Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Barcelona return to Champions League football with the momentum on their side and Lionel Messi on the sidelines.
The Catalans are undoubtedly in great form right now after beating La Liga rivals Sevilla over the weekend. They only have one win in five outings in all competitions prior to the match, so the victory is a timely boost as they head to a crucial week that will test their title credentials.
Unfortunately for the team, they lost Messi to an arm injury in the game, putting doubts if they can keep their winning ways alive—particularly in European football where the competition is always higher and more intense.
Inter Milan will provide the first challenge to the Spanish top-flight champions, and it’s up to Ernesto Valverde’s men to respond to the call of duty and step up in the absence of their captain.
Talking Points
The biggest issue for Barcelona heading to their match with the Milan giants is finding a player who will step in the shoes of Messi–a player who is simply irreplaceable for the team.
Messi suffered a fracture of the radial bone in his right arm during the Sevilla match and is expected to be out for three weeks or up to six games. However, before he got injured in the top-of-the-table fixture, the Argentine maestro assisted on their opener and scored their second to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead.
Barcelona have a huge hole to fill with Messi sidelined. The 31-year-old striker has already 12 goals in all competitions to his name, along with five assists. He has also scored in three consecutive games now for Barcelona, including two in their 2-4 drubbing of Tottenham Hotspur that grabbed the Champions League 2018 highlights and headlines.
Luis Suarez, with four goals and four assists, will likely take over the offensive duties. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the Uruguayan has failed to score in six straight competitive matches before finding the back of the net against the Sevillistas—via a penalty kick.
Suarez has also been in a drought in the Champions League this year, boasting only one assist after two games in the tournament.
Philippe Coutinho is another player who can pick up the slack as Messi recovers. He has been on a tear offensively for the team, bagging three goals in their last five games. However, he needs to show more consistency this time if the Catalans are to lean on him.
Truth be told, Barca could afford to allow Messi some time off had the schedule been kind to them. Nevertheless, playing Inter Milan in the Champions League (three days before El Clasico) is just too difficult a task for a team that will be without their best player.
Inter Milan are currently on a seven-game winning streak and, like Barca, are also undefeated in the UCL. In fact, they are tied with Barcelona for the top spot in Group B, only behind on goal difference.
Striker Mauro Icardi, who was left out of the Messi-led Argentina team in the World Cup, is in fiery form for the Italian side as well. And he is growing more and more confident every game.
The 25-year-old is actually coming off an impressive performance in Serie A’s Milan Derby, hitting an injury-time winner to propel his team to victory. He has now scored in five of their last seven games, compiling a record of six goals and an assist.
With Icardi leading the charge for the streaking Inter Milan, the Messi-less Barcelona are certain to have a tough time in front of their fans at Camp Nou.
History
The two teams last met eight years ago, so it will be interesting to see how they will fare against each other eight years later.
In their four games in 2009 and 2010 (all in the Champions League), Barcelona won twice and lost just once to Inter. Their other match ended in a draw.
While little can be deduced from their head-to-head record, their home and away performances should do the trick. Barcelona are still undefeated at home in all tournaments since 2017. In the Champions League, the Spanish giants last lost a home game five years ago.
Inter, meanwhile, have already one defeat on the road this year, though it would be foolish not to consider their current four-game winning run away from home.
Betting Tip
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Barcelona vs Inter Milan | Inter Milan Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 2.49 |
| October 25, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
It’s always hard to beat Barcelona, especially on their turf, so it’s not surprising to see the Champions League 2018 odds at SBOBET favour them to take all three points.
However, I’m still not convinced with Barca’s latest performance. They have a tendency to collapse defensively and missing Messi should decrease their creativity on the offensive end.
I expect the game to end up with less than three goals, though I believe Inter have a fighting chance and are capable of winning or pulling off a draw.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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