jose mourinho

It’s not always the case but, this year, we seem to have been blessed with the best four teams in Europe in the last four of the Champions League and the Europa League has also come up trumps.

Spain and Germany dominate the latter stages of the continent’s premier club competition and bookmakers are almost united in making La Liga leaders Barcelona favourites. BetVictor are as short as 7/4 against Lionel Messi and company, even though they were just 20 minutes away from going out against PSG before being rescued by their Argentinian maestro and the away goals rule. Barca have the recent pedigree, of course, but it may be written in the stars that Jose Mourinho gives Real Madrid the European crown before he moves on and several firms can’t split the great rivals at 2/1.

But you just can’t rule out the two Bundesliga teams, who also have quality in abundance. Bayern Munich (3/1 with BetVictor, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power) have twice reached the final in recent years and have vast experience. They’ve not quite been able to get over the line but nobody would begrudge Jupp Heynkes‘ side a change of luck and they’ve already wrapped up their domestic title. Borussia Dortmund were undoubtedly lucky to beat Malaga in the quarter-finals and it’s no surprise that they are the outsiders of the four remaining teams (13/2 in several places). But they showed what they could do in the group stages and a return to that kind of form would make them a threat to all.

The Europa League is a two-horse race according to bookmakers, who expect Chelsea and Benfica to contest next month’s final. The Blues’ terrific record at Stamford Bridge has kept them afloat so far but they’ve not been as effective on the road and, though they are bidding to be the first Champions League winners to win the following year’s Europa League, I wouldn’t be rushing to back Rafa Benitez‘ men at the 13/10 with bwin and Ladbrokes. Benfica, 15/8 with Ladbrokes, BetVictor and Paddy Power look a bit more resilient and may be more motivated but are no certainties to get past Fenerbache (a general 6/1). But the fact that Basel needed penalties to beat an under-strength Spurs, who played extra time in the second leg with only 10 men, suggests they might have reached the limit of expectations. The Swiss team are 8/1 with bet365 and 888sport to win the final.

With Pep Guardiola making a return to football management with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga next season, it has left Chelsea in a bit of limbo. Guardiola was one of the favourites in Chelsea Next Permanent Manager betting, but with the Spaniard dismissing a move to Stamford Bridge, it has left a confusing situation for Roman Abramovich. The Russian billionaire is a big fan of Guardiola and wanted him at his club, but he has suffered rejection. With Rafa benitez on only temporary assignment in West London, where the leader for next Chelsea manager going to come from.

The speculation over a return for Jose Mourinho won’t go away. The Special One is having a tough season in La Liga, with reports over dressing room fallouts. However, he only signed a big new contract last year after securing the Spanish league title, so will he tough it out there? It is an interesting situation, and what makes Mourinho favourite is how much he was admired at the Bridge. The Portuguese manager knows what life is like at the club under Roman Abramovich and while he would be welcomed back by the Chelsea faithful, questions over his relationship with Abramovich may cause some hesitation in backing Mourinho in next Chelsea boss betting. It was fractured when he left, how much has it been repaired?

Offering much better value is Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp. He made Dortmund into a European force, fending off Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title last season. There is a lot of promise in a move for Klopp, who are highly unlikely to retain their league title this season. They are also in a tight scrap for a Champions League place as well. If that fails this season, a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer would be a good new challenge for him. Klopp is forward thinking and adventurous enough with his football philosophy to fit Abramovich’s plans.

Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. This is an interesting one. No doubt the Argentine has done a superb job, with limited resources compared to the might of Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, he has had the benefit of having Radamel Falcao in his ranks. Should Chelsea make a move for Simeone, it may bring the factor of being able to lure Falcao to the Premier League. Germany’s Joachim Loew has also started to get linked with a move to the club as well. He again, is another who would bring the flair and style that Abramovich wants.

After bringing in the highly unpopular Rafa Benitez though, if that doesn’t yield any success, there may be a diplomatic move by the club to bring back a favourite. Gus Poyet has made a solid name for himself in managerial circuits and would be a familiar face back at the Bridge. So too Gianfranco Zola, regarded as the best player ever to pull on a Chelsea shirt. Odds on Zola have been trimmed over the past week or so, as speculation mounts that a move will be made for him.

