The two sides who have made unbeaten starts to the season meet at the Stade Louis II in the Champions League on Thursday, as Monaco host Barcelona.
Both clubs finished runners-up in their respective leagues last season, but have made promising starts with the hope of doing better this season.
Latest Monaco vs Barcelona squad information
Monaco could be in line for the services of midfielder Lamine Camara, as Ligue 1 have confirmed he has been cleared to leave his rehabilitation process after being stretchered off with a neck injury against Auxerre at the weekend.
The other two confirmed absentees are Edan Diop and reserve goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki, who will not be available until next month at least.
Hutter made eight changes to his squad for the game against Lens before the international break, but returned to the same starting line-up that beat Lyon for the game against Auxerre last weekend, so with more players in hand, there could be more changes.
Barcelona were left disappointed to learn that Dani Olmo will be out until after the October international break due to a hamstring injury picked up against Girona on Sunday, leaving Flick with a difficult midfield choice.
Olmo joins Barca's lengthy absentee list, with Fermin Lopez, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen also unavailable.
Ronald Araujo is currently out with a hamstring injury, but he will also be suspended following his red card in last season's quarter-final against PSG.
Robert Lewandowski has scored eight goals in the Champions League since joining Barca, taking his tally to 94, and he will be aiming to become only the third player to reach the 100-goal mark this term.
Latest expected lineup Monaco vs Barcelona
Monaco:
Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa Elebi, Caio Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Barcelona:
Ter Stegen; Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Balde; Eric Garcia, Pedri, Casado; Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Latest football commentary Monaco vs Barcelona
Under Adi Hutter, all signs point to Monaco being on a positive trajectory, after finishing second behind Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season.
The unbeaten start was extended to four games with a 3-0 win over Auxerre last weekend, allowing Hutter to make a number of changes ahead of this game as the tie was settled after an hour.
However, this would be a big step up from the opponents they have faced domestically, raising the stakes for their unbeaten run.
With Barcelona as their first opponents, Monaco will also host Benfica and Aston Villa in the principality, while also having trips to Inter Milan and Arsenal in this challenging group stage.
While the upcoming opponents could be a formidable challenge, Monaco's record against Spanish clubs should provide plenty of confidence, having won seven of their previous nine meetings.
However, their recent poor home form in the competition is a concern, as they have lost seven consecutive games at the Stade Louis II – no team has ever lost eight consecutive home games in the history of the competition.
Hutter hopes much has changed mentally since their last appearance in the tournament in 2018, when they ended in a group stage exit for the second time in a row.
However, the club has a poor record in the Champions League, having qualified for the competition nine times, reaching one final, three semi-finals and one quarter-final.
They have only met Barcelona once before, in 1993, when the Catalans won both meetings without conceding a goal.
Hansi Flick's side will be looking to make it three wins in a row as they prepare for a 21st consecutive season in Europe's top flight, but given the club's reputation, they need to improve on recent performances.
Since becoming European champions in 2015, Barca have only progressed past the quarter-finals once, including two group stage exits in 2021 and 2022.
This is in stark contrast to their performance during the club's glory years, when they reached at least the semi-finals 10 times in 15 seasons between 1999 and 2015.
Monaco may not be the ideal opponents for Barcelona to start with, with Barca having won just two of their last nine visits to France, one of which was a win over PSG last season before losing in the quarter-finals.
However, the Blaugrana have often been quick starters, especially in recent seasons, scoring five goals against Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen and Antwerp in opening-day wins in the last four campaigns.
An impressive start to the domestic season will also have given the few Culers making the short trip to the south of France a boost, with Sunday's 4-1 win over Girona extending their winning run to five games, scoring 17 goals in the process, with Lamine Yamal again shining with two goals. While Monaco could face an unwanted record of home defeats if they fail here, Barcelona's form looks worrying for them despite their injury concerns.
With five wins from five games, Flick's Barcelona look strong, and if Yamal continues his impressive form, another win looks likely.
Monaco vs Barcelona score prediction
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the Monaco vs Barcelona match:
- Sportsmole: Monaco 0-2 Barcelona
- WhoScore: Monaco 1-3 Barcelona
- Our prediction: Monaco 0-2 Barcelona
When and where to watch Monaco vs Barcelona live?
To watch live the Monaco vs Barcelona match in the Champions League taking place at 2:00 a.m. on September 20, viewers can watch on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wishing viewers happy moments of watching football.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/nhan-dinh-du-doan-monaco-vs-barcelona-khong-co-bat-ngo-229605.html
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