St. Pölten Faces Uphill Battle Against Barcelona in UEFA Women’s Champions League

The UEFA Women's Champions League Group D match between SKN St. Pölten and FC Barcelona is set to take place on November 21, 2024, at the Franz Horr Stadium in Vienna, Austria. This encounter follows their previous meeting on November 12, 2024, where Barcelona dominated with a 7-0 victory at their home ground.

Barcelona, the current European champions, are looking to consolidate their second position in the group with 6 points, having suffered a defeat in their first match against Manchester City. The team is in strong form, particularly in the Spanish league, where they have maintained a perfect record of wins. Key players such as Aitana Bonmatí and Patri Guijarro are expected to play crucial roles in the match.

St. Pölten, ranked fourth in the group, faces a significant challenge against the powerful Barcelona side. Despite their defensive solidity in the national league, the Austrian team will need to deploy a very solid and disciplined game to compete with Barcelona. St. Pölten will rely on the leadership of captain Anna Johanning and the support of their home fans to try and pull off a surprise.

The possible starting lineup for Barcelona includes C. Coll, J. Fernández, Mapi León, I. Engen, E. Brugts, V. López, K. Walsh, K. Nazareth, Graham Hansen, E. Pajor, and C. Pina. However, Barcelona will be without players like Martina Fernández, Salma Paralluelo, and Fridolina Rolfö due to absences.

For St. Pölten, the probable lineup features C. Schlüter, R. Schumacher, A. Johanning, J. Klein, C. D’angelo, K. Dubcova, S. Hillebrand, M. Mikolajová; M. Brunnthaler, M. Pekel, and V. Madl. The team will need to capitalize on their home advantage and the support of their fans to stand a chance against the favored Barcelona side.

The match is part of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Group D, and will be closely watched given the significant difference in form and experience between the two teams. Barcelona’s international experience and recent performance suggest they are the favorites to win, but St. Pölten is aiming to cause an upset with a strong defensive display and home support.