barcelona

Online betting exchange BetFair is the place to head to if you want to tune in to some live football streams this weekend from Spain’s La Liga. Once again there is some great action to come, including the chance to see Barcelona live in action. Barca produced a comeback win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter final during midweek, and Pep Guardiola’s men will be looking to reel in Real Madrid at the top of the table. Barcelona find themselves five points adrift of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid going into this weekend’s matches and the Catalans will simply need to keep on winning from here on out if they are going to gain an advantage of Madrid and hold on to their La Liga title. Barcelona though have had their wobbles on the road this season, winning just three of their eight away games so far, drawing four and losing one. Barcelona are at Malaga on Saturday evening and a win would keep up the pressure on Madrid who are at home to Bilbao the same day. There are great fixtures this weekend, which can be seen with BetFair live streams right on your computer, and that of course will enable your live in play betting to be enhanced as well. Being able to watch the live streams, to get a real feel for the action, is a great way to make better judgement calls on your in play betting. You can track Barcelona, along with others in La Liga this weekend, with live football streams at BetFair.

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We really can’t get enough of the El Clasico, as the two Spanish giants Real Madrid v Barcelona betting takes centre stage on Wednesday night in the Copa del Rey. This is the first leg of the quarter finals, held at the Bernabeu and of course we can look at all sorts of rivalry and history between these two. Firstly there was the recent league match, in which Barcelona played pretty much a perfect tactical game at the Bernabeu to beat Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid 3-1 with Alexis Sanchez, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas wrapping up the crucial three points. However, Barcelona are still trailing Real Madrid at the top of La Liga by five points, as the two giants battle it out, so the ball is very much still in Madrid’s court there. Between them, out of 36 league matches combined, they have only lost three matches all season between them. It looked as if a shift of power and confidence was going to swing back to Barcelona after that league win, but with Barcelona dropping points away at Esponyol, it is Real Madrid who have stretched their legs at the top, rattling off three straight wins after that home defeat. The scoring power of these two sides are phenomenal. Overall, Madrid are averaging 3.5 goals per game in the league (4.25 at home) while Barcelona are ticking along at 3.05 goals per game (4.3 at home). Naturally the two main protagonists in all of this, is Ballon D’Or winner Lionel Messi banging in 19 goals for Barca, and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo bettering that with 21 goals for the season. The bigger difference between the two sides this season, is that while Barcelona have a better defence, Real Madrid have a good support system up front to support Ronaldo, with Gabriel Higuain and Karim Benzema both weighing in with double figures.

So will Madrid have learned from their most recent meeting? You will remember that it was Real Madrid who won last year’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, when Cristiano Ronaldo netted an extra time winner. There is not going to be a case of putting out weakened sides of course for this one, as Real Madrid will want to get back at their Catalan rivals, and Barcelona will know it. However, for all of Real Madrid’s pace setting work this season, they still have a pretty poor record against Barcelona and that should be a factor in your Real Madrid v Barcelona Copa del Rey betting. Madrid have taken just one victory (in last year’s cup final) against Barcelona in the last twelve matches against their rivals. In that run, Madrid have suffered eight defeats, so definitely current form in the head to head meeting is firmly with Barcelona, who again proved in the recent La Liga meeting that they are a champion side for a reason. That man Lionel Messi will probably have to be watched, as he has netted on six of the last seven matches at the Bernabeu for Barcelona. So the stage is set for another mouth watering El Clasico meeting on Wednesday night. Who will draw first blood? Will Barcelona show their true champions qualities again Jose Mourinho’s men? Or will Pep Guardiola look for some securing to take back to the Nou Camp for the second clash of this giant clash? This will be the ninth El Clasico in just over twelve months and frankly we love it. They should meet at least once a month. Expect drama. Expect fireworks. Expect goals? Real Madrid may have home advantage but that has not counted for much in recent times against Barcelona, and it is the Catalans who go into the match as favourites in the El Clasico 2012 betting.

Real Madrid v Barcelona Copa del Rey Betting Odds
Real Madrid to win: 7/4 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at VC Bet
Barcelona to win: 13/8 at BetFred

First Goalscorer Odds
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi 9/2 at BetFred

Will there be goals galore again with the two high scoring Spanish giants or will some caution be shown ahead of the second leg? Well, as with all football betting on their site, popular online bookmaker Bet365 offer some 0-0 insurance on your betting. Place a Correct Score, Half Time/Full Time or Scorecast bet on any match listed at Bet365, and if the game ends in a 0-0 Bore Draw, then the bookie will refund your lost stakes on those markets. Great football betting coverage from Bet365, who also provide a superbly generous welcome bonus offer. The bookie offer up to £200 in free bets for new customers registering an account. Bet365 will match the value of your first deposit on a new account with a 100% bonus, meaning that you can get up to £200 worth of free bets!

Well, Barcelona’s incredible second half performance at the Bernabeu on Saturday night to beat Real Madrid 3-1, has led to a market influx of bets on them to win La Liga again. That was a huge win for the defending Champions, as they were three points behind Jose Mourinho’s Madrid going into the match, and were a game ahead as well. So that triumph of style over tactics was a huge boost for Pep Guardiola and his side, and showed their rivals that they are still the force to be reckoned with. That win for Barcelona put them back on level points with Real Madrid, although Mourinho’s men still have a game in hand to look forward to.

