Gladbach v Barcelona: line-ups, where to watch, form guide
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Article summary
"We'll be up against a world-class team, but they'll be without the world's best player," said home coach André Schubert, crestfallen that Lionel Messi will not face Mönchengladbach with Barcelona.
Article top media content
Article body
- Barcelona without Lionel Messi due to a groin injury
- "We would have loved to play against him," says Gladbach coach André Schubert
- Borussia have won 11 on the bounce at home in all competitions
- Barcelona keeper Marc-André ter Stegen returns to his home city and former club
- Luis Enrique: "We'll have to play very well to get a result here"
Possible line-ups
Gladbach: Sommer; Elvedi, Christensen, Jantschke; Kramer, Dahoud; Johnson, Wendt; Stindl; Hazard, Raffael.
Out: Domínguez (back), Doucoure (fitness), Strobl (thigh), Drmic (knee)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitić, Busquets, Iniesta; Turan/Rafinha, Neymar, Suárez.
Out: Messi (groin), Umtiti (knee)
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
André Schubert, Gladbach coach
We're preparing for this game like any other fixture, but I have to admit we'll be playing against a very special side. We've got mixed emotions about Messi's absence. We would have loved to play against him. We'll be up against a world-class team, but they'll be without the world's best player. [Former Gladbach goalkeeper] Marc-André ter Stegen is one of the best ball-playing keepers in the world, but we have our own exceptional goalkeeper in Yann Sommer, who is a very important character in our dressing room.
Luis Enrique, Barcelona coach
Borussia are a difficult side and we will have to be well organised because they press very high up the pitch. They are dangerous without the ball and they know what to do when they have it. They have quick, quality players in attack, and they score a lot of goals even though they have also conceded a few. We have to counteract their strengths because if we don't, we'll struggle.
Our aim is to always be powerful whether we're home or away, regardless of the quality of the opposition. Gladbach are very strong at home, while away from home perhaps they don't get as many results. We'll have to play very well if we're going to beat them here.
Weekend results
Gladbach 2-0 Ingolstadt (Stindl 42, Wendt 76)
Oscar Wendt's strike sealed Mönchengladbach's 11th consecutive home victory in all competitions.
Sporting Gijón 0-5 Barcelona (Suárez 29, Rafinha 32, Neymar 81 88, Arda Turan 85)
No Messi, no problem. Barcelona cruised to three points without their injured No10, three of their goals coming after the 74th-minute dismissal of Sporting skipper Alberto Lora.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Gladbach: WDWLLW
Barcelona: WDWWLW
Reporter's view: Matt Howarth (@UEFAcomMattH)
Even the most ardent Borussia supporter would agree that Schubert's team have not been at their best of late. Fabian Johnson's 85th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Leipzig last midweek came with the visitors' first shot on target, while the Foals made hard work of beating struggling Ingolstadt at the weekend. Messi may be conspicuous by his absence, but Gladbach will need to raise their game to stand any chance of registering their first point(s).
Did you know?
Paco Alcácer hit a hat-trick past Sommer in Valencia's 5-0 victory over the Swiss goalkeeper's Basel side in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals – a result that overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit. Find out more in our extensive match background.