Antwerp vs Barcelona facts

Antwerp have a final chance to claim their first UEFA Champions League point as they end their campaign at home to Barcelona, who need a draw in Belgium to make sure of first place in Group H.

The Belgian side kicked off their first Champions League campaign with a 5-0 loss in Barcelona and have also been beaten in their next four games, overall scoring three goals and conceding 15 – the most of any team after Matchday 5.

Barcelona, by contrast, have won four of their five matches to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in three seasons. They are three points above both Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk and will make sure of winning their section for a record 19th time with a point or better.

The respective coaches, Mark van Bommel and Xavi Hernández, were in the side that claimed Barcelona's second European Cup in 2005/06 and also lifted the Liga title in the same campaign.

Previous meetings 

Antwerp's Champions League debut proved a chastening experience in Barcelona on Matchday 1, the home side opening up a 3-0 lead before a quarter of the match had elapsed thanks to João Félix (11), Robert Lewandowski (19) and a Jelle Bataille own goal (22). Second-half strikes from Gavi (54) and João Félix again (66) earned Barcelona's biggest Champions League win since the 6-1 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the 2016/17 round of 16 second leg.

That was the sides' first meeting in UEFA competition although they did face off in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round in 1965/66, Barcelona overturning a 2-1 first-leg defeat in Belgium with a 2-0 success at the Camp Nou.

Form guide

Antwerp

Record vs Spanish clubs: W0 D0 L3 F1 A13
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W0 D0 L1

Antwerp's only previous European Cup tie before this season is also their only other experience of Spanish opposition, Real Madrid winning 2-1 in Duerne in the 1957/58 first round first leg with Alfredo Di Stéfano scoring both goals before Héctor Rial's first-half hat-trick set up a 6-0 second-leg home victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Antwerp were the champions of Belgium for the fifth time, and the first since 1957, in 2022/23, a 94th-minute goal from Toby Alderweireld on the final day of the season securing a 2-2 draw with Genk to snatch the title.

Van Bommel's side also lifted the Belgian Cup for the second time in four seasons to complete a first domestic double.

Antwerp then beat AEK Athens 1-0 at home – despite playing almost half the match with ten men following Jelle Bataille's 50th-minute red card – and 2-1 away in the play-offs to reach the Champions League group stage in what was their first European Cup contest in 66 years.

After opening with the 5-0 defeat at Barcelona, Antwerp lost 3-2 at home to Shakhtar – having led 2-0 – and subsequently went down away (0-2) and at home (1-4) to Porto before a 1-0 away loss to Shakhtar on Matchday 5.

The Belgian side's most notable European campaign came when they finished runners-up in the 1992/93 European Cup Winners' Cup, losing 3-1 to Parma at Wembley. They remain the last Belgian club to reach the final of a UEFA competition.

This is Antwerp's fifth successive European campaign, their participation in the 2019/20 Europa League having ended a 25-year absence from continental competition.

The Great Old took part in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying last season, beating Drita of Kosovo 2-0 on aggregate in the second qualifying round and Norway's Lillestrøm 5-1 in the next round only to lose 4-2 on aggregate to İstanbul Başakşehir in the play-offs (1-1 a, 1-3 h).

Before Matchday 1, Antwerp had suffered only one defeat in their previous ten European matches (W6 D3). They have now lost five in a row, their longest run of European defeats; the previous club record was four.

Antwerp's home European record is W16 D7 L13; they have won four and lost six of their last 11 matches.

Barcelona

Record vs Belgian clubs: W12 D1 L3 F29 A12
Away record vs Belgian clubs: W4 D0 L3

Matchday 1 was Barcelona's first game against a Belgian side since October 2002, when they won 1-0 at Club Brugge in the Champions League first group stage; the defeat of Antwerp made it five wins in six games against Belgian clubs.

All three of Barcelona's defeats against Belgian opponents have come in away fixtures, the last two at Anderlecht in the European Cup Winners' Cup second round – 3-0 in 1978/79 and 2-0 in 1989/90. They have, however, won three of their last four games in Belgium.

