Monaco is a favoured location for UEFA events. They hold their draws there, give out prizes there. And, once a year, the most modest of their club competitions comes here, too: the European Super Cup.

The Stade Louis II plays host to a match that, like Monaco itself, is more about style than substance. It is a branding exercise: a glitzy match in front of the jet set, or at least some of them.

But make no mistake: for the clubs involved it is not simply a formality. Granted, it pales in comparison to the domestic club campaign, but to start the season off right with silverware is everyone's goal.

Blue, Red, And Silver All Over

Barcelona already have a cup this season, of course. Adding to their unprecedented treble of 2008-09 is the Spanish Super Cup, hoisted aloft at Camp Nou last week as Athletic Bilbao were brushed aside.

Barca have changed little as a squad since their Champions League win in Rome back in the spring, but what few alterations there have been are considerable. It's a case of quality over quantity: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has come in up front to replace Samuel Eto'o in a move that not all are convinced by - can the Swede turn it on at European level? - while Maxwell arrives at left-back to compete with Eric Abidal.

A few other signings - not least Dmytry Chygrinsky, ex-Shakhtar - and no real departures other than that of Eto'o lend credence to the idea that Pep Guardiola's side are going for all awards yet again.

Orange Crush

Shakhtar, UEFA Cup winners last season, have a few more distractions than even Barca.

Mircea Lucescu's outfit were eliminated from the Champions League by Timisoara, but are flying high in the new Ukrainian season and sailed past Sivasspor in the Europa League to boot.

That gives them a real chance of defending their continental trophy, but a club of Shakhtar's size needs CL football.

With that in mind, an unbeaten, high-scoring start to the domestic season is exactly what the fans expect, but with both a cup match against Dynamo Kyiv and the Barca clash coming up soon, not least tough ties against Metalist and Dnipro in the league, it's far from simple for the Miners.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

August 23 v Athletic Bilbao (H) - WON 3-0 (SUPER CUP)

August 19 v Manchester City (H) - LOST 1-0 (FRIENDLY)

August 16 v Athletic Bilbao (A) - WON 2-1 (SUPER CUP)

August 8 v Chivas Guadalajara (A) - DREW 1-1 (FRIENDLY)

August 6 v Seattle Sounders (A) - WON 4-0 (FRIENDLY)

Shakhtar Donetsk

August 25 v Sivasspor (H) - WON 2-0 (EL)

August 20 v Sivasspor (A) - WON 3-0 (EL)

August 15 v Dniester Ovidiopol (A) - WON 6-1 (LEAGUE)

August 9 v Metalurg Donetsk (H) - WON 4-1 (LEAGUE)

August 5 v Timisoara (A) - DREW 0-0 (CL)

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Coach Pep Guardiola has taken the entire senior squad, along with four youth players, to Monaco. There is as yet little indication as to his starting line-up, but expect a strong eleven, with younsters such as Jeffren likely to come off the bench. The man himself said to the CP, "Of course we will field a strong team. Victory is never guaranteed."

Possible Starting XI: Valdes; Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Yaya Toure, Iniesta; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Henry.

Shakhtar Donetsk

Surprisingly, Dmytro Chygrinsky will take part at centre-back for the boys in orange before joining up with the Blaugrana. Coach Mircea Lucescu confirmed as much in a press conference - also stating that he expects other Miners to make the step up to bigger clubs. Lucescu has brought a full squad of 28 to Monaco.

Possible Starting XI: Pyatov; Srna, Kucher, Chygrinsky, Shevchuk; Duljaj, Lewandowski; Ilsinho, Jadson, Willian; Luiz Adriano.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Barcelona - Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The big-money buy himself has much to prove at a European level to his doubters, and there is no time like the present. The onus is on 'Ibra' to find his predatory instinct early and often.

Shakhtar Donetsk - Darijo Srna: The club captain and Croatian ace is one of the players coach Lucescu expects to move on one day. Barcelona have seen the versatile right-back as a potential target in the past - could he haunt them on Friday?


PREDICTION

Barcelona are distracted by a high-profile league opener on Monday, but they are in a competitive winning habit after the Recopa and should have too much for a Shakhtar side with a great deal on their plate.

Barcelona 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

Krayola2:

Iniesta might play some part of the second half.  Going to be a tough match but we will show them pepper!!!

I hope Maxwell starts again cause he was just brilliant in the last game. We now have 2 excellent attacking fullbacks. I think our line-up will be


-------------------VALDES-----------------------
A---------PUYOL------------PIQUE----------------M
---------------------------------------------------A
L---------------------YAYA------------------------X
V------------XAVI-----------------KEITA-----------W
----------------------------------------------------E
E---------------------------------------------------L
Z--Messiah--------Ibracadabra--------TH14---------L

Krayola2:

Our midfield is kinda sloppy. The balls coming out the back leave a lot to be desired too. . especially from Pique.

Krayola2:

Ibra needs to beputtin more pressure on these defenders. He still has a lot to learn

dayokanu:

See Puyols back pass header Na wa o

chic2pimp:

. The catalans are really missing Iniwere.

chamotex:

This game is bloody boring mehn. I'm going to bed jor

Krayola2:

Yeah. . . Keita can't loose him marker like Iniesta can. . so we keep sending a lot of passes back to the defense or the keeper. We only have one outlet now and it is Xavi. I hope Pep puts Busquets on in the 2nd half.

I even prefer Keita playin DM and moving Yaya to CM cause yaya has better technique than Keita

IBRA PRESSURE THE BALL U LAZY PIECE OF DOG SHIT!!!

Krayola2:

IBRA PRESSURE THE BALL U LAZY PIECE OF DOG SHIT!!!

dayokanu:

LWKMD You never see anything