Champions League Betting: Barcelona vs. Inter Milan
By Shawn Young
BARCELONA (-1.5 +120, 3 goals flat) vs. INTER MILAN
Inter won the first leg 3-1 in Milan. Barcelona beat Xerez 3-1 and Inter beat Atalanta 3-1 Saturday.
Both these clubs dispatched relegation-bound opponents with relative ease on the weekend. Inter had a couple nervous moments down 1-0 early. Barcelona almost let Xerez equalize 2-2. Still, neither team was really troubled. Both sent out something less than a first-choice line-up on the weekend.
This line, quite honestly, leaves me scratching my head. Barcelona is the better club here, but 1.5 goals is an awful lot to ask Barcelona to overcome when Inter Milan do not need to come forward at all.
Barcelona’s attack is better than anything on offer in Serie A, but in 35 league matches this season, Inter have coughed up only 31 goals. Asking anybody for two when Inter can all-out-defend is asking too much.
Inter will not get drawn into a shootout. Last week’s outburst was one of necessity. Inter will try and keep possession as much as it can (45 percent might be high, 40 percent is doable) just to keep the pressure off. But if either wingback joins the attack, Inter manager Jose Mourinho, the Special One, will make the poor player wish he’d never been born.
A 2-0 score does the business for Barcelona, so under might be even stronger. If Barcelona manages to get the two goals, there shouldn’t be much time left and Pep Guardiola’s men will be happy to shut up shop with so much on the line.
The injury news swirls around Inter’s midfield magician Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder was subbed out after 45 minutes against Atalanta with a thigh strain. He’ll officially be a game-time decision but he trained in full Tuesday. Mario Balotelli (bad attitude) will travel to Spain but is unlikely to dress. The first-leg sub ripped off his shirt and stepped on it after being jeered by Inter’s Ultras.
Pick: Barcelona 1, Inter 0