On Wednesday, January 29, the last match of the group stage of this renewed Champions League will be played between Barça and Atalanta. The match starts at 9:00 PM, with the curious fact that the entire matchday is played at the same time to determine both the play-offs and the top 8. Additionally, this duel is unprecedented, as Catalans and Italians have never faced each other in this competition.
The referee for this match will be the Englishman Michael Oliver and in the VAR he will have the help of Jarred Gillet. The Briton has officiated Barça up to three times, with a general balance of one win, one draw, and one loss. This referee has been in the spotlight in recent hours after receiving death threats for sending off an Arsenal player in the last league match.
How Barça arrives
The blaugranas have regained that overwhelming team feeling, the match against Valencia was a good example of this, scoring up to 7 goals. While it's true that in the League they weren't being very strong, in the Champions League the team's image has never changed and has even improved with each matchday. Just last week, they secured 3 points after an epic comeback against a Benfica that was winning 4-2 in the 70th minute.
Flick praised Atalanta's coach, Gasperini, and his way of playing in a press conference, as "it's unique in Europe" and also makes them "score many goals". Regarding Lookman's absence, one of the 'Dea's stars, he believes it won't change their play style because "they follow very clear automatisms and patterns". Finally, he didn't want to clarify who will be the starting goalkeeper nor did he want to comment on the transfer market, as he is very happy with his team.
The only doubt the German has for the team selection is whether he can count on Dani Olmo, who was injured a week ago. The known absence is Christensen, who will be out for another 3 weeks due to a hamstring problem.
How Atalanta arrives
The Bergamo team arrives at this match without having secured their direct qualification for the round of 16, although they are currently seventh. They are only one point away from six other teams fighting to skip that preliminary phase, so not scoring would almost 100% ensure they have to play the play-off. The good news is they are not in a bad dynamic, as they have won the last two league matches, placing them third.
The Italian coach commented that he is very happy to face Barça for the first time, as he considers it the best team "to watch". He believes this match is very good for his players to compare themselves and see how competitive they can be against a top-tier opponent. To conclude, when asked about Szczęsny's mistakes against Benfica, he downplayed them and said it doesn't "diminish his value."
Regarding the team, Lookman's unexpected absence is the main novelty in the Italian team. The Nigerian forward and African Ballon d'Or winner injured his knee during Monday's training session.
Match keys
Avoid complications: that agonizing victory in Lisbon left the qualification for the round of 16 on track, in fact, the worst they could finish is fourth. However, securing another 3 points would ensure (if Liverpool wins) that you avoid the 'reds' until the final. Additionally, the theory says you would avoid a strong opponent in the round of 16, although if everything ends as it is now, it could be Real Madrid.
Defensive transitions: the Bergamo team will not want to be the owner of the ball, they will try to take advantage of those counterattacks after losing possession to cause damage. Defensive return will be essential, hence we will see if he bets on Frenkie or keeps Casadó in the pivot position. Also important is the height of the blaugrana full-backs, considering that the Italians play with a back three and two wing-backs.
Ferran Torres's moment: the Valencian replied to Sunday's starting position with another goal, the seventh across all competitions. He is currently going through his best moment, with important goals and key assists, such as the one he gave to Raphinha for the 4-5. It would be difficult to think that he will take the starting position from Lewandowski, but having him as a reliable substitute is something that hasn't been available until now.
Dispel doubts: against Benfica, Szczęsny was not very accurate, as he committed a penalty and gave away a goal after a bad exit. However, it seems Flick is clear that 'Tek' is his starting goalkeeper and therefore will give him his confidence for the rest of the season. The Pole needs to improve in some aspects of the game, especially when leaving the area and in 1vs1 situations.
