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[monks data]
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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Written by
Matt Law
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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
1Liverpool660018
2Barcelona650115
3B. Leverkusen641113
4Inter Milan641113
5Brest641113
6Arsenal641113
7Aston Villa641113
8Lille641113
9Bayern640212
10Dortmund640212
11Atletico640212
12AC Milan640212
13Atalanta632111
14Juventus632111
15Benfica631210
16Feyenoord631210
17Brugge631210
18Monaco631210
19Sporting Lisbon631210
20Real Madrid63039
21Celtic62319
22Man City62228
23PSV62228
24Dinamo Zagreb62228
25PSG62137
26Stuttgart62137
27Shakhtar61144
28Sparta Prague61144
29Sturm Graz61053
30Girona61053
31Red Star61053
32Salzburg61053
33Bologna60242
34RB Leipzig60060
35Slovan Bratislava60060
36Young Boys60060


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