The win has naturally led to a spark of wanting to get a wager down on Barcelona, who were starting to look second best to Real Madrid this season, on winning La Liga again. They are now at a best market price of 5/6 with BetFred to win the league title, this season, with Real Madrid close behind at Evens with SkyBet. Naturally only of these two are going to win La Liga, the might and the power which they are able to field (both teams have now scored 50 goals already this season) is just too much over a long season for anyone else to deal with.

Third placed Valencia’s defeat on Saturday didn’t do anything to change this, because they could have been within four points of the leaders had they beaten Real Betis. The crunch match could all come down to the rematch at the Nou Camp later in the season. But for now, Barcelona have gained a huge psychological boost, yes, they were lucky at times against Madrid on Saturday, but when you get a lucky break then you have to capitalize. That is just what Barcelona did. Will they retain their title in La Liga betting?

Remember that you can watch live La Liga streams with online betting exchange BetFair. The highly popular exchange offers free live streams from the Spanish league, giving superb coverage which is the natural partner for some live in play betting action. Just head to BetFair and sign up to become a member and enjoy their wealth of live streams which they provide. New customers to BetFair can get a free £20 bet and up to £1000 in cash back for their first 30 days of betting on the exchange!

Chelsea v Man City may be the Premier League’s big match on Monday night, but before that, there is the unquestionable appeal of Real Madrid v Barcelona betting in La Liga on Saturday. Yes, the two Spanish giants come together once again in a battle for supremacy in Spain’s top division. Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid have gone from strength to strength over the last twelve months, and they are arguably the strongest they have been for a long time. It is also arguable that they are better than Barcelona at the moment. Real Madrid top La Liga by three points over FC Barcelona and still have a game in hand over the Catalans. Real Madrid have largely been playing with four up front for most of the season, with Cristiano Ronaldo firing in seventeen league goals, with fantastic support from Higuain and Benzema carrying them forward. Just to put into context the firepower they have, they have scored three or more goals in each of their last four league games now. However, they are likely to switch back to a 4-3-3 because Mourinho will remember that 5-0 drubbing Barcelona handed out to them in the league last season when Madrid went with four forwards. So it is probable that Madrid will drop an extra ball winner back into the middle of the park because the last thing they will want to do again there is cede ground easily in the midfield battle.

As for Barcelona, they haven’t been perfect this season and they will likely change their formation as well for the big match, in order to cope with a Real Madrid front three. They will probably switch from their preferred 3-4-3, which works perfectly when you have the lions share of possession in matches, but they will need to drop back to a flat back four to handle three Madrid forwards, and to stop Madrid getting down the flanks. Barcelona came unstuck against Getafe at the end of November, suffering their first league defeat of the season. It means they have been a bit unsteady on the road this season, picking up three draws, one defeat in their six away matches in La Liga this season. Barcelona are not quite as strong or as dominant as they were last season, and there are just signs that they are losing their hold on things to Real Madrid. Following that defeat against Getafe though, they bounced back with a 4-0 and a 5-0 win in their following matches, but again you still have to look at their away from. You have to stand it up against Real Madrid’s 100% home record so far in the league this season where they are averaging over an incredible four and a half goals per game at the Bernabeu. That is 28 goals in six home league games. Remarkable.

The other things which is working in favour of Real Madrid heading into this match, is their potential six point lead over Barcelona (assuming they win their game in hand). A point here in Real Madrid v Barcelona betting would be massive for Jose Mourinho’s men, because they could still hold that potential six point lead over their rivals, and as long as they keep winning, which they have done in their last ten league games, then they will win the title. At the end of the day, it would not matter if they lost in the return fixture against Barcelona later in the season, so long as they can keep at least that six points gap by grabbing a point of Barca on Saturday. With home advantage as well, things are looking good for Madrid in this match. But Barcelona know that they have to close the gap to stop Madrid gaining more advantage over them. A crucial away win for Barcelona pulls them back level for now, still a game behind Madrid, but will certainly start putting the pressure on.

The battle of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will again be a huge highlight of this match. Both of the strikers have seventeen league goals for the season, and is around these two geniuses that online bookmaker Paddy Power have built their Real Madrid v Barcelona Money Back Special.

If Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo scores the last goal of the game on Saturday, the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast singles placed on the match. In the First Goalscorer market for example, Ronaldo is 4/1 with Messi at 9/2 to opening the scoring, with Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema back at 6/1. In the Correct Score market for Real Madrid v Barcelona betting, a 1-1 draw is well priced at 6/1, with a 2-1 win trading for 15/2 behind that. So great value with the coverage in place for your football betting at Paddy Power.

Real Madrid v Barcelona Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Real Madrid 6/4, Barcelona 9/4, Draw 12/5

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It has been a great season so far in Spain’s La Liga Primera, and if you have been missing out on the action, then you may want to head to online betting exchange BetFair, where you can watch free live streams! Real Madrid have sneaked their way into top spot, just one point ahead of their great rivals Barcelona. Jose Mourinho’s Madrid haven’t had a perfect season, losing one match, but they have managed to pick up more wins that last year’s La Liga winners, Barca. Madrid have now won their last six straight, and not only have Real and Barcelona both hit 32 each in their respective 10 matches, the defenses have been remarkable. Real Madrid have only conceded 6 goals so far this season, two more than Barca. But it was surprise package Levante who had been leading the way up until last week, when they suffered their first loss of the season. It had been a remarkable run of seven straight wins for Levante, including a 1-0 win over Real Madrid along the way. They have been one of the success stories in La Liga this season, but they lost their unbeaten record last weekend against Osasuna. So it will be interesting to see just how they bounce back from that deficit. If you want to get yourself closer to this weekend’s action, before they take the international break next week, then BetFair stream some great live coverage from La Liga for their customers. The Spanish league is one full of flair and attacking sensibilities, and makes for some great entertainment. So, by getting right into the live action with BetFair live streams, it opens up the doors of possibilities when it comes to live in play betting. Being able to get a real feel for the match, through BetFair Live Video can make Live in play betting so much easier, as you can get a feel for just how the game is going. The BetFair live video streams really are a superb service from the highly popular betting exchange, and is a great feature in delivery top quality content to their customers.

