FC Barcelona Vs Young Boys Preview: Barca Eyeing Their 1st Win in UCL Campaign

FC Barcelona's start to the new UCL campaign has been different from what they had expected. Facing a surprise defeat to AS Monaco, where they had felt invincible before, certainly took a toll on the team's morale. Moreover, coming on the back of a 4-2 disastrous loss to Osasuna at the El Sadar, the Blaugrana club definitely needs to win their upcoming fixture against the Young Boys, not only to mark their first victory in the UCL season but also to uplift the team's morale. Returning back at the Estadi Olimpic Stadium, many expectations would be for the Catalan side to grab the complete 3 points.

FC Barcelona Vs Young Boys Preview

FC Barcelona is set to kick off its 2nd Champions League matchday against Young Boys on 1st October at 19:00 UTC at the Estadi Olimpic stadium. Coming on the back of losses, both in the UCL campaign and in the La Liga season, Hansi Flick's side would want to turn things around at the Montjuic. Although the losses in these games had arrived much due to squad availability concerns, FC Barcelona might receive a massive boost in their upcoming game as reports suggest de Jong return for the matchday. Currently operating with the bare minimum of 3 midfielders, the Dutch star de Jong's return could be crucial for the club as they eye their 1st UCL win this season.

Given that their last loss was much inflicted due to a heavily rotated lineup being started against a pacy Osasuna attack, chances are Barca boss Flick to resort to the conventional setup. Talking about the potential lineup for the game against Young Boys, Inaki Pena would be starting once again; however, many expectations would be for the prodigy keeper to give a solid display.

On the left and right fullback roles, seasoned star Jules Kounde and the young prodigy Alejandro Balde would be expected to start. Moreover, given the importance of Inigo Martinez in the current Barca setup, having lost 4-2 to Osasuna in his absence, the veteran would most probably be seen pairing up with the 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the Blaugrana defense.

Coming to the midfield, where changes could be expected due to reports indicating star midfielder de Jong's injury return. Analyzing Hansi Flick's midfield setup so far, the Dutchman could start either at the pivot position or at the number 10 role; however, considering the fact that this game would be his debut season fixture, many chances are Flick restricting him to the stoppage minutes.

In such a scenario, FC Barcelona could start with star midfielders Pedri and Marc Casado in the pivot role, with Pablo Torre at the front, given Eric Garcia's game suspension. Not to forget, the conventional center-back's early red card against Monaco had turned the match in favor of the hosts, playing a significant role in the overall fixture. However, as has been the performance of Pedri, Casado, and the prodigy star, Pablo Torre, hopes would be high for them to lead the club to a better start.

Finally, talking about the attack force, it is much believed that Flick, like the last UCL fixture, would prefer the trio of Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal on the front. While there stands none better than Lewandowski upfront, the importance of Raphinha and Yamal could be estimated from the fact that the unit had felt altogether different when they stepped in the club's last fixture against Osasuna.

Scoreline Prediction

Overall, the fixture between FC Barcelona and Young Boys is certainly going to be special, not only because of de Jong's return, but it is also the first time these two face up against each other in the Champions League. Although FC Barcelona enters the fixture being the favorites, they certainly need to be aware not to repeat previous errors for a win against Young Boys. Analyzing all the factors, a scoreline of 2-1 in favor of Barca could be a potential result of the fixture.