Monaco vs Barcelona predictions: Flick's men can come through Principality test
- Barcelona have won all five of their competitive games this season
- Monaco have scored six goals in their last three matches
- Recommended bet: Barcelona to win and both teams to score
Not since the 2014-15 season have Barcelona won the Champions League but the LaLiga giants will be hoping to lay down a marker in their opening match of this season's competition away to Monaco.
Barca reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season but are under new management and have made a strong start to life with Hansi Flick in the dugout.
They have already taken the initiative at the top of LaLiga and will be feeling confident about their chances in the new-look Champions League with the likes of Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade and Brest among their League Stage opponents.
But their first opponents Monaco have also made an unbeaten start to the season and will be no pushovers at the Stade Louis II.
Team news
Edan Diop and Radoslaw Majecki remain sidelined for Monaco.
Visitors Barcelona will be without Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Marc Bernal, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen and Dani Olmo.
Ansu Fati is also a doubt with a foot injury.
The stats
Barcelona have started the new LaLiga season with five wins from five matches, although they have conceded in four of those contests.
Monaco have netted in all four of their league fixtures this season, including six goals in their last three matches.
Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Dani Olmo have scored 13 league goals between them already this term.
Prediction
Few, if any, teams have made stronger starts to their domestic seasons across Europe than Barcelona, who will be dark horses for some in this season's Champions League.
Hansi Flick has made an immediate impression in charge of the Catalan giants, guiding them to five successive wins in the top flight, including an eye-catching 7-0 romp over Real Valladolid.
The depth of their squad has been put to the test early on given a lengthy list of injuries but it has not been noticeable and, even with the added absence of Dani Olmo on Thursday, they should see off Monaco.
Barca have already beaten Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano, Real Valldolid and Girona this term and they can add Monaco to that list of scalps.
The principality club eased to a 3-0 defeat of Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy in pre-season but that result should be taken with a pinch of salt.
That said, Monaco should still be competitive and they can get on the scoresheet in defeat.
Barca have conceded in four of their opening five games in LaLiga and Monaco have the quality going forwards to breach the Catalan club.
They were 3-0 winners over Auxerre on Saturday and have plenty of options going forward with Folarin Balogun and Breel Embolo battling it out for the striker spot.
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