Barcelona (3) v Leverkusen (1): Venue: Camp Nou Kick-off: 7.45pm On TV: TV3, UTV:BAYER LEVERKUSEN face what looks to be the near-impossible task of putting three goals past Barcelona at the Nou Camp tonight and to do so they will need to dethrone the undisputed passing kings of Europe.
Holders Barca, who won last month’s Champions League last-16 first leg in Leverkusen 3-1, have conceded just five goals in 13 home La Liga games this season and let in only two at the Camp Nou in their three group matches.
A big reason opponents find it so difficult to score against Pep Guardiola’s side is that they rarely go a game without having the ball for at least 70 per cent of the time, their mesmerising passing game grinding teams into submission. In Europe’s top five leagues, Barca playmaker Xavi has completed by far the most passes in the opponents’ half this season with 1,553.
Their world player of the year Lionel Messi, Champions League top scorer this term with seven goals, is second with 1,351 passes while fullback Daniel Alves is fourth on 1,215 – sandwiched between Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso with 1,271 and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta on 1,207.
Barca, missing the suspended Messi, had Gerard Pique sent off just after half-time at home to La Liga strugglers Sporting Gijon on Saturday but managed a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Andres Iniesta, Seydou Keita and Xavi.
Leverkusen’s Swiss forward Eren Derdiyok has recovered from an injury picked up on international duty last week.
Barca will be without Alexis Sanchez, who scored twice in the first leg, after the Chile forward damaged an adductor muscle in the Gijon game and will be sidelined for between 10 and 15 days. Fullback Eric Abidal is also out.
PROBABLE TEAMS: Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Adriano; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Pedro
Leverkusen: Leno; Schwaab, Friedrich, Toprak, Kadlec; Bender, Reinartz, Castro, Augusto, Schuerrle; Kiessling.
APOEL NICOSIA (0) v OLYMPIQUE LYON (1)
The GSP Stadium is set to be rocked to its foundations by 20,000 frenzied APOEL Nicosia fans when the Cypriot side bid to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat by Olympique Lyon (Sky Sports 1) . Coach Ivan Jovanovic has a fully fit squad and spirits are high after two league wins revived title hopes for APOEL who sit third in their championship.
Lyon lost 2-0 at strugglers Nancy in Ligue 1 as their hopes of playing in the Champions League next season took another blow on Saturday. They will be without playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who has been ruled out with a groin injury but expect to welcome back centre back Dejan Lovre
