Barca to blow Milan away

Ben Linfoot previews Wednesday's matches in the Champions League and he's backing Barca to make a bright start in Milan.

Last Updated: 20/02/13 at 19:35 Post Comment   

Barcelona: Can start well in the San Siro

Barcelona: Can start well in the San Siro

Barcelona's dominance is obvious to everyone and punters should be wary of challenging such supremacy ahead of their Champions League last-16 first leg at AC Milan on Wednesday night.

Barca are 4/7 to win at the San Siro and Lionel Messi is the same price to score anytime, but I couldn't really describe such odds as prohibitive.

Messi has scored 42 goals in La Liga and the Champions League this season and his team are top of the Spanish league by 12 points after scoring an incredible 80 goals in just 24 games.

And they cruised through the group stage despite losing at Celtic, scoring 11 goals on the way to topping Group G from the SPL side.

In contrast, AC Milan have stuttered their way through the season and in particularly the Champions League.

Milan scored only seven goals in the group stages - joint-lowest of all the qualifiers along with Galatasaray. More worryingly they have scored just once at the San Siro in their last four Champions League games, and haven't won at home in this season's competition.

Milan have also won just one of their last 10 knockout games in the Champions League.

With Barcelona their toughest test of the season by some way it makes me want to get with the La Liga side but the 4/7 odds are reserved for big-hitters only.

I do think one way of getting with Barca at bigger odds is to back them in the half-time score markets as they are capable of blowing away opposition early.

They were 3-0 in front at the break at Spartak Moscow in the group stages and also led 1-0 at Benfica. In fact, they have scored in the first half in 28 of their 37 matches in all competitions this season.

AC Milan, on the other hand, are slow starters. Forty of their 55 goals in all competitions this campaign have come after the break and with Mario Balotelli ineligible and Stephan El Shaarawy a doubt they lack a cutting edge up front.

Barcelona to be leading 2-0 at half-time is worth a small bet at 7/1 and the 28/1 available about them leading 3-0 in the same market is also worth raiding the copper jar for.

Wednesday's other game sees Galatasaray take on Schalke and the draw makes some appeal.

Goals could be at a premium in this one. As previously mentioned, Galatasaray only scored seven in the group stages and though the arrival of Didier Drogba could help in that regard he's not a certain starter after he came off the bench to score on his debut last Friday.

They aren't prolific in front of goal at this level and in Schalke they face competent if out-of-form opposition.

The Bundesliga outfit topped Group B after three wins and three draws but they haven't been in such good form since then.

They've won just once in their last 12 but five of those have been draws and their defeats came at tough places like Bayern Munich, Hamburg and Mainz.

I wouldn't be so quick to latch onto the 5/4 about the Turkish side despite the worries about Schalke and at 5/2 the stalemate makes plenty of appeal.


Get £90 from your free £10 bet with Sky Bet if Barcelona win 3-0


Football365 Facebook Fan Page

The Football365 fan page is a great place to meet like minded people, have football related discussions and make new friends.

Related News

Sky Bet

    • Retrieving latest Sky Bet odds

Most Commented

Readers' Comments

W

hat's a Bebe??

godsaveourkeane
Bebe seeking Sporting switch

W

hips, harness and saddlery ? This IS an Onion article.

v. profane
Bale set to trademark logo

I

want to trademark the word football .

herculezbotak
Bale set to trademark logo

Footer 365

England's Stuart Pearce a model professional, says Football Association

Football Association general secretary Alex Horne has hailed England Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce's professionalism.

Helenius deal to be concluded

Aston Villa are set to conclude a deal for Aalborg striker Nicklas Helenius after terms were agreed between the two clubs.

Hearts face points deduction

Hearts are likely to start the next Scottish Premier League season with a 15-point deduction should they go into administration as intended.

Mail Box

Well, This Isn't A Very Good Mailbox

No disrespect & all that to those included, but come on people, you can do better than this. Are you all sleeping? Is there really nothing you want to talk about? Please?

BAU At Newcastle United Clown College...

Newcastle fans aren't happy about Joe Kinnear's appointment as the club's new director of football. Plus, more chocolate football and a love letter to Fernando Redondo...

© 2013 British Sky Broadcasting Ltd. All Rights Reserved