New customers wanting to get in on the Live La Liga streams, have the added bonus of being able to take advantage of BetFair’s sign up bonus. New customers can either get a No Risk £20 bet on their first stake, which means that if your first bet on a new BetFair account loses, you will get your lost stake back up to the value of £20, or you opt for the £10 to £1000 Cashback sign up bonus. In this offer, the more you bet within your first 30 days on a new account, then the bigger  your Cashback bonus will be! Great offers, whichever way you want to go, and the highly rated, highly successful Betting Exchange, which is a superb alternative to regular online bookmakers, have all of your Live La Liga matches covered as well. Tune in this weekend to see the likes of Seville, Villareal and Espanyol in action!

Group E
Standings: Chelsea 7pts, Bayer Leverkusen 6pts, Valencia 2pts, Genk 1pt
Thing could be pretty much settled on Tuesday night, at least who gets to guarantee themselves qualification into the knockout stage. Chelsea, with two wins and a draw from their first three matches, hold top spot by one point over Bayer Leverkusen. If Chelsea and Leverkusen were to both secure wins then they would both be in the next round, and the two sides would have to battle it out for top spot over the remaining matches. Chelsea head to Belgium to face Genk, the side who they thumped 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Match Day Three. So there is a strong likelihood that the Blues, who have suffered back to back defeats in the Premier League, will at least get the job done out there, with the Belgians not having managed a goal yet. See our full Genk v Chelsea betting preview here. In Group E’s other match on Tuesday night, we see a crucial clash in Spain of Valencia v Leverkusen. The Spaniards have not really lived up to their billing this season, and really need to beat the Germans in order to keep their qualification hopes alive. Going into Tuesday’s round of matches, Valencia find themselves four points behind Leverkusen, and so a defeat would put them out of the running. The two sides met in Germany on Match Day Three, and the home side ran out 2-1 winners, leaving Valencia’s Champions League hopes hanging by a threat. Valencia could only manage a draw against Genk and Chelsea, and the defeat against Leverkusen really needs to re-addressed, because they will be out if it is not. Valencia have potential, as they are going along nicely in La Liga, holding down fourth spot and holding a pretty mean defence. Leverkusen are down in 8th in the Bundesliga, but with both sides going into the match on the back of domestic wins, it should be another close contest. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a draw there and a win for Chelsea.
Genk 14/1, Draw 5/1, Chelsea ¼ at Bet365
Valencia 4/6, Draw 14/5, Bayer Leverkusen 5/1 at SkyBet

Group F
Standings: Arsenal 7pts, Marseille 6pts, Olympiacos 3pts, Borussia Dortmund 1pt
Well, the Gunners secured a huge win at the Stade Velodrome on Match Day Three, a late Aaron Ramsey goal sneaking them over the line against Marseille. That was huge becuase it means that Arsenal pulled themselves up into top spot, and now they hold a two point advantage over the French side. But that really was only half of the job done as they need to now to consolidate that effort with another win at home. If the Gunners manage that they will be firmly in the driving seat for top spot. A loss for them at home, and Arsenal have failed to beat French opposition at home in the last two attempts, would mean that Marseille would claw back an advantage. So this is the crucial match really in deciding what is going to happen at the top of the group. On the evidence of the first meeting, there really is not too much to chose between the two sides, and it should be a good, competitive match. Will the one man Arsenal show of Robin van Persie steal the limelight for the Gunners? A draw wouldn’t hurt either side really. See our full Arsenal v Marseille betting preview here. In the group’s other match on Tuesday night, we see the rematch of Dortmund v Olympiacos. It was the Greeks who ran out 3-1 winner on Match Day Three when they both met, leaving last season’s Bundesliga winners in pretty bad shape on just one point, which was earned at home against Arsenal. If Arsenal win, a win for either Olympiacos or Dortmund would keep them alive on the heels of Marseille. However, if it is the Greeks who walk away with the three points, it would draw them level on points with a defeated Marseille. So big incentive for the Greeks. Dortmund may be struggling in the Champions League, but are in fourth in the Bundesliga, so you can expect a bit of a fight back from the Germans. Would look for wins for Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
Arsenal 4/6, Draw 3/1, Marseille 5/1 at Bet365
Borussia Dortmund 4/9, Draw 39/10, Olympiacos 15/2 at SkyBet

