Sports
Barcelona Host Feyenoord in Champions League Opener as Flick Eyes European Glory
By Matt Law
Barcelona will open their 2026-27 Champions League league-stage campaign on Wednesday evening, welcoming Dutch side Feyenoord to the Camp Nou. The Catalan club are chasing their first European Cup triumph since 2015, while Feyenoord, who last lifted the trophy in 1970, arrive with ambitions of their own.
Barcelona have made an impressive start to the 2026-27 season, winning all four of their opening La Liga matches against Elche, Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, scoring 17 goals in the process to sit atop the table. Despite this domestic form, head coach Hansi Flick and the club are widely believed to view the Champions League as their primary target this season.
Barcelona's most recent European Cup success came in 2015, their fifth overall, but they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2025-26 tournament by Atletico Madrid. The previous season, 2024-25, saw them reach the semi-finals before a fragile defence proved costly. Questions remain over whether their backline can support a title challenge this year, though their attacking talent remains a major strength.
Historically, Barcelona have met Feyenoord only twice, both in the last-16 round of the 1974-75 European Cup, with the Spanish side winning 3-0 on aggregate.
Feyenoord, meanwhile, head into the match in strong form, unbeaten in five matches with three wins. Under coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the club finished second in the Eredivisie last season and recently beat Nijmegen 3-1. The Rotterdam side have not lost in any competition, including friendlies, since March.
Feyenoord's greatest European achievement remains their 1970 European Cup victory, when they defeated Celtic 2-1 in the final, with Ove Kindvall and Ruud Geels combining for 13 goals during that campaign. More recently, however, the club struggled in Europe, failing to progress past the league phase of the 2025-26 Europa League and losing in the third qualifying round of the 2025-26 Champions League. Their last appearance in the Champions League proper came in 2024-25, when they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Inter Milan, losing 4-1 on aggregate.
Team news
Barcelona will be missing Frenkie de Jong (knee), Roony Bardghji (knee) and the suspended Eric Garcia for the match. Jesse Bisiwu (contusion) is a doubt but has returned to training. With Garcia unavailable, Jules Kounde is expected to fill in at right-back. Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo and Karim Adeyemi are all in contention for starts given their recent form, though they may begin on the bench. Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon and Fermin Lopez are set to support Raphinha in attack.
For Feyenoord, Thomas Beelen (broken leg), Bart Nieuwkoop (unknown), Gjis Smal (ankle), Jakub Moder (knee) and Jordan Bos (knee) are all sidelined. Gjivai Zechiel, who has scored four goals and provided three assists in five appearances this season, is expected to start in central midfield. Luciano Valente, with three goals in five games, is also likely to feature, alongside Nacho Ferri up front. Shaqueel van Persie, son of former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, is expected to be among the substitutes.
Possible lineups
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Christensen, Espart; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Gordon; Raphinha
Feyenoord: Ernst; Read, Juste, Watanabe, Marmol; Vanhoutte, Zechiel, Targhalline; Valente, Ferri, Diarra
Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Feyenoord. Feyenoord's strong start to the season could make this a competitive fixture, but Barcelona are expected to secure the win.