Barça were also 2-1 winners against Standard Liège in the 1982 European Cup Winners' Cup final at the Camp Nou, classed as a neutral venue.

This is Barcelona's 28th Champions League group stage campaign, a competition record they share with Real Madrid. They have featured every season since 2003/04 and have now reached the knockout rounds for the 23rd time.

Barcelona have twice won the European Cup at Wembley, the venue for this season's final; they beat Sampdoria 1-0 after extra time in 1992 to take the trophy for the first time, and also defeated Manchester United 3-1 in 2011.

The five-time European champions reached the quarter-finals or better every season between 2007/08 and 2019/20, winning the title in 2009, 2011 and 2015, but have failed to make the round of 16 in each of the last two campaigns.

Xavi's side were third in their section for the second season running in 2022/23, winning only two of their six games – both against Viktoria Plzeň – and losing three to finish behind Bayern München and eventual runners-up Inter Milan. Barcelona failed to score in three of their Group C games.

Barça's subsequent UEFA Europa League campaign lasted only one tie, Manchester United eliminating them 4-3 on aggregate (2-2 h, 1-2 a) in the knockout round play-offs.

This season, the Spanish side kicked off with the 5-0 win at home to Antwerp before winning 1-0 at Porto and beating Shakhtar 2-1 at home on Matchday 3. Their momentum was halted by a 1-0 loss to the Ukrainian club but qualification was assured with a 2-1 win at home to Porto last time out.

Barcelona have won only 14 of their last 33 away matches in European competition (D9 L10), although they were unbeaten in eight (W5 D3) before losing at Benfica on Matchday 2 in 2021/22. Their away record since is W5 D1 L5.

The Catalan club claimed their 27th Liga title, and a first for four seasons, in 2022/23, finishing ten points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the standings.

Links and trivia

Van Bommel made 24 Liga appearances and nine in the Champions League at Barcelona in 2005/06.

Antwerp's sporting director Marc Overmars played for Barcelona between 2000 and 2004, scoring 19 goals in 141 appearances in all competitions.

Van Bommel and Xavi were on opposing sides in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, Spain beating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time.

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Frenkie De Jong were team-mates at Ajax between 2016 and 2019, reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19.

Alderweireld was in the Tottenham side that lost 4-2 at home to Barcelona and drew 1-1 away in the 2018/19 Champions League group stage.

Has played in Spain:
Toby Alderweireld (Atlético de Madrid 2013/14)

International team-mates:
Vincent Janssen, Owen Wijndal & Frenkie de Jong (Netherlands)

Fermín López started Spain's 1-1 draw away to Belgium in a 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier in Heverlee on 21 November.

Latest news

Antwerp

Antwerp's record in this season's Belgian First League is W8 D6 L3. They were 3-1 winners at Cercle Brugge on Saturday.

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and George Ilenikhena both scored their fourth league goals of the season and Chidera Ejuke his second, the latter's third goal in five games in all competitions.

Ilenikhena has scored in four of Antwerp's last seven league matches. The 17-year-old got his first Antwerp goal in a 3-2 league loss at Charleroi on 21 October; he has seven in his last 12 appearances in all competitions.

Mark van Bommel's side have lost only two of their last 15 league games, although the weekend win was only their seventh in that sequence.

Antwerp have, however, won four of their last five league games, including a 1-0 home win against OH Leuven on 2 December.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha scored the only goal and has four in his last five league appearances.

The Great Old were also 6-0 victors at home against Standard Liège on 11 November – the second time they have won by that scoreline in 2023/24 after beating Kortrijk on 11 August.

Vincent Janssen scored twice and has five goals in his last eight appearances; he ended a run of ten games without a goal in all competitions with the opener in a 3-2 home success against Genk on 4 November.

Before beating Genk, Antwerp had one win in six league games (D3 L2).

Antwerp had ended a three-game losing run in all competitions with a 4-1 victory away to second division Lierse Kempenzonen in the Belgian Cup last 32 on 1 November.

The Belgian champions are unbeaten in their last seven domestic games, winning six.

On 6 December, Antwerp were 5-2 winners at home to Charleroi in the last 16 of the Belgian Cup, Ilenikhena and Janssen both scoring twice.

