This Tuesday, October 24, Barcelona will host Shakhtar Donetsk in the third match of the UEFA Champions League 2023/2024, in a game that can start to define the Catalan team's qualification for the round of 16.
Why it's important
After two seasons in which they couldn't advance from the group stage, Barcelona won their first two matches this time and they are on their way to the round of 16. Another victory would bring them very close to their goal. They will face the Ukrainian team, who will fight Porto for the second place and can be a tough opponent for Xavi's team.
Players to watch
This season has been the season of the young players for Barcelona. After the dazzling appearance of Lamine Yamal, last weekend it was Marc Guiu, a 17-year-old, who scored the winning goal against Athletic Bilbao. It will also be a good opportunity for Robert Lewandowski to show his scoring potential in the Champions League. In Shakhtar, Danylo Sikan was the standout player in the match against Antwerp and he will need to maintain precision and take advantage of the opportunities, which are likely to be few. Yaroslav Rakitskiy and Mykola Matvyenko, the center-backs, will need to be very attentive.
Current form
Barcelona achieved a good victory on Sunday against Athletic and they are one point away from the leaders of the league after ten matchdays. In addition, they have won both matches in the Champions League and are undefeated so far in the season. Shakhtar, on the other hand, has three points in the European tournament and is third in the Ukrainian league. In the last matchday, they won 3-0 against LNZ.
Previous encounter
It was in the quarterfinals of the 2010/2011 edition. Barcelona won both matches, 1-0 away and 5-1 at home. In total, they have played 9 times, with 6 victories for Barcelona, 2 for Shakhtar, and 1 draw.
How to watch
The big game can be watched on Star+ for all of South America.