Barcelona are the best team in Europe right now. Hans-Dieter Flick's wards have blown Bayern and Real Madrid out of the way. The Catalans are leading La Liga by a large margin. Crvena Zvezda are the clear underdogs in the main European Cup, with very little chance of clinging to 24th place.

Barcelona's results are a pleasant shock. The team, despite a large number of problems, promptly transformed with a new coach. An important statistical point: in all matches, with the exception of the game against Getafe, managed to break the top total. In recent meetings, the Catalans have shown an abnormal performance: they have scored 28 goals in seven games. Surprisingly, not only Lamin Yamal stands out, but also Rafinha. The Brazilian has long surpassed his last season in goals and "assists".

At the same time, Barcelona have also had slumps: in the championship they conceded four goals from Osasuna on the back of injuries, and in the Champions League they lost to Monaco due to an early suspension.

Crvena Zvezda caught an unfortunate lot in the European Cup. The Serbian champions first played well against Benfica, then conceded four away goals to Inter and five to Monaco, but both opponents were on the move.

The club is habitually dominant in the league, playing just like Barcelona when you compare the average performance. The figures are even better: 12 wins in 13 matches, 43 goals, only 8 conceded and still no defeats. Clearly, there is a gulf in class between the two tournaments.

The Serbian grandee also has a solid series on total more than 2.5 in all tournaments - ten matches stick to the schedule. This is what raises expectations for the overall performance.

Crvena Zvezda is predictably the outsider in the line. The odds on the total are surprising: even on less than 4.5 is offered at 1.55, while the underlying odds are 3.5. It is obvious that Barcelona will not field an optimal squad here. A pragmatic victory will be enough for the team - there is no point in smashing the Serbs. Red Star will go deep in defence and try to avoid a major defeat. The hosts have difficulties with their squad: five players are injured, and two more internationals are questionable.

Barcelona are currently unable to count on goalkeeper Ter Stegen, field players Bernal, Christensen, Garcia and Ferran Torres.

Red Star at home is capable of clinging on against top clubs, as they already proved in the game against Benfica. The away version of the team is much weaker. The factor of the stands should also affect the Catalans - the young players will face a lot of pressure.