Slavia Prague v Barcelona is a decisive game in the league-phase of the UEFA Champions League, where the competition reaches its final run. It will also be played on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, and the pressure on both clubs is very different.
Barcelona comes to the game with the knowledge that this is an important game in their European campaign. Catalan club is placed at the 15 th position in the league-phase table with 10 points, two points behind the eighth-placed Atletico Madrid, thus victory is necessary in order to keep the hopes of automatic qualification alive.
The team of Hansi Flick enters the match following a challenging loss in the domestic arena. The La Liga loss to Real Sociedad that Barcelona had recently experienced was the culmination of an 11 matches of consecutive winning streak, even though the club had numerous chances and five shots on the woodwork.
The finding has intensified concentration within the team before this European tour. Barcelona under Flick has recorded steady attacking production in the Champions League, yet the weak defensive deficiencies against serious rivals have denied them a chance to rise to greater heights in the competition.
Slavia Prague come at the match with a much different standing in the table. The Czech heroes are in the 33rd position at the league stage, and they have been scoring very poorly; they have not scored in four matches in the Champions League this season.
At home, though, Slavia are competitive and leaders of the Czech league. Their final competitive appearance was a league victory against Jablonec in mid-December, and the domestic program is now on recess.
As part of the struggle, Slavia in Europe has created strong home performances. They also drew 0-0 with Athletic Club in Prague and also drew 0-0 in Atalanta, demonstrating defensive organisation when facing tough competition.
The choice of the squad of Barcelona is going to be followed with close attention on the night. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out with a back injury, and Ferran Torres is also out of action with a thigh issue, leaving Flick with little choice.
Influential personalities are supposed to spearhead the reaction on the pitch. Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal are all on the list, and Barcelona has an outstanding attacker that should be used in this vital game. Barcelona recently defeated Real Madrid in the Super Copa final. On the other side, Xabi left the Real Madrid Club due to a discussion between the players.
The difficulty of playing in Prague is emphasized by previous encounters between the parties. This was the result of their last encounter in the Champions League in 2019-2,0 when Barcelona won 2-1 in the away game and scored 0-0 at home.
In the case of Barcelona, the way ahead is easy since the group stage is about to come to an end. A win in Slavia Prague vs Barcelona would keep their hopes of making it to the top eight in their own properties before the last matchday.