Group G
Standings: APOEL 5pts, Zenit St Petersburg 4pts, Porto 4pts, Shakhtar Donetsk 2pts
A fascinatingly tight group in the Champions League here. Cypriot side APOEL are one of the surprise packages so far, with no-one giving them much of a chance when the draw was made in this group. But, after beating Zenit and earning themselves impressive away draws against the strong Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto sides, they have put themselves in a great position. If they can beat FC Porto at home now on Tuesday night, backing up their 1-1 draw which they earned in Portugal, then they would be favourites to qualify for the next round. It would certainly deal last season’s Europa League winners Porto a harsh blow. There really has not been a stand out team in this group and someone needs to stand up and take the bull by the horns. The Cypriots can do just that with a win and wouldn’t put it past them. Porto are a pretty decent attacking side, but they have found the Champions League a lot rougher than the Europa League. They opened well with a win over Shakhtar but defeat against Zenit and then the home draw against APOEL has slowed them. But they can still keep themselves well in the hunt with a win, which would pull them two points clear of APOEL. So a big night for the Portuguese. Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit played out a 2-2 draw on Match Day Three in the Ukraine, and now they square off again in Russia. We were expecting a bit more from the Ukrainians Shakhtar, but they haven’t delivered, not yet anyway, sitting at the bottom of the group on two points. They really, really need to pull out a win here or else they could be flailing. Zenit St Petersburg would do themselves a massive favour with a win, regardless of what the outcome of the APOEL v Porto match is. Home advantage for the Russian should count for something, as they beat Porto 3-1 there in their only other home game so far. Would look for a draw in Cyprus and a win in Russia on Tuesday night. Whatever happens, the group is probably going to go down to the wire.
Zenit St Petersburg 10/11, Draw 13/5, Shakhtar Donetsk 7/2 at Bet365
APOEL 7/2, Draw 13/5, Porto 10/11 at Paddy Power

Group H
Standings: AC Milan 7pts, Barcelona 7pts, BATE 1pts, Plzen 1pt
Really the least interesting group in the Champions League in terms of excitement. Both AC Milan and Barcelona can confirm their spots in the next round on Tuesday night with away wins. Milan head out to Belarus, following a 2-0 win over BATE on Match Day three. The Milanese, who had a terrible start to the Serie A season have settled down now, rattling off four straight wins in the domestic league. Having only conceded two goals so far in the Champions League (in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona), Milan look solid enough to stroll through this one. It is an away match, and they are going to qualify, they will just want to keep up their form and hopefully hang on to top spot over Barcelona. So they need a good win just to keep ticking along. Because Barcelona will be expected to get the better of Czech side Plzen on Tuesday night. Barca beat them 2-0 on Match Day Three at the Nou Camp, and it would be an incredible shock if they weren’t to win again. So, nothing too exciting happening here, wins for AC Milan and Barcelona look on the cards.
BATE 21/4, Draw 3/1, AC Milan 8/13 at SportingBet
Plzen 28/1, Draw 9/1, Barcelona 1/7 at Bet365

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Group A
Standings: Bayern Munich 6pts, Napoli 4pts, Man City 1pt, Villarreal 0pts
Huge night for Manchester City in their debut Champions League season. It is Match Day three and they are still looking for their first win. Man City need to take all three points off struggling Spaniards Villarreal if they are going to keep pace for a qualification spot. Mancini’s men are three points adrift of second placed Napoli already and can’t afford to drop any more points. See our full Man City v Villarreal preview here. The other big match is just as important in Group A on Tuesday night, as Napoli host group leader Bayern Munich. Bayern are looking very strong at the moment, with two wins from two and are on a very strong run of form at the moment, conceding just one goal in the Bundesliga this season and none in the Champions League. They have an impressive defence, which Napoli need to try and break down. The Italians have to take advantage of the match in Naples in the quest for three points, and while they are sitting third in Serie A, lost on the weekend at home, which would have dented their confidence. However, they are a strong attacking team and this should be a great match. However, with the might of the Bayern defence, which held out for a 4-0 win on the weekend against Hertha Berlin, the Germans have to be favourites to take a win. A win for Bayern Munich would really put top spot out of the question for Man City, but would help them reel in Napoli for second place. A draw in Napoli v Bayern Munch betting would not be a bad thing for Manchester City’s chances at all. Big, big night in Group A
Man City 3/10, Draw 17/4, Villarreal 10/1 at Bet365
Napoli 14/5, Draw 12/5, Bayern Munich Evens at Bet365

Group B
Standings: Tabzonspor 4pts, Inter Milan 3pts, Lille 2 Pts, CSKA Moscow 1 pt
Interesting happenings in Group B of the Champions league, where Inter Milan look as if they are going to have a battle on their hands. After opening with a home loss against Turkish side Trabzonspor at the San Siro, they scraped through a 3-2 win at CSKA Moscow on Match Day Two. Now they head to France to face Lille for a big three points which would ease a bit of pressure. Inter Milan are struggling at the moment, struggling badly. In Serie A, they have won just one match all season, sitting fourth from the bottom of the league with just four points in the bag. They lost again on the weekend against Catania to further compound their problems. Their defence is just in a bit of tatters are the moment. So this is a good opportunity for Lille, who are in good form and probably make the safer bet. Lille are fourth in the French League, having lost just one match, and beat Auxerre away 3-1 on the weekend. However, with two draws from their opening Champions League fixtures, they need a win, and they will be targeting Inter. This is a big game with Milan just one point ahead of Lille. In the other match, Trabzonspor head to CSKA Moscow in a top v bottom match up. After beating Inter on Match Day One, the Turks could only follow up with a 1-1 home draw with Lille. CSKA Moscow also drew with Lille and then narrowly lost out to Inter at home on Match Day Two. There is not much to choose between all four teams in this group at the moment, whatever happens on Tuesday, the standings are likely to be very close. It really is all to play for in Group B, which is taking on a really interesting shape. A draw in Moscow and a win for Lille look probable.
CSKA Moscow 4/7, Draw 11/4, Tabzonspor 4/1 at SkyBet
Lille 11/8, Draw 11/5, Inter 13/8 at Totesport

