Barcelona vs Inter - Champions League Group Stage

Published on: 24/10/2018

Barcelona vs Inter - Champions League Group Stage

October 24, 2017 20:00pm - Camp Nou Stadium

Champions League Group Stage

Inter Milan`s late comeback against Tottenham Hotspur in this competition back in September was the catalyst for a seven-game winning streak that saw them rise to third in Serie A and go level on points with Barcelona in their Champions League Group. As a result, this game could be crucial in deciding who tops Group B and gets a more favourable draw in the knockout phase.

Inter`s cause has been aided by the fact Lionel Messi is out for several weeks with a fractured arm. This should spur them on to try and take at least a point from this game. With a six-point gap between them and Spurs, Inter and Barcelona already look favourites to progress, but both will want to avoid defeat with the English team facing back-to-back games against the group`s perceived weaker team, PSV.

Inter arrive here on the back of a victory in the Milan derby which came courtesy of a late Mauro Icardi goal. After a shaky start to the season, they now seem to have hit their stride.

Barcelona have had a poor run of form by their standards, having won just two of their last six matches, yet they have only lost one of their last 13 in all competitions. That lone defeat came against lowly Leganes and was followed by a draw at home to Athletic Club. They followed that with an emphatic 4-2 win over Spurs at Wembley, a 1-1 draw in Valencia and a 4-2 win at home to Sevilla last weekend.

Recent form (all competitions)

Barcelona: WDWDL

Inter: WWWWW

Betting odds and tips

While most of the world`s top strikers were in action at the World Cup in the summer, Mauro Icardi was at home resting. The Argentine has five goals in his last five matches and looks to have benefitted from being left out of his national team for the event in Russia. He has scored in both of Inter`s Champions League games so far and could be worth backing to find the net again here. Barca`s record of conceding in eight of their last nine games also makes this option tempting.

You can back Icardi as Anytime Goalscorer at 13/8 and Both Teams to Score at 7/10.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 24/10/2018

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (24/10/2018 06:41:43) but are subject to change.