Slavia Prague vs Barcelona predictions and betting tips – Expect one-sided affair

Semi-finalists in the Champions League last season, Barcelona are aiming to go one better this time around. First, though, they must secure their place in the knockout phase of Europe’s premier competition.

Barcelona head to Czechia to face Slavia Prague on matchday seven of the league phase. Is this game a foregone conclusion?

• Barcelona win to nil – 7/5 with BetMGM
• Barca to score in both halves – 5/7 with 247Bet
• Tip Torres to score any time – 41/50 with SBK

Slavia Prague vs Barcelona predictions

Barcelona have not been used to the bitter taste of defeat over the last few months, but they were made to sample it again on Sunday.

Having won 11 consecutive matches in four different competitions going back to the end of November, Barcelona finally came unstuck at the weekend.

A 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad was the first reverse they have suffered in La Liga since Barcelona were second best in the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26.

Their fine form since that loss at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu allowed Hansi Flick’s team to climb above their arch-rivals and into first place.

That is where they remain despite that setback in San Sebastian, but Barcelona’s lead at the summit of the standings has been trimmed to one point.

“I’m not happy. I’m disappointed, we had a lot of clear chances and the result doesn’t reflect what we’ve seen. But I like how we played. We made mistakes in defence, we have to defend better,” Flick said afterwards. 

“We were unfortunate in attack as well. We have to accept it. We must focus on the next game, which is very important. Every three days there are meetings. Today we were unlucky.”

Flick is right that there is no point dwelling on the defeat by Real Sociedad, especially with this match against Slavia Prague coming just 72 hours later. 

Barcelona have work to do in the Champions League. Currently 15th in the table with a two-point gap to eighth, the Catalans are in danger of missing out on a direct path to the round of 16.

Victories over Slavia Prague and Copenhagen might be enough for Barcelona to secure a top-eight finish, but anything less than that would surely condemn them to the play-offs.

That would not necessarily reduce Barcelona’s chances of winning this competition, but it would undoubtedly be an inconvenience, adding two more games to the schedule in February. 

Barca have lost to Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea so far, while a 3-3 draw with Club Brugge was another disappointing night. They cannot afford any more slip-ups over the next week or so.

Slavia Prague are fourth-bottom of the 36-team table and they would be eliminated from the tournament with a defeat by Barcelona on Wednesday.

Quick Slavia Prague vs Barcelona betting stats

• The “Yamal Void”: Barcelona will be without Lamine Yamal tonight as he serves a suspension for yellow card accumulation; he has been their primary creative spark this season.
• Goal drought vs. dominance: Slavia Prague have failed to score in 5 consecutive UCL matches, managing only 2 goals in the entire tournament so far.
• Marcus Rashford’s European form: Rashford has been clinical in Europe since his surprise move to Spain, recording 6 goal involvements (4G, 2A) in this Champions League campaign.
• Defensive reliability: Both teams have conceded exactly 11 goals in 6 matches, suggesting that despite the gap in the table, both backlines are prone to lapses.
• Lewandowski’s landmark: Robert Lewandowski has scored against 38 different opponents in the UCL; if he scores tonight, Slavia will become the 39th victim, pulling him level with Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Lack of rhythm: Slavia has not played a competitive domestic match in over a month (since Dec 13), potentially leading to a “rusty” start against a match-fit Barcelona side.
• Clean sheet rarity: Despite their status, Barcelona have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their 6 UCL matches this season, making “Both Teams to Score” (BTTS) a tempting statistical play.

Slavia Prague vs Barcelona predicted lineups

Slavia Prague vs Barcelona betting tips

Barcelona will resume their Champions League campaign against Slavia Prague on Wednesday night.

Clean sheet beckons

Slavia Prague won the Czech league last season to qualify for the Champions League, but they have found it difficult to compete at this level.

Draws with Bodo/Glimt, Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao were hard-fought and there can be no doubting the team’s work ethic, but Slavia have lacked quality.

They have only scored two goals in the league phase – the fewest in the competition – and both of those came on matchday one.

Barcelona should emerge victorious without too much difficulty and we are backing them to keep a clean sheet too. They have tightened up defensively in recent weeks and that should serve them well in Prague.

Pick Barcelona to win to nil at 7/5 with BetMGM

Barca attack to shine

Barcelona will not have a full-strength attacking line-up available to them on Wednesday, but we still expect them to have plenty of joy in the final third.

Slavia Prague have not been the worst defensive team in this tournament so far, but their backline will be severely tested by Barcelona.

Goal difference could ultimately be a factor in determining who qualifies directly for the round of 16, so Barcelona are incentivised to try and win big in Czechia.

With such attacking talent at their disposal, the Blaugrana are capable of finding the back of the net both before and after half-time.

Choose Barcelona to score in both halves at 5/7 with 247Bet

Tip Torres to score

Lamine Yamal will sit this one out due to suspension, while Raphinha needs to be assessed after missing the Real Sociedad game.

Barcelona are hopeful that the Brazil international will be fit enough to feature on Wednesday, but they will not want to take any risks.

Ferran Torres could be deployed out wide in place of either Yamal or Raphinha, leaving Robert Lewandowski free to lead the line. Alternatively, Torres could start up top.

Wherever he plays, Barcelona’s top scorer this season will be a thorn in the side of the Slavia Prague defence.

Go for Ferran Torres to score any time at 41/50 with SBK

Slavia Prague vs Barcelona odds

Find the latest Slavia Prague vs Barcelona betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Where to watch Slavia Prague vs Barcelona

• Location: Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czechia.
• Date and time: Wednesday 21st January, 8pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 6.

More Champions League predictions

We have plenty more Champions League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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