Club Brugge and FC Barcelona face each other this Wednesday in Belgium for matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League league stage. The team led by Hansi Flick are coming off a thrashing of Olympiacos (6-1) in Montjuïc, while Nicky Hayden's team are coming off a loss in Munich against Bayern (4-0).

Although both teams are only separated by 3 points, Barça clearly comes in as the favorite to take the victory at the Jan Breydel Stadium. The Catalans turned the page after the defeat against Real Madrid in El Clásico by defeating Elche (3-1) and, in their first away game in the Champions League, they did the same by beating Newcastle.

In the Champions League, Brugge and Barça only met in the group stage of 2002/03, with a pair of Catalan victories (3-2 at Camp Nou, 0-1 in Belgium). Previously, in 2000/01, the Azulgranas had also won at the Jan Breydel (0-29 in the UEFA Cup.

  • 📺 Where and when to watch the match: the channels that broadcast the Brugge-Barcelona match SEE

Barça looks to settle into the TOP-8 of the Champions League group stage

After the thrashing of Olympiacos, Flick's team climbed to 9th place in the overall standings. In that sense, a win on Wednesday in Bruges could put Barça inside the TOP-8 that gives direct access to the round of 16, without depending on the repechage in February 2026.

The "culés" began their journey in the playoffs with a victory in Newcastle thanks to a double by Marcus Rashford. Afterwards, Barça fell in Montjuïc against PSG (1-2), but recovered from that defeat with a thrashing of Olympiacos, also at home. So far, the team has 9 goals for and 4 against in the tournament.

BARÇA AND BRUGES LAST 5 MATCHES
H/A BARÇA BRUGES H/A
H 🟢 3-1 vs Elche 2-1 vs Dender H 🟢
A 🔴 2-1 vs R. Madrid 6-1 vs Eendracht  H 🟢
H 🟢 6-1 vs Olympiacos* 0-1 vs Antwerp A 🟢
H 🟢 2-1 vs Girona 4-0 vs Bayern* A 🔴
A 🔴 4-1 vs Sevilla 0-1 vs Leuven A 🟢
  • *Champions League Match
  • H: Home
  • A: Away
  • V: Visitor

Bruges, on the other hand, had a great debut in the Champions League, thrashing Monaco at home (4-1), but then the Belgians fell in consecutive matches against Atalanta (2-1) and Bayern (4-0). This made them drop to 22nd place in the table with 5 goals for and 7 against.

Nicky Hayden's team overcame the Scottish Rangers in the last qualifying round (9-1 on aggregate) and, in their league, they have 29 points in 13 games, 3 less than the leader Union Saint Gilloise. 

  • ℹ️ Squad list: the players called up by Hansi Flick for the Brugge-Barcelona match: SEE

Hansi Flick Could Repeat Starting XI Against Brugge, Except for One Adjustment in Defense 

Club Brugge vs FC Barcelona: probable lineups and absences for the Champions League match

Looking ahead to matchday 4 of the Champions League, Hansi Flick repeated the squad list and may keep his starting XI almost intact compared to the League match against Elche. The coach finally decided against including Andreas Christensen in the match as a precaution, as the Dane is still suffering from some discomfort in his right soleus.

The defender joins Joan García and Raphinha on the list of absentees against Brugge. The goalkeeper and the winger are expected to return after the November break, while Pedri González will be out for around a month with a left thigh injury. The other two absentees are Ter Stegen and Gavi, both out for a long time after undergoing surgery.

In that regard, Barça could take to the Jan Breydel stadium again with Szczesny in goal. Koundé and Balde will be the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsí could replace Ronald Araujo as Eric García's partner in the center.

From midfield forward, everything seems very clear: Marc Casadó will once again accompany Frenkie de Jong, with Fermín López as attacking midfielder. Up front, Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford complete the offensive trident alongside Ferran Torres. Unlike the match against Olympiacos, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo will be available.

  • 👉 Lineups: the possible starting XI for Club Brugge and FC Barcelona: SEE

Bruges look to spring another surprise at home in the Champions League 

Bruges, meanwhile, will not be able to count on the experienced goalkeeper Simon Mignolet or the former Barça Atlètic midfielder, Ludovit Reis. The left back Bjorn Meijer is also out. In any case, Nicky Hayden is confident that they can spring a surprise at home, just as they did against Monaco on matchday 1.

That day, the Belgians surprised the French defense with three goals before halftime. Tresoldi, Onyedika, and Vanaken scored between the 32nd and 42nd minute to decide the match. In the second half, Diakhon made it four against a Monaco side that had already given up. Ansu Fati scored a consolation goal near the end.

Prior to the match against Barça, Brugge had only lost to Bayern, adding three league wins and another in the cup with a balance of 10 goals for and only 2 against. The Catalans, on the other hand, have fallen in their last two away games (Seville and Real Madrid), which means they know they cannot give advantages in defense to a team that very well exploits aerial play and fast transitions.