Barcelona welcome Olympiacos to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday night, October 21, 2025, in what already feels like a must-win Champions League clash. Softfootball understands that Hansi Flick’s men are looking to bounce back from that narrow 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, but injuries continue to bite hard.
Team News
The situation in Barcelona’s treatment room is rough, to say the least. Robert Lewandowski (hamstring) remains sidelined, joining Gavi, Joan García, and Marc-André ter Stegen on the absentee list. There are still doubts over Raphinha and Ferran Torres, both dealing with hamstring issues, while Dani Olmo (calf) is another major concern.
On the brighter side, Lamine Yamal and Fermín López are back; the midfielder even granted an earlier pre-game interview where he revealed readiness to help the team in any way possible, even if not quite at 100%. Flick might lean on their youthful energy to exploit Olympiacos’ aggressive high line.
For the visitors, manager José Luis Mendilibar will be without Rodinei (knee) and Gabriel Strefezza (knock), but otherwise, Olympiacos travel with a full squad and plenty of optimism.
Possible Lineups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Gerard Martin; Garcia, De Jong, Casado; Fermin, Yamal, Rashford
Olympiacos (4-2-3-1): Tzolakis; Costinha, Retsos, Pirola, Ortega; Hezze, Dani Garcia; Gelson Martins, Podence, Chiquinho; El Kaabi
Match Preview
Barcelona snapped their two-game losing streak with that tight last-gasp 2-1 win over Girona last weekend, a result that should restore a bit of belief. The Catalans’ European form, though, still needs a spark. Flick’s side may have lost to PSG in their last UCL home outing, but history is on their side. Barça have never lost back-to-back home matches in the competition.
The stats tell a good story too: only two defeats in their last 13 UCL home fixtures (W8, D3), plus eight unbeaten in the league phase before that PSG result. They’ll fancy their chances against an Olympiacos team still searching for their first goal of this season’s group stage.
Barcelona even posted video footages rom their last training session via the teams official X account.
Watch the video below:
Olympiacos haven’t scored in the Champions League yet, drawing blanks against Arsenal and Pafos. Their defensive record is solid, sure, but goals have been a massive issue. The Greek side have lost their last 11 away games in the UCL group phase, conceding at least twice in each of them.
History also leans heavily toward Barça; they’ve won all seven home matches against Greek opposition. Olympiacos, on the other hand, have never beaten a Spanish side away from home (D2, L14).
Softfootball’s Prediction
Given Olympiacos’ scoring struggles and Barcelona’s sheer dominance on home soil, this one looks pretty straightforward — at least on paper. Flick’s men should control the game, dominate possession, and take advantage of set pieces and quick transitions.
We’re going for a 2–0 Barcelona win. Expect goals from Lamine Yamal, who’s scored four in his last five UCL home appearances, and maybe one from Marcus Rashford, who’s starting to find his rhythm. Olympiacos will fight, but it’s hard to see them breaking their Spanish curse here.
