Three talking points as Barcelona are set to take on Club Brugge in the Champions League | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to take a trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League. Having thwarted Olympiacos 6-1 in the previous round, the Catalan club sits comfortably with two wins from three games but will know the importance of a victory tonight.

Next up on the horizon is a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, and that is far from a straightforward game. Thus, getting three points against Brugge could go a long way towards setting them up for one of the top eight places.

Although not at their best in recent weeks, Hansi Flick’s side managed a 3-1 win against Elche over the weekend. However, there is still work to do, especially in terms of cohesive pressing and holding the line better.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points for Barcelona as they look set to take on Club Brugge in the Champions League.

How do Barcelona manage Lamine Yamal?

Lamine had a very poor performance in the Clasico against Real Madrid, with much said about his display. He looked far from fit against Los Blancos, which raised concerns over his fitness levels.

In the last game, against Elche, the teenager looked close to his best in the early stages and even got on the scoresheet. However, as the game went on, his discomfort seemed to hamper him again.

Given that he is suffering from pubalgia, Barcelona need to be very careful in how they handle Lamine. The club is not in a position to give him complete rest, considering the number of injuries Flick is having to contend with.

However, Barcelona need to manage his minutes better and either use him off the bench against Brugge, giving Roony Bardghji a start, or take him off irrespective of whether they are leading by a comfortable scoreline or not.

Beware, Frenkie and Casado!

Both Frenkie and Casado are on yellow cards coming into the game and are one away from an accumulation that would see them miss the trip to Stamford Bridge. Considering Barcelona’s appalling midfield depth at the moment, this is a risk Flick can ill afford.

Pedri is expected to return in time for Chelsea, should his recovery progress as planned, but if he does not make it, that leaves Casado and Frenkie as the only viable options to play the pivot role, not factoring in Eric Garcia.

Frenkie is experienced and has the ability to manoeuvre through a game without picking up a booking, but Casado’s tackle-heavy game puts him at a disadvantage. If he gets one of those tackles slightly wrong, he could go into the referee’s book.

Alternatively, Flick could choose to leave Casado out against Brugge, keeping this in mind, and start Eric in midfield with Cubarsi partnering Araujo in defence.

Wake up, Jules!

One of Barcelona’s best players last season, when they won the domestic treble, was Jules Kounde. The Frenchman established himself as arguably the best right-back in the world alongside Achraf Hakimi and looked like a mainstay in Flick’s team.

Since the beginning of the 2025/26 season, however, Kounde seems a pale shadow of his former self. All the progress he showed last season seems to have evaporated, and the ex-Sevilla defender is playing within himself.

He does not get forward as much as he did last year to provide Lamine with support, and his attacking returns have diminished. Defensively, he does not always look switched on and is often caught out in one-on-one duels.

Barcelona desperately need Kounde to wake up. He is their only viable option at right-back, although Eric has outshone him in that position, and Flick will be hoping the Frenchman returns to his best against Brugge.