Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Red Star Belgrade's dominant domestic performances have yet to translate into their first points in this season's Champions League. It's clear that the Serbian side will struggle to make an impact against an in-form Barcelona, especially since the Catalans are also in need of a victory.
Red Star Belgrade
After the initial rounds of the European competition, Red Star Belgrade have already conceded 11 goals, with only Dinamo Zagreb and Slovan Bratislava faring worse. In their away fixture against AS Monaco (1:5), they had 3.33 xGA, and the disparity in shots (5-27) highlighted Monaco's total dominance. It is likely the team will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation again in Belgrade, though without the injured Nemanja Radonjić, Peter Olayinka, and Mirko Ivanić, their potential lineup depth is reduced.
Barcelona
Barcelona, judging by their winning streak, have ceased to let injuries affect them significantly. Under Hansi Flick's management, any player who makes the squad seems to perform well, with the team stringing together six successive victories since the start of October with a cumulative scoreline of 24:3. In their last match against Bayern Munich (4:1), Raphinha Belloli was decisive, netting a hat-trick, which has placed him second in the Champions League scoring race with 4 goals and 1 assist.
Red Star Belgrade vs Barcelona Prediction
In Belgrade, Barcelona are poised to generate enough attacking chances to notch their seventh consecutive win. Red Star Belgrade are unlikely to mount a challenge against the strong Catalan side.
