The Champions League Group Stages – Match Day 3, BATE vs Barcelona, Kick Off 19:45 Local Time
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alves, Piqué, Bartra, Alba, Mascherano, Busquets, S. Roberto, Munir, Suárez, Neymar.
Barcelona have, at times, been a bit flat in the absence of their superstar Lionel Messi.
Some have unfairly branded them a one man team while Messi has been crocked. But this is ridiculous.
Not only would any team in the world suffer without the best player ever to walk the earth.
But the likes of Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta are all game-changers in their own right.
And the thumping of Rayo Vallecano at the weekend shows that the attacking fluency is still there.
A win and a draw for Barcelona have left this group open and they could certainly use three points tonight to put them in a commanding position at the half way stage of the groups.
And although BATE have been steadily improving with Champions League experience, they should still succumb to the passing carousel of Barcelona tonight.
But stranger things have happened and BATE enjoyed a famous win against Roma in their last game, to show that this is no longer an easy place to come.
Expect some fireworks and a hard fought game.
