Barcelona continue their Champions League campaign at home to Slavia Prague on Wednesday.
The Catalan side enter the fixture positioned just outside the top eight, with little margin for error as the competition approaches the knockout phase.
Barcelona’s task comes shortly after a domestic setback, with defeat in their last league outing bringing an end to a prolonged winning run.
Hansi Flick’s side will be keen to ensure that disappointment does not spill over into Europe at a time when momentum is vital.
The Champions League has been less forgiving, with three wins, one draw and two defeats leaving Barcelona chasing rather than controlling their destiny.
Slavia arrive having not played a competitive match for over a month due to the pause in their domestic season.
While that absence may leave them physically refreshed, the lack of competitive rhythm could prove costly against elite opposition.
Slavia have struggled throughout the league phase, collecting just three points from six games.
Their position near the foot of the table leaves qualification looking increasingly remote, but not mathematically impossible.
A heavy defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their most recent Champions League outing underlined the scale of the challenge they face.
Goals have been particularly hard to come by, with Slavia scoring just two across the entire league phase.
Despite that record, playing at home offers a measure of belief for a side seeking to salvage pride from their campaign.
Barcelona will be wary of complacency, especially given their defensive vulnerabilities that have surfaced periodically this season.
The visitors’ recent domestic defeat served as a reminder that control does not always translate into results.
That setback narrowed their advantage at the top of La Liga and punctured the sense of inevitability that had surrounded their form.
In Europe, efficiency rather than dominance may prove decisive. Barcelona remain well placed to recover, with two league-phase fixtures still to come.
Victory here would ease the pressure ahead of their final match and restore belief after a rare stumble.