Group C
Standings: Basel 4pts, Benfica 4pts, Man Utd 2pts, Otelul Galati 1pt
English interest here with Manchester United in the running. United head to Romania to face Otelul Galati for their Match Day Three fixture. United have yet to get a win under their belt, snatching draws in both of their opening fixtures against Benfica and Basel. United will still qualify as the Romanians don’t look strong enough to cause an upset here. See our full Otelul Galati v Man Utd betting preview here. So the other match for Tuesday in Group C see group leaders FC Basel host second placed Benfica. Interesting match up here with top spot in the group at stake. If these two draw and United win, then all three would be on five points at the half way stage. Swiss side Basel have been doing alright, opening with a 2-1 home win over Otelul Galati before having United on the ropes at Old Trafford. The Swiss fought their way back from 2-0 down at United, only to see Ashley Young snatch a 90th minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw. Benfica also took a point off United and followed that up with an away win over Otelul Galati, to leave htem on even standing with Basel. Basel certainly know where the goal is, as they are the highest scorers in their domestic league. However, would consider an away win, because Benfica look as if they can grow into this tournament and scored a good 4-1 home win in the Portuguese leage on the weekend. There are plenty of goals in Benfica as well, but you have to consider them as a bit more accomplished than Basel. United will certainly have their eye on this one.
Basel 12/5, Draw 12/5, Benfica 11/10 at Boylesports
Otelul Galati 14/1, Draw 6/1, Man Utd 2/11 at Bet365

Group D
Standings: Real Madrid 6pts, Lyon 4pts, Ajax 1pt, Dinamo Zagreb 0pts
We get the big fixture we have been waiting for in this group on Match Day Three as Lyon host Real Madrid. Madrid have opened with two wins from two, winning 1-0 in Zagreb before thumping Ajax 3-0 at home. Madrid are going along well again this season, not unsurprisingly, but are still tracking behind Barcelona in La Liga. Madrid are as prolific as ever, with Higuain and Ronaldo weighing in heavily with the goals. There is great history between these two in the Champions League, with the French side not unaccustomed to upsetting their illustrious counterparts. Lyon are going well in the French League, level on points at the top of the league and holding a pretty tight defence. With Lyon two points behind Madrid already, they really need a good win to keep things interesting here, as they can’t allow the Spaniards to get five points clear of them at the half way stage. Doing that at the Bernabeu though is not going to be an easy task though, so Madrid will be favourites to take the win. Both sides will qualify from this group anyway, so it is a matter of bragging rights for top spot. Dinamo Zagreb v Ajax should be an opportunity for the Dutch side to get a win under their belt. They come into the Champions League with a great European history behind them, but truthfully that is where their success is going to stay. They are a good attacking side, but they are not good enough to compete strongly here for a qualification spot. They battled to a 0-0 draw at home against Lyon, before rolling over against Real Madrid. The Croatians have not offered much either, trying to stay organised and tight but not offering too much up front. A draw seems likely here, but an opportunity for either side to give themselves false hope of qualifying.
Dinamo Zagreb 9/5, Draw 9/4, Ajax 8/5 at Victor Chandler
Real Madrid ¼, Draw 5/1, Lyon 10/1 at Bet365

Group E
Standings: Chelsea 4pts, Bayer Leverkusen 3pts, Valencia 2pts, Genk 1pt
Chelsea occupy top spot in the group and it will, most likely stay that way at the end of Match Day Three on Wednesday night. The Blues have a 24 unbeaten match record in the group stage of the Champions League at home, and you can’t see Belgian side Genk breaking that. Chelsea are starting to click under Villas Boas and owner Roman Abramovich will be as hungry as ever for Champions League success. Chelsea have made life a little bit harder for themselves than necessary so far in Group E, but still have the advantage, are getting stronger and should win this at a canter. See our full Chelsea v Genk betting preview here. The other match here pits Valenciia against Leverkusen in Germany. There is a big three points on offer for both of these sides and a win for the home side could really put some daylight between the top and bottom two. A win for the Spaniards, or a draw however would keep things pretty interesting in the race for second spot. Valencia have drawn both of their Champions League matches so far, a disappointing 0-0 away at Genk and then a lucky escape at home against Chelsea. Leverkusen opened with a defeat at Stamford Bridge, but then scored a 2-0 home victory over Kent ,and they look as they may just have a little more to offer than the Spaniards, and should make use of home advantage here. Neither side are in tip top form at the moment, and they will be in a race for second place behind Chelsea. So whoever can take points off the other in their two meetings should ultimately have the edge.
Chelsea  1/8, Draw 7/1 Genk 25/1 at Bet365
Bayer Leverkusen 7/5, Draw 9/4, Valencia 2/1 at Victor Chandler

