Ivan Rakitic
Barcelona have won the Fifa Club World Cup twice – in 2009 and 2011 Getty Images

Barcelona's quest to win a fifth major trophy in the calendar year begins with a Fifa Club World Cup semi-final clash against Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande in Yokohama on 16 December.

Where to watch

Kick-off is set for 10.30am GMT. There is no live telecast of the game in the UK.

Overview

Barcelona are looking to win their third Club World Cup, which is contested by champions of each continent and the national champions of the host country. The Catalan giants are out to secure a fifth major trophy in 2015, having won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the Uefa Super Cup.

Brazilian forward Neymar did not train on 15 December with a groin injury and is unlikely to feature against Guangzhou Evergrande. Long-term knee injury victim Rafinha remains sidelined.

Chinese Super League outfit Guangzhou Evergrande, who are managed by World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, are on a 28-match unbeaten run in all competitions. They beat Mexican side Club America 2-1 in the previous round.

Scolari has no injury concerns and has a full squad to choose from for the showdown with the European champions.

What managers say

Luis Enrique: "The game [against Deportivo La Coruna] was under control until we conceded the first goal. We committed individual errors and gave the ball away stupidly which we don't often do. The players are disappointed like I am as we wanted to continue with our advantage over rivals. This will serve, though, as something to learn from."

Luiz Felipe Scolari: "Football is a 90 minute game and we really wanted to make the semi-finals, so I made some high-risk substitutions [against Club America]. On this occasion, they worked - on another night it might not have done. But I know the team and I know what they can do. Club America are a huge team with a fantastic history, but we fought back and won and we should continue to dream big for the next match against Barcelona. Victory is not impossible."

Form guide

  • Barcelona (all competitions): D D D W W
  • Last result: Barcelona 2-2 Deportivo La Coruna
  • Guangzhou Evergrande (all competitions): W W D W D
  • Last result: Club America 1-2 Guangzhou Evergrande (Club World Cup)

Betting odds (bet365)

  • Barcelona win: 1/10
  • Draw: 8
  • Guangzhou Evergrande win: 20

Team news

Barcelona possible XI: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Roberto.

Guangzhou Evergrande possible XI: Shuai; Linpeng, Xiaoting, Kim, Zheng; Paulinho, Zhi; Bowen, Goulart, Robinho; Elkeson.

Barcelona FC