Next Chelsea Manager Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Jose Mourinho 15/8, Jurgen Klopp 7/2, Joachim Low 9/1, Diego Simeone 14/1, Michael Laudrup 14/1, Gianfranco Zola 20/1, Frank Rijkaard 25/1

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It could well be worth visiting some Jose Mourinho betting as the rumours that he won’t be at Real Madrid until the end of the season mount. Madrid fell a massive 16 points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga as they slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Malaga on Saturday. It was the second match in a row which Madrid had failed to win in the Spanish top flight, their second defeat in their last five league outings. So with their slim hopes of retaining their Spanish league title rapidly slipping away from them, Jose Mourinho’s position at the Spanish giants is looking more and more fragile.

Despite signing a new contract back in May to keep him at the Bernabeu until 2016, Mourinho is continuously linked with a move back to the Premier League. But now, with performances from his expensive team falling flat on the playing field and ever growing rumours of discord in the dressing rooms, will Mourinho and Madrid be together for much longer? In a recent Copa del Rey defeat at Celta Vigo, Mourinho called out some of his players saying “There are players who have disappointed me,” he said. “Some didn’t want to play because it was cold, raining.”

Mourinho himself has said that it is “practically impossible” for his side to retain the Spanish league title, following the draw with lowly Espanyol recently. Leaked rumours from the club say that the dressing room atmosphere has been tense too, including a spat between Mourinho and goalkeeper Iker Casillas. But over the weekend, Mourinho was quick to dismiss rumours that his departure from Madrid would come sooner rather than later, as well as starting another war of words with interim Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez.

So be on alert for Jose Mourinho betting odds at the moment, most notably, the destination of his next club. It is not going to be easy for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to find a replacement, certainly not half way through a disappointing season. But the links and rumours of the former Chelsea boss heading back to the Premier League don’t go away, the man himself also hinting that he would like to return for another crack.

But where? What would be Jose Mourinho’s next club? Trading as favourite at online bookmaker Stan James is the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. With current boss Roberto Mancini failing to make any ground in Europe, Mourinho would be an immediate attraction to them. It looks far more likely for that would happen than him turning up to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement at Old Trafford, an unlikely option which is trading at 7/2 with Stan James.

Sandwiched in between those odds is Chelsea at 5/2. While the Chelsea fans would love the Special One back at the Bridge, the fractious atmosphere that was created by Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich before, makes this hard to see, really leaving Man City as the best option in the Premier League. But of course, Benitez is only in temporary charge at the Bridge.

Across the Channel, the Paris St Germain movement is gaining pace and with Carlo Ancelotti yet to secure anything with them, Mourinho would be a good fit there, with the French club trading at 10/1 to be Mourinho’s next club. Rumours will persist all season about The Special One, but where will he end up?

Jose Mourinho Next Job Betting Odds at online bookmaker Stan James
Man City 6/4, Chelsea 5/2, Man United 7/2, Arsenal 8/1, Paris St Germain 10/1, Any National Team 16/1, AC Milan 20/1, Bayern Munich 20/1, Inter 20/1, Juventus 20/1, Liverpool 20/1, Porto 20/1, Spurs 20/1, Barcelona 20/1

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Manchester City didn’t get the rub of the green when the draw for last season’s Champions League group stages was made and the fates haven’t been kind to Roberto Mancini’s Premier League champions this year either. Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund and Ajax await and City open their campaign against Real Madrid at the Bernebeu. Jose Mourinho‘s team pipped Barcelona to the Primera Liga last season but have made a disastrous start to their new campaign and their defence of the league crown may already be over before it’s begun with Barca already clear at the top. You could argue that Ronaldo, Modric and company can now focus almost solely on the Champions League, which is Mourinho’s Holy Grail at Real, and that’s bad news for City who showed themselves to be vulnerable on the road in Europe last season and have hardly been firing on all cylinders, domestically, so far. A couple of early setbacks and  they may struggle to make up lost ground in Group D.

Neighbours United failed to take opponents seriously last year and crashed out at the group stages. They’ll have no excuses for failing to make the knockout stages this year having been drawn out with Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj but Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t like to show his hand too early in the competition and expect a few unexpected names on the team-sheet if they get qualification wrapped up early. For that reason, it could be worth having a speculative bet on Braga to win Group H at the 8/1 available with bwin, BetVictor and William Hill. The Portuguese side needed penalties to edge out Udinese in the qualifying round but are very strong at home and should qualify for the latter stages if they can pick up a few points on their travels. Historically, United don’t place that much importance on topping their group.

