Barcelona's last match against Celtic exposed the Spanish side's weakness on the road in the UCL this season and with one more road match remaining, Lionel Messi's side will need to be wary.
The first time they took on Spartak Moscow at the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi was shut out for a substantial amount of time before the super star broke out for two goals. Messi will be motivated in this match not only to clinch a spot in the top 16 for Barca, but to add to his 78 goals and close in on Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals. He added goals 77 and 78 this past weekend against Real Zaragoza in a 3-1 win.
Messi scored four of Barca's last seven goals, but other players have been contributing including Alex Song, Adriano, Jordi Alba, and David Villa. This team's main weakness is on defense and they will need to tighten up to shut down Emenike. Barca can clinch the group with a win and a Celtic loss.
Moscow's top scorer Emenike has not scored in five Russian league matches for Moscow and the team currently sits in fifth place in the league. They are a dangerous side playing at home, but what they really need is a win against Barca. If they lose, they will be facing no round of 16 and possibly no Europa League if Benfica manages a win over Celtic. This team is desperate for a victory and will play with abandon in front of their fans.
Prediction: Spartak is a mess right now and Messi is a man on a mission. Barca will win this and could do so by three or four goals. 4-1 Barca.
Start Time: 12 PM EST