Barcelona predicted lineup against Bayern Munich | UEFA Champions League 2022-23
Barcelona will need to pick up a win against regular tormentors Bayern Munich on Wednesday to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Barca are third in Group C and trail second-placed Inter Milan by three points. The Nerazzurri can book a place in the Round of 16 with a win over Viktoria Plzen in an early kickoff by the time Barcelona square off against the Bavarians.
Bayern Munich have already booked a berth in the Round of 16 after winning all four of their matches so far. Suffice to say, Barca are dangerously close to getting demoted to the UEFA Europa League. After a summer of heavy spending, it would be the last thing that Xavi Hernandez and co. would have wanted.
Bayern Munich beat Barca 2-0 at the Allianz Arena in the first round of fixtures. They are in pretty good form heading into Wednesday's game at Spotify Camp Nou and are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how Barcelona could line up against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Barcelona Goalkeeper - Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has not covered himself in glory in the Champions League this term. He has conceded seven goals in four games so far but his status as an automatic starter remains in tact.
Right-back - Hector Bellerin
Jules Kounde started at right-back in the reverse fixture. But due to a shortage of options at centre-back, Kounde is unlikely to be stationed out wide. Instead, Hector Bellerin is likely to be handed a rare start here and will be tasked with dealing with the threat of Sadio Mane.
Centre-back - Jules Kounde
Barcelona's most dependable defender in the 2022-23 season up until now, Kounde will reprise his role as a centre-back against Bayern Munich. He has done well at the heart of defense over the last two games in the absence of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.
Centre-back - Eric Garcia
With Araujo and Christensen sidelined, Garcia is tipped to start alongside Kounde at centre-back. The Spaniard needs to do better but turned in an impressive performance against Athletic Bilbao over the weekend.
Left-back - Alejandro Balde
The young left-back is yet to start a Champions League game for Barca. He was given the nod over Jordi Alba in the Catalans' 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend and did an impressive job. He could start against Bayern Munich as he was one of Barca's best players in the first half against Athletic.
Defensive midfielder - Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets has come under a lot of criticism in recent weeks but he hardly put a foot wrong against Athletic Bilbao. He will be one of the first names on the teamsheet against Bayern as Barca would love to tap into his wealth of experience.
Central midfielder - Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong has done a fabulous job in midfield for Barca over the last two games. He has enjoyed the freedom afforded to him and will be aiming to establish himself as a starter once again.
Central midfielder - Pedri
Pedri played as a left-winger in the game against Bilbao. But he is likely to return to central midfield against Bayern Munich. His technical abilities and intelligence to get into great positions could be key to breaking down the Bavarians on Wednesday.
Left-winger - Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele was on fire at the weekend. He scored one goal and provided three assists in the game and was direct and sharp from the get-go. His ability to beat defenders and set up his teammates to score is unrivaled at the club.
Lionel Messi is the only player in Europe's top five leagues with more assists than Ousmane Dembele in 2022 🎯 https://t.co/PxKgy1hzdk
Striker - Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski already has 12 LaLiga goals this season.
Memphis Depay led all Barcelona players with 12 LaLiga goals last season 😳 https://t.co/GjCTrYZMgO
Robert Lewandowski blanked against his former club in the 2-0 defeat last month. He missed a plethora of chances in that game and will be desperate to silence his doubters on Wednesday.
The Polish icon has been in great form of late and has scored five goals and provided two assists in his last four appearances for Barca across all competitions.
Right-winger - Raphinha
Raphinha is yet to truly hit his stride at Barca. But he is likely to get another chance to get going against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.