Matchday 4 of the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) and Barcelona (Spain) will take place on November 6 at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade. Crvena Zvezda vs. Barcelona: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Espen Eskas (Norway)
Matches – 12 (International matches, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 47;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 17%.
Predicted lineups for Crvena Zvezda vs. Barcelona
Crvena Zvezda (4-2-3-1): Omri Glazer – Uros Spajic, Nasser Djiga, Vanja Drkusic, Sol Yen U – Rade Krunic, Timi Elsnik – Silas, Andrija Maksimovic, Peter Olayinka – Bruno Duarte.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Inaki Pena – Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Alex Balde – Marc Casado, Pedri – Raphinha Dias, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal – Robert Lewandowski.
Crvena Zvezda
The Balkan team has yet to earn a point, alongside five other clubs. Moreover, the Serbs, along with Slovan, have conceded the most goals in the group stage of the Champions League – 11 goals. At home, the team lost to Benfica 1-2 and suffered heavy away defeats to Inter (0-4) and Monaco (1-5). Crvena Zvezda has not impressed in this tournament, losing 10 of their last 13 matches (1 win, 2 draws).
Defender Aden Avdic and midfielders Nemanja Radonjic, Peter Olayinka, and Mirko Ivanic will miss the match due to injuries.
- At least three goals have been scored in 11 of the last 13 matches involving the Serbs in the Champions League.
- Both teams have scored in 10 of the last 13 games for Crvena Zvezda in this tournament.
- The club has conceded first in 8 of the last 9 matches in this European competition.
Barcelona
The Catalans had a rough start to the group stage, losing away to Monaco (1-2). However, Hans Flick's side won their next two home matches convincingly. They first thrashed Young Boys (5-0) and then surprisingly defeated Bayern Munich (4-1). The Catalans are currently in 10th place. Notably, their high conversion rate has seen them score the second-most goals (10) after three rounds, trailing only Borussia Dortmund (12 goals).
Due to injuries, defenders Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia, midfielder Marc Bernal, forward Ferran Torres, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the match.
- Three or more goals have been scored in Barcelona's last six Champions League matches.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of the last 9 games involving the Catalans in this tournament.
- The club has not won the second half in 10 previous away matches in this European competition (6 draws, 4 losses).
Crvena Zvezda vs. Barcelona: Match Prediction
The odds heavily favor a win for the visitors, which is not surprising given the form of the Spanish side. The Catalans are confidently leading in La Liga, scoring plenty of goals, and in late October, they delighted the football world with big wins over Europe's top clubs – Bayern Munich (4-1) and Real Madrid (4-0). Notably, the Madrid side was defeated at the Santiago Bernabeu.
I believe the Catalans will secure an easy victory in this match. The win is likely to be substantial, with the Spaniards scoring at least three goals. Barcelona has scored this many goals in their last seven matches in La Liga and the Champions League. Meanwhile, the Serbs conceded a total of nine goals in their last two matches against Inter and Monaco. In the previous two seasons of this tournament, the Balkans conceded two goals even against modest opponents like Young Boys and Bodo/Glimt.
My prediction – Barcelona Individual Total Over 2.5
