La Liga is back in Spain, which is great news for soccer fans around the world, as they get to see the likes of Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, and Joao Felix return to action.
The resumption of domestic soccer in many major European countries also means we are a step closer to the Champions League. Here are five reasons why Barcelona should be backed at +400 to win Europeβs premier competition.
Barcelona are in a great position to qualify into the quarter finals of this seasonβs Champions League. They drew 1-1 with Napoli in the opening leg of their last 16 fixture in Naples. The away goal in Italy ensures they are now the favorites in the betting to qualify from that tie.
The Spanish giants have an excellent record at the Nou Camp in this competition, so it is hard to see Napoli getting the result they need to get past Barca.
Despite being 32 years old now, Lionel Messi is showing no sign of slowing down. He showed that on his return to action against Mallorca where he was on the scoresheet in his sideβs 4-0 victory as you can read at https://www.theguardian.com.
Not only is Lionel Messi always a great bet in the first goalscorer market in Barcelonaβs matches, he remains their most important player. He is capable of hurting the best teams in the world so, as long as he is fit, Barca have an excellent chance of lifting the trophy later this year.
One of the big advantages Barcelona have over the final few months of the season is that Luis Suarez is fit once again. Given they do not have too many options in that position, it is a huge boost to manager Quique Setien.
Suarez will not only prove crucial in the Champions, but also La Liga where they are -187.50 atΒ https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/en/football/spanish-la-liga-betting-117 to defend their title in Spain.
Surprisingly, Barcelona are as big as +600 in the outright market for the Champions League. This is a huge price given the quality they have in their ranks.
The bookmakers rate Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG as having better chances than the Spanish champions. If Barcelona do defeat Napoli in the second leg of their last 16 encounter, expect their odds to be much shorter to lift the trophy.
Barcelona were beaten in the semi-final of the Champions League last season by Liverpool so they will be relieved that the English club have been eliminated from the campaign.
The Catalan club were in complete control after the first leg of their last four tie in 2019, but an extraordinary comeback from Liverpool at Anfield, as you can read at https://www.washingtonpost.com, ensured it was the Premier League side which advanced through to the final.
Without Liverpool in the competition, Barcelona will fancy their chances against any of the remaining teams in the draw.
It should be an exciting finish to the season, and hopefully it will be Barcelona who claim their first Champions League crown since 2015.
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