UEFA Champions League
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Played
September 19, 2012 7:45 PM BST
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee:‬ M. Mažić‎
Attendance:‬ 73580‎
 
14′ Tello
Daniel Alves 29′ (OG)
72′ Lionel Messi
Rômulo 59′
80′ Lionel Messi
 

Barcelona - Spartak Moscow Preview: Messi & Co. hope for positive start at Camp Nou

New coach Tito Vilanova takes the helm of his first-ever European clash for the hosts, as the Catalan giants kick off their Group G campaign against Unai Emery's charges

By Daniel Edwards

More On :  FC Barcelona, Spartak, FC Barcelona vs Spartak
Lionel Messi, Xavi, Barcelona
AFP
  PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA

Valdes
Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Adriano
Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas
Pedro, Messi, Villa
SPARTAK MOSCOW
Spartak
Dikan
Kombarov, Insaurralde, Suchy, Kombarov
Romulo, Kallstrom
McGeady, Ari, Bil'yov
Dzyuba

Lionel Messi started from the bench in Barcelona's convincing win over Getafe at the weekend after his international exertions, but the Argentina captain is expected to reclaim his place in the starting line-up for the Catalans' 2012-13 Champions League bow. Fellow forward David Villa will also be in contention after scoring from the bench in Saturday's 4-1 victory.

Spartak coach Unai Emery must decide whether to keep faith with striker Artem Dzyuba as the focal point of his favoured 4-2-3-1 line-up, particularly since substitute Emmanuel Emenike replaced him in the club's last run-out and scored to help the Russians to a 2-2 draw away to Kuban.

  DID YOU KNOW?
  • Barcelona have lifted the Champions League/European Cup on four occasions, making them the fifth most successful club in the competition's history.
  • The last triumph came in 2011, when goals from Pedro, Messi and Villa inspired a 3-1 victory in the final over Manchester United. 
  • The Catalans have finished as group winners on no less than 13 occasions since the Champions League began in 1992, one more than nearest rivals Real Madrid and Manchester United.
  • Along with Wednesday's rivals, Spartak Moscow are one of only five teams to have won all six group clashes. The Russians achieved the feat in the 1995-96 season.
  • Their best ever European run came in 1990-91, when Spartak lost to Marseille in the semi-finals.
  • Unai Emery is the first-ever Spaniard to coach at the club, having arrived in June 2012 after four years with Valencia. The trainer had never worked outside of Spain neither as a player or on the bench before arriving in Moscow.

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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
  • FC Barcelona 4-0 Spartak
    17.06 %
  • FC Barcelona 8-0 Spartak
    12.94 %
  • FC Barcelona 3-0 Spartak
    12.51 %
Head to Head
UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ Nov 20, 2012 Spartak 0 - FC Barcelona 3
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UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ Sep 19, 2012 FC Barcelona 3 - Spartak 2
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Last Five Matches
FC Barcelona
May 19, 2013FC Barcelona 2 - Valladolid 1LIGA
May 12, 2013Atletico Madrid 1 - FC Barcelona 2LIGA
May 5, 2013FC Barcelona 4 - Betis 2LIGA
May 1, 2013FC Barcelona 0 - FC Bayern München 3UCL
Apr 27, 2013Athletic Bilbao 2 - FC Barcelona 2LIGA
Spartak
May 18, 2013Krasnodar 0 - Spartak 1RUS1
May 10, 2013Spartak 1 - Kryliya Sovetov 1RUS1
May 3, 2013FC Mordovia Saransk 2 - Spartak 1RUS1
Apr 28, 2013Spartak 2 - Anzhi Makhachkala 0RUS1
Apr 21, 2013PFC CSKA Moskva 2 - Spartak 2RUS1
Odds
Returns: Barcelona £11.00 PaddyPower Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Returns: Draw £340.00 Bet365 Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Returns: Spartak Moscow £5010.00 Bet365 Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Team News
Available Squads
1Víctor ValdésGoalkeeper
2Daniel AlvesDefender
3PiquéDefender
21AdrianoDefender
4Cesc FàbregasMidfielder
6XaviMidfielder
14Javier MascheranoMidfielder
16BusquetsMidfielder
10Lionel MessiStriker
17PedroStriker
37TelloStriker
13José Pinto ColoradoGoalkeeper
32BartraDefender
35MontoyaDefender
11Thiago AlcántaraMidfielder
25Alex SongMidfielder
7David VillaStriker
9Alexis SánchezStriker
81Andriy DykanGoalkeeper
-Juan Manuel InsaurraldeDefender
17Marek SuchyDefender
5Rafael CariocaMidfielder
77Kirill KombarovDefender
64Aiden McGeadyMidfielder
6Kim KällströmMidfielder
99Dmitriy KombarovMidfielder
-RômuloMidfielder
9AriStriker
-EmenikeStriker
30Sergey PesyakovGoalkeeper
-Sergey BryzgalovDefender
16Evgeniy MakeevDefender
18JuradoMidfielder
7Diniyar BilyaletdinovMidfielder
40Artem DzubaStriker
14Pavel YakovlevStriker
Players to Watch
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 10
Games Goals YC RC
11 8 0 0
The Argentine wizard scored an incredible 14 goals last season in Barcelona's march to the Champions League semi-finals, and he will once more be the man to beat across Europe as he looks to keeping breaking records.
Kim Källström
Kim Källström
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 6
Games Goals YC RC
6 0 4 1
The Swedish midfielder has Champions League pedigree after several campaigns with former club Lyon. If he can marshal the midfield against Xavi and Co. Kallstrom could form a key part of Spartak's attempts to take something away from Camp Nou.
Prediction
Barca have started the 2012-13 in storming fashion, winning all four Liga fixtures to take an early lead over bitter rivals Real Madrid. They should make it five on Wednesday, posing too much of an attacking threat for Spartak.
Editor's Prediction
Barcelona 2
Spartak Moscow 0
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker
Real Madrid 		12 0
Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski
Striker
Dortmund 		10 1
Thomas Müller Thomas Müller
Striker
Bayern 		8 1
Lionel Messi Lionel Messi
Striker
Barcelona 		8 0
Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz
Striker
Galatasaray 		8 0