Another of Europe’s traditional power houses, last year’s losing finalists Bayern Munich, also face serious competition in their section from Valencia with Mauricio Pellegrino‘s side a general 3/1 to top Group F and Braga’s compatriots Porto will also have their supporters in Group A against favourites Paris St Germain. The French club have been splashing the cash all summer long and investors will be anxious to see an early return on their investment but there remain doubts about the overall strength of Ligue 1 in comparison to Spain, England, Germany and Italy and Porto’s recent European pedigree and squad strength looks at least the equal of PSG so there is no way the Portuguese champions, winners of the Champions League in 2004, should be rated as 15/8 chances by Boylesports, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill, though they will have to unearth a goalscorer to replace Brazilian Hulk.

There has been a lot of activity happening in the Next Permanent Liverpool manager betting market, after Kenny Dalglish saw the FA Cup slip away from him on the weekend. Liverpool lost 2-1 against Chelsea at Wembley, so Dalglish was unable to add any gloss to a disappointing season. They earned themselves the Carling Cup thanks to a penalty shoot out against Championship side Cardiff, but struggling to make a top seven finish in the Premier League, winning just one home game of the eight played in league since the turn of the year, hasn’t won Dalglish many fans over. Liverpool have been lightweight up front and un-creative in the middle of the park and don’t look as if they have the squad quality to take a step forward.

So they may need investment in the summer, will Dalglish be the one to spend the money? Will the owners stick with him for another season? The last big batch of big money signings haven’t worked. Will they trust him to spend more? The thing about Dalglish is that he of course has such a huge identity at Anfield, he is a firm fixture of Liverpool’s great history and therefore it may not prove to be a great publicity move if they get rid of him. But surely he isn’t untouchable? But out of interest, if the Liverpool board decide that they need a change at the top to drive forward, who are the leading candidates in the Next Permanent Liverpool manager betting?

Well, former boss Rafa Benitez is the man who has attracted all the attention. There were firm rumours about the Spaniard heading back to the Premier League with Chelsea after Andre Villas-Boas got the sack from Stamford Bridge. However, their rumours seem to have died down a bit, and some Liverpool fans have been calling for a return of Rafa. It would probably be a move that smoothed the transition if Dalglish goes. But there are other big names in contention as well, with Jose Mourinho, who just won the La Liga title with Real Madrid and short-lived Chelsea boss Andre-Villa Boas himself. Swansea’s Brendan Rodgers could be a major target for the Reds too, as he would bring the style and wonderful passing game with a purpose, that Liverpool are missing. But Rodgers has been hotly linked with Spurs.

Would Martin O’Neill be ready to step up to a bigger club after making a steady return to management with Sunderland this season? Would Pep Guardiola be tempted out of his decision to step away from the game at the end of Barcelona’s season? Weighing up the options, it all seems a little bit unlikely, but the odds have been trimmed so much on a return for Rafa Benitez as next Liverpool manager, it has hard to ignore the market momentum. He is the best fit for the club, a tactical thinker who did take Liverpool to European glory.

Next Permanent Liverpool Manager Betting Odds at SkyBet
Rafa Benitez 94/, Jose Mourinho 10/1, Andre Villas-Boas 12/1, Brendan Rodgers 9/1, Martin O’Neill 10/1, Pep Guardiola 12/1

To be honest, I’m secretly relieved that Chelsea have finally given Andre Villas-Boas the boot. At this point, I should explain that I hold absolutely no grudge against the man nor will I make any personal gain from his departure. It’s purely a professional thing for, the truth of the matter is, I could never remember where to put the hyphen in his name. I just got a mental block every time I was writing an article that mentioned Chelsea. I don’t know why, but it just didn’t look right whether I stuck it after the Andre or before the Boas – and AVB is even worse. It sounds like an acronym for something that should be worth 18 months behind bars.

Now the Portuguese has gone, of course, the speculation about who will replace him in the long term is rife. Roberto Di Matteo, a Chelsea favourite and someone who has coached in the Premier League before, has the job until the end of the season but the indications are that he won’t be considered long term. But there again, will anyone? Roman Abramovic is now seeking a ninth manager in eight years but has to ask himself – will the coach be in charge or are a group of players who are past their best going to be allowed to dictate who they want giving the half-time team talk? There will be no names mentioned here but it’s pretty much common knowledge that player power has got rid of the last three Chelsea coaches. AVB has been a dead man walking, metaphorically speaking, since being forced to back track from his initial brief to oversee the replacing of the old guard with new blood. The club’s owner has lost patience after just eight months as the Blues have dropped off the pace in the Premier League and stand on the brink of elimination from the Champions League. Somebody, however, will have to be allowed the time to supervise a re-birth – but who would now want the job given the fate of his predecessors?

