Barcelona will kickstart their Champions League campaign with a group stage fixture against Antwerp at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.
The Spanish hosts are unbeaten this season after five rounds of La Liga and have scored 13 goals in the league. There were five different goalscorers including star striker Robert Lewandowski as they beat Real Betis in their most recent outing. Based on form and quality of the squad, the Group H opener should be a straightforward affair for the defending champions of the Spanish league.
Antwerp are fifth in the Belgian Pro League standings, three points behind current leaders Gent. They dealt with the challenge of AEK Athens in the Champions League play-offs to book their place in Group H. However, dealing with Barcelona will be a completely different ball game - any result other than a Barcelona win will be a huge shock.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Barcelona vs Antwerp kick-off time
| Date: | September 19, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 8pm BST |
| Venue: | Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium |
The game between Barcelona and Antwerp will be played at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on Tuesday. Kick-off is at 8pm BST for the fans in the UK.
How to watch Barcelona vs Antwerp online - TV channels & live streams
The fixture will be shown live on TNT Sports in the United Kingdom. Match highlights will be shown on the club's official YouTube channels after the full-time whistle. Live updates can be accessed here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Barcelona team news
Barcelona's squad for the upcoming match against Antwerp sees just one alteration from last Saturday's victory over Real Betis, with young midfielder Fermín López making his return from suspension to replace Unai Hernández.
Fortunately, there are no fresh injury worries, and Ronald Araujo has resumed training after recuperating from a calf injury. However, Araujo is still unavailable for this match, joining the injured Pedri on the list of absentees for this European opener.
Barcelona predicted XI: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Gavi, De Jong, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ter Stegen, Pena, Astralaga |
| Defenders: | Cancelo, Balde, Martínez, Christensen, Alonso, Kounde |
| Midfielders: | Gavi, Romeu, Roberto, de Jong, Gündogan, Casadó, López |
| Forwards: | Torres, Lewandowski, Raphinha, Félix, Yamal |
Antwerp team news
Antwerp will have to navigate their match against Barcelona without several key players who are sidelined due to injuries, including Ortwin De Wolf, Davino Verhulst, Bjorn Engels, Sam Vines, and Kobe Corbanie.
Leading their attack is Vincent Janssen, who has been in fine form this season with six goals in eight appearances. The 29-year-old forward is expected to play a crucial role once again in the team's frontline.
Antwerp predicted XI: Butez; Bataille, Van den Bosch, Coulibaly, De Laet; Keita, Ekkelenkamp, Vermeeren; Balikwisha, Janssen, Muja
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Butez, Devalckeneer, Lammens |
| Defenders: | De Laet, Wijndal, Alderweireld, Van Den Bosch, Bataille, Coulibaly |
| Midfielders: | Yusuf, Balikwisha, Ondrejka, Keita, Ekkelenkamp, Vermeeren |
| Forwards: | Ilenikhena, Muja, Kerk, Janssen, Ejuke, Valencia |
Head-to-Head Record
This is set to be the first-ever meeting between Barcelona and Antwerp and the Spanish side are the heavy favourites.