Champions league: Group E: BARCELONA vs. STUTTGART

Although the outcome of this group E match won’t change the final standings of the teams involved, it will still give the two coaches the opportunity to rest some of the players and at the same time try out new ideas. Barcelona goes into this game having already won the group, and coach Frank Rijkaard will want to give his midfield and forward regulars a break. So I don’t expect to see Leo Messi on the pitch or for that matter Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta. Also out through injury will be Thierry Henry and it is doubtful whether Ivory Coast midfielder Touré Yaya will make the fitness test in time. It is more likely that he will be left out to concentrate on getting 100% for the next league match. Samuel Eto’o and Deco both managed to play some part in the two one home win over Deportivo de la Coruña at the weekend, and will probably be given some minutes in this game too. Their next league match is away to Valencia and then at home to Real Madrid in the classic, so the next two matches could really make or break Barca’s season.

Stuttgart are bottom of the group and can’t even hope for a UEFA cup place. In the Bundesliga they aren’t having much of a season either, being stuck in eighth position and nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They will probably be glad to get this match over and done with so they can concentrate on winning a UEFA cup spot in next year’s competition. They also have just one more domestic league match to play before the Bundesliga ends for the winter break, so this might be a good time for coach Armin Veh to try out some new ideas or give some of the players who haven’t figured much a run out.

You really have to fancy Barcelona for this game. Even without the ‘fantastic four’, they will still have enough talent to easily wipe Stuttgart out of the way with another triumph. Rijkaard would be very wise to rest his best players though, as the next two games in Barca’s fixture list are much more important than this one.

Prediction: Home win (3-0)