Champions League Betting: Barcelona v Inter Milan

Champions League / Dave Farrar / 24 November 2009 / Leave a comment

Wesley Sneijder is struggling to be fit for Tuesday night's match and his absence would be a huge blow for Inter Milan's chances.

With Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggling with injuries and Thierry Henry in a fragile state of mind, now is an ideal time for Inter Milan to visit the Nou Camp. And Jose Mourinho's side could well leave with all three points, says Dave Farrar.

"Even if Messi and Ibra do start the game, then they simply can’t be fully fit, and that could play into the hands of an Inter side which may be short of top class, but which is supremely well organised and is more than capable of stopping Barca from playing their natural game."

Remember the Champions League Group Stage? It was meant to be superfluous, a run of games which were purely made for TV and which were negotiated by the big teams before the real competition started in the last 16. Well, by the time that these two giants kick off at the Camp Nou, Barcelona could be within a defeat away from elimination, the first time that the previous season's Champions have ever failed to get through their group.

Barcelona know that they must beat Inter Milan and that, very possibly, they will have to do it without either Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Lionel Messi, both of whom are struggling with injuries. Pep Guardiola says that, if Barca are to fail, then they will do so by attacking, and so Jose Mourinho has an interesting conundrum to solve. He knows that a point will give his side a great chance of progressing, but will also be aware that playing for a draw in Catalunya is a dangerous thing to do.

Mourinho has one serious injury worry himself, concerning the fitness of Wesley Sneijder. Inter are a far better team when the Dutchman plays, and if he is fit and firing, then I expect Inter to start cautiously, but to take the game to Barca and try to grab a victory. So much of the punting strategy surrounding this match depends on team news that it's very hard to make a concrete recommendation 24 hours before, but a look at the prices suggests to me that Inter are far too big a price at [5.4] to claim a win.

Even if Messi and Ibra do start the game, then they simply can't be fully fit, and that could play into the hands of an Inter side which may be short of top class, but which is supremely well organised and is more than capable of stopping Barca from playing their natural game. I would leave the goals markets alone, as this could finish 0-0 or 3-3, but, much though I want Barca to go through, I can't advocate backing them at [1.81]. My feeling is that Inter might just edge it, and that six days on from the second most famous handball in history, Thierry Henry may be wearing a rather different facial expression come Tuesday night.

RECOMMENDATION INTER to beat BARCELONA @ [5.4]

Tags: Champions League betting, Champions League odds, Champions League previews, Ibrahimovic, Jose Mourinho, Lionel Messi injury, Wesley Sneijder