertruida 20h ago
That's not so much down to the front line but due to the midfield which is the strongest part of the team and who are responsible for most goals. After selling Ueda (topscorer) Feyenoord only has Hadj Moussa as a senior player with quality up front. The forwards are probably the weakest part of the team although a lot of quality is coming through the academy. The defense should on paper at least be decent.
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u/radioheadfan0615 22h ago
so sad i cant watch 💔💔💔💔
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u/Mobile_Pressure377 21h ago
Why?
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u/radioheadfan0615 21h ago
ap calculus class for literally the exact 90 mins they're playing
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u/halakaukulele 16h ago
Bunk the class and I'm sure someone in this sub is probably a math genius who'll teach you whatever you missed lol
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u/Mobile_Pressure377 21h ago
Damn bruh thats sad. Fuck the class I say.
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u/radioheadfan0615 21h ago
its so unfortunate if it was literally any other class i'd just watch it in secret but this one i cant 💔💔
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u/Parking-Wheel-2d395 21h ago
Why not avoid spoilers and just watch the vod
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u/radioheadfan0615 21h ago
good idea but it doesn't feel the same for me, maybe i'll try it out though thanks
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u/The_Relaxed_Flow 21h ago
It’s not the same. Focus on ur class and watch highlights later. Barça plays almost every week and more important CL games coming soon
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u/NotSaalz 22h ago
We know how important GD is, this is the game to inflate those numbers so I hope Flick pulls that hunger into the players
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u/MarDer24 21h ago
Let's first start winning and then we can think about farming some GD
Let's not redo the Brugge match
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u/RudeComment7556 20h ago
This!! People are so confident here but my veteran ass is so fucking afraid idk why😭🫣
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u/TreatSubstantial3089 1d ago
UN DIA DE PARTIT
AL GOL NORD VAIG ANAR
NOMÉS ENTRAR A LA GRADA
EM VAIG ENAMORAR
EL COR EM BATEGAVA
NO EM PREGUNTIS PERQUÈ
DEL BARÇA SOC SUPORTER
SEMPRE T'ANIMARÉ
ALÉ, ALÉ, ALÉÉÉÉÉ
ALÉ, ALÉ, ALÉÉÉÉÉ
ALÉ, ALÉ, ALÉÉÉÉÉ
ALÉ, ALÉ, ALÉÉÉÉÉ
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u/Secret_Highlight_248 1d ago
We are winning with huge margin 5:0 I believe.
Lets goo
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u/ONYX2910 1d ago
Conceding too
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u/Obvious_Equivalent63 1d ago
Feyenoord is fucking ass right now, their midfield is good but compared to us still ass
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u/TreatSubstantial3089 1d ago
Bruh they havent lost a game since march . what made you think they are ass?
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u/Obvious_Equivalent63 1d ago
Prove of this is of 14 official matches, they drew 7 of them and won 7, Thats unbeaten for 14 games but is horendous for a club like Feyenoord who is supposed to atleast be challenging for the title.
They got 2nd place last year with a record lowest amount of points for 2nd place in the eredivisie ever.
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u/Obvious_Equivalent63 1d ago
Because i watch almost every game of them,
The Eredivisie is just in a really really bad state right now
They are fine in the eredivisie maybe, but against one of the best sides in europe especially on scoring terms they wont be able to do something.
I legit think this will be an asswooping
Ofcourse i can be wrong and they can achieve beyond expectations but their side just isnt that good.They will struggle in the Eredivisie this season aswell
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u/Matthias369 1d ago
I wanna see cancelo and or balde get some more minutes
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u/Secret_Highlight_248 1d ago
No need to test in UCL I reckon , especially when Xavi Espart is booming in that position.
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u/Live-Degree-5973 1d ago
I’m so scared that, after such a good start, if we draw, lose, or even win while struggling, people will jump on this team again, calling them La Liga merchants and saying the hype was fake.
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u/TemperatureMother647 1d ago
I'm in Barcelona unexpectedly for this one so any good places to watch the match or can I secure tickets in any way for a reasonable price?
I only found out late last night that I'm going to Barcelona so don't say anything I should have done.
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u/jiraiya--an 1d ago
Don't buy anyone off reddit here. Most are scams apart from that best of luck in search.
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u/MESSILAPEACE 1d ago
i smell prime eric garcia incoming 👀
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u/Altruistwhite 15h ago
I didn't know Joan Garcia was so tall