Egyptian talent Hamza Abdel Karim expected to start on bench as Barcelona face Galatasaray

Egyptian forward Hamza Abdel Karim is expected to start on the bench when Barcelona face Galatasaray in the second round of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.

According to reports, the young striker will not earn a starting role, as the Catalan giants look to maintain their impressive start to the European campaign.

Barcelona head into the fixture on the back of a convincing 5–1 victory over Feyenoord in the opening round, while Galatasaray will be eager to respond after suffering a 3–1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

The Turkish side will have home advantage and are expected to approach the encounter with added determination as they seek their first points of the campaign.

Flick is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup, taking advantage of the return of some players who did not feature from the beginning in Barcelona’s recent match against Getafe.

With a demanding schedule ahead, the German coach will also be keen to manage his squad carefully while ensuring that the team maintains its competitive level in Europe.

Abdel Karim is expected to begin the match among the substitutes as he continues to compete for opportunities within Barcelona’s attacking department.

Barcelona will be without several players for the Galatasaray encounter, with Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji reportedly unavailable due to injuries.

Their absences could influence Flick’s selection as Barcelona attempt to secure another victory and strengthen their position in the league-phase standings.

For Galatasaray, the fixture presents an opportunity to recover from their opening defeat, while Barcelona will be aiming to build on their emphatic win over Feyenoord and maintain their early momentum in the competition.

Barcelona’s expected lineup against Galatasaray

Goalkeeper: Juan Garcia.

Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin.

Midfielders: Pedri, Rodri, Fermin Lopez.

Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Gabriel Jesus, Karim Adeyemi