Champions League Group D preview: Rubin not scared of Barca

Rubin Kazan travel to Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, aiming for a repeat of last season’s heroics.

Barcelona have already secured first place in Group D, leaving Rubin and FC Copenhagen to battle it out for the runners-up spot.

The Russian side are second going into the final matchday, with Copenhagen one point behind in third.

The Danish champions have a winnable game at home to last-placed Greek side Panathinaikos, meaning Rubin must look to win in Camp Nou to guarantee passage to the knock-out stages.

Victories at the home of the imperious La Liga champions do not come easily, but Rubin are one side to have tasted that rarest of commodities in recent times.

Goals from Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Karadeniz Gokdeniz secured a famous away win over the then European Champions during a Group F match of the competition in October 2009.

Many dismissed the upset as a one-off, but Rubin held Barca to a 1-1 draw in the return fixture at Kazan’s Central Stadium the following month.

Drawn in the same group as the Spanish giants, Rubin repeated the trick a year later, holding out for a 0-0 draw at home to maintain an enviable undefeated record against Pep Guardiola’s world beaters.

But Barca come into the match in devastating form.

They beat Osasuna 3-0 away from home on Saturday, following on from a historic 5-0 demolition of Real Madrid and an 8-0 win away to struggling Almeria.

With top spot already secured, Guardiola is likely to rest key players, including midfield lynchpin Xavi Hernandez, who has been battling an Achilles injury throughout the season.

Regardless of who takes to the field for the home side on Tuesday, they are sure to be keen to end Barca’s hoodoo against their unlikely Russian nemesis.

Copenhagen meanwhile will be confident of securing victory against a Panathinaikos that have nothing to play for and – with just two points from five matches – have shown little to suggest they can trouble their motivated Danish opponents.

Copenhagen won 2-0 in their previous meeting at Athens’ Olympic Stadium back in September and are undefeated at the head of the Danish league this season.

Brazilian midfielder Claudemir said Copenhagen’s fate was entirely in their own hands.

“I think it’s the biggest game of my career, and not just for me but for the whole team here,” Claudemir said.

“We have the ability and our aim is to qualify for the next round, and we know that depends on us and no one else. We have a good chance of winning and getting through to the next phase.”