Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will be keen to score against his former club on Tuesday night(credit:
wikipedia)
Barcelona host Inter Milan on Tuesday in a vital game, which is almost too close to call
Champions League holders Barcelona have not been overly impressive in the Champions League this season, and although they are not in immediate danger of missing out on qualification from Group F, a defeat to Italian side Inter Milan could leave the Spaniards struggling going into the last round of games.
It seems inconceivable that Barcelona, would lose two out of three group matches at home, and having lost to Rubin Kazan last month, the Nou Camp crowd will demand nothing less than three points. Pep Guardiola’s side are a best-priced 10/13 (ExtraBet) to satisfy the Catalan faithful with a win, although in Inter Milan they will face perhaps their toughest opponents of the season so far.
Jose Mourinho’s side need a result themselves, in what is one of the Champions League’s most tightly contested groups. The Italian giants are 21/5 (Expekt) to win on Tuesday, or 27/11 (Expekt) to pick up a point, which would put them in a commanding position for qualification.
Inter are currently unbeaten in four Champions League fixtures, and have only lost once in seventeen games in all competitions this season. The side is solid in defence, and Mourinho will be conscious of the threat posed by Barcelona’s front three of Leo Messi (5/1, Ladbrokes), Thierry Henry (6/1, Ladbrokes) and former Inter star Zlatan Ibrahimovic (9/2, Ladbrokes). The Italians are probably not capable of keeping a clean sheet (4/1, SkyBet), but they should be able to keep the home side down to a maximum of two goals.
If that is indeed the case, and it would be a major surprise if Barcelona don’t score, then correct scores of either one-nil (13/2, Boylesports), one-one (13/2, SkyBet) or two-one (8/1, Boylesports) look like the best bets.
Inter are definitely capable of goals, and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o (8/1, ExtraBet) will be keen to mark his return to the Nou Camp with a goal. Wesley Sneijder (20/1, Coral) will also be keen to show a Spanish crowd what he is capable of, having endured a disappointing spell in the capital with Real Madrid.
SkyBet go 5/6 that both teams score, and that price should attract many punters, as it is essentially the same bet as over 2.5 goals, which is the same price with the same firm, but offers the added bonus of being a winner even if the game ends in a one-one draw.
Recommendations
Correct Score – Barcelona 2 Inter Milan 1 (8/1, Boylesports)
Correct Score – Barcelona 1 Inter Milan 1 (13/2, SkyBet)
Teams to Score – Both (5/6, SkyBet)