Rafa Benitez attracted support in the wake of Villa-Boas‘ dismissal but has drifted out again to a general 4/1 to be next permanent Chelsea manager and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is now the favourite to make a sensational return to Stamford Bridge at 5/2 with Ladbrokes, sportingbet and William Hill. Their former manager is still rumoured to be looking for a house in London and has always said he would return to the Premier League at some point. Barcelona‘s Pep Guardiola is 13/2 at Stan James and Fabio Capello is a general 10/1. The latter certainly has the profile of an ideal Abramovic candidate and Chelsea are probably one of the few clubs that could afford the ex-England manager but would he still have the energy for the role?

Are changes about to happen at Stamford Bridge, with some serious movement in the Next Chelsea Manager betting market. Rumours are that former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is going to be called in to replace the failed experiment of young Portuguese manager Andre Villas Boas. There are major issues in the Chelsea mess at the moment, which has put them in danger of missing out on a qualification spot in next year’s Champions League. A 3-1 away defeat against Napoli midweek, and without a win in five EPL league matches, AVB’s tenure at Stamford Bridge is hanging by a very precarious thread. He had to answer questions about his team selection in Naples to owner Roman Abramovich, as experienced hands Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were left on the bench. Villas Boas has seemingly alienated a lot of the senior players at Stamford Bridge, while he has tried to implement his own touches, leaning towards youth. It just hasn’t happened for them this season, and now one of the deepest thinkers in soccer manager, Rafa Benitez is apparently in line to become the next Chelsea boss. The rumours have been so strong that Benitez has jumped to favourite in the Next Chelsea Manager betting market to become 2/1 favourite at William Hill. That is a big leap for a man who has been out of work, and overlooked many times when other job openings have cropped up.

But he has Premier League experience and Benitez lead a very average Liverpool squad through some successful times. The success of Benitez was just what Chelsea need at the moment, as it was build on stifling, organised and un-flamboyant play. Winning through hard work to rack up 1-0 wins was the forte, and it is the same style which brought Jose Mourinho much success as Stamford Bridge. So is Benitez the man to fix the Chelsea problems? Chelsea are bad at the back at the moment, and Benitez likes to keep things tight and efficient, so he would get Chelsea deeper and tighten them up a lot. There is also the strong connection between Rafa Benitez and Fernando Torres (who has just been dropped from Spain’s squad), and so perhaps Abramovich is thinking that Benitez may just be the right man to get the best of his biggest ever investment, the fifty million pound man, Torres. While many Blues fans will be scratching their heads of an appointment of Benitez, a man who was overlooked in favour of Andre Villas-Boas in the summer, they will no doubt look to his most previous track record. After good times at Liverpool, Benitez dragged Liverpool down with an over abundance of average squad players at Anfield, and then after taking over at Champions League holders Inter Milan, subsequently didn’t even last a season there because they ended up going backwards from their success.

But the rumours are growing that Roman Abramovich will turn back towards perhaps more dour tactical set ups, and give up on the supposed attacking flair that AVB was supposed to bring. Let’s not forget that Rafa Benitez is a Champions League winner, bringing a tight unit between his senior players and fringe operators. That man management is clearly something which Chelsea are lacking at the moment, but the diplomatic Benitez would probably unite the senior players like Lampard and get the best out of them until their Stamford Bridge careers come to an end. Bottom line is, is that Roman Abramovich is desperate to see his club win the Champions League, and the Blues are in danger of missing out on a place in next year’s tournament. So how much does AVB have left? It doesn’t seem like a lot really, and then that will blow Next Chelsea Manager betting wide open. Jose Mourinho’s name has been touted around as making a return to Stamford Bridge. The unsettled Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola is also a likely target, but big names like this won’t be as readily available as out of work Benitez. So that in itself could be a big factor in the decision of what to do, and who to put in the Chelsea hot seat.