Group F
Standings: Marseille 6pts, Arsenal 4pts, Borussia Dortmund 1pt, Olympiacos 0pts
More British interest here this week, with Arsenal in the hunt for a place in the kncokout stage. The Gunners earned themselves a 1-1 draw out in Dortmund to start their campaign, which wasn’t too bad a result, and then backed it up with a 2-1 home win over Greek side Olympiakos. The Gunners are not as good as they have been though, and were lucky to get past the Greeks unscathed. So their match at Marseille is going to be a massive one for them. Marseille are in great form at the moment and top Group F with two wins from two. If the French make it three from three, they will open up a five point gap over the Gunners at the half way stage. See our full Marseille v Arsenal betting preview here. Olympiacos v Borussia Dortmund is likely to ultimately end up as been the battle to avoid the wooden spoon in the group. Favouritism would have to be given to the Germans, but they were outclassed by Marseille in a 3-0 defeat on Match Day Two. That followed a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at home, in which they had to come from behind to rescue a point. Olympiacos have lost both of their opening matches against Marseille and Arsenal, and you would expect them to be finishing bottom. There is a big incentive though and importance on this match, because if Arsenal lose, Dortmund could pull level with the Gunners if they win, so there is a window of opportunity. Although it looks probable that Marseille and Arsenal will go through, the impetus is on Dortmund to try and claw their way back into things. This will be their best opportunity to do so, so far.
Marseille 7/5, Draw 23/10, Arsenal 2/1 at Paddy Power
Olympiacos 12/5, Draw 9/2, Borussia Dortmund Evens at SportingBet

Group G
Standings: APOEL 4pts, Zenit St Petersburg 3pts, Porto 3pts, Shakhtar Donetsk 1pt
Probably the least focused on group in the Champions League this season, because you haven’t really got a highly recognised team in there. Such is the case of the group being pretty even so far, and no-body really looking a favourite. Group leaders APOEL from Cyprus head to Portugal this week to face FC Porto. APOEL have secured one win and a draw from their opening two matches, beating Zenit and the securing a decent 1-1 away draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Even a point would at Porto would keep them ticking along nicely, but the home side should raise the pressure a bit. Porto, last season’s Europa League winners under Andre Villas Boas, beat Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening fixture, before crashing heavily out in Russia against Zenit, going down 3-1. On home soil you would expect Porto, who are a pretty decent team to prevail against the Cypriots, but the visitors look as if they can make life difficult enough to grab a draw on a good night. A win for APOEL though would be huge, putting four points between themselves and Porto. Shakhtar Donetsk v Zenit St Petersburg is an interesting clash, with Shakhtar looking a bit weaker than many would have though, only picking up a point so far. They are bottom of the group at the moment and need a response to get themselves back into the thick of thing. Ukranians Zent are on  three points and could really leave Shakhtar floundering with a win over them. Zenit lost away in Cyprus though, before redeeming themselves at home against Porto. There should not be too much between these two, and picking a winner from this group at the moment is a tough call. Do expect to see Porto coming on strong in their Match Day three fixture, and a draw is looking likely between the other two.
FC Porto 1/3, Draw 4/1, APOEL 17/2 at Bet365
Shakhtar Donetsk 11/10, Draw 23/10, Zenit St Petersburg 5/2 at Boylesports

Group H
Standings: Barcelona 4pts, AC Milan 4pts, BATE 1pt, Plzen 1pt
All that this group is going to come down to, is who finishes top between Barcelona and AC Milan. Both teams are on four points, thanks to their Match Day One draw at Nou Camp. Both followed up that 2-2 parity with a win on Match Day Two. Barcelona are back at home and welcome Plzen from the Czech Republic. Plzen drew 1-1 with BATE in their first match, before losing 2-0 at the San Siro against AC Milan. Barcelona will be expected to keep on winning, and keep on racking up the goals (seven already in two games), and the decider will come later in the group when they meet AC Milan again. Should not be ably problems for Barcelona against the Czechs. Same thing for AC Milan really, who are also at home, as they face BATE Borisov from Belarus. Following that 1-1 draw with Plzen, BATE were thumped 5-0 at home by Barcelona in their second match. That Match Day One draw against Barcelona was perhaps the most surprising result of the group so far, because Milan have started their domestic season poorly, and need a lot of building there with just two wins in the season. However, they held on for a point at the Nou Camp and then backed it up with a home win over Plzen. Now it will be their turn to try and rack up a few goals against BATE, and they shouldn’t have too many problems at home in picking up all three points. Both Plzen and BATE both shot themselves in the foot when they drew 1-1 on Match Day One, that was the biggest opportunity for one of them to pick up three points. They too will have to wait until they meet again, because a win for either elsewhere, doesn’t look likely.
AC Milan 1/6, Draw 6/1, BATE 18/1 at Bet365
Barcelona 1/16, Draw 9/1, Plzen 25/1 at SkyBet

Champions League Outright Winner Odds: Barcelona 15/8, Real Madrid 4.1, Man Utd 7/1, Bayern Munich 8/1, Chelsea 11/1, Man City 14/1, AC Milan 25/1, Inter Milan 28/1, Arsenal 33/1 at Bet365