Janssen – who has 11 goals in all competitions – is Antwerp's top scorer in the league this season on eight goals, three more than Balikwisha and Arbnor Muja; Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Ilenikhena are on four. Ejuke is the only other player who has scored more than once.

Balikwisha now has eight goals this season in all competitions, including two in the Champions League.

Muja scored Antwerp's first Champions League group goal on Matchday 2 and has five in all competitions in 2023/24.

The Matchday 1 loss at Barcelona was the first time Antwerp had conceded five goals in a game since a 5-2 UEFA Europa League reverse at Rangers on 25 February 2021. It was their heaviest defeat since another 5-0 loss, at home to Sint-Truiden in the Belgian second division on 1 March 2014.

The 6-0 win at home to Kortrijk on 11 August was the first time Antwerp had scored six goals in a game in exactly ten years, since a 7-2 win at KSK Heist in the second division on 11 August 2013, and their biggest victory since a 7-0 win at Beveren on 1 March 2008.

Antwerp beat Mechelen 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Belgian Super Cup on 23 July. It was their first appearance in the match since 1992 and their first victory.

The 18-year-old Arthur Vermeeren and Mandela Keita, 21, both made their Belgium debuts as late substitutes during the 3-2 win in Austria on 13 October with which the Red Devils sealed their place at UEFA EURO 2024.

Keita was taken off with a knee injury midway through the first half at Charleroi on 21 October, returning as a substitute in the win against OH Leuven on 2 December. He also came on against Charleroi.

Jacob Ondrejka, who has not played since 8 September, has been sidelined by a broken bone in his foot.

Anthony Valencia came on as a substitute on Matchday 3 but had to be replaced himself due to a fractured fibula and has not played since.

Björn Engels has been sidelined since February 2022 due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Barcelona

Matchday 3 was Barcelona's 200th European Cup victory.

The Matchday 2 win against Porto was Xavi Hernández's 100th game as Barcelona coach and his 63rd victory (D18 L19).

Already the second youngest player in UEFA Champions League history, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to start a match in the competition at Porto, aged 16 years 83 days – three days younger than Celestine Babayaro when he played for Anderlecht against Steaua București in November 1994.

Barcelona have won 14 of their 21 games this season. They have only lost three, 2-1 at home to Real Madrid on 28 October, 1-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk on 7 November and 4-2 at home to Girona on Sunday.

Robert Lewandowski had levelled at 1-1, his eighth La Liga goal of the campaign, while İlkay Gündoğan had made it 2-3 in added time with his second strike for Barcelona.

Lewandowski is Barcelona's top scorer with eight goals in 14 La Liga games, although his goal on Sunday was only his third in his last eight appearances.

On 3 December the on-loan João Félix scored for the second game in a row, his first-half strike earning a 1-0 victory at home against his parent club Atlético de Madrid.

On 22 October, teenage forward Marc Guiu came off the bench to mark his senior debut with the only goal in a 1-0 home win against Athletic Club. Aged 17 years 291 days, he was Barcelona's youngest La Liga debutant to score in the 21st century.

Yamal scored Barcelona's first goal in a 2-2 draw at Granada on 8 October, making him the youngest scorer in La Liga history at the age of 16 years 87 days.

Marc-André ter Stegen has undergone surgery on a lower back injury suffered in training with Germany during the November international break.

A calf injury has kept Sergi Roberto on the sidelines since 17 October although he was an unused substitute on Sunday.

Íñigo Martínez has not played since Matchday 5 due to a hamstring problem while Marcos Alonso has been sidelined by a back injury.

Gavi tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and also suffered a meniscus injury in Spain's 3-1 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying win against Georgia on 19 November.

Yamal became Spain's youngest player and scorer, aged 16 years 57 days in a 7-1 win at home to Georgia on 8 September. He is also the youngest EURO goalscorer, beating Gareth Bale's record (17 years 83 days).

On 30 October Lewandowski finished 12th in the Ballon d'Or voting, won for the eighth time by former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

The same day, Pedri came third in the voting for the Kopa Award for the best young player with Gavi fifth and Alejandro Balde seventh.