The 2011/12 Champions League group stages kick off on Tuesday night with the mouth-watering prospect of the Spanish and defending European champions taking on the Italian title holders at the Nou Camp. Barcelona start as 2/9 odds on favourites to win the Group H match, with AC Milan priced 15/2 and the draw available at 9/2 with William Hill.
It is no surprise that Barca, who dismantled Man Utd in such fine fashion in the final last term, start as such big favourites against one of the supposed giants of European football. The standard of Italian football has waned in recent seasons and they face a big task to emerge from the Nou Camp unscathed.
Barcelona are unbeaten in their last ten Champions League matches at home and they appear to have started the new La Liga season in much the same way they finished the last. They comfortably won their opening match before being held to a surprise 2-2 draw by Real Sociedad, but that is surely no more than a blip as Cesc Fabregas takes to life in Spain like a duck to water.
The former Arsenal midfielder has scored three goals in four appearances since his move from the Gunners and is a 13/2 punt to score first this week or 15/8 to score anytime. It will be no surprise that Fabregas's goalscoring exploits have been overshadowed by a certain Lionel Messi as the Argentinean playmaker has six goals from five appearances and starts as a hot 7/2 favourite to be first goalscorer with WilliamHill.com.
Barcelona are without the injured Alexis Sanchez and Gerard Pique, although Carles Puyol does return to firm up the defence.
Four of Barca's five games this season have involved over 2.5 goals and Hills go 1/2 that Tuesday's match involves over 2.5. The concern for Milan will be how they go about scoring as they have failed to score in their last three European matches away from home and the odds of only Barcelona to score in the match could be worth backing at 11/10.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have a point to prove for the Rossoneri against his former club, where he scored 16 goals in 29 appearances, though and the big Swede has two goals in two appearances so far this term. He is a huge 12/1 to score first and that could offer each-way value at least as it won't be often that he is available at such a big price.
Milan will have to do without Philipe Mexes, Taye Taiwo, Mathieu Flamini, Gianluca Zambrotta and the suspended Genaro Gattuso and that doesn't bode well for a side that only won one of their four Champions League away matches last season.
The Serie A side could only draw with Lazio at the weekend and have failed to win on their last two visits to the Nou Camp so it is difficult to see anything other than a Barca win, with the correct score of 2-1 looking decent value at odds of 8/1.
Find out more about the match odds, team form and latest news for Barcelona v AC Milan at our dedicatedChampions League mini-site.
Barcelona v AC Milan Form
Check the season's statistics for both Barcelona and AC Milan plus the odds ahead of Tuesday's match.
Barcelona Stats |AC Milan Stats
Barcelona v AC Milan Tips
Tip #1: Cesc Fabregas to score anytime @ 15/8 with WilliamHill.com
Tip #2: Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score first each-way @ 12/1 with WilliamHill.com
Tip #3: Only Barcelona to score at 11/10 with WilliamHill.com
Match Betting
2/9 Barcelona
9/2 Draw
15/2 AC Milan
Correct Score Odds
15/2 Barcelona 1-0
13/2 Barcelona 2-0
8/1 Barcelona 2-1
16/1 Draw 0-0
10/1 Draw 1-1
20/1 Draw 2-2
25/1 AC Milan 1-0
66/1 AC Milan 2-0
25/1 AC Milan 2-1
First Goalscorer Odds
7/2 Lionel Messi
9/2 David Villa
6/1 Pedro
13/2 Cesc Fabregas
15/2 Thiago
15/2 Ibrahim Afellay
9/1 Andres Iniesta
10/1 No Goalscorer
11/1 Seydou Keita
12/1 Alexandre Pato
12/1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Odds supplied by WilliamHill.com, plus over 100 other betting markets on this match and all the week's Champions League matches, including live betting in-running.
Posted: Monday, 12th September 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: champions league, barcelona, ac milan, cesc fabregas, william hill,
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