Only one team truly needs the three points, but facing Barcelona is motivation enough on its own to bring out a strong performance. That said, Slavia Prague have only slim chances of breaking into the top 24. The gap is 4 points with just 6 available, meaning the margin for error is extremely small.

The home side would realistically need something close to a miracle, starting with two consecutive victories, beginning here against Barcelona.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have managed this fixture carefully. Raphinha was rested last weekend in La Liga specifically to be fully fit for this important match. A victory here would allow Barça to climb into the top-eight zone and move closer to direct qualification for the Round of 16.

Another factor working against Slavia Prague is the lack of competitive domestic football. Due to the January league break, they have not played an official match since 13.12.25, featuring only in friendlies, a rhythm that rarely matches competitive intensity.

In addition, Slavia are dealing with a long list of absentees, now totaling 12 unavailable players.

Barcelona also have notable absences, including Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Andreas Christensen.