Barcelona and Celtic will be facing off on Tuesday in the Champions League first phase and with Lionel Messi missing from the lineup, the club will have to be on top of its game at Celtic Park for the away match, as they hope to get some payback for last season's group play.
The two clubs will be ready for a tough game on Tuesday and Barcelona knows it will have to be at its best to make up for his absence and this comes after a 2-0 victory against Almeria in La Liga play, where the club is so far undefeated this season. Messi was in the game on Saturday for the 2-0 victory, but he did not complete it after scoring the first goal, as the team pulled him from the match and now he will be out for Tuesday's contest against Celtic.
At first it appeared that Messi might not have been serious injured, but the tests after the game showed it was significant enough to have him miss the next match and he might be out for a couple weeks while healing up from the injury. The club plays on Tuesday and then again on Saturday, as Valladolid will be coming to Camp Nou and it is unclear how much more time Messi could miss.
This season in La Liga play, Messi has eight goals and three assists in six games with 34 shots and his loss could mean another surprise for Celtic. The team was able to win at home last year by the score of 2-1 to stun Barcelona and now without Messi in the fold, they have the chance to do it again. Messi injured his thigh in the game on Saturday and Cesc Fabregas has tasked his teammates to step their games up for Tuesday to win without Messi in the lineup, as the evening match could be crucial for the club in the Champions League
Messi could be out for multiple weeks with the injury and Fabregas said the team must find its way despite not having the best player in the world in the lineup and one player that could step up to ensure a win is Neymar, who has played well for team in stretches this season. Celtic plays tough in Scotland and Barcelona knows that after the game last year when they won there as well.
The match will be broadcast on BVC Radio in Scotland and will be live on television as well and the club is hoping for a solid win to get things moving in the right direction. Barca has plenty of scoring options with Neymar, Alexis Sanchez, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas despite Messi being out and if one of those players can step up, it could be a very exciting game on both ends.
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