Lewandowski Primed to Lead Barcelona's Attack Against Club Brugge in Crucial Clash
Barcelona are gearing up for their initial meeting with Belgian outfit Club Brugge since 2002, having bounced back from their El Clásico loss with a commanding 3–1 triumph over Elche during the weekend.
Hansi Flick has navigated through a series of injury concerns and the ongoing saga surrounding the return to Camp Nou, but Barça could position themselves favorably heading into the November international window if they secure victories in their remaining fixtures this week.
They're making the journey to Bruges for Matchday 4 of their Champions League journey, having claimed victory in two of their opening three matches. The setback against Paris Saint-Germain has left them outside the top-eight qualification spots, but a relatively favorable conclusion to their group stage fixtures suggests Barça will be confident about mounting a strong campaign finish.
The injury situation remains unchanged from Sunday's victory, with Flick selecting a 22-player roster for Wednesday's fixture. Here's the potential Barça formation at the Jan Breydelstadion.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Club Brugge (4-2-3-1)
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—The Polish goalkeeper delivered several outstanding saves to keep Sunday's match comfortable and will retain his position in goal. Joan García and Marc-André ter Stegen remain unavailable due to injury.
RB: Jules Koundé—Koundé hasn't reached his peak performance levels at the beginning of 2025–26 but Flick is expected to rely on him once more. The defender will likely face significant challenges from Brugge's standout player, Christos Tzolis.
CB: Ronald Araújo—The skipper could have done better to stop Rafa Mir's goal on Sunday, but the Clásico loss should have demonstrated to Flick that depending on Eric García and Pau Cubarsí as a central defensive duo isn't viable. Araújo holds a crucial position until the January transfer period.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Squad rotation should see the young defender return to the starting eleven. He remained on the bench during Sunday's triumph.
LB: Gerard Martín—Some of Martín's finest performances for the club have come in European competition, and while Alejandro Balde is crucial for Flick's plans, we might witness Barça's regular left-back getting some midweek rest.
CM: Frenkie de Jong—De Jong is displaying excellent form, stepping up admirably in Pedri's absence during the weekend. The Dutch midfielder will face examination from a Brugge pressing system that typically intensifies at home.
CM: Marc Casadó—Flick has relied on Casadó following Pedri's injury, which occurred during the Clásico. The Spanish player, who had his breakthrough campaign in 2024–25, is expected to partner De Jong again on Wednesday.
AM: Fermín López—The youth academy product has been Barça's standout performer in recent matches, and he netted his maiden hat-trick for the club during the 6–1 demolition of Olympiacos in Matchday 3.
RW: Lamine Yamal—The Clásico controversy is now in the past and Yamal returned to his usual standards at the weekend, finding the net first in the win against Elche. The youngster hasn't dominated European matches this season yet, but perhaps he'll shine in Bruges.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—Physical concerns have restricted the experienced forward at the start of 2025–26, but we might see the Champions League's third-highest goalscorer of all time make his initial start since October 5 on Wednesday evening, considering that Ferran Torres has recently returned from his own injury setback.
LW: Marcus Rashford—Raphinha continues to be unavailable, so Flick will once again feature the Manchester United loanee in his starting formation. Rashford, similar to López, is showing good form, and his weekend goal was decisive.
