Winless in the their last 12 trips in
Spain, Celtic face a tough test at the
Nou Camp in Tuesday's Champs
League action.
With Lionel Messi running rampant in
attack, Barcelona must tighten their
leaky defence against Celtic knowing a
win on Tuesday will give them total
control of Group G in the European
Champions League.
Messi scored his club record 21st
career hat trick in Barcelona's wild 5-4
victory at Deportivo La Coruna on
Saturday, which kept them at the top
of the Spanish league alongside
Atletico Madrid.
But it's been a decade since the
Catalan team last conceded 11 league
goals through the first eight rounds,
and Celtic will look to exploit the
vulnerability at the Camp Nou after
coming off a win at Spartak Moscow.
Spartak host Benfica in the other
group match, and the Portuguese club
are already facing a must-win
scenario after taking only one point
from their opening two games.
Barcelona are hopeful centre back
Gerard Pique will return from a foot
injury with Carles Puyol sidelined and
makeshift pair Alex Song and Javier
Mascherano unconvincing in a league
victory that maintained Barcelona's
unbeaten start to the season.
Main man
Messi's 15 goals - including a league-
high 11 - are the main reason
Barcelona are unbeaten through 10
games this season.
"Statistics are just a detail, the
important thing is that we keep on
winning,'' Messi said after his 59th
goal of the calendar year.
The Argentina forward has already
scored 71 goals for club and country
in 2012 to leave himself only four shy
of matching Pele's record of 75 in a
single year in 1959.
"I don't know how you can stop him,''
said Celtic assistant coach Johan
Mjallby, who watched Messi's
performance against Deportivo.
"He doesn't really play as a
recognised striker. We know we can't
switch off for a second. We know they
are brilliant going forward.''
Messi's goals have been aided by Cesc
Fabregas, who stepped in to Xavi
Hernandez's usual playmaking role
with ease in guiding the attack at
Deportivo. The former Arsenal captain
has turned into a versatile player for
coach Tito Vilanova, who has used
him in various positions throughout
one of the best starts by any
Barcelona coach to a season.
"I've always had confidence in my
abilities and I'm working really hard,''
Fabregas said.
"I've felt really comfortable in this
system since the start of the season.''
Celtic are coming off their first
Champions League away win in 21
matches but Barcelona are unbeaten
at home in 17 in the competition.
Celtic are winless in 12 trips to Spain
although the Scottish team have
managed two draws at the Camp Nou
in three visits.
Crucial points
Benfica, coming off a draw at Celtic
and a home loss to Barcelona,
travelled to Moscow without midfield
trio Pablo Aimar, Nolito and Carlos
Martins, who are all injured. Their
absence has made room for
midfielder Nico Gaitan's return.
Benfica are unbeaten in the
Portuguese league this season, but
their poor form in Europe has earned
them only one point and put the
team in danger of slipping further
behind in the race to reach the next
round.
Spartak are doing even worse after
their defence gave up leads in two 3-2
losses in the opening games. Spartak
are without forward Pavel Yakovlev
(right knee), first-choice goalkeeper
Andriy Dykan (shoulder), defender
Sergei Parshivlyuk (knee) and Brazilian
midfielder Romulo (knee).
Backup goalkeeper Sergei Pesyakov is
also doubtful because of a foot injury
sustained in Saturday's 2-1 loss to
Anzi Makhachkala.
"We must beat Benfica to keep alive
our chances to continue playing in
Europe after the Champions League
group stage,'' Spartak coach Unai
Emery said.
Benfica's last victory in Russia came in
1996 at Lokomotiv Moscow.
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