Next Chelsea Manager Betting Odds
Rafa Benitez: 6/4 at SkyBet
Jose Mourinho: 8/1 at SkyBet
Fabio Capello: 9/1 at William Hill
Pep Guardiola: 10/1 at SkyBet
Marcelo Bielsa: 16/1 at Paddy Power

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The fall out of Fabio Capello’s departure from his post, leaving us with Next England Manager betting has taken a new twist, with favourite Harry Redknapp publicly stating that it would be unfair for him to leave Tottenham at the moment, and that he hasn’t even been approached. There are different ways to read into his comments though. The Tottenham boss seems the public’s choice to take over the national side, but Redknapp has enjoyed a tremendous season at Spurs, building a title challenging side and he seems pretty happy at White Hart Lane. He has dismissed, as most people have, the possibility of working part time, splitting his duties between England and Tottenham, as that simply isn’t practical. Redknapp said that it could be a short term solution, even having someone come in and take over the running just for the summer while England are at Euro 2012. So Harry Redknapp could possibly be the next England manager, but would he be the Next Permanent England manager? That seems a longer shot. He could well be in charge at Euro 2012, but would he then go back and fulfil his duties with Spurs for the new Premier League season? Has Redknapp counted himself out of the running? If so, where does that leave Next Permanent England manager betting? Interim coach Stuart Pearce, most likely, but with no real word on who the FA are actually interested in, could they spring another surprise and actually draft in some top foreign talent. Some forward thinking, successful manager?
There are two names in the running when you think of foreign managers in the field for Next Permanent England Manager betting. The first one is Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola.  The bookies have started to sit up and take notice of Guardiola, whose odds have been slashed from long shot to third favourite. Barcelona lost in La Liga on the weekend, suffering a bit of embarrassment away at Osasuna. That has left their title challenge in tatters, sitting ten points back of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. So it looks as if they won’t successfully be defending their Spanish title there. The Champions League looks like more of a priority right now to them, and that are comfortably one step closer to the quarter finals after a 3-1 away win away against Bayer Leverkusen. So if the Spanish League title is gone, and they can’t defend their Champions League title, will this be the time for Guardiola to walk away? Surely the FA would have to jump at the chance to secure him, because what England fan doesn’t want to see their side play the way that the Catalans do?

There is another name which is also in the running, and that is former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinhno. The Special One is reportedly going to leave Real Madrid, despite dominating the Spanish domestic scene and chasing Champions League glory. Let’s assume that Mourinho wins at least the league title, a big coup over the power of Barcelona, would he be tempted into a new challenge? It’s hard to see Mourinho backing down from any new test, and they really don’t come much bigger or tougher to handle than the England job. Apparently Mourinho does want to get back to management in England, but would it be with England’s top job? He’s not totally out of the running, with bookies having him priced at anywhere between 12/1 and 25/1. One final name which should court some pretty good interest is that of Guus Hiddink. Hiddink is a much respected man and is wanted by a lot of clubs at the moment. PSV, where he made such a big name for himself want him back. Chelsea fans want the affable boss to come back and rescue them from their doldrums, and one of Europe’s rising forces Anzhi Makhachkala also want Hiddink’s services. At least Hiddink has international management experience, having coach the Netherlands, South Korea, Australia, Russia and most recently, Turkey. He’s also out of work right now, after failing to get Turkey to Euro 2012.

Next Permanent England Manager Betting Odds
Harry Redknapp: 1/4 at Bet365
Stuart Pearce: 10/1 at 188Bet
Pep Guardiola: 14/1 at Paddy Power
Roy Hodgson: 18/1 at Bet365
Guus Hiddink: 24/1 at BetFair
Jose Mourinho: 25/1 at Bet365

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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.

Barcelona v Real Madrid Champions League semi final second leg betting odds look to be pretty much all sewn up. Nothing quite kills off the excitement of a Champions League semi final than the away team scoring a couple of goals in the first leg, and derby rivalry dragging the match into play acting and niggling tensions. The football got a bit forgotten at times during the first leg of the Real Madrid v Barcelona Champions League semi final. Despite being the home side, Jose Mourinho sent out his Real Madrid side in a defensive set up again, hoping to replicate the success of their Copa del Rey final against their Catalan rivals. However, after getting defender Pepe sent off in the second half, which did seem a bit of a harsh decision at the time, the already stifled threat of Real Madrid was weakened. When the two sides met at the Bernabeu recently in La Liga, Madrid were down to ten men there, but managed to claw their way back to a 1-1 draw thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo. There was to be no sting in the tail of Jose Mourinho’s men this time around, as they were undone by a Lionel Messi brace, the second of which was a stunning solo run from the little Argentinean genius. Messi picked the ball up deep, ran at a angle towards the penalty area, jinked inside, and pushed the ball into the far corner of the net past Iker Casillas. Brilliance. That is the man who wins games. Now Barcelona have a huge advantage ahead of Tuesday’s second leg back at the Nou Camp, because of those two massive away goals in the last fifteen minutes of the match, Real Madrid will have a hard time overcoming their deficit.

