Three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is back, and FC Barcelona know they need to win their remaining two games, and hope for the results of other games to go their way, if they wish to secure a place in the top eight. It will not be easy, but it is not impossible.

They now travel to Prague to face Slavia Praha , who have had a horrendous Champions League campaign so far. It will be an important game for Hansi Flick’s men, especially considering what happened last weekend.

On paper, it is a game Barcelona should win quite comfortably, but football is played on the pitch. Any team can beat another on a given night, and Flick will know better than to get complacent ahead of such an important fixture.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points for Barcelona as they prepare to face Slavia Praha in the Champions League.

Barcelona will have their backs against the wall even before kick-off at the Fortuna Arena, as the home support will do their best to put the Catalan club off their stride. To compound matters, the team will also have to cope with harsh weather .

– Tuesday, 20 January 2026

Temperatures in Prague are expected to drop below zero tonight, and staying warm will not be easy. All these factors, along with the Slavists themselves, will not make life easy for Hansi Flick.

However, Barcelona are no strangers to hostile atmospheres, having recently played in one against Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey. They should know how to get the job done, despite the weather conditions.

As long as they emerge with the three points on the night, nothing else matters more. Yes, there is the small matter of goal difference, but there is a home tie against Copenhagen to target for improving that.

Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Barcelona travel to face Slavia without both Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres. The former is serving a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, while the latter is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

One option could be to deploy Raphinha on the right and Marcus Rashford on the left. Even so, Roony Bardghji has done more than enough to show he deserves to start on the right, especially when Lamine is unavailable.

The last game the Swede started was against Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, and he finished with one goal and two assists. He played at a very high level, and tonight offers another opportunity.

If Roony continues his recent emergence, it gives Barcelona the assurance that they have an able deputy for Lamine. Let us see if the 20-year-old can take his chance tonight.

Barcelona suffered a truly cruel loss to Real Sociedad last weekend, when they simply could not find a way to put the ball in the back of the net. It snapped an eleven-match winning streak for Hansi Flick’s men, and they will be keen to return to winning ways.

On that night, an exceptional Alex Remiro, ably supported by the woodwork and Gil Manzano, prevented the Catalan club from winning. The referee for this game will be the Englishman Chris Kavanagh , and Barcelona will be hoping there is no drama from his end.

When a winning streak breaks, it is a chance to start a new one, and that is how Barcelona should approach this game. The Catalan club should aim to emerge with three points and, hopefully, a strong performance from their trip to the Czech Republic.

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have looked transformed in recent weeks, and even the loss at the Reale Arena was not the result of poor play. Thus, there is little to worry about, and it is time to focus on the upcoming fixtures.