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While the four English entrants in the Champions League pit their wits in their opening fixtures this week, there is the blockbuster Barcelona v AC Milan betting match up which is kind of taking centre stage here and can’t be ignored. These have met before in the Champions League of course, most recently back in the 2005/06 campaign when Barcelona won 1-0 in Milan before holding out for a 0-0 draw in the return fixture. That was in the semi final stage when the likes of Deco, Eto’o and Ronaldinho were in the side for Barca. Andreas Iniesta also played in the match as well. They also met in the 2004/05 campaign too, which saw a win for Milan at the San Siro, before Barcelona got their revenge back at the Nou Camp in the reverse fixture there. There is further history stretching back between these two giants of European football of course (including a win at the Nou Camp for Milan in the 2000/01 group stage), with a total of eleven meetings. You may be a little surprised at the head to head record here as there have been four wins for each and three drawn matches. The last two meetings in Spain have result in a win for Barcelona and a draw, and so AC Milan need to go there and over turn some poor recent history. Barcelona’s home record against AC Milan is not exactly prolific, as they have won two, drawn two and lost one in their five meetings against the Italians. This is something of a massive encounter here between two giants, and both really have a lot to offer. Barcelona of course now have Cesc Fabregas in their midfield, who is hungry for some European success, but Barcelona have lost the services of their new signing of striker Alexis Sanchez who picked up a hamstring problem. Barcelona were relatively quiet in the transfer market over the summer, and that is easy to understand as it is hard to see just where they can actually be improved. That same midfield of Iniesta and Xavi are there pulling the string, and with Lionel Messi being crowed Europe’s very best, they are the still the team to beat. They are the defending Champions, but were slowed by a 2-2 away draw at Real Sociedad on the weekend. That was their second league match of the new season after opening with a 5-0 win over Villareal.

The Serie A season is just one round of matches old, so nothing too much to read into what the Italians may bring. However, they didn’t bolt out of the gates, as they were held at the San Siro by Lazio Roma 2-2. It’s not the start they wanted, and in the Champions League, they really need to pick up their form. They have now not scored in their last three European matches, and their away form in particular was really bad in the tournament. AC Milan won only one of their four away matches in last year’s tournament, so they need to pick up the pace. Having to open against Barcelona in the Nou Camp is not exactly an easy entrance back into the competition. However, an interesting stats for backers of AC Milan, is that they have won all last ten of their previous Match Day One fixtures. But then we can rapidly switch focus back to Barcelona and see that the Catalans have not lost in their last 10 home games in the Champions League now. Only a draw against Real Madrid in the semi final of last year’s competition broke their run of nine consecutive home wins. It really is understating the obvious that they are an ominous side in their own arena. They are the team to beat anywhere they go, and the ease with which they dispatched Manchester United in the final last year, indicates that they are strong favourites to get back there. Real Madrid are starting off as tournament favourites, and again it looks like Real Madrid (who have fired ten goals in their opening two La Liga matches) are going to be their closest challengers.

There is an immense amount of team ties between these two clubs, who are steeped in fantastic history. This is definitely the big match of the opening round, a match which goes beyond pride. Both are still favourite to get through the stage, as BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plzen are unlikely to cause either of the giants many problems in the group. For your Barcelona v AC Milan betting though, we are looking at the European Champions and how they keep the ball is just remarkable still. The bookies certainly only see one result happening, which is translated in the strong odds below. It is hard to argue against that really and so we may as well take a look at Asian Handicap options for some value. A great price of Evens is at VC Bet is available for a Barcelona -1.75 Asian Handicap, but that will require a three goal winning margin. It is early days in the season and so you could tone it down a little for 8/11 Barcelona -1.5 Asian Handicap at Victor Chandler. Either way decent value.

Barcelona v AC Milan Champions League Betting Odds
Barcelona to win: 3/10 at Totesport
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
AC Milan: 12/1 at VC Bet

Real Madrid v Barcelona 2011 Spanish Super Cup betting is a great way to open your football wagers on the Spanish front. The two heavyweights come together on August 14th in the first leg of the domestic Super Cup. The two were no strangers to each other last year of course, as they battled it out for La Liga title as well as coming together in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. It was Barcelona who prevailed in the Spanish Primera as well as the Champions League of course, and now the early season throws them back into battle again. So who will prevail? Who takes the edge in Real Madrid v Barcelona 2011 Spanish Super Cup football betting? Well here we take a look at the two sides, their pre season preparations, their signings and what differences we may see this season. One of the biggest rivalries on Continental Europe looks set to resume.

Barcelona look set to land Cesc Fabregas finally from Arsenal, but they have generally been taking things pretty quiet on the transfer market. This could be an ominous sign that coach Pep Guardiola has enough faith in his current squad to go out and repeat successes. We have not seen the best of Barcelona through pre season though, and they have suffered some loses. Three of them in fact, including a defeat against Manchester United. But can we pay attention to all of that, when competition levels are low and players are getting back to match sharpness? These are the games when it really counts, and Barcelona will want to come out firing. The Catalans have bolstered their forward ranks bringing over Alexis Sanchez from Udinese. Looking over the comparative pre seasons of the two giants, you could suggest that Barcelona are perhaps a little less prepared for this opener than Madrid. There will be battles of ego and battles of some of the best football talent in the world here of focus. Their strengths are in the movement of the ball in midfield, with Xavi and Iniesta the king pins there, and of course the ever existing threat of Lionel Messi. We looked a lot last season at how to beat Barcelona, and while Real Madrid triumphed in the Copa del Rey, it is hard, and still is, to see where Barcelona can be picked apart with any great regularity. Barcelona are going to create chances and if you cut off one supply route, there are numerous others which they exploit. Barcelona are the team to emulate, but will they be caught cold on this opening fixture of the season for them? It is never an easy task to play away from home in the back yard of your most bitter rivals, but Barcelona cope with things like that with relative ease. Barcelona will be strengthened in cover if Fabregas arrives but nothing else on the surface is likely to change too much this season. It is still up to the rest of Spain and the rest of Europe to try and catch them up.