Real Madrid like to play counter attacking football, and they are arguably the best side in Europe at doing so, but will that carry weight in your Barcelona v Real Madrid Champions League semi final second leg betting? Their tactics didn’t pay off during midweek, as they really failed to threaten the Barcelona goal, with the game dragged into a bit of a dull midfield battle. That was Madrid’s game plan, to slow up the impeccable Barcelona passing game, and while it was working for long periods, it meant the game was not the big spectacle it should have been. Throw in some unfriendly rivalry between the two sides and game was really spoiled. Hopefully the second leg will be a much more open affair, because plain and simple, Real Madrid have to go and attack. Is it all over for Mourinho and his quest this year to become the first man to reach three Champions League finals with three different clubs? Well, it looks like it, but not yet entirely, because you can never discount the man. Remember last year when he stunned Barcelona in the semi finals by adopting a surprising attacking set up with Inter Milan? Well, that is what Real Madrid are capable of doing, so the threat is not entirely over. They need to get a quick goal though, and defensively stay alert or Messi and co will pick them off. Things really looked to be going the way of Mourinho in this long series of El Clasico meetings. Tuesday’s second leg in the Champions League is the fourth meeting between the two side in just over a fortnight. There was the draw at the Bernabeu in La Liga, followed by a Copa del Rey triumph for Madrid. Momentum certainly seemed to be shifting the way of Madrid, however, the first leg semi final defeat was a major blow. Any experience and tactical genius that Mourinho can muster up now, has to come to the fore.

The embittered Mourinho spouted off his dislike of Barcelona and pretty everyone in the higher echelons of footbal after the match. The former Chelsea boss has always a fan of conspiracy theories, especially when it comes to Barcelona, against whom he has a feisty history, that the war of words will continue. Mourinho was sent to the stands in the first leg, their substitute keeper got sent off at half time for a scuffle and now both sides are facing UEFA charges. It really is spoiling the thrill of what should be a fascinating encounter between two of Europe’s best sides. The football is not getting much of a chance to shine at all, but now, with the two goal lead, Barcelona can perhaps relax and enjoy their football a little more in the second leg, knowing that the job is halfway done. Thanks to Lionel Messi, they have a huge lead to defend, and Barcelona v Real Madrid Champions League semi final second leg betting would really support them in doing so. You don’t immediately picture Real Madrid going to the Nou Camp and getting at least a 2-0 win which would sent things into over time. Tuesday’s match has to see what Real Madrid are really made of. They have played some great attacking football in La Liga, but Mourinho has been more cautious in his approach in the Champions League. That is because the Champions League is what both of these two European giants really want. It is looking like sweet revenge finally for Barcelona, who have failed twice before in European Cup semi finals against Real Madrid. Barcelona will also take a strong home record against the Merengues to the second leg of the semi final, having not lost to Madrid at the Nou Camp since 2007.

Always worth revisiting some head to head stats. Until Madrid’s draw in La Liga recently, there had been five straight wins for Barcelona. Overall in the head to head, Madrid lead with 86 wins over Barcelona’s 83 and there have been 43 draws. At the Nou Camp, Barcelona hold a strong head to head advantage, having won 47 encounters to Madrid’s 18. There have been 16 draws between the sides at the Nou Camp (in all competitions). As far as European Cup semi finals go, Barcelona don’t have a strong record, having won five and lost six semi finals. Real Madrid on the other hand, hold the record for semi final appearances in the European Cup, this being the 22nd time they have made it this far. They have won 12 and lost 9 of their previous 21 attempts. In the competition this year, Barcelona have won all of their home matches (averaging over two goals per match), while Madrid do remain unbeaten on their travels, picking up two draws and three wins in the Champions League this year. The stats really are stacked against Madrid here. They have been in a losing position after the home first leg five times in their European history, and have only managed to prevail once. Barcelona on the other hand have qualified in 30 out of 32 occasions when they have won the first leg away from home.

Barcelona v Real Madrid Betting Tip: Love him or hate him, Jose Mourinho is a winner, but this may even be too much for The Special One. Everything really points to Barcelona progressing to the Champions League final here. Seeing them let a two goal lead slip at home does just not seem plausible. While they would be happy with a low scoring draw, knowing that Real Madrid have to attack, it is likely that Barcelona will find a way to pick off Madrid at the end of the day. Are we finally going to be in for a classic El Clasico?

Barcelona v Real Madrid Champions League semi final second leg betting Odds

Barcelona to win: 4/6 at Bet365
Draw: 31/10 at Unibet
Real Madrid to win: 4/1 at Bet365

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