FC Barcelona heads to Royal Antwerp for a UEFA Champions League match that is lacking in true meaning. Barca have booked passage to the round of 16, and have all but clinched the group. Royal Antwerp sit dead last in the group, having taken not a single point from any of their previous five UCL clashes.
In looking at the squad traveling to Antwerp, Barcelona have included the following kids: Hector Fort, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Casado, Aleix Garrido, Angel Alarcon, Marc Guiu, Ander Astralaga and Diego Kochen.
FC Barcelona at Royal Antwerp FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Dec. 13, 8pm, Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium
Competition: UEFA Champions League Group H Matchday 6/6
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UCL Standing: Barca 1st, 12 pts, WLWWW 4th, 0 pts LLLLL
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Barca 60% Draw 22% Antwerp 37%
Will any of these youth players get some tick here? Maybe, ok, probably, but it’s not likely until after halftime. We do think Xavi will field a pretty strong team at the get go, before doing some squad rotation in the second half. This is what we’re guessing that looks like.
Barca Starting 11 Prediction at Royal Antwerp
Inaki Pena; Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Alejandro Balde; Fermin Lopez, Pedri Oriol Romeu; Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Joao Felix
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.