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Barcelona logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Dec 11, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
Celtic logo

6-1

Pique (7'), Pedro (40'), Neymar (45', 48', 57'), Tello (72')
FT(HT: 3-0)
Samaras (88')

Preview: Barcelona vs. Celtic

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Champions League Group H clash between Barcelona and Celtic.

Barcelona welcome Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday knowing that a point would be enough to secure top spot in Group H.

The Spanish champions have taken 10 points from their five group matches, but defeat in their final fixture could drop them to second in the section if AC Milan beat Ajax on the same evening.

The Catalan outfit were victorious in the reverse fixture in Scotland, but they needed a late header from Cesc Fabregas to collect all the points in a tight affair.

The La Liga leaders will also enter the match boasting an impressive home record in this competition, having lost just one of their last 24 European games at Camp Nou.

Celtic, meanwhile, will finish bottom of Group H regardless of their result in Spain. The Scottish outfit have taken just three points from their five matches, losing four times in the process.

The home side are still without the services of first-choice goalkeeper Victor Valdes, with the Spaniard out with a calf injury.

The match will also come too soon for Jordi Alba, while Lionel Messi will not return until 2014 as he battles to overcome a thigh injury.

Pedro is once more expected to start on the bench as speculation surrounding his future grows, meaning that Neymar, Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez will line up in a three-man attack.

Meanwhile, Celtic boss Neil Lennon has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash. Anthony Stokes is expected to be joined in attack by Georgios Samaras, while Kris Commons, fresh from his double against Motherwell in the league at the weekend, will start in midfield.

Recent form

Barcelona: WWLLW

Celtic: WWLWW

Possible starting lineups

Barcelona: Pinto; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Adriano; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Neymar, Fabregas, Sanchez

Celtic: Forster; Izaguirre, Mulgrew, Lustig, Ambrose; Brown, Ledley, Commons, Pukki; Stokes, Samaras

Sports Mole says: 3-0


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Celtic midfielder Kris Commons celebrates after a goal against Shakhtar Karagandy on August 28, 2013
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League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Inter Milan541013
2Barcelona540112
3Liverpool440012
4Atalanta532011
5Arsenal531110
6B. Leverkusen531110
7Brest531110
8Monaco431010
9Sporting Lisbon531110
10Aston Villa43019
11Dortmund43019
12Bayern53029
13AC Milan53029
14Atletico53029
15Man City52218
16Juventus42117
17Lille42117
18Celtic42117
19Dinamo Zagreb42117
20Feyenoord52127
21Benfica42026
22Real Madrid42026
23Brugge42026
24PSV41215
25Stuttgart41124
26Sparta Prague51134
27PSG51134
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg51043
31Bologna40131
32Sturm Graz40040
33RB Leipzig50050
34Red Star40040
35Slovan Bratislava50050
36Young Boys50050


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