Inter aiming to take advantage of Messi-less Barcelona – Champions League in Opta numbers

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Barcelona will be hoping that Luis Suarez can fill the sizeable goalscoring boots of the injured Lionel Messi when Inter visit Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Buoyed by their last-gasp derby win over AC Milan at the weekend, Luciano Spalletti’s side will need to reverse recent history if they are to leave Spain triumphant with Barca unbeaten in 13 games at home against Italian opposition.

Edinson Cavani faces off against his old side Napoli for the first time as Paris Saint-Germain look to beat an Italian side in the Champions League for the first time, while Tottenham are aiming to get their European campaign back on track against PSV.

Here, with the help of Opta data, we take a look at some of the key numbers ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixtures.

Barcelona v Inter

13 – Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 13 Champions League home games against Italian sides (W10 D3), since a 2-1 loss against Juventus in April 2003.

65 – Lionel Messi has scored 65 goals in 65 Champions League group stage matches for Barcelona. At Camp Nou, Messi has scored in his last nine starts in the group stages, scoring 17 goals.

Club Brugge v Monaco

12 – Club Brugge are without a clean sheet in their last 12 home Champions League games (W3 D2 L7), since a 0-0 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow in September 2002.

10 – Monaco have not won any of their 10 Champions League matches (D2 L8) since beating Borussia Dortmund in both legs in 2016-17 quarter-final.

Paris Saint-Germain v Napoli

104 – If he plays, this will be Edinson Cavani’s first appearance against Napoli since he left the club in 2013 – the Uruguayan scored 104 goals in 138 games in all competitions for the Italian side.

5 – Napoli, who are looking to win back-to-back games in the Champions League for the first time since September 2016, are winless in their last five away outings in the competition (D1 L4).

Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade

18 – Since the start of last season, no player has been directly involved in more Champions League goals than Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (18 – 11 goals, seven assists; level with Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo).

1 – Red Star Belgrade have won just one of their nine away games against English opposition (D4 L4), though it did come against Liverpool in November 1973.

PSV v Tottenham

3 – Spurs have lost their last three European matches, all in the Champions League – they have never lost four consecutive major European matches in a row.

6 – Spurs striker Harry Kane is averaging a goal a game in away Champions League matches (six goals in six away matches) and has scored 60 per cent of his goals away from home (six of 10).

Lokomotiv Moscow v Porto

0 – Lokomotiv are one of only three sides yet to score in this season’s Champions League (also Valencia and Young Boys). Only one Russian side has ever failed to score in each of their first three games, Spartak Moscow doing so in 2002-03.

23 – Twenty three of Porto’s last 24 Champions League goals have come from inside the penalty area, the only exception being Alex Telles’ strike against Monaco in December 2017.

Borussia Dortmund v Atletico Madrid

25 – Since his Champions League debut for Atletico Madrid in September 2014, Antoine Griezmann has had a hand in 25 goals (19 goals, six assists), 15 more than any other Atletico player.

14 – Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus has had a hand in 14 goals in his last 10 home Champions League appearances (nine goals, five assists).

Galatasaray v Schalke

1 – Galatasaray have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 Champions League games (33 goals conceded), although that was in their last home game in the tournament against Lokomotiv Moscow in September.

3 – Schalke have won each of their last three away games in the Champions League – their best ever run in the competition.