Real Madrid have gone spending their cash though, with a big signing at the back with Fabio Coentrao coming in. There have also been a couple of signings in midfield to bolster strength in the depth. Coach Jose Mourinho did manage to get something out of Barcelona last year, when Real Madrid snatched a late winner in the final of the Copa del Rey. People wondered if there was going to be a momentum shift then, but it was Barcelona who prevailed over the two legs of the Champions League semi final. So that suggests that Jose Mourinho has a lot more work to do in order to not only catch up, but surpass Real’s bitter rivals. Madrid have gone well in their pre season, but they haven’t used too many of their big stars while touring China. This is naturally home advantage for Jose Mourinho and they cannot fall into the trap of being caught being over confident. They can look at Barcelona’s squad and see they haven’t put it together in their pre season matches, but they should be written off at Mourinho’s peril. Cristiano Ronaldo will again by the biggest cog in the Real Madrid machine this year, but as with Jose Mourinho, you know that if anyone is capable of tactically bringing down the best club side in the world, then it is him. Real Madrid tried their best, and succeeded a lot of the time last season to limit the number of chances that Barcelona would create in the match. They were not going to give Barcelona their own way in the middle of the park, and that is where Madrid won the biggest battles against their rivals. They have a lot of firepower and wealth in their squad, but often it is repressed when it comes to facing Barcelona. Sharp, incisive counter attacks may be their best way still to get the better of Madrid, but if they use this first battle ground of the new season wisely, it could lay down an important marker for the season ahead.

Real Madrid v Barcelona Spanish Super Cup betting
Real Madrid to win: 6/4 at Totesport
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Barcelona to win: 21/10 at Bwin

Real Madrid v Barcelona betting tip: Would honestly look towards a draw here. The are positives for both sides, but at the same time there are questions marks. It is the first competitive game, who will be match sharper? Real Madrid have been better in pre season but have faced lesser opposition than Barcelona. Don’t read too much into pre season results anyway as they are not going to count for much. Real Madrid may grab a little bit more of the early initiative, but you just can’t count Barcelona out, even if they have a cold start. There’s too much talent to leave them wanting, so a first up match ending in parity sounds about right for the two.  This is only the first leg remember, so a score draw Barca would be happy with.

Saturday 28th May 2011

Champions League Final 2011

Barcelona v Manchester United (in London)

The biggest match in club football takes place at Wembley on Saturday as Spanish Champions Barcelona take on the Premier League winners Manchester United – a repeat of the 2009 final in Rome.

Barcelona secured their third successive Spanish league title two weeks ago, once again ruling over their arch-rivals Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola is on course to become the most successful ever manager in the Nou Camp hotseat with a flood of trophies already secured in his three seasons in charge. He is looking to win his second Champions League title in three years after winning his first in 2009 against tomorrow’s opponents. He boasts an amazing record which is even more staggering considering he has been up against the biggest club in the World who also happen to be the richest club in the World as well. His side lost just two games all season showing immense consistency and it’s all the more impressive when you consider who little he changes his side throughout the season. More often than not it’s the same 13 or 14 players who mostly play in the starting XI. At the centre of it all is of course, little Lionel Messi, the petite winger is easily the best player in the World today and at the age of 23 is only going to get better. So often the matchwinner, Messi was at his inspirational best when he scored both goals in the first leg of the semi-final against Real, in Madrid. He will be looking to add to his 11 goals in the competition this season despite already having secured the top scorer award.

United regained the Premier League from Chelsea this season rather comfortably in the end. All season long critics have looked to downplay the quality in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side saying that the competition is not up to much and they have won the league by default. Well said critics are the same one’s who preach about the Premier League being the best league in European football. No matter what way you look at it, United are Champions again, for a record 19th time, and are through to their third Champions League final in four seasons, a tremendous feat. They will be looking to right the wrongs of two years ago when they were outplayed by a rampant Barca side. Ferguson always maintains that his side never got the rub of the green that night but it was evident that there was a gulf in class between the two teams. Man U have had a relatively straightforward passage to this stage, and a slightly easier one than that of tomorrow’s opponents. They were far too good for Schalke in the semi-finals whilst they were easily the better and more commanding side against Chelsea in the quarter finals.

Messi will obviously be key to Barca’s chances, as he always is. But the match was won in midfield two season’s ago as Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta produced a midfield masterclass and totally outplayed Carrick and Anderson who lined up for United. Giggs will play instead of Anderson tomorrow whilst Carrick has been in super form recently to will be looking to make amends for his no-show in Rome.

It really is a terrific match-up, the two most entertaining and effective sides in this season’s Champions League going at it against each other. The old fox Ferguson against the rising great Guardiola. Messi v Vidic. Rooney v Puyol. Everything is in place for a magnificent spectacle.

I simply cannot see by a Barcelona victory tomorrow, they are that good. They are not unbeatable but they are as close to as it you’ll get it at the moment. The Spanish League has been a much stronger competition this season than the Premier League in my opinion. Providing United play their own game, I just feel they will leave too much space at the back and through midfield.

My Selection: Barcelona to beat Manchester United

Best odds available:

Please check back tomorrow evening for further previews for both the League One and Championship Play-off final

21/20 available with Betfred