Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Antwerp
Match Time & Date:
13/12/2023
21:00
Prediction: 0-2
Barcelona
Barcelona will look to recover from a heart-breaking loss in the Catalan derby when they take on Antwerp in the Champions League. Barca experienced all sorts of problems at the back in the defeat to Girona, but the bookies still see them as favourites to beat the Belgian champions at Bosuilstadion. All Ferran Torres, Alejandro Balde, and Lamine Yamal should be recalled to the starting XI, while all both Gavi and Marcos Alonso miss out with injuries.
Antwerp, on the other hand, do not seem to be competitive at this level, with the team losing each of their five group games and seeing that Xavi’s troops are eager to return to winning ways, away triumph should be considered. Albania forward Arbnor Muja is banned for the match, while all Engels, Ondrejka, Valencia, and Verhulst remain on the sidelines with injuries, speaking of the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Robert Lewandowski):
After scoring 36 goals in 59 league games for Znicz Pruskow, Robert Lewandowski joined Lech Poznan in June, 2008. The 184-cm-tall attacker scored 18 goals in 28 appearances for the club in the 2009/2010 Ekstraklasa campaign and during the season he was on Borussia Dortmund’s radar.
The Polish forward signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga side in June, 2010 and he quickly established himself as the team’s key attacker. Lewandowski was producing excellent performances with the Millionaires between 2010 and 2014 and it has to be noted that he won two Bundesliga trophies with the club (2010/2011, 2011/2012). He participated in the 2012/2013 Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, but the Millionaires were beaten by fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in the title game.
However, he betrayed Borussia Dortmund fans in 2014 as he signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga giants. Lewandowski impressed in the 2016/2017 Bundesliga campaign as he scored 30 goals in 32 league games for Pep Guardiola’s troops. The Polish footballer represented his homeland at Euro 2016 in France and he scored one goal at the showpiece tournament in France.
Highlighted Team (Antwerp):
Founded back in 1880, Antwerp is one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Great Old welcome their rivals at Bosuilstadion, the venue with the capacity of 16,144 people. Antwerp are well known for their red home kits, with the team wearing white shirts and white jerseys when playing on the travels.
Over the years Antwerp have been trying to close the gap between Belgian giants Anderlecht and Club Brugge, but they have yet to win the title in the recent history. The Great Old clinched their first domestic trophy back in 1929, with the team repeating the success two years later. The third and the fourth titles came in 1944 and 1957 respectively.
Beerschot A.C. are considered the club’s fiercest rivals, but they have a rivalry with Club Brugge as well. The club chiefs had a long-term partnership with famous English club Manchester United in the past, with Antwerp taking young footballers on loan to Old Trafford.
