Inter Milan vs Barcelona
Group F of the Champions League comes to a fascinating climax on Tuesday night and all eyes will be on the San Siro Stadium where Inter Milan takes on Barcelona.
The Italian side is at 1.66 to win this tie here at SBOBET, and while the prospect of having to beat one of the tournament favourites and Spanish Champions is a daunting one, it’s all about necessity. Barcelona is already through to the knockout phase with 11 points safely in the bag while, after a poor start, Inter’s Champions League 2019 results have come good just in time for them to book a place in the Round of 16.
If they can beat Barca….
Antonio Conte’s team has battled hard to reach second place and the Nerazzurri is locked on seven points with Borussia Dortmund as the two giants battle it out for that one remaining qualification spot from Group F. Inter’s superior head-to-head record over BVB means they simply need to match the Bundesliga side’s result, so while the Germans are fancied to beat bottom team Slavia Prague, Inter needs to win.
The Czech side is no pushover, but Conte knows his team can only rely on themselves to get the job done, and playing against a side with qualification already confirmed is an advantage, which makes the hosts favourites to win.
Talking Points
Inter’s sharp shooters
Conte has done a fantastic job at Inter, taking them to the top of Serie A and with a genuine chance of wrestling the Scudetto from I Bianconeri. They missed a chance to break away at the top in a goalless draw with Roma on Friday night, but Juventus’ first defeat under Maurizio Sarri, a 3-1 reversal away to Lazio, means I Nerazzurri holds on to the first position.
In a league famed for its rock solid defences and tactical prowess, Conte has brought success to the San Siro thanks to his two main strikers. His big summer signing, Romelu Lukaku has been a superb addition to his squad, only Lazio’s prolific striker Ciro Immobile has more league goals than the powerful Belgian. And he’s playing alongside 22 year old Argentine Lautaro Martinez who is also in a rich vein of form, as Inter’s top scorer in Europe with five goals. He bagged two while Lukaku scored the third as they terrorized the Slavia Prague defence last time out in the competition, and he also scored a brace in Inter’s recent 2-1 victory over SPAL.
If these two continue this form then the hosts have a great chance of beating Barca and making it to the last 16.
Barca to rest players?
The latest Champions League 2019 betting odds have the Blaugrana and Manchester City as favourites for the 2020 title, and with the Sky Blues all but out of the hunt in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s team will take some beating in Europe.
Ernesto Valverde’s side is batting on multiple fronts though and is top of La Liga only on goal difference ahead of Real Madrid. The Blaugrana has two huge domestic games coming up, away to fourth placed Real Sociedad and then El Clasico at the Camp Nou.
We’re running out of superlatives to describe Lionel Messi. He’s always the man to produce a moment of magic when it really matters, as he did in a recent 0-1 win away to Atletico Madrid. And yesterday he scored a hat-trick, while Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez were also on target as Barcelona hammered Real Mallorca 5-2.
Valverde will say publicly that he will field a strong side but I can see at least two of those three starting on the bench. 21-year old right winger Carles Perez and midfield man Artuto Vidal had some game time in the win over Mallorca and they could make a start, while defender Samuel Umtiti could also be given a place in the 11.
History
Barca have had the best of the meetings between these two sides, winning six, drawing three and losing just one of the ten clashes since 2003, and they are on a run of six consecutive victories.
But I Nerazzurri has a good record at home against the Catalans, unbeaten in their last four encounters.
Betting Tip
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Inter Milan vs Barcelona | 2-3 Goals @ 2.04 |
| December 11, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
With Inter Milan heavily odds on, the draw at 4.00 and Barca to win at 4.60 is good value, as is Barca or draw at 2.13.
But I’m going the hedge my bets on a 2-1 or a 1-1, as Inter’s desire and the home support might be just enough to see the Italian side through.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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