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After commencing their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Tyneside, Barça were defeated by reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. The Blaugrana returned to their temporary home to hammer Greek giants Olympiacos, before taking a share of the spoils in a six-goal thriller in Brugge.
A sobering 3-0 loss to Chelsea then followed, leaving Barcelona occupying 18th position in the 36-strong Champions League table ahead of matchweek six.
Eintracht Frankfurt find themselves ten places below their upcoming opponents following a nightmare sequence of results, which saw Dino Toppmöller’s men pick up just one point from their last four continental outings.
It all started so well for the 2022 Europa League champions, who battered Galatasaray 5-1 at the Waldstadion on the opening matchday. However, Frankfurt were then on the receiving end of that same scoreline in each of their next two Champions League fixtures, losing heavily to Atlético Madrid in the Spanish capital before taking a spanking on home soil against Liverpool. A credible 0-0 draw with Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona restored hope, but the Eagles came crashing down to earth thanks to last month’s disappointing defeat to Serie A strugglers Atalanta.
That leaves Tuesday’s meeting perfectly poised, as both teams attempt to secure three precious Champions League points in their bid to achieve qualification for the knockout stages.
All of the action from the Camp Nou will be screened live on TNT Sports, the UK’s main broadcaster of UEFA Club Competitions. Coverage commences fifteen minutes ahead of kick-off at 19.45 (BST), with highlights and full match analysis available on the TNT Sport app. A live stream of the match is accessible to discovery+ customers.
Barcelona v Eintracht Frankfurt key information
Date: Tuesday, December 9th
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Camp Nou
TV Channels/Live stream: TNT Sports 4 (TV), discovery+ app (Live stream)
Odds: Barcelona – 1/6, Draw – 13/2, Eintracht Frankfurt – 12/1
Odds provided by bet365
Barcelona v Eintracht Frankfurt team news
Both Hansi Flick and Dino Toppmöller are without key first-team players, although the Barça boss burdens a far more extensive injury list than his German compatriot. Expect the hosts to set up in their usual attacking system, while Toppmöller may look to adopt a slightly more defensive version of his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation at the home of the Spanish champions.
Barcelona team news
The Blaugrana have recently been low on options in the middle of the park, with La Masia graduates Fermín López, Gavi, and Dani Olmo all on the treatment table. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong has been forced to deal with a couple of unplanned absences over the past fortnight.
Gavi required surgery after sustaining a serious knee injury back in August, rendering him out of action until the early stages of 2026. Dani Olmo dislocated his shoulder in the act of scoring Barça’s second goal in Tuesday's 3-1 triumph over Atlético Madrid, while Fermín López is struggling with a calf issue. Although it appears Fermín is in contention to feature against Eintracht Frankfurt, fellow Spanish international midfielder Dani Olmo is out until the end of December. Frenkie de Jong missed the victories over Deportivo Alavés and Atléti, having initially been out due to personal reasons before contracting an illness shortly after.
That all makes Pedri’s return to the fold even more important, as the 23-year-old completes the final stages of his rehabilitation following a nasty hamstring tear.
Having been sent off just before the interval in Barcelona’s defeat at Stamford Bridge, Ronald Araújo now serves a one-match suspension. However, the Uruguayan centre-back has since decided to take some time out to prioritise his mental health.
Barcelona predicted line-up v Eintracht Frankfurt (4-3-3)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Joan García (GK); Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Alejandro Balde; Marc Casadó, Eric García, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha
Eintracht Frankfurt team news
Jonathan Burkardt developed a calf problem during Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-0 loss to Atalanta, and is likely to miss the remainder of the calendar year. The lethal striker was withdrawn a matter of moments before Ademola Lookman’s 60th-minute opener – an ominous sign of what his absence could mean to the five-time DFB-Pokal Cup winners. Having not featured since the 1-0 home win over struggling Mainz in early November, Hugo Larsson is now close to shaking off a niggling muscle injury.
Dino Toppmöller doesn’t tend to make too many personnel changes from week to week, so expect to see a familiar set of faces when the visitors line up on Tuesday evening. Frankfurt boast a settled defensive four, with centre-backs Robin Koch and Arthur Theate – who have both completed an impressive 26 clearances during the current Champions League campaign – organising its movements. Mahmoud Dahoud and Farès Chaïbi will keep things ticking in the middle of the park behind an advanced midfield three, with Michy Batshuayi potentially leading the line.
Eintracht Frankfurt predicted line-up v Barcelona (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Dino Toppmöller
Michael Zetterer (GK); Nnamdi Collins, Robin Koch, Arthur Theate, Nathaniel Brown; Mahmoud Dahoud, Farès Chaïbi; Ritsu Dōan, Mario Götze, Ansgar Knauff; Michy Batshuayi
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
The vast majority of this season’s UEFA Champions League fixtures are shown live on TNT Sports, although Amazon are able to broadcast a match of their choice on a Tuesday evening. Amazon have selected to cover the clash between Inter Milan and Liverpool this week, leaving Barcelona versus Eintracht Frankfurt to be televised on TNT Sports 4.
Those with a discovery+ subscription can follow events at the Camp Nou via the network’s in-house app.
Head-to-head record
Despite both teams regularly participating in UEFA competitions in recent years, Tuesday’s opponents have only met in one previous tie.
Barcelona and Eintracht Frankfurt were drawn against each other at the quarter-final stage of the 2021/22 Europa League campaign, having both navigated their way past tricky Round of 16 opponents. After second-half goals from Ansgar Knauff and Ferran Torres ensured the first leg in Hesse ended all square, the Eagles produced an iconic performance at the Camp Nou to secure safe passage through to the last four. On a night that will be forever etched in the club’s decorated European history, Filip Kostić’s brace and a thumping long-range strike from Rafael Borré put the visitors into an unassailable lead, although stoppage-time goals from Sergio Busquets and Memphis Depay ensured a grandstand finish.
The Germans later eliminated West Ham in the semi-finals to set up a showdown with Rangers in Seville. After the two teams couldn’t be separated following 120 minutes of action, Rafael Borré fired home the last spot-kick of the shootout to earn Eintracht Frankfurt their first piece of continental silverware for over four decades.
Odds for Barcelona v Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